High school fall sports teams set to open workouts

McCook quarterback Caleb Sheets rolls around right end for a positive gain against Omaha Gross Catholic in Class B state playoff action last fall at Weiland Field. Sheets, a senior, returns to lead the Bison offense this season. (Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette)

Area high school athletic teams have been gearing up for Monday, the official start of practices for many fall high school sports in the Cornhusker State.

Area high school football, girls softball, girls golf and boys tennis teams will see their first official practice sessions Monday. Girls volleyball plus boys and girls cross-country wait a week for the start of fall practices on Monday, Aug. 17.

TEAMS won't be having their usual two-a-day drills during the opening week of workouts. National Federation of State High School Associations has banned the practice of twice-daily drills in the late summer heat.

McCook High School Activities Director Darin Nichols said the first week of fall practices is now called the heat acclimation period. Only one full-speed practice is allowed daily during the first five days of practices through the opening week of the fall season.

Nichols said teams may have a second session each day during week one, but that second session has to be comprised of meetings and a walk-through practice only.

THE McCOOK High School football squad was scheduled to start practices with a three-hour session Monday morning. Head coach Jeff Gross said the Bison will also conduct a meeting and walk-through session in the evenings during the opening week of practices.

Gross said his team can put on the pads for the first time Wednesday, Aug. 12, but the Bison are allowed no live contact, just controlled contact drills.

The McCook football team will hold its annual photo day and scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 15 at Weiland Field starting at 8 a.m., and the public is invited. Team and individual photos will be taken starting at 8 a.m., followed by the full-contact scrimmage.

The Bison varsity is gearing up for season-opening action Friday, Aug. 28, with a long trip to Alliance. First home game is the following week, Friday, Sept. 4 vs. Grand Island Northwest.

McCook is poised for another trip to post-season play. The Bison are hoping to extend a string of 15 consecutive years of Class B state playoff competition. McCook has not missed post-season play since the end of the 1999 campaign.

THE LADY BISON softball team opens fall camp Monday with an afternoon workout from 4-7 p.m. at the Jaycees Sports Complex.

Head Coach Jason Cochran and his staff are hoping for another strong team this fall. McCook qualified for the Class B state tournament a year ago.

Cochran said the team won't hold an intrasquad scrimmage at the end of the opening week of workouts as in past years.

The Lady Bison softball girls will see the first official competition for McCook fall sports squads with a trip to Gothenburg Friday, Aug. 21 for junior varsity and varsity games.

THE McCOOK boys tennis squad was also scheduled to open fall drills Monday. Head coach Matt Wiemers will get his team geared up for season-opening competition in a quadrangular meet at Kearney Friday, Aug. 28.

The Lady Bison girls golf team is also set to open fall workouts Monday under new head coach Scott Leisy. Leisy takes over for long-time McCook girls coach Randy Ryser, who retired.

The McCook golf girls are scheduled to start the season Thursday, Aug. 20 at Cambridge.

TWO OTHER McCook sports programs don't begin fall workouts until Monday, Aug. 17.

The Lady Bison volleyball squad will begin its second season under veteran head coach Dennis Troester, the former Republican Valley and Southwest High School coach who came out of retirement to take over the McCook program last fall.

The Lady Bison open the 2015 volleyball season Thursday, Sept. 3 at Hastings.

The McCook boys and girls cross-country teams also don't start fall workouts until Monday, Aug. 17.

Head coach Tom Sughroue will get his runners ready for the season-opening competition at the Cozad Invitational Saturday, Sept. 5.