Grip It and Rip It

OCHS golf team seeks success despite low numbers

Article by Hannah Mondragon

The golf season has finally come again. This year the boys’ golf team only has six members, but their hunger for success is not affected by low numbers.

Golf is normally seen as an individual sport, but in high school it’s also a team sport. At competitions golfers perform individually but add up all the scores to get a team score. The OCHS golf team is hoping that they can receive a good enough team score at regionals to advance them on to the state tournament.

Freshman Brayden McDowell was asked if he thinks they have a chance to make it to state and what could get them there, and McDowell replied, “I think we have a chance to make it to state. Our team has enough integrity and respect to make this the best year we possibly can. We practice well together and we joke around so it’s definitely been a different experience.” Being the only freshman may be a little rough, but so is dual sporting.

Junior Ryan Haskins is also a part of the golf team even though he’s in baseball as well. He was asked about what made him want to dual sport and he replied, “I really like both sports so I chose to do both because I know I have the ability to do it. It also gave me another opportunity to try to make it to state.” Haskins was then asked about how he manages to practice for both and he replied, “I practice golf on weekends with my dad and my friends. Then I go to baseball after school.”

This year the boys may have a small team but they are hoping to have a successful season. From the sound of it, they are optimistic about their chances.  The Indian golfers will next be playing on Monday, April 27 at Shawnee Lake, so feel free to go out and support them as they swing their way to success.

Together as One

OCHS baseball focuses on working as a team

Article by Aundrea Koger

Much like every other sports team, the OCHS baseball team aspires to make it to the state competition.  “My ultimate goal is to go to state, because [OCHS] baseball has never gone to state,” said first year head coach, Mr. Bryan Sage, when asked about the team’s goals for the season.

In order to fulfill their aspirations of reaching the state tournament, the boys will have to compete.  It’s imperative that they win games, and lots of games at that.  However, Sage is tolerant of a loss every now and again as long as the boys play well.  “I’d rather lose playing well than be playing badly,” noted Sage.  It’s all about development, and learning to play as a team, and sometimes a loss is necessary for that growth.  Sage seems to be aware of this, ergo his primary goal, besides making it to state, is to have his budding boys of summer come together as one.  He would like to see them improve on playing with each other, not just individually. And he is not alone in these thoughts either.

When asked about the plan for reaching the state level, senior Lance Hultgren stressed the importance of playing as a team.  “We all need to come together as one,” said Hultgren, who is a four year veteran on the OCHS baseball team.  He’d like to see his teammates get on the same page, so that they can make the best use of their abundance of talent.

The 2015 OCHS baseball team is not short on talent.  A few of the boys will even continue pursuing baseball in college.  Hultgren, who signed with Independence Community College, and senior Jake Butterfield, who will be pitching for the Allen County Red Devils next year, are prime examples of the team’s depth.  Hultgren and Butterfield are team leaders too, and leadership and experience is commonplace amongst the rest of the team as well.  “I think we’ve got a good core of returning kids that baseball is their passion, and, ultimately, a good core of kids who know the game,” expressed Sage when talking about his team’s strengths.

An abundance of passion and experience will take this year’s baseball team very far when coupled with refined focus on coming together as one.  And no one knows this better than Sage, who, with an air of sapience, said, “Once we learn how to play together as a team, and play on the same page, we’re going to be lights out.”

Pitching for the Win

A young OCHS softball team strives for success

Article by Sarah Thompson

Sharing qualities with baseball, softball is a girls dominant sport. Typically played in the spring, the girls are already headlong into the season.

The OCHS girls practice diligently every day to, as Coach Tammy Serna wishes, get a win-loss record of .500. “We’re young and still learning so we’re struggling a bit right now, but we’re practicing hard everyday to try and turn it around,” says Coach Serna.  Her goal for the team, along with getting the win-loss of .500, is to get stronger for the future. Despite being young, Coach Serna acknowledges that her returning players have improved from where they started.

Sophomore Kelsy Orender, who has been playing softball for eight years, has a similar view of the team. “We are young, a majority of our team is freshman. We have a lot to work on, but we can do it,” says Orender.

Beyond team goals, each player should have her own individual aspirations. Orender’s personal goal is to be a leader and help out the girls with anything. Another goal she has is to get better as a pitcher.

Through continued hard work, the team has a very good chance of improving and being the best it can be.

Shooting for State

The OCHS Boys’ Basketball team strives for big goals

Article by Hannah Mondragon

The OCHS boys are at it again this basketball season. There are 25 boys out for basketball this year, and many are new players or freshmen. The practices have been going well and a lot of hard work is being put in by everyone.

