It was an unforgettable year for the Mohawk Fall Athletes.
The only people who can take you inside fall sports are the athletes themselves.
Here are their stories:
“There’s nothing like playing under the lights on Friday night!” – Nate Janssen (Sr.)
Both of the past two Mohawk Football seasons ended with one win. The 2014 team finished 1 – 8, and the 2015 team finished 1 -10. Mohawk Football last won 3 games in 2010.
Six years and three coaches later, MCFB is back on road, finishing 2016 with 3 wins and 6 losses.
It’s far from a winning season, but there’s no doubt that this is a sign of things to come. It might not be a sensational record, but it’s gotta feel good to beat the past.
Let’s start from the beginning.
Right away, Evan Craw (Jr.) noticed that something was different around the practice field. “The atmosphere just felt different from past years, like this year would be something special,” said Craw. “Practice was hard, from beginning to end.” said Brandon Wiman (Jr.).
Defeating Clear Lake in two consecutive seasons on opening night proved to boost the team’s morale. The early season was sensational for the Mohawks, who were now at a 3 – 1 record.
This was followed by a series of 3 painful losses, but every cloud has a silver lining. Fired up largely from the Fort Dodge and Homecoming losses, the Mohawks hammered away in Waterloo to deafeat East High 65 – 7. Craw remembers this game for his kicking, and what a show it was. Craw went 6 for 6 on PATs, and set a personal best 37yd FG. Any fire that the Mohawks had lost over the past 3 games was immediately rekindled—the Mohawk Spirit is alive again!
This season was something new for Dylan Voves (Sr.), who said “Going out for football this year was a great choice. Literally nothing compares to running out onto field under the lights, with the crowd in the background and the band by our side.” For many students and fans, it is a tremendous feelingto besurrounded by the crowd, team, and band. However, that feeling doesn’t come close to how great it is to be truly Under the Lights.
For many Mohawks, it was the last chance to put on the pads, and they rose to the occaison.
“Go the Mohawks” -Zach Stephenson (Sr.)
“I’ve never enjoyed pain so much” -Derek Johnson (Jr.)
If you ask an MCXC runner about their life sport, you’re guaranteed to hear these two things:
XC is pretty straight forward: Run 4 to 5 km quickly, without getting hurt. Oh, it’s easy to pick up, but it’s near impossible to master.
Coach Tyler Ketelsen now manages both the boys’ and girls’ teams, and they act as one unit in many regards. To give you an idea as to how tightly-knit this group is, I asked Robert Casey (Jr.). “The whole team is one big family, and it goes beyond just the runners as brothers and sisters,” explained Casey. “The coaches treat us like we’re their own children. We were all there to make each other faster, and it worked. Everything that happened, happened as a family.” Perhaps the warmth and comfort of the XC family is what gets them through the rigorous practices.
“We all got closer through out the course of the season, because we had to play for each other,” said Alana Wickering (Jr.). It was a tough season for the Mohawks, but coming to rely on each other really brought them together. “It took a lot of adjusting,” said Jessa Frenz (Jr.), when asked about the new coaching staff. Coaches Hunter and Overturf led new Mohawk Volleyball squads. It’s hard to let go of the ones you get close to. “I never wanted to have to be the one to say bye to twelve different seniors, but here we are…” said Jessa.
“Go Mohawks!” -Kaitlyn Vaith
Golf was all about having a blast this year. “We had so much fun at practices, it didn’t even feel like practice,” said Luke Berding (So.). It was less about golf and more about having a good time for the Mohawks.
But all this fun does not distract the Mohawks from the serious side of MC Golf. J.J. Wickman (Fr.) was the sole participant from MC in the Boy’s Golf state tournament.
“It was an overall great experience. I can’t recommend it enough!”
Girls Swimming & Diving?