Fall Sports Preview
2025 GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS VARSITY FOOTBALL
Let The 2025-2026 Fall Sports Season Begin!
By Dr. Mike Simpson GPS Superintendent
The start of a new school year has always been exciting for me. As we begin the 2025-26 school year, our students, coaches, and sponsors are already hard at work. Their task is to continue the outstanding legacy created by those that went before them as they represent our school district in a typically successful way.
The work each of these students puts in makes a difference in competition, but more importantly teaches them lifelong lessons about working with others, setting goals, and perseverance. The coaches dedicate their time and effort to teach not only technique, but
also teamwork and character. I can still remember the time I put in as a student athlete as well as a participant in other extracurricular activities, and how it
changed me. The relationships I formed so many years ago are still very strong and helped my growth toward adulthood. I’m excited for the growth opportunities our students have through these programs.
I truly hope you can watch the competitions in Football, Softball, Cross Country, and Volleyball as we begin the fall sports season. Don’t forget the award winning GHS Band and the work they are putting in as well. All of these groups of young people are shining examples of what is right in education. We aren’t perfect as a school district, but like our student athletes, we are striving for excellence every day.
GO BLUEJAYS!!!
Guthrie Varsity Football
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Guthrie JV/9th Grade Football
Guthrie football turns up heat for more great expectations
Story by Tim Willert
It is hot enough to disable a cell phone, but most Guthrie football players don’t seem to mind the discomfort.
At least not publicly.
They’re flying around the practice field as coaches bark instructions and address every blown assignment.
“It’s going to be hot on Friday night, boys,” veteran coach Kelly Beeby yells in a raspy voice on a recent Tuesday, referring to upcoming scrimmages against Elgin and Bethany.
At Guthrie, it’s all about the process — making sure players know their assignments and execute them.
No matter how uncomfortable.
“That’s what we do here,” said Beeby, who took over in 2014. “That’s
how we’ve been able to maintain a pretty high level of football for the last 25 years.”
In 2024, Guthrie replaced 10 starters on defense and five starters on offense, and still played for a Class 5A state title.
The Bluejays (10-4) lost a district rematch to Carl Albert in the championship game.
That team returns six starters on defense and seven starters on offense.
“They’re a year older, a year bigger, a year stronger,” Beeby said. “The expectation is the
same around here as it always is.”
Beeby, who coordinates the defense, likes to employ five defensive linemen, two inside linebackers, two safeties and two corners to stop other teams from running.
“Off that 5-2 defense that we base out of, we have adapted hybrid players for the more modern game, the more spread concepts,” he said.
Senior Gamble Smith, a 6-foot-1, 280–pound nose guard, is “big and physical,” while junior Qorrie Carlock, a 5-11,
Bluejays 2024 Offense. News Leader File Photo
285-pound defensive tackle, is “explosive,” according to Beeby.
Defensive end Cade Barton is a junior who brings length at 6-5, while 6-2, 225-pound senior Kellen Hirzel is a three-year starter at strong-side linebacker.
Then there’s the secondary, a physical group that doesn’t shy away from contact.
Strong safety Clayton Carpenter, a 5-9, 150-pound senior, “will hit you,” while junior Skylor Scamman, a 6-2, 160-pound strong safety, is “long and smart, according to Beeby.
Junior Dereon White-
horn, a 5-11, 165-pound starter at cornerback, is fast enough to run with opposing wide receivers.
On offense, Guthrie favors a “power spread offense” and returns seven starters, including quarterback Daelon Rice, a 6-3, 175-pound junior who played in all 14 games a season ago.
“He’s smart, he’s got a really good arm, and he’s an effective runner,” Beeby said.
Senior tailback Elijah Smith, a 1,400-yard rusher in 2024, is a “tough runner who takes care of the football,” according to Beeby.
Zane Thomas, a senior
Guthrie Bluejays FOOTBALL
who rushed for about 300 yards last season, will carry the ball on offense and play in the secondary on defense along with Whitehorn.
“He’s really really explosive,” Beeby said.
Senior H-back Maddox Vaughan and senior wide receivers Jace Rainwater and Amare Watson bring big play-making abilities.
“We like his utility,” Beeby said of Vaughan. “He’s got solid speed, good hands and he can lineup as an H-back or wide receiver. He’s very versatile.”
