The ReSporter: Hey Coach, Softball is right around the corner and we are looking forward to how your team will do this season.

You mentioned that your major area of concern at the end of last season would be offensive production, is that still your number one concern?

Coach Gallagher: “I still think offense is my main concern. We will work hard on developing good basic techniques, power, knowing what pitch to hit, knowing what situations to bunt, hit and run, etc. Being smart on the bases, and confidence is their ability to put the ball in play.”

The ReSporter: How has that softball IQ been advanced throughout this offseason?

Coach Gallagher: “Through repetition on basics: fielding,throwing, and hitting. We are also using classroom talk through and script situations and watch video to help everyone learn the game better.”
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Coaches Corner with Lee Willing the Swimming Coach.

The ReSporter: Hey Coach, could you tell us about how the team did at the 3A and Under Championships?

Coach Willing: “The team did OK at the 3A meet in Burnet. We had several kids fighting the flu so it was a tough meet for us. There is a movement to split the UIL State from its current 5A / 4A & under to 5A, 4A and 3A and under. This meet was a move to show the UIL that 3A & Under can be competitive enough to support its own state meet (there are aprox. 65 3A schools that currently offer swimming). There were 15 teams (7 from West Texas). Our boys placed 5th and our girls placed 8th.”

The ReSporter: What are your expectations at the upcoming UIL 28-4A Championship Swim?

Coach Willing: “Our team goal is to improve upon our place at last years District and Regional meets. Both the boys and the girls placed 7th at the District meet last year and the girls placed 17th at Regionals. I am confident that the boys will show a much better account of themselves this year. Our girls team graduated several swimmers last year and are rebuilding this year so they may have a more difficult road ahead.”

The ReSporter: Who are the athletes that have a good chance of advancing or scoring significant points for Canyon Lake this year?
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Coaches Corner with Mary Beth Gallagher

The ReSporter: Give us an idea of how you ended up with two week’s off this year?

Coach Gallagher: “Last year at this time we had already played two district games and thinking that would be the case this season left us scrambling for games. We did not realize until it was too late to schedule games. We called a lot of schools and did get our last two with Pleasanton and Devine.”

The ReSporter: What might be some benefits for this long of a layoff?

Coach Gallagher: “This break will actually help us as these girls will have time to study and do better in their classes. The break will also give us some scrimmages and conditioning. The girls worked hard especially in our scrimmages already this week.”

The ReSporter: Tell us about this Tournament in Lampasas?

Coach Gallagher: “We will have a four team pod system and will be guaranteed at least three games in two days and maybe four.”

The ReSporter: Who are the teams and what do you mean ‘Maybe’ four games?
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The ReSporter caught up with Head Football Coach Charley Drum for some thoughts on

this past season.

The ReSporter: Hey Coach Drum, you have just completed your first year as Head Coach, What was a major thing you learned your first year that you will take with you in your future Coaching career?

Coach Drum: “I learned not to assume anything.  With the transition at Head Coach happening so late, and relatively few coaching changes, there was not much time for any significant changes with our offense, defense, and our coaching staff.  I assumed that what we had done in the past would be just fine for this year.”
 
The ReSporter: This year’s team seemed to be missing an identity, how will you address ways of getting this team ready for next year?

Coach Drum: “The coaches and myself met immediately after this season and came to the same conclusion.  We immediately addressed this with our offseason program.  We have made significant changes to our offseason program and designed it to correct the deficiencies we felt we had this past year.  The second way we will address this is running an offense and defense that fits our team’s identity that we want to develop.”
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Bracken Christian has now been without a football game for a few weeks and The ReSporter would like to put some finishing touches on what was and will be.

First off, let’s share some State and District accolades:

 First Team Offense:                             First Team Defense:
 Receiver:     Junior Davis Scott                Linebacker:     Senior Eli Achilles
 Running Back: Senior Eli Achilles               Defensive Line: Junior John Colby
 Utility Back: Junior Preston Koch               Defensive Back: Junior Sam Hilgendorf

 Second Team Offense:                            Second Team Defense:
 Offensive Line: Senior Jeremy Fasenmyer         Defensive Back: Junior Connor Simmons
 Special Teams:  Sophomore Coy Zunker

 Offensive MVP:  Eli Achilles                    Defensive MVP:   Eli Achilles

 Honorable Mention: Offense                      Defense
 Quarterback Junior Sam Hilgendorf               Defensive Line: Junior Davis Scott

Second off, let's share some All-State Honors:

 All State First Team Running Back           Eli Achilles
 All State First Team Linebacker             Eli Achilles

 All State Honorable Mention Receiver        Davis Scott

 All State Second Team Utility Back          Preston Koch

 All State Honorable Mention Defensive Line  John Colby

Congratulations to all these players that are mentioned above.

