Boys Basketball: 

   For their upcoming season, the Chief’s basketball team is hoping for a big year; with aspirations to go further than last year, and play at the state championship games. Senior forward Brock Thompson has been playing varsity for the past three years and he knows what it takes to play at the highest level in high school basketball. 

   Thompson is a 6’4 forward who knows how to move in the paint and he has been improving for this year.

   “I’m going to keep getting better and better to hopefully make a run at state this year,” Thompson said.

   The team truly believes that they can achieve their goals for this season. This starts with having good team bonding and chemistry.

   “The expectations for the team this year are to win districts and make a run for state. We have all played together growing up, so that is the biggest part of how we have bonded so well over the years,” Thompson said. 

   Because they have no new teammates and have played together so long, the team is already very close. They know each other extremely well, which will benefit them as the season progresses.

   “There aren’t really any new additions to the team this year except for William Winn and Jeydon Suddarth, but they played last year. They are just getting more playing time this season,” Thompson said.

   The coaches are getting the players ready for the journey this season by spending quality time at practice and always trying to get better.

   “Our coaches every year do a great job preparing us for the season. Our schedule this year will also prepare us because we are playing in the tournament of champions. Also, with our conference this year, we will play some of Missouri’s best teams,” Thompson said. 

Girls Basketball:

   The Lady Chiefs are gearing up to bring energy, hustle, and heart to every game this year. Senior Katie Vaughan is ready to lead her team through another victorious season.

   “We have no lack of athleticism on our team and everyone will have a job and skillset that will be beneficial to the team,” Vaughan said.

   The girls will have some time to prepare before their season with early morning offseason practices. Vaughan explains that the practices are not just training. 

   “The girls are getting to know one another and it helps to start prior to the season so that the team chemistry can form now and we can get a look at what we can improve and change,” Vaughan said.

   New faces will be seen on the court this season as the Chiefs will be welcoming Juniors Anaya Perry and Ari Warren, along with some promising incoming freshmen. 

   “I think bonding will take time considering we have new people all around and every year it takes a moment to get used to everyone. However, I have no doubt that we can all come together as a family,” Vaughan said. 

   With the Lady Chiefs putting an end to their season last March by placing third at state, prospects for this season are through the roof.

   “Expectations are high under coach Hanchey and the basketball program. We all have high standards for ourselves, but the coaches will always push us to be the best we can,” Vaughan said.

  This season will be far from a hoop dream for the girls, but they are ready for it. Their training will be vigorous but essential.

  “No practice is easy for us. The coaches will prepare us with plenty of practices, drills, and plays to get us ready for this season,” Vaughan said. 

  Come support the Lady Chiefs at their season kickoff this December at the Willard Classic. 

Boys Wrestling: 

   The wrestling team’s competition season starts in November, but they have already been working towards their goals for several weeks.

   Junior Preston Ingram is a part of the team and is excited for the year.

   “For my season I first go to school, get my work done, then after depending on the day, either practice or have matches with my teammates. I also go to the gym five to six times a week,” Ingram said. 

   Ingram is committed to doing everything he can to make it to the top level of high school wrestling. 

   “My expectations are obviously to make state and place, but that comes with practicing and staying locked in. The team has grown over the years in numbers and we continue to grow,” Ingram said. 

   The team growing in number usually means there are new additions. Not just to the team but to the staff as well. 

   “A new addition we have is our new coach who is one of our teammates’ dads. This is his first year coaching and also we acquired Central’s head coach for wrestling and that is pretty cool,” Ingram said. 

   Their coaches put in consistent effort to put them in the best positions possible for the new season.

   “The coaches prepare us early, as we are in pre-season two months before we have our first official practice. We have practices before school right now, and when the season comes, we will have it after school as well,” Ingram said. 

   As for their schedule, they have many competitions, duals, and tournaments. Having the coaches prepare them for when they are going to compete is crucial.

   “We have around 15 to 18 competitions as of now I believe. Many of those competitions are duals and tournaments with different schools around the state,” Ingram said. 

   The boys wrestling has high standards and their work ethic portrays that. They will be ready for their season and hopefully it will go as planned. 

Girls Wrestling:

   The girls wrestling team isn’t just stepping onto the mat this season; they’re stepping up. Senior captain Lindsey Young is excited for another season with her fellow teammates. 

   Wasting no time, they started early morning preseason training at the end of September. It’s held every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

   “We usually have a warmup, then learn some new moves, and a bunch of conditioning,” Young said.

   While friendship is important to the girls, it’s also important that they stay on top of things going into the season. 

   “The expectation is that our team maintains good grades and stays out of trouble,” Young said.

   While the majority of the team is set with upperclassmen from years prior, new faces are still a possibility. 

   “For the most part, we have a lot of upperclassmen, but we usually get a bunch of new people at the beginning. They will kind of test out and see how they like it for about a week and some will go, some will stay,” Young said

   The coaches have been working with the girls to prepare them for their season. The time they put in will be crucial, especially for the girls. 

   “The girls have an extra week added to their season, so we get an extra week of practice. We are their main focus for that week, so we know what to expect and how it’s going to look when the guys show up,” Young said. 

   Their season will kick off on December 5th, with the Mac County Girls Tournament at Mac County High School. Come show your support for our Lady Chiefs.

Girls Swim

    Hear about the girls’ season in Aubrey Whitson’s story “One Season at a Time”.