Rainwater, the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, “is
intelligent, runs great routes and has great hands,” Beeby said.
Watson, who scored the team’s only touchdown in a recent scrimmage against Class 4A state champ Elgin, is “extremely fast,” his coach said.
Guthrie returns two starters on the offensive line, including senior Cooper Walters, a 5-10, 270-pound guard. A four-year starter, Walters is “really the heart and soul of our ballclub,” Beeby said.
The other returning starter, Ethan Gilbert, is a 6-1, 255-pound center “who doesn’t get shoved
back when he snaps the ball,” Beeby said.
Last season’s accomplishments were overshadowed by late losses to Class 4A runner-up Tuttle on a last-second pass play, and defending 4A champion Blanchard. In that game, Guthrie committed eight turnovers.
This season’s schedule includes a Week 1 rematch with Tuttle, followed by district rematches with Blanchard in Week 4 and Carl Albert in Week 9.
“We got beat in the fourth quarter by Tuttle and we got beat in the fourth quarter by
Blanchard last year,” Beeby said.
“You think about that, you run a little bit harder, run one extra sprint when the games are that close. It’s a little extra motivation.”
Even on a sweltering summer day.
Guthrie Bluejays
2025 GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
2025 GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS VARSITY CHEER
2025 GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS JUNIOR VARSITY CHEER
Guthrie High School Athletic trainers at the 2025 Meet the Bluejays event. Photo by Bobbi Waddell.
Guthrie Marching Band Drumline Members, Seniors Trinity Armstrong & Gavin Dunbar at the 2025 Meet the Bluejays event. Photo by Bobbi Waddell.
Guthrie Cheerleader- Scout Evans at the 2025 Meet the Bluejays event. Photo by Bobbi Waddell.
Guthrie charges ahead for another state softball run
Story by Tim Willert
The way Guthrie High softball coach Kara Tarrant sees it, pressure equals privilege.
“Not all teams feel the pressure of trying to make the state tournament again,” Tarrant said. “I’ve been here 14 years. This is a recent pressure.”
Following a four-decade drought between state appearances, the Lady Jays have reached the tournament six times since 2015 and every year since 2021.
“Most teams aren’t concerned about this,” she said. “Most teams aren’t worried about going to the state tournament. They’re just hoping they win a game.”
Guthrie will have something to prove after losing to Duncan in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament last October.
The Lady Jays committed an uncharacteristic six errors against a team they beat twice during the regular season.
Guthrie returns seven of nine starters from a team that finished 25-10, but lost stars Kinley Duehning and Haley Gallo to graduation.
Duehning was the team’s starting pitcher for four years, while Gallo was a .500 hitter. Both players supplied the offense with plenty of home runs.
“We’re going to have to be more consistent bunting, we are going to have to understand that we have to get on base more so we can move runners over. We need to make teams work for it and hitting fly balls isn’t going to make them work for it.”
Leading the way will be juniors Ryn McCormick and Brylan Shephard, and senior Codi Hibbs.
McCormick, who bats leadoff, is one of the top hitters in Class 5A.
“She sets the table,” Tarrant said of her shortstop who hit .470 with 45 runs and 14 RBIs last season. “If we can get her on base, we can do a lot of different things with her. She can
hit, she can bunt, she can slap. She can really do it all from the left side.”
Hibbs is a three-year starter who hits for average and plays multiple positions, including third base.
Shephard, the team’s catcher, hits for power and has “a cannon” for an arm, according to her coach.
“Behind the plate, she stops people from getting extra bases because they know they can’t steal on her,” Tarrant said.
Three players — junior Savannah Ingle, sophomore Holland Mclemore, and freshman Emry Hebensperger are expected to split pitching duties in Duehning’s absence.
Other players expected to contribute for Tarrant are senior Saylor Hamilton and junior Halle Hamilton — the granddaughters of assistant coach Ron Gillett — sophomore Lola Brown and freshman Teagan Duehning, Kinley Duehning’s little sister.
“She is super-fast and we’re really
looking forward to what she can do,” Tarrant said of the freshman starter.
Guthrie’s head coach, a longtime assistant coach who took over the team in 2024, isn’t afraid to make changes if her players aren’t productive.