Senior Manuel Friedlein, a foreign exchange student here at OCHS, was asked about practice. He replied, “I like practicing with the team. It’s pretty hard, but I’m happy at the end of the day when practice is over.” He was also asked about how he plans to make this season a very memorable time while he is here in America.  He replied, “I just will practice as hard as I can and just do my best in all the games.” And Friedlein is not alone in wanting to do well this season. Players of all experience levels, from beginners like Friedlein to long-time veterans of the sport, are looking to succeed this year.

Freshman Tyson Wilkins was asked about how much experience he has in basketball and he replied, “I’ve been playing basketball for ten years.” Wilkins was asked about his motivation in the sport and he said, “My father played college ball and I want to be able to follow him.” However, before he can get to playing college ball he will have to become accustomed to playing in high school, which is a far cry from junior high basketball. Wilkins was asked about that and replied, “ High school ball is a lot more intense and because of the age difference it makes it harder, but I think that we put in a lot of effort and I think we can make it to state.”

Although there is a multitude of freshman and a foreign exchange student, there are also many returners.  Junior Ryan Haskins, the starting point guard on varsity last year, is planning on this season going in an even better direction than the previous one, in which the boys made it to the Sub-State championship game. He was asked about how far he thinks the team will push to meet excellence and said, “I think we have a good shot at state. At practice we work hard but we can’t overlook anybody.”

This year the boys are shooting for state. With hard work and dedication it’s possible for them to achieve their goal. They have started off the season with a win over Council Grove and a one point loss in overtime to Coffeyville.  They will look to get their second win of the season Thursday against Central Heights.

Small, but Mighty

The Osage City Lady Indians’ basketball team looks forward to a fun year with its new coach

Article by Jake Butterfield

The Lady Indian basketball team is made up of just 11 girls this season.  This small number may seem as if it’s a great disadvantage to most, but to the girls the idea of a small team isn’t too bad.  “We all get to know each other better.  We know what each of our teammates is good at and we can hold them accountable for the things we need to work on,” commented junior Katie Testerman.  Despite their small number, the girls are excited to show everyone what they are made of.

Led by seniors Paige Pearson and Tori Tomlinson, the Lady Indians expect to exceed the expectations of all their followers.  “We want to make people believe in us and play to our full potential. Even if our record doesn’t show it, we all want to know that we did the best we could,” said Tomlinson.  Along with the lack of players on the team, the Lady Indians have another obstacle to hurdle this season.

For the second year in a row the girls’ basketball team will be under the instruction of a new coach.  Entering his second stint as the head high school coach, Mr. Chris Kirkpatrick brings experience and understanding to the team.  “He genuinely cares about each of us and wants us all to succeed, in basketball and in life,” senior Paige Pearson expressed about her coach.

The Lady Indians have started the season off with losses to two tough teams, Council Grove and Coffeyville, but they will look to bounce back Thursday when they take on Central Heights.   They look forward to seeing their fans in the stands cheering them on.

Rim Rock Gets Rocked by OCXC… Again

Lady Indians tear it up at the 3A State Cross Country meet

Article by Jake Butterfield

The last two weekends of their season, the Osage City cross country teams participated in their most competitive meets of the year.  First, they attended the regional meet in Burlington at John Redmond Reservoir.  Both the boys and girls ran well at regionals.  Despite giving it their all, the boys team placed fifth and failed to qualify for the state meet.  However, the entire Lady Indian team qualified for the third time in the last four years.

On Friday, October 31, hundreds of high school athletes and their families and friends gathered at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas for the class 3A, 5A, and 6A State Cross Country meets. The Lady Indian runners were honored to be part of such an important meet. When asked about the privilege to run at state, senior Maren Peterson answered, “The girls and I were honored and blessed to run at state and I’m so proud of us for making it as a team!”

The team consisted of a variety of different runners.  The Lady Indians were led by seniors and four-time state qualifiers Aundrea Koger and Sarah Peterson.  They were joined by senior Maren Peterson, along with first-year runners senior Tori Tomlinson, junior Lexi Allen, freshman Jessica Davis, and freshman Faith Long.   These runners were going up against some of the toughest competition they could face.  “State is the most nerve-racking meet of the season, but that I am able to run with such good athletes is really an honor,” Peterson commented about the state meet.   The Indians were one of twelve fortunate teams to be a part of the 3A State Cross Country meet.   First-year cross country coach James Bellinger noted, “There were fifty-two other teams in the state that would have loved to be exactly where we were at the end of the season.”