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Canyon Lake Varsity has made up their four game losing streak to start this season when they went on the road to Comfort and won a hard fought battle, 46-42.

While, the Junior Varsity and Freshman, able to come away with a victories after being without a game for a week.

Getting cobwebs cleared was good for this impressive group of players.

The Freshman took no prisoners in their contest while enjoying a runaway win by 27 points.

“We started the game by playing at a much higher tempo and moved the ball around better than any game this year,” Freshman Coach John Barthels said. “We have been focusing our practices on defense and moving the ball around…making good passes and we were able to do both tonight.”

Ten different players had a ball go through the hoop in this game.

“Finding open players allows more of our kids to get involved and gives us more options in our offense,” Coach Barthels ended.

“It was good to win a close game,” JV Coach Brian Hooper said. “Comfort did a good job defending our offense. We stepped up our press and were able to cause turnovers for easy baskets.”

Coach Hooper will not allow this team to rest on laurels as he closed, “We need to work on finishing around the rim and eliminating turnovers.”

Canyon Lake Varsity has now won six of their last eight games with both losses coming from Randolph, who will also be hosting CL in this weekends tournament.

Coach Chapman give us an overview of your game against Comfort.
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The ReSporter: What are your thoughts as you look over the first third of your season and what are some things that need work and what are pleasant surprises?

Coach Chapman: Obviously, we started off slow, going 0-4, but since then we have played a lot better and are improving each time we go out.

We still need to work on executing better on offense, especially when it gets late in a game, and we need a bucket.

Our patience and shot selection will help that a bunch.

I have been really pleased with our defensive effort. The guys have bought in to playing defense and rebounding and those two things are what have turned our season around.

The ReSporter: Will you use a small and big lineup against certain type of teams?

Coach Champman: Basketball is a game of match-ups. If we play a team where we think we have an advantage going big, then we will do that and the same goes with using a small lineup.

We are fortunate to have a few guys that can play multiple positions and that helps us mix and match who we have on the floor. The more versatile we can be, the better.
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The ReSporter: Hey Coach Fields, you are playing a team

you had played earlier this year. Have you seen anything different from how this team played you earlier?

Coach Fields: “They have not changed a whole lot since that first game, I do know that they are executing a lot better.”

The ReSporter: What type of defense have they been playing?

Coach Fields: “Their defense has a three man front and three defensive backs. They will use their speed to run you down. This team is one of the fastest, if not the fastest in six-man football. So, they have found a good way to play to their strengths.”

The ReSporter: Compare what happened in the first game and how will you work with your team this week in practice.
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Coaches Corner with Head Basketball Coach Mary Beth

Gallagher

The ReSporter: Hey Coach, you have won your first two games, tell us how your opener went with SA Universal?

Coach Gallagher: “Yes, Hannah St. John had eight points and Katie Williams scored 23 points. It was a good game to knock the rust off and we battled hard.”

The ReSporter: How was your defense?

Coach Gallagher: “We missed a lot of shots, but we got after it on defense and I was pleased with our effort.”

The ReSporter: Who are the players to watch this season?
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The ReSporter:Hello Coach Fields, I would like to know if OLH Hawks are a

better team than the one that played earlier this season.
Based on their game with Seguin Lifegate when they lost 50-0…that game seems to standout based on their body of work.

Coach Fields: “They have a whole new coaching staff and that will always throw a team behind. They started the season in a transitional position and so based on having a full season by now, I can say they are a better team than the one that took the field against Lifegate.”

The ReSporter: You have a short week after playing a late game on Saturday. What is the make up of your team this week as they prepare for OLH?

Coach Fields: “This is kind of a rivalry game for us. The loser of this game will either finish third or fourth (OLH) in district. It is also the last home game for the Seniors and end of an era for most of the kids.”
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