“If you’re hitting, you’re in my lineup, I’ve got to find a place for you,” she said. “We have a lot of girls who can play defense well, so that’s not going to be our issue. It’s going to be who is hitting at the right time.”
The Lady Jays opened the 2025 season with losses to five state tournament teams — Tahlequah, Claremore, 5A champ Pryor, Edmond Memorial, and Stillwater.
A different district schedule awaits with games against teams from Carl Albert and El Reno.
But, the expectation remains the same.
“Our goals are still attainable just because we lost those games.”
Confidence, expectations sky high for young Guthrie volleyball team
Story by Tim Willert
Rachel Gibson’s first season as coach of Guthrie High’s volleyball team should be the program’s best so far.
There’s nowhere to go but up for the third-year program, which didn’t play a varsity schedule in 2023 and won only one match last season.
Gibson is a 31-year-old teacher and mother of two who taught math and science to many of her players when they were Upper Elementary fifth graders.
She also played volleyball at Union High School in Tulsa, where she wasn’t a starter but fell in love with the sport.
“It was such a huge part of my life,” she said. “It’s a team sport and you really bond with the girls, and I just really loved it.”
Gibson hopes to sell that love of the game to her players, and she’s brought in a pair of former standouts to help
develop their skills.
Paige O’Connell, 39, was an all-state libero at Owasso High School, while Mary Seifert (Burkhead) played outside hitter for Mid America Christian University from 2014-2017.
Gibson and her assistants will start by building a foundation based on structure and discipline
“First of all, they’re teenage girls,” she said. “They need a lot of support. They need people that believe in them and will build their confidence and not tear it down.
“We have high expectations, but then we’re going to set them up for success.”
A trio of seniors will anchor Guthrie, with returning starters Oliviah Bryan, Lily Rechlin and Cora Leach expected to provide leadership and stability to an impressive collection of young players.
Bryan is a right-side hitter who can jump out of the gym, according to
her coach.
“She’s super athletic,” Gibson said. Rechlin, a middle blocker, is one of the tallest players on the team and uses her reach to her advantage along the net. Leach is a left-hander who can play setter and hitter.
“Cora, with her left hand, can really do a lot of damage on that right side,” Gibson said.
Sophomore Natalia Acosta played libero for Guthrie as a freshman and will patrol the back row with junior Payton Rolens, another defensive specialist.
“The coaches and I talk, and we say no ball is getting past them in that back row,” Gibson said.
While the varsity struggled last year, the freshman team won eight of 12 games — they went undefeated as eighth-graders — and hold promise for the future of the program.
Gibson called it “exciting just to be able to watch those girls grow and get better.”
“They’re friends outside of volleyball, and you can really see that when they play together,” she said. “Being able to put them with the varsity starters, the older girls, the juniors and seniors ... we have a lot of athleticism.”
The Lady Jays opened the season Aug. 15 at Blanchard.
“I feel like it’s going to be a really good year,” Gibson said. “It’s going to be really fun to watch.”
Guthrie Bluejays CROSS COUNTRY
2025 GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY
Talented runners, positive attitudes drive Guthrie cross country teams
Story by Tim Willert
Guthrie High cross country coach Bryce Balenseifen likes the chemistry developing among his boys and girls teams as the season gets underway.
“They get along very well,” Balenseifen said. “They support each other. They celebrate the success of other people on the team. That’s what I’m liking the most right now.”
There’s reason for optimism with the return of all-state runners Taylor Schroder for the girls and Isaiah Blevins for the boys.
Schroder led the girls to a fifth-place finish at the Class 5A state meet, while Blevins
helped the boys to a sixthplace finish.
Both performed well in last year’s inaugural Oklahoma 5A Public School Invitational. Blevins won the event and the boys team placed second, while Schroder finished fourth as the girls placed fifth.
While the boys lost only one senior to graduation, the team’s No. 5 runner at state, the girls were hit harder, losing two of their top two runners and three of their top seven from the state meet.
Beyond his stars, Balenseifen — who is assisted by coaches Jake Jensen and Lisa Reece — said question marks remain.
“I expect the girls team to make it to state,” he said. “Beyond that, I don’t really know yet. I’ll have to see how our newer and younger team looks.