The Lady Indian runners ran respectively well at Rim Rock despite facing bone-chilling cold winds.  Koger finished sixth, trailed by Sarah Peterson, who finished thirty-eighth, and Davis, who finished eighty-fifth.  Maren Peterson and Tomlinson finished ninety-first and ninety-second respectively.  The remainder of the Lady Indian cross country team was brought in by Long and Allen.  Despite finishing twelfth, Sarah Peterson still believes they were the best team at the meet.  “We all supported one another.  Not one of us ran for ourselves, we all ran for each other.  We may not have been the best team there, but we were the closest team, which in my mind makes us the best!”       

“Up, Up, On Your Feet!”

The Osage City cheer squad can’t be beat

Article by Jake Butterfield

When attending an Osage City High School football game, you experience a number of different sights and sounds. You will hear players yelling at one another, the piercing trill of the referees’ whistles, and the cracking of the opposing team’s skulls. As you scan the crowd you see over-enthusiastic parents, rambunctious middle school kids running wild, and the pep band waiting for a pause in the game to allow them to blare their tunes. However, there is one important group of people that is often overlooked, but without them the high school football atmosphere just wouldn’t be the same.

That important group of people is the OCHS cheer squad. The cheerleaders have a very significant job to perform at the games. The cheer squad may often go unnoted, but during the game the girls are what keep the fans paying attention. “Our cheers keep people into the game. Whether the game is good or bad, we are doing cheers to root for the football boys,” says senior co-captain Maren Peterson.

The cheerleaders are generally the most enthusiastic people in the stadium.  Using their continuous smiles and peppy voices, they make it look easier than it actually is. From the simple, “Go! Big! Red!” to the more complex, “If you’re from Osage!” all their cheers take time and practice to memorize and perfect. The squad works very hard to make each of their cheers flawless.

When asked about the toughest part of being a cheerleader, freshman Molly Plinsky commented, “I still have a tough time remembering all of the cheers. It’s just so many words and motions, but it’s definitely getting easier!” Plinsky and the squad started all their hard work way back before school even started.

This summer the squad attended cheer camp at Butler Community College, where they learned new cheer upon new cheer to use throughout football and basketball seasons. Most importantly, the cheerleaders got the extra help they needed with their stunts. “We don’t have anyone to help us with our stunts during the year so we try to get as much help as we can during camp,” Peterson noted on the importance of cheer camp.

Once the school year starts the cheerleaders don’t have any time to relax. Although they only practice once a week, the squad is one of the busiest groups in the school. Their schedules consist of planning spirit weeks for Homecoming and Queen of Courts, planning pep rallies, making locker signs for everyone who is involved in activities at OCHS, making treats for all the teams, and most importantly, leading the crowd every Tuesday and Friday night to cheer on the Indian football and basketball teams.

The cheerleaders obviously put a lot into what they do and are a very important part of Osage City athletics. Without them, the high school environment wouldn’t be the same. Many fans would remain sitting for entire games, players would be more likely to give up without encouraging chants that take place during timeouts, and homecoming would be ten times more chaotic than it already is. So next time you’re at an Indian sporting event, don’t forget to take a minute to stand up, clap along, and yell with the enthusiastic, hard working cheerleaders.

The Crowd Optimizers

Success at camp helps the OCHS Dance Squad pump up the crowd

Article by Sarah Thompson

The OCHS dance team has always been an upbeat group of girls who keep spirits high with each one of their performances. The girls enthusiastically continue to create fun and buoyant dances. Their song choices keep the crowd on its feet, singing and dancing along with anything from hip hop tunes to 80’s rock music.

The Lady Indian dancers don’t naturally know these uplifting dances. They work hard to perfect their performances. At the National Dance Association (NDA) Camp in Eudora, they have the opportunity to learn from professionals, who teach them how to perfect their dances and make them more entertaining. When asked how they did at camp this summer, freshman Georgia Hutton simply responded, “The best out of everyone.”

Many of the Lady Indians received awards. Seniors Paige Pearson and Tori Tomlinson were All-American award winners. Senior Carissa Johnson earned the title of Hip Hop Top Gun for the second year in a row. Freshman Jordan Hon won the Turns Division, and Hutton took first in Jumps & Leaps. The OCHS dance squad’s technique was also rewarded, with junior Cassidy Robinett, Hon, and sophomore Baeh Gill each earning titles in this division.

All of their success at camp has carried over into the OCHS dance team’s regular season. Coach and new sponsor, Kylie Baxter, thinks that her dancers have had a good year so far. “The girls get along well, and the senior girls are stepping up to choreograph and be leaders.” When she was asked how she predicted the year will progress, she said they’ll continue to crowd please and their season will go well.

Hutton agreed with Baxter’s thoughts about the year.  “The year will continue to go well, with new and exciting experiences,” Hutton explained. She also stated that their season has been fun.

