Northwest’s Avery Silsby

By Hayden Swope

Northwest senior Avery Silsby knew with some changes to the Grizzlies’ roster coming up this season, she was going to need to step up and help lead them to a successful season.

“My goal for the season is to show up and show out as a team,” Silsby said. “We’ve always been underdogs. Losing our coach and some players this past season, some people don’t think we got it in us anymore. My goal is to prove them wrong. Hopefully Northwest grinds this year to make it to state.”

During the offseason, Silsby prepared herself and her mind for the season ahead. Working and training is what Silsby did to improve her game.

“How I prepared for the 2023 season was just to train,” Silsby said. “I wanted to get stronger, faster, and smarter. From the previous seasons I’ve realized my weakness was mental, so I learned to get out of my head. But this being my last season I wanted nothing stopping me.”

As a junior, Silsby was first team all-league, as well as a second team all-state outfielder.

“All the hard work I have put in for the sport is getting recognized and I couldn’t be more thankful,” Silsby said.

Silsby plans on continuing her education after high school, and hopes to major in Finance.

“My future plans after high school is to continue my academics at the University of Kansas,” Silbsy said. “I’ll be majoring in finance to hopefully get the education I need to become an accountant.”

By Hayden Swope

Buhler’s Camri Coker was named an all league honorable mention player as a junior, and this year, the Crusaders bring back the senior forward.

“I’m really honored to be chosen as one of the athletes,” Coker said. “To me it means that I have to prove that I deserved this by working even harder for my team. They are the biggest reason I have gotten so far. I owe this honor to my team, coaches, parents, and God.”

For Coker, soccer is year-round, training and learning on and off the field.

“In preparation for the season I started conditioning early,” Coker said. “I go out to the field to practice with teammates. I also managed the guys soccer team so I could practice with them from time to time, along with raising my soccer IQ from learning more as I watched their games. I trained with Aubrey Tanksley for a while last year and she helped me improve my follow through for a more powerful shot.”

With her senior season quickly approaching, Coker’s biggest goal is to bring the team closer together, and enjoy those last few moments with her teammates and coaches.

“This season I want to help my team become more unified,” Coker said. “As a senior I want them to be able to continue on with a tight knit team when I head onto college. I want this to propel us into a long postseason.”

Already committed, Coker plans to further her soccer career at a higher level after high school.

“After this year I will be going to Central Christian College in McPherson to continue playing soccer,” Coker said. “I will be majoring in exercise science with a focus in athletic training and minoring in worship arts. I want to be an athletic trainer and a worship leader when I graduate college.”