Go Mustangs!!

Fall is a time for the changing of the seasons and for football. In our household, it also involved

volleyball.

Both girls participated in the sport. By participating, it meant spending their time doing the weight lifting and working at the camps and clinics in the summer time. It meant buying specific shoes and active ankle supports to participate along with the proper foundation garments. It meant the loads and load of laundry to wash the uniforms and warm-ps to get ready for the next match. It also meant they had to do their work in the classroom so they could play for the team as well.

My girls were able to participate in a the Republican Valley program run by Coach Troester and his various assistant coaches. Plus you have to give credit to Coach Casper for running a good junior high program. (Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals)

There has great deal of success with the program. I would like to take a minute to salute those efforts. I wish that the legacy had been more important to the power that be in the 'new' district. It still rankles my hide that the State Championship trophies and the Runner-up trophies and the legacy they represent weren't important enough to remain in the trophy cases at the old RV gym site when the "new" district came into being in 2004. There were girls at the time of the consolidation still in school that had supporting roles with those teams. I know how hurt my own kids were about it. But I just wanted all the girls and coaches to know that their efforts and success were important. And should be from a historical viewpoint. (You have to know where you have been to get where you are going, so to speak.)

The following info is on www.nsaahome.org. Click the volleyball link and go to State Bests section.(Updated 12/15/08)

Most times in the state tournament - 13

Consecutive years in the tournament - 6 (1998-2003)

Consecutive years in the finals - 6 (1998-2003)

Most state championships - 7 (This is behind Columbus Scotus, Bellevue West and GICC)

Consecutive state championships - 5 (The most is 6 - Bellevue West and Shickley)

Most times in the finals - 12 (fourth on the list)

Most state tournament matches - 38

Most state tournament match wins - 32.

Republican Valley- State High School Tournament Appearances (Updated 12-12-08 - from the State Tournament History link)

Champion-C2/1988, C2/1992, C2/1998, C2/1999, C2/2000, D1/2001, D1/2002

Runner-up-C1/1986, C2/1989, C2/1990, C2/1993, D1/2003

Matches: 38

Won: 32

1. 1986-Wilber-Clatonia W15-5, 15-5, Creighton W15-8, 15-7, Burwell L5-15, 12-15

2. 1988-St. Cecilia W9-15, 15-13, 15-13, Pope John W5-11, 15-6, Howells W15-10, 15-10

3. 1989-Sutherland W15-9, 16-14, Howells W16-14, 15-12, Hastings St. Cecilia L2-15, 10-15

4. 1990-Lincoln Christian W15-10, 15-11 Sutherland W15-4, 15-10, Hastings St. Cecilia L5-15, 15-11, 8-15

5. 1992-Winside W15-6, 16-14, Garden County W15-11, 16-14, Deshler W15-7, 15-12

6. 1993-Spencer-Naper W15-7, 15-7, Callaway W15-9, 15-7, Johnson-Brock L12-15, 15-11, 14-16

7. 1995-Hebron W12-15, 15-11, 15-10, Howells L4-15, 15-6, 8-15

8. 1998-Burwell W14-16, 15-3. 15-0, Elkhorn Valley W13-15, 15-7, 15-8, Yutan W15-6, 15-6

9. 1999-Kearney Catholic W15-11, 12-15, 15-6, Grant W15-11, 15-9, West Point Central Catholic W14-16, 15-6, 15-6

10. 2000-Elkhorn Valley W16-14, 15-9, West Point Central Catholic W15-12, 14-16, 15-10, Laurel-Concord W13-15, 15-10, 15-9

11. 2001-Blue Hill W15-7, 15-10, Falls City Sacred Heart W15-6, 14-16, 15-2, Freeman W14-16, 15-11, 15-10

12. 2002-Meridian W15-10, 15-10, Freeman W15-9, 11-15, 15-10, Falls City Sacred Heart W15-10, 8-15, 15-11

13. 2003-Lawrence-Nelson W15-4, 9-15, 15-5, Exeter-Milligan W15-13, 12-15, 15-5, Paxton L15-17, 10-15

The following goes to acknowledge some of those same girls participating on the State level under a 'new' name.

Southwest-

Matches: 4

Won: 2

1. 2004-Thayer Central W25-20, 16-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-13; Blue Hill L23-25, 21-25, 27-29

2. 2005-West Point Central Catholic L16-25, 20-25, 25-22, 16-25

I just wish the young girls coming up could 'see' the legacy those trophies represented - that dreams, goals and hard work can be achieved, appreciated and remembered.