In a holding pattern

At the moment, the start of the school year and the fall sports season is not guaranteed. That doesn’t mean athletes are not preparing for the start of the season. 

In the Valley students can compete in cross country, football and volleyball. The Encampment and Saratoga football teams are having their first varsity season as separate football teams, the Saratoga Cross Country team is coming off a team and individual state championship and the Saratoga Volleyball team made it to state and Encampment made regionals.

Kegan Willford, head coach for Encampment Football, is “hopeful and optimistic” the season will restart. He stated that there are multiple different scenarios for the season to restart. With the first varsity season of Encampment Football in this millennium, there was a lot of improvement to be done to the field.

“The improvement has been a giant undertaking over the last year and everyone involved with the field improvement has done a great job,” said Willford.

When asked about the restrictions the coach stated “It has made it difficult to prepare for the season,” he is also optimistic the restrictions will lead to a better football season.

Sophomore Grady Bartlett was the state runner up last year. With a sophomore campaign after an amazing finish to his freshman year a lot of eyes are on the Bartlett twins. His brother Grant was the 2019 2A Cross Country individual state champion. Grady has not been able to do a lot of preparation this summer because of a stress fracture in his right foot.

The Encampment volleyball team is not gaining many new players this year but sophomore Cora Schroeder has high hopes. 

“Our chemistry will be even better with very few girls being added to our team. Most of us have played together and know what to expect so we can grow off where we ended last year,” said Schroeder. 

When asked about the team’s goal, Cora said that the biggest goal is to make it to state, but there are a lot of smaller goals that add up to that, like gaining more trust for each other.

The Saratoga volleyball team has lost a few seniors and upcoming higher classmen like Tasia Daley will need to step up. When asked about the loss of leaders and role models Daley said they knew they were going to have to look for some more leaders. When talking about Olivia Everett, Tasia stated that she was “very excited” and “Just in her Freshman year she has improved so much.”  

Tasia’s personal goal is to be the best leader she can be for the younger girls and showing them that there is nothing better than having a sport you love and a family to enjoy it with.

While fall sports appears to be in a bit of a holding pattern, both coaches and players are ensuring they are prepared if they get the green light.