“I genuinely expect the boys team to finish somewhere in the Top 3 at state. They’ve worked extremely hard this summer. They’re taking it seriously. And, at the end of the day, they have a lot of talent.”
Talent will ultimately determine the fortunes of Bluejay runners, according to Balenseifen.
“Everything else is important, but talent level plays a serious role in dictating how
high a team’s ceiling is,” he said.
Besides Schroder, Guthrie’s head coach is counting on Cora Leach to be available. A senior volleyball player and track athlete, Leach will run in meets this fall whenever it doesn’t interfere with volleyball.
“We only get her part time because she is busy with volleyball, but we believe she will play a very important role for the girls team,” he said.
Don’t expect the girls to challenge for a state championship.
Bishop Kelley and Bishop McGuiness have combined to win 25 of the last 33 Class 5A titles, and Bishop Kelley returns five
2025 GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS JUNIOR VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY
of its top seven runners from last year’s title team.
“I have no reason to believe that that trend will change this year,” Balenseifen said. “However, our girls are just going to focus on one meet at a time, and not hyper fixate on any specific outcome or any specific team.”
Time will tell if Guthrie’s cross country team performs up to expectations. But, Balenseifen likes what he sees so far. “Showing up every day with a positive attitude and a willingness to push themselves in order to get better would have to be the first expectation,” he said.
Guthrie Varsity Cross Country
August 29 - Carl Albert
September 6 - Guthrie
September 20 - Edmond Santa Fe
September 27 - OK 5A Invitational Championship
October 14 - Ponca City
October 25 - Regionals
November 1 - OSSAA State
2025 CRESCENT TIGERS VARSITY FOOTBALL
Optimism, athleticism spark Crescent’s ‘much improved’ football outlook
Story by Tim Willert
Brandon Gipe is not one to predict the future.
But, Crescent’s second-year football coach likes what he sees as he prepares his players for the start of the 2025 season.
Gipe returns practically every starter from a Class A-I team that won just three games in 2024 after winning 19 the previous two seasons.
“We only had two guys on last year’s roster that ever started a game, so we kind of knew it would be a little bit of a challenge,” he said. “But I think we’ll be a lot better. We return nine starters on both sides, so I think we’ll be much improved.”
Leading the way will be junior Tucker Stover, the team’s starting quarterback,
defensive end and MVP.
All Stover did was lead the team in passing yards, allpurpose yards, touchdowns, tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles.
“He’s not one that’s going to take plays off when we’re on defense because he’s the quarterback,” Gipe said. “He competes his tail off.”
Senior Smith Gordon will split time between receiver and running back, and play cornerback on defense. He led the team with five interceptions.
Gordon is a deep threat with really good speed who makes guys miss, Gipe said.
“You just try to get the ball in his hands as many times as possible,” he said.
Junior Joxon Heskett is
back as a starter at left tackle and defensive end. Although not the biggest player on the team, Heskett is among the strongest.
“He plays with a motor that nobody else on the team plays with,” Gipe said.
Juniors Nate Carey and Travis Wolfe are returning starters and were voted team captains along with Gordon and Stover.
Carey is a versatile player who will start at tight end, fullback and outside linebacker.
“He knows every position on the field,” Gipe said. “He’s a really smart kid who probably has the best hands on the team. I like to refer to him as like a Swiss Army Knife.”
Wolfe is a 6-foot-3 receiver and back-up quarterback who will play corner and safety
on defense. He started every game in 2024, despite injuring his leg in an ATV accident a few months before the season started.
“He’s a big ol’ tall kid, so he’s good man-to-man corner,” Gipe said. “And then on offense, you can throw him a jump ball or throw a deep ball and he usually just goes and gets it.”
Braylin Babb is expected to contribute after missing last season with a torn ACL. He has been cleared to play and will see time at running back, slot receiver, linebacker and safety.
“Honestly, before he got hurt last year, I felt like he was our best player,” Gipe said.
Running the ball and stopping the run will be priorities for Gipe, who is adjusting his
defense to feature four linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs.
“We just see so much run in our district and in our non-district that I thought we needed to get more bodies down in the box,” he said.
Crescent opens the season with road games against Morrison on Sept. 5 and Hennessey on Sept. 12. The Tigers will host Moreland on Sept. 19 for homecoming.
