Winter Sports Previews

With the winter sports season beginning, the one thought on everyone’s mind is how Jamesville-Dewitt High School will do. “Hopefully better,” said Coach Jim Tuck about his Varsity Girls Volleyball team. According to sophomore T. Howard “we will be undefeated, just like last year” in Boys and Girls Indoor Track and Field.

Athletes on the winter sports teams are excited about the season and are ready to improve this year. There are many new players as well as a new head coach for the Varsity Boys Volleyball. Coach Yong Sul coached Boys Varsity Volleyball for eight years, until Coach Hayes took over last year. Now Mr. Sul is back because Hayes is now in a different district. Mr. Sul said “The good players from the JV team will help make this season better than last year’s.” Practice starts Dec. 13, but some open gyms will be scheduled soon.

Coach Tuck says that there is an “enthusiastic” feeling about his Varsity Girls Volleyball team because of returning players such as seniors Ally Lowey, Emily Parker, Frannie Haunfelner, Jess Butler and Katie Green. Coach Tuck thinks that with all of the great players this year there will be no one star player on the team. “Attitude, enthusiasm and effort is key. They are more experienced and they have more advanced skills than last year’s team,” said Coach Tuck. Practice starts Nov. 22.

Head Coach of Indoor Track Emily Rowles wants to know “which underdog kids will step up this year.” Some returning stars are seniors Ira Griffin, Austin Davis, Curtis Walker, juniors Koy Adams, Liz and Katie Pieri, and sophomores Howard and Ally Fox. However, a new player joining the team this year is junior Amani Jackson, who transferred from Christian Brothers Academy. He has the potential to make a great contribution to the team because of his speed, says many of the indoor track runners. Making sectionals and winning the league championship meet is a goal for both Boys and Girls Indoor Track this season. Practice starts on Nov. 22.

Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team is excited to start this season. “Just being with the team is exciting,” said senior Alex Hatem. This years team is more exciting because there are more seniors this year than last year. The players are happy to start the season on Nov. 22. “We had three seniors last year,” said senior captain Harry Kalet. Before they entered the playoffs and lost in the first round to New Hartford, “last year’s team ended the season on a nine game win streak,” Hatem said. Seniors and underclassmen alike are excited for this season to begin.

This year there is “more chemistry” between the players on the Boys Varsity Basketball team according senior Demetrius Mitchell. The team hopes to go to states again and win the state championship for the fourth straight year. The team has a lot of upcoming players who will step up this year, said senior Brandon Franklin, players like juniors Dajuan Coleman, Tyler Cavanaugh, and seniors Mitchell, Franklin, and Davi Sacco. Practice starts Nov. 22 but the team plays together outside of school a lot. The team chemistry has really improved since last year.

Girls Varsity Basketball should be an exciting season this year. “We lost our starting lineup, and all of the seniors,” said junior Stephanie Mannion. Because of the loss of the seniors there is less experience this year. “This year we blend together more, and lost a lot of the drama from last year,” Mannion said.

Boys Varsity Swimming has “lost a lot of seniors,” said sophomore Lyndon Pisansky. Those seniors were influential swimmers and now younger swimmers have to step up this year. The team hopes to make sectionals again. Senior Eric Jorgenson and junior Garrett Farcione are some of the stars on the team. Practice starts on Nov. 7.

Returning for their second season, the J-DHS Boys Varsity Wrestling team hopes to return even stronger than last year. Combining with neighboring Christian Brothers Academy, the team is coached by Treavor LeBlanc. Juniors Eric Thompson, Dan Meile, and Mike Wynn are expected to earn points for the team in their upcoming season.