Area high school teams geared-up for 2021 fall season

High school student athletes prepare to get back on the competitive fields, tracks, and hardwoods, as summer slips into fall and a new season emerges. Despite all of the craziness associated with the pandemic, coaches are optimistic, and they look forward to healthy and successful journeys in 2021.

KASSON- MANTORVILLE KOMETS

• FOOTBALL

Coach Joel Swanson leads the Kasson-Mantorville football team.

“We are excited for this upcoming fall. A lot of the players have put in a lot of hard work in the off season and now we hope that it pays off. This is our third season in the district, and we are now up to 16 teams, so we split the district in two for seven of our games and we all play one “cross- over” game from the other half,” said Coach Swanson. The Komets have some seniors returning with experience from last season, including: Matt Donovan, started at QB; Anthony Moe-Tucker, started at LB and played the running back spot; Brooks Buchanan, started at corner and rotated at a wing back position; Gavin Giesler, started at defensive end and center. On offense he is moving to TE; Owen Bradford, two-year starter on the offensive line and rotated-in on the defensive line;

Kellen Wilke, starter on the offensive line as a sophomore and has rotated-in on the defensive line; Brock Swanson, started on the offensive line and rotated in at defensive end; Sean Inman, rotated in at defensive line last year.

Also returning is Ben Nelson, who will be a junior (he started on the offensive line last season as a sophomore).

“We do have returning experience and we hope to build depth throughout the season. I look forward to seeing how much some of the other players have improved. Hopefully, we are able to have a season as COVID numbers continue to increase in our area,” Coach Swanson remarked.

• VOLLEYBALL

Kasson-Mantorville’s volleyball team coaching staff is composed of Adam VanOort, Varsity head coach; Yvonne VanOort, Varsity assistant coach; Allie Persick, Junior Varsity coach; 9A — Shane Plummer; 9B — Rachel Schmidt; 8 — Stephanie Cervantes; 7 — Dave Evans.

“We’re eager to see what this season brings for us, because we will be presenting a very different look than in the past. Losing seven seniors, most of whom were starters, makes for a young, upcoming team. We’re a bit on the shorter side regarding player height across the board, but we’ll be as motivated as ever when it comes to playing to our best potential as individual players and as a whole,” explained Yvonne VanOrt.

The five incoming seniors are Maddie Converse (setter), Cassidy Thompson (middle), Annika Larson (OH), Cate Wanous (libero), and Addy Bzoskie (OH, injured).

GIRLS SOCCER

Kicking-off his 22nd year as girls soccer head coach at Kasson-Mantorville, Chris Soderberg welcomes co-head Coach Brooklyn Smith to the staff. She helped with the JV squad last season and brings a ton of experience as a D1 college player out of Wyoming, as well as a club and high school player from Canada.

Brenna Collins returns as the assistant Varsity coach. Brenna was a former K-M player who competed in the team’s inaugural season in 1998. This is her 6th year as assistant.

Beginning with this season, soccer is a three-class sport. K-M lands in Class AA, Section 1. Byron is the only other HVL school that was moved up to Class AA. The section includes; K-M, Byron, Austin, Albert Lea, Waseca, Red Wing, Winona, and Faribault. These are the ingredients for a very competitive section, and if they remain healthy, the KoMets can be in the mix for a section title. “We have 15 returning Varsity players this season...the most we’ve ever had. That includes 10 starters,” said Coach Soderberg.

“Three of our seniors have played Varsity since 8th grade”— Halle Determan (Mid), Maclyn Smith (Def), and Elle Hagar (Mid). Lizzy Johnson is a three-year starter in goal this season. Lauren Flickinger is also a three-year starter on defense. Alayna Gossard can be used in a number of spots on the field and she provides some on-field flexibility. Those girls are the returning seniors, with Elle, Halle, and Lizzy as team captains.

K-M’s top two goal scorers last season are also returning. Kaylee Narveson (12 G) is a junior and Delaney Awe (7 G) is just a freshman. The two of them contribute a very good scoring punch up front. Anchoring the defense is Charlotte Woodrum, a sophomore who has started since she was a 7th grader. Other returning players who will play key roles for the KoMets this season: Makenzie Carrier, freshman midfielder; Julia Swanson, sophomore forward; Olivia Oolman, junior midfielder; Laney Bungum, junior midfielder; Moriah Mastin, junior midfielder; Karlee Wynia, junior defender.

“Byron is our biggest rival; partly because they are just five miles east of us, but mostly because we both consistently have competitive teams and always play close matches. 

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