The second half of the schedule includes games against Hooker, the 2024 state runner-up; Fairview, state champs in 2022 and 2023; and Cashion, a state quarterfinalist last season.
“I think it’ll be pretty competitive in our district,” Gipe said.
Crescent Tigers FOOTBALL
Crescent softball team sets goal on state again, and a little more
Story by Tim Willert
Steve Hudson sees no reason why the Crescent softball team can’t match the program’s most successful season in nearly four decades.
The Tigers’ second-year coach returns seven of nine starters from a team that won its first 18 games, finished 25-4 and reached the state tournament for the first time in 37 years, but lost in the first round last season.
“I feel very strong about being able to duplicate it,” Hudson said.
“That’s our definite goal. I think even the girls would be disappointed if we don’t get there again.
“But I think they realize after getting there last year, they know what it takes and what’s required (to keep playing). It is going to be tougher because now the expectation is there.”
Crescent has plenty of offense coming back, but replacing Paisley Dyer, the team’s starting catcher and home run leader in 2024, will be no easy task.
Senior Kami Weber, the starter at third base the past two seasons, will take over behind the plate.
“She’s got a great arm,” Hudson said. Weber will catch Trinity Rice, a junior who has been the team’s starting pitcher since her freshman year.
Aug 26 Enid A 5:00 pm
Sep 5 Oklahoma Bible A 1:00 pm
Sep 9 Fairview H 4:30 pm
Sep 12 Waukomis A 3:15 pm
Sep 22 Perry A 5:00 pm
“She definitely moves the ball well, does a great job defensively, and she can hit well,” Hudson said.
Another key contributor will be sophomore shortstop Jayda Nethon, who started as a freshman and possesses plenty of smarts and situational awareness, according to her coach.
“She’s the real deal,” he said.
In Rice and Nethon, Crescent has a pair of .400 hitters who can hit for power. In sophomore Trinity Webster and freshman Leila Dyer, the Tigers have speed to burn on the basepaths.
“We have a good mix of power hitting and speed, and being able to play small ball,” Hudson said. “Most teams know that we’re going to bunt, and they still can’t stop it.”
Dyer, Paisley’s little sister, and freshman Bella Johnston will see action in Crescent’s starting lineup.
“I call her the sandlot player,” Hudson said of Johnston. “She pitches, she catches, she can play any position on the field. One of those kids that can go out there and play for hours and then want to play more.”
Dyer, a switch-hitter, will alternate between the outfield and second base.
“She’s got good speed, and she puts the ball into play,” he said.
Two others expected to make key contributions are Webster and junior Raegan Williams.
Webster, a track sprinter, can motor down the baseline and will cover a lot of ground in center field.
Williams was playing first base before injuring her knee, and her coach said she’s working her way back into the lineup.
“I’m hoping she can stay healthy because she provides a lot of power at the plate,” Hudson said.
Crescent opened the season Aug. 7 with an appearance in the Ripley Tournament and was scheduled to play its first district game at Fairview on Aug. 19.
Before the start of every season, Hudson asks his players to write out their goals.
“First year I’ve got 19 players and all of them jotted down their goals,” he said. “It’s something that they can see every day.”
2025 CRESCENT VARSITY CHEER
More depth, experience gives Coyle solid shot at 8-man playoffs
Story by Tim Willert
Coyle High coach Marcus Cooper knew his 8-man football team would struggle in 2024.
The Bluejackets lost six senior starters from a team that reached the second round of the Class B playoffs the previous season.
Cooper’s expectations were low and centered around getting his young players as many reps as possible.
The result was three wins and seven losses.
“It wasn’t about winning,” he said. “It was about getting kids better.”
The expectations are much higher for B-II Coyle, which kicks off the 2025 season with a home game against Yale on Sept. 4.
“This season’s team will
Coyle Varsity Football
have way more depth,” Cooper said.
Of the 24 players expected to be on the roster, six are returning starters who play on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the Bluejackets will run the ball about 80 percent of the time behind a physical offensive line. Defensively, Coyle will constantly pressure the quarterback.
“We have very quick ends,” Cooper said. “Our defensive ends are the most dominant players on our defense, I would say.”
Senior Josiah Amaro returns as the Bluejackets’ starter at quarterback but is expected to share time with sophomore Tyree Lancaster, who took over last season when Amaro injured his knee.
