FSHS coaches provide numbers

Monday was the first day of practice not just for football, but for each of the other five fall sports Fort Scott High School sponsors: volleyball, girls' golf, girls' tennis, cross country and soccer.

Fort Scott High head volleyball coach Carol Bingesser said she has 26 players out at the varsity/junior varsity level and another 18 freshmen. She will probably have eight on the varsity most of the season.

"We're kind of senior loaded," Bingesser said, pointing out that six of the eight players who will be on the varsity squad will be seniors.

The Tigers, 10-24 last season, will hold their Red & White Scrimmage at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at the FSHS gymnasium. But a tweak in their schedule means they won't have to play their first matches the very next day. The quadrangular with Pittsburg, Girard and Columbus that usually opens the season has been pushed back a week to Sept. 7, so Bingesser's team doesn't begin its season until Tuesday, Sept. 3 at Colgan.

Cross country head coach Tracey Bogina reported 13 out for her squads, a big rise in numbers from last season. Seniors are defending State champion Katren Rienbolt and first-year runner Wyatt Stark.

"Approximately half the kids came to summer conditioning that began on June 10 and began the official season yesterday," Bogina said. "It is very exciting for me to see the number of kids wanting to run cross country this season increase from last year."

Cross country season begins Sept. 5 at Labette County.

Tennis coach Lynn Barr has 16 players out. They'll practice from 3:30 to about 5:45 the rest of the week and might have a Saturday morning session.

The tennis team will be the first Fort Scott team to compete, hosting a junior varsity tournament Monday. The varsity team will play at Parsons August 29.

Golf head coach Karen Curran says seven players came to the first day of practice, five of whom are returnees from last season. They're splitting practice time between Woodland Hills Golf Course and their "driving range" at Gunn Park.

"Our first tournament is at home for the JV on the 29th," Curran noted, "so we have to get the new players ready in a hurry."

Uniontown will be the host of that JV tournament at Woodland Hills. The varsity squad opens with the Labette County Tournament, which will be held on Oswego, on Sept. 3.

The Tribune was unable to get a hold of new head soccer coach Andrew Cline. He succeeds Kevin Gray, who led the Tigers to the Class 4-3-2-1A State quarterfinals last season and a 13-6 record.

The soccer team will have a Red & White Scrimmage at Ellis Park at 6 p.m. on August 29. They open the season at Louisburg on Sept. 3.