School is back in session, and with that, so are sports. Teams playing this fall will participate in full, pre-pandemic length seasons. Coaches and players are pumped to compete, and fans are jumping to come out and cheer on Louisa athletes. 

Football:

  The 4-peat Jefferson District Champions are hungry for more. Following a regional playoff exit in the spring, the team is ready to rebound this fall on the gridiron. Players are optimistic about the ten-game regular season.  

 “We have more to look forward to. There’s a couple more matchups against teams we don’t usually go up against every year, so I’m looking forward to playing teams outside of our district,” senior linebacker Stephen Dean said. 

  Dean’s teammates, senior fullback Troy Fischer and senior wide receiver Chase Miller, believe the longer season allows the team to showcase their abilities. 

  “I feel like we have more opportunities to show our potential when we compete against higher level teams,” Miller said. 

  Fischer agreed, “There’s a lot of talent, we just have to piece it together. Once we do that, we’ll go far.”

  Many team members have known each other since they could walk, so playing one last season together is significant. Dean is excited to compete alongside his life-long friend, senior running back Jordan Smith.

  “I’m looking forward to watching him ball out this season. He’s my best friend, so he and I are going to have one last ride together,” Dean said.

Volleyball:

  This volleyball season is going to be one of success. Half of the players on the team are seniors, bringing experience and leadership to the court.

  “We have six seniors, so we are upperclassmen heavy. I think we are more of a threat than we have been in the past and we’ve been playing together for a long time, so our team cohesiveness is really high,” senior Emma McGehee said. 

  Senior Maddox Pleasants agreed, saying, “We’re going to continue to get better. We’ve had the same group of girls for four years now, and we’re going to be really strong this year.”

  Seniors aren’t the only players prepared to kill it on the court. Underclassmen are set up to succeed.  

  “I feel that the team is really great, with a lot of potential in the younger players that are being brought up,” senior Kylie Robinson said. 

    Head coach Rachel Green agrees that all levels of experience contribute to victory.

   “Whether they start or not, each player has a role on our team and I am excited to watch all of their growth,” Green said. 

  Although getting back into the “normal” groove of things might seem harder to some teams, Green has high hopes for this season. 

   “I am looking forward to spending time with the team and seeing their continued development and growth.  They are a very driven group of young women who are committed to seeing improvements in themselves as players and people,” Green said. 

Field Hockey:

  Going into the fall season, head coach Meredith Williamson and her players are thrilled to play more games than they did in the shortened spring season. 

  “I am looking forward to getting to see more teams and experience different looks. Last season, we played all the same teams twice with the exception of two.  This season we have more variety, so I am really looking forward to teams exposing our strengths and weaknesses, and developing ourselves into better hockey players,” Williamson said. 

  Many new girls have joined the team, and sophomore Mallory Greslick and junior Adriana Watkins look forward to establishing friendships.

  “I honestly am really excited for the season because last year we didn’t get as much time to bond as a team. I’m really excited to play and practice more with the team and get closer,” Watkins said.

  “Playing a longer season feels good because more people are joining field hockey, and a longer season builds the team more,” Greslick added.

 In addition to the rookies are the experienced players who will pass on their skills to the members of teams to come.

  “I have a lot of faith in this team. Some of these players I have been working with for six years.  I have watched them grow into the players they are today and hopefully they will continue to grow in the coming season,” Williamson said. 

Competition Cheer:

  Over the last three years, the competition cheer team has dominated. With three straight Jefferson District titles and three straight trips to regionals, the team looks to continue to hone their skills. Practices have evolved, equipping the team for competitions. 

 “We are doing more stunts and conditioning in practice to add more details to our routines,” senior Josie Walker said.
  Junior Taylor Blount is excited about how the longer season provides more time to master their routine. 

  “We have a lot more time than last year [three months instead of one]. We are focusing on developing the more basic skills to better ourselves and prepare for the season,” Blount said.

  Head coach Sarah Marshall is excited about this year’s squad, and is confident that they will succeed together. 

  “The team this year is close with each other and the team spirit and camaraderie shows in practice. This will help them succeed in their stunts and routine as so much of cheer is how the team works together as a whole. A team is only as strong as its weakest member and this team is consistently strong,” Marshall said. 

  After changing regions for competitions, the team looks forward to competing against new teams. 

Golf:

 This year’s golf team is composed of plenty of new talent, and players and coaches are excited about the group’s development.  

  Senior Evan Straley is “looking forward to all the new people on the team and how well they grow and continue to play throughout the year.”

   “I feel like the team is young but has a lot of promise and should have a bright future,” said head coach Neal Moubray. 

  Straley agrees, saying “It’s a lot of new people out there, but I think if we put it together we’ll do great.”

Cross Country:

Following an outstanding season from state champion Nicholas Emmert, he and the team look to get back to states once again. 

  “Hopefully we’ll be able to qualify for states as a team. Last year, we had individuals qualify, but this year the team is looking pretty good,” Emmert said. 

  A regular length season, with double the meets,  provides the team with a greater chance of making it to the state competition, and senior Caiden Davenport is excited for this fall. 

 “It feels a lot better than the spring. It gives us more opportunities to do well in the season, and it’s more exciting. We get more time together as a team,” Davenport said.  

  This year’s team, composed of senior leaders and plenty of new talent, look to bond as a group, improve their times, and set new personal records during the season.