Amaro, who weighs 225 pounds, will also spend time at guard, Cooper said. And, he’ll play linebacker on defense.
“He likes to work,” Cooper said. “He’s a hard worker.”
Senior Xavier Noble, a three-year starter, will play defensive end and tight end, and provide leadership.
“He’s very smart,” Cooper said. “He’s always that guy who calms everybody down.”
Senior Tristen Hoffman, the team’s biggest player at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, will play center and noseguard.
Four juniors are expected to be key contributors for Coyle, including Conner Moorman, a dominant 6-1, 185-pound tight end and defensive end.
“He’s the motor on our defense,” Cooper said. “He’s a big play guy on both sides of the ball.”
James Lackey, Elijah Sims and Carsen Hock are twoyear starters who possess toughness and a strong work ethic, according to Cooper. The team’s non-district schedule will be challenging, with games against Yale, Blue Jacket, and defending Class C champion Tipton.
Coyle plays a five-team district schedule, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.
“Our district is pretty good,” Cooper said. “I think we have one of the hardest schedules in Class B-II. “I think we’ll make the first round of the playoffs. The kids have been working hard this summer.”
Aug 29 Pond Creek - Hunter A 7:00 pm
Sep 4 Yale H 7:00 pm
Sep 12 Bluejacket A 7:00 pm
Sep 18 Tipton A 7:00 pm
Oct 3 Depew H 7:00 pm
Oct 9 Olive A 7:00 pm
Oct 16 Waukomis H 7:00 pm
Oct 23 Covington Douglas H 7:00 pm
Oct 30 Cherokee H 7:00 pm
Nov 6 Davenport A 7:30 pm
Story by Tim Willert
Freshmen-laden Coyle softball team built for the future
Youth will lead the way for Coyle High’s fast-pitch softball team in 2025 and beyond.
Eleven freshmen are expected to be among 17 players to suit up for the Class A Bluejackets, who opened the season Aug. 11 against Glencoe.
It’s a long way from the team Coyle fielded last season, the one with just seven players. Coach Leslea Wagner, in her first season, had to recruit three athletes with no fast-pitch experience to round out her squad or cancel the season.
The Bluejackets played only 12 games, winning four.
“Last year, I feel like the best word was ‘completed’,” she said. “It kind of was like a blessing just to get that because we didn’t even have enough girls for a team.”
No such worries moving forward for Coyle, which returns four starters.
Senior Makala Gross, junior Ashlee DeMoss, and sophomores Camryn Wagner and Leighanna Nix bring stability to the young players.
Gross will play either third base or center field, while DeMoss, the catcher, is “very quick on the bases” and will bat first or second.
Wagner, the coach’s daughter, will rotate between first base and second. Nix will start at shortstop, but could see time at third base and in the outfield.
“She’s honestly, just a great utility player,” Coach Wagner said of Nix. “I can put her anywhere and she’s going to make plays.”
Freshmen will play key roles, including Eden McDonald, a travel ball player who will be the team’s starting pitcher.
“Eden may be the most dedicated girl I’ve coached, is what I feel like,” Wagner said. “She’s a utility player, but
she’s the one that’s focused the most on pitching.”
Freshman Alaina Hock and Allyson Cameron will start in the outfield for Wagner.
“We’ve got a team, but boy, howdy, are we young,” she said. “It’s great to have a replenishment. We can have those practices; we can have those scrimmages; we can have that peace of mind knowing that we are always going to have a team.”
Wagner’s expectations for 2025 include a .500 season, a Top 3 finish in one of the team’s two tournaments, and a playoff win.
“That’s about as realistic as it gets,” she said. “I tell them never to look back into the past ... we’re way beyond that.”
Wagner’s message to her team is to have a “winning mindset.”
“I cheer them on, and I constantly point out all the good things that they do, just to show them that they’re ca-
pable of doing this,” she said. “On the turn side, I hold them accountable.”
Coyle Varsity Softball
Mulhall-Orlando Panthers BASEBALL
2025 MULHALL ORLANDO PANTHERS
BASEBALL
Seven returning starters, talented freshmen fuel Panthers’ state baseball hopes
Story by Tim Willert Mulhall-Orlando baseball coach
Tim Hatter believes his fall team has what it takes to reach the state tournament for the second time in three years.