As they have for years, this team of enthusiastic Lady Indian dancers will continue to pump up the fans and get them on their feet to cheer on the team, giving them the support they need to win.

Rim Rock gets Rocked by OCXC

The Osage City Cross Country Team Performed Above Expectations at the Rim Rock Invitational

Article by Jake Butterfield

Each fall, schools and coaches from all over the midwest send their top athletes to Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas to run the most difficult course that many of them will ever run in their lives.  But what is it that makes this course so tough? Could it be the pressure of running against the top runners in the region? Or maybe the fact that the course is the home of the University of Kansas Jayhawk cross country team?  Perhaps it is the continuous hills that line the path of one of the season’s toughest meets?   This fall the Osage City High School Cross Country team was fortunate enough to send five boys and five girls to run in the prestigious Rim Rock Invitational held Saturday, September 27.

When asked what makes Rim Rock the most dreaded course of the year, senior Sarah Peterson commented, “Hills, hills, and more hills!” Sarah also noted about the meet, “The competition is tough and you really have to push yourself to show everyone what you’ve got.”

Senior Tori Tomlinson, a first-year runner, was surprised at how difficult the course actually was.  “I was expecting maybe one or two big hills, but no! There were four or five mountains that we had to climb!”

Sophomore Matt Burkert was also surprised by the course.  “The hills killed me.  Without them the course is easy.” remarked Burkert.

Despite the elite competition and mountainous hills, the Indians planned to do well at the meet and they did nothing less than that on the “course of all courses.”  In the girls Blue Varsity race, senior Aundrea Koger finished ninth out of 282 runners with a time of 16:11.  Seniors Sarah Peterson and Maren Peterson also finished well with times of 18:26 and 19:46, respectively. Freshman Jessica Davis and Tomlinson capped off the Lady Indians’ team, both finishing under 24 minutes.

The boys also met the high expectations set by Coach Bellinger.  Senior Brennan Lawless led the Indians, finishing with a time of 19:50, followed by Burlingame runners Clay Thomas and Jake Thompson.  Freshman Rider Nettleton also ran well, finishing in 22:33.  Sophomore Matt Burkett rounded off the Indian pack running just under 24 minutes.

Not only did the cross country team run well, but they also realize how much of an honor it is to compete on such an elite level.  “I feel honored that I got the chance to run at Rim Rock. Though most of us dread the course, it’s a great challenge and makes you feel accomplished after you finish,” said senior Maren Peterson.  However, for Peterson and her fellow runners this won’t be the last time they will have to face this dreaded course.  The Indians plan to make a return appearance at Rim Rock later this fall at the state meet.

The Rim Rock Invitational is a great opportunity for the team to prepare for the state meet and set themselves up for yet another successful season finale.  With the experience of the Rim Rock Classic under their belts, the state meet will be nothing unusual and the team will be sure to excel more than ever.

Driving Towards Success

The Lady Indian golf team is looking forward to another successful season

Article by Jake Butterfield

Totaling in at a staggering five girls, the Lady Indian golf team has high expectations for this fall. Lead by junior co-captains Kailyn Robert and Courtney Cooley, as well as first-year coach Mrs. Luanne Jacobs, the Lady Indians will be driving their way towards another fun-filled season.

When asked about the benefits of having a small team, Robert spoke of the extra one-on-one time each golfer receives from Mrs. Jacobs.  “With only five of us it allows her to spend more time fine-tuning each of our swings individually.  And who wouldn’t want to spend more time with Coach Luanne?” Robert added.

The team’s small numbers also allow for a more tight-knit team.  Co-captain Courtney Cooley enjoys the small team because it gives them the opportunity to get to know each other better. “Plus we can all fit in one van!” Cooley boasts.  Courtney returns as the lone state qualifier on the team, but she expects that a few of her teammates will join her at state this year.

Coach Jacobs also expects some success among her lady golfers. She hopes to see several of her varsity girls medaling at a few meets this year, but overall, all she expects is improvement. Despite being a first-year coach, Mrs. Jacobs is not new to the sport of golf.  She has spent the last 15 summers golfing every day.  Coach Jacobs also noted that she worked especially hard this last summer by doing some research.  “I watched tons of golf videos and even attended a few golf classes to gain some extra knowledge to help teach my players,” commented Mrs. Jacobs.  “It even helped out my swing and my scores started dropping too!” With these new found techniques, the lady golfers should be well prepared for their next tournament.

The Lady Indians will be hosting the Osage City High School Invitational at 3 pm this Thursday, September 18th at the Osage City Municipal Golf Course.  The team would love to hear the rumble of their peers’ golf claps so they encourage everyone to come down and see them in action.