First-year coach Nathan Hiebert has six returning letter-winners at the core of his Hillsboro girls’ team. Pictured from left are Abi Humber, Samantha Heinrichs, Amy Neufeld, Dakota Kaufman, Kassidi Luthi and Amanda Faber. Don Ratzlaff / Free Press
The Hillsboro High School girls’ basketball team will take the court as the defending Class 3A state champions this winter, but the makeup of this year’s squad will be very different from the one that roared through post-season play a year ago.
This group of seniors and letter-winners will form the base of the Hillsboro boys’ basketball aspirations for 2007-08. Pictured from left are Gavin Serene, Daniel Jost, David Loewen, Clay Shewey and Mitchell Koop. Jost is the only returning with significant varsity playing time as the Trojans lost eight athletes to graduation, injury or departure. Don Ratzlaff / Free Press.
Despite some adversity even before the start of the season, Hillsboro High School boys’ basketball coach Darrel Knoll is looking for his fresh-look Trojan squad to improve on last year’s 11-11 record.
Knoll knew he’d be losing seven key players from last year’s team, but a knee injury to returning point guard Spencer Brown late in the football season has changed the tenor of the upcoming campaign.
The Hillsboro wrestling team has 10 varsity-seasoned seniors and letter-winners to fill many of the 14 weight classes on this year’s wrestling card. Pictured from left are Jacob Yoder, Tyler Jones, Frankie Martin, Nicholas Mueller, John Hein, Jared King, Zach Jost, Grady Stultz, CJ Shaw and Alex Jost. That bodes well for a Trojan program that has compiled a 25-1 record in duals the past two seasons. Don Ratzlaff / Free Press.
With five state qualifiers returning, plus several other athletes with varsity seasoning, coach Scott O’Hare anticipates another strong year for Hillsboro wrestling.
The Tabor College men’s team is off to a 2-5 start against a tough early-season schedule. First-year coach Micah Ratzlaff expects his squad to surprise pollsters who picked the Bluejays to finish ninth in the preseason KCAC poll. Pictured are: back row (from left) assistant coach Garrett Bryant, Mike Rousell, Jared Hett, Orson Thomas, Kory Faul, Brent Nelson, Brett Curran, head coach Micah Ratzlaff, Zack Vanselow, Mike Stoecker, Jordan Funk, Jeff Hussong, Andrew Schroter, assistant coach Anthony Monson, student assistant coach Tyler Weinbrenner; front row, Brad Kaiser, Aaron Schmucker, DaQuon Anderson, Kyle Kroeker, Kyle do Blonk, Caleb Good, Aaron Whitelaw, Dustin Burnett, Melvin Green, Dale Collins, Ryan Watson. Vance Frick / Tabor College.
On the cusp of conference play, the 2007-08 Tabor College men’s basketball season already bears some of the marks of a transition year.
With the loss of all-conference guards Andy Brubacher and Tyler Weinbrenner to graduation, along with Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference “Newcomer of the Year” Greg Munroe this off-season, and combined with the changing of the guard at the end of the Bluejay bench, Tabor slid to ninth place in preseason polls.
The Tabor College women have compiled a 1-8 record through a tough preseason. First-year head coach Shawn Winter is looking for some success when the KCAC season opens Thursday, Nov. 29, against Bethany College. Pictured above are: back row (from left) manager Kelsey Bloss, manager Whitney Allen, manager Cherise Strangohr, Chelsea Malone, Erin Runge, Brittany Roth, Jenny Glaskell, Katie Fast, Jordan Crosson, Haley Parsely, Dana Champlin, Addie Cole, assistant coach Landon Jordan, head coach Shawn Winter; front row, Erin Dragoo, Abby Claassen, Stephanie Silvas, Kristen Allen, Cassondra Huxman, Joanna Pyle, Stacie Herman, Kristen Watson, Cheri Mount, Amanda McDonald, Brianne Greene, Katie Mount.
A season ago, the Tabor College women’s basketball team put together a 26-6 record, including a 15-3 mark in conference play, and defeated Cardinal Stritch in the first round of the NAIA Division II national championship tournament.