Seven starters return from a Class B squad that won 21 of 29 games a year ago and finished second in district play.
“After making the state tournament in the fall of 2023, our team goals are to get better each day, and make a return trip to the state tournament,” Hatter said.
The Panthers are led by seniors Denver McKay, Jace Taylor and Preston Doty, who combined for 80 RBIs and 76 runs scored in 2024.
McKay hit .587 with three home runs, six triples, six doubles, 34 RBIs, and 33 runs to earn all-conference honors, as did Taylor, who hit .432 with 23 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Mulhall also got big contributions from Doty and junior Wade Blagden. Doty (.421) knocked in 23 runs and scored 20 times, while Blagden hit
.304 with 18 RBIs and 21 runs scored.
Defensively, McKay can play any position “at a high level” and Taylor “locks down any infield position” he’s asked to play, according to Hatter, who is beginning his seventh year as the Panthers’ coach.
McKay, Doty, and Blagden also combined for 11 pitching wins. Blagden led the way with a 5-2 record (one save), while Doty, a left-hander, was 3-0.
“We are a team that will compete on the mound, play sound defense and can be explosive on the offensive side of the game,” Hatter said.
Two freshmen — Ryker Schoepfin and Kayden Vibbard — will step into starting roles.
“I believe that the returning starters’ combined experience and the addition of incoming freshman talent will build our team depth from top to bottom,” Hatter said.
Mulhall opened its season at Shidler on Aug. 11, and then played its home opener the next day against Lomega.
“We have been ranked in the Top
20 for Class B for the last four-plus seasons and will continue to try and push forward in an attempt to work our way into the Top 10,” Hatter said.
Mulhall-Orlando Panthers SOFTBALL
2025 MULHALL ORLANDO LADY PANTHERS
VARSITY SOFTBALL
Mulhall softball team makes its best pitch to flip the script
Story by Tim Willert
Mulhall High softball coach Mike Hubbard worked out as many pitchers as possible over the summer. And most had never played the position.
Pitching depth was a problem for the Class B Panthers, who lost 15 of 18 games in 2024 despite the best efforts of starter Peyton Beier, who wore down as the season wore on.
“Peyton was our only pitcher,” Hub-
Mulhall-Orlando
bard said. “As all pitchers do, when she would begin to struggle, then we had nobody to go to.
“We’re trying to get numbers this year ... girls that can at least step in and throw an inning or two. Last year, it was pretty clear that we didn’t have anyone who had even attempted to pitch before.”
Several accepted the challenge, among them sophomore Lauren Stinchcomb and freshman Cassidy Williams.
Stinchcomb catches and plays first base. She was the Panthers’ best hitter a season ago before injuring her elbow. Williams is a power hitter who will bat leadoff for Hubbard and play the outfield.
“They’re not necessarily pitchers, but they’re our only two girls who play travel softball,” he said. “Just their athleticism allowed them to do reasonably well.
“I don’t know if they’re going to come in and throw a whole game, but they can definitely come in and throw an inning or two.”
Beier, one of five returning seniors, will once again get the bulk of the pitching work for Mulhall.
“She’s willing to do the hard work of pitching,” Hubbard said. “She knows going in we’re just going to get hammered by a lot of these teams and she doesn’t shy away from it.”
Emma McFall will catch and play first base, while Rylan Lunsford will patrol center field for the Panthers.
Allie Phillips will play third base and Joci Fogle is Hubbard’s projected starter at second base, but is willing to play other positions if needed, including pitcher.
“She is the ultimate team player,” he said.
A sixth senior, Kasey Reese, is a transfer from Coyle who is expected to see action in the outfield for Mulhall.
“I think, at a small school, you’ve got to give seniors their time when they’re seniors,” Hubbard said. “We’re not going to compete for a state championship this year, so they’re going to get the time that I think they deserve.”
Cashion Wildcats FOOTBALL SOFTBALL
Cashion Football
Aug 29 Hennessey H TBA
Sep 5 Velma-Alma A TBA
Sep 12 Ringling A TBA
Sep 26 Merritt A TBA
Oct 3 Watonga H TBA
Oct 10 Hooker A TBA
Oct 16 Crescent H TBA
Oct 24 Sayre H TBA
Oct 31 Hinton A TBA
Nov 7 Fairview H TBA
Cashion Softball
Aug 28 Crescent A 5:00 pm
Sep 2 Luther H 4:30 pm
Sep 4 Sterling Tourn A TBA
Sep 8 Ampo A 4:30 pm
Sep 9 Dover H TBA
Sep 11 Crescent H 5:00 pm
Sep 15 Okarche A 4:30 pm
Sep 16 Fairview A 4:30 pm
Sep 18 Heritage Hall A 4:30 pm
Sep 22 Dover A 4:30 pm
Sep 23 Garber H 5:00 pm
Sep 29 Ampo H 4:30 pm
Cashion’s football goal: ‘Be the best version of ourselves’
Story by Tim Willert
It’s hard to know what to expect from Cashion football in 2025.
Coaches are playing it close to the vest.
“I’m trying to eliminate drama,” assistant coach Erik Robinson said.
On paper, the Wildcats appear to be in good shape, with six starters returning on offense and defense from a team that finished 8-4 and reached the Class A-I state quarterfinals last season.
“We like the experience we have returning and the goal is to be the best version of ourselves as possible,” Robinson said.
The Wildcats open at home against Hennessey on Aug. 29, before playing three straight on the road.
Cashion’s top returning players are seniors Ethan Waswo, Juan Melendez, Drew Westerhoff, and Max Hoesli, according to Robinson.
Waswo will play tight end and defensive end, while Melendez and Hoseli will anchor the offensive and defensive lines.
Westerhoff, one of the team’s most versatile players, is returning from injury. He is expected to see time at wide receiver, running back ,and linebacker.
“All are looking to have big years as
Cashion softball program ‘ready
Story by Tim Willert Brandy
Chavez is looking to make some history with the Cashion fastpitch softball team in 2025.
seniors,” Robinson said.
It’s unclear who will play quarterback for head coach Lynn Shackelford’s team.
The Wildcats will employ a spread offense with multiple receivers, but “it will be more multiple this year,” Robinson said.
Defensively, Cashion will run a 4-3 base defense.
The Wildcats play a tough schedule and will compete in “a tough district with a lot of good teams,” according to Robinson.
“Cashion football will play hard and do things the right way,” he said.
to make its mark’
The second-year coach believes she has the right mix of returning players and new additions to reach the state tournament for the first time in the program’s nearly three decades of existence.
“Our goals are to win district, win super regional, and make history getting to the state tournament,” Chavez said. “This year’s team is becoming closer and stronger every day on and off the field."
The Lady Wildcats, who were 15-14 last season, return three key starters, including senior Jayce Bradley. She will pitch and play third base.
The other returnees are senior Bella Ball, a left-handed slapper at the plate who will start in center field, and sophomore Kate Nabavi, who will play shortstop or third base depending on who is pitching.
Several new faces are expected to contribute as well, among them freshmen Brynn Geisinger and Cami McGuire, junior Morgan Buchholz, and sophomore Khloe Kastner, a courtesy runner with “impeccable speed,” according to her coach.
Geisinger will pitch and play shortstop and brings a “big bat” to the lineup, Chavez said.
Buchholz, a late summer addition, will fill a key role as the team’s starting catcher and brings “punch to our lineup from the left side.”
“This team is unique in the fact that
we have undergone some changes in the program with players graduating, transferring, moving, or moving into the district,” Chavez said. “I believe we have the right combination of players to compete in Class 2A this year.”
It will take perseverance and hard work to reach those goals, said Chavez, who coached Davenport High to fastpitch and slow-pitch state titles.
Chavez and her staff also want to build respect among players.
“We want these young ladies to be great teammates,” she said.
Cashion started playing games that count on Aug. 11 and hosted its own tournament Aug. 21-23.
“Our schedule is tough with some good competition, but I believe this team can handle it,” Chavez said. “They will learn how to compete at a higher level against some strong programs across the state and in different classes. We look forward to seeing who has a breakout season and leads this team.”
She has high expectations for her players, who will compete on a new turf field.
“Cashion softball is ready to make its mark in the softball world,” Chavez said. “Over the years, several young ladies have left their mark on the program, forging the path for the next generation of Cashion softball players to compete at a higher level. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.”
