Looking Forward to Fall: With a new school year ahead, there are many storylines awaiting sports fans

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New Palestine's left to right, Kade Large, Brody Luker, Eric Roudebush and Ryker Large walk off the field moments after winning the IHSAA 5A State Championship Trophy after defeating Valparaiso, 27-21, in the state final on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

HANCOCK COUNTY — Optimism. That is the theme as the 2020 high school fall sports season steadily approaches.

Those involved with education-based athletics are being cautiously optimistic, which is essential as many take the first step towards the resemblance of normalcy.

What will the 2020-21 school year ultimately bring?

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No one really knows for certain, but with many student-athletes and coaches returning to school grounds and athletic facilities this week for workouts and conditioning, the mere opportunity to reunite with teammates, in itself, is a long overdue positive.

After three-plus months of quarantine, teams and competitors have been patiently sitting on the sidelines, waiting to get back to the sports they love.

While questions continue to surface throughout the state’s “Return-to-School” plan, the fate of prep sports could face an unpredictable winding road.

Yet, those are obstacles that will be dealt with as time passes through the remainder of what has been a unique 2020. Coaches wearing medical masks are a common sight, which I know from experience while coaching youth baseball this summer.

However, despite social distancing guidelines, the fluidity of the sports landscape and the ever-present possibility of another potential school shutdown later this year, the agenda on everyone’s mind is simple.

Moving forward.

Every step gets us closer to what we hope will be an enjoyable and complete 2020 fall sports season where all those participating from coaches to players to administrators are putting measures in place to keep everyone healthy, so they can do what they want more than anything.

Play games.

So, with fall sports season schedules mapped out and student-athletes back in training, we’re looking ahead and not turning back. Except maybe to see what could transpire this upcoming season based on a year ago.

There are several storylines to follow this fall sports season, beginning with the school year’s first event on Aug. 3 when girls golf officially commences.

On Aug. 15, events for boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls soccer, boys tennis and volleyball can start. High school football games begin on Aug. 21.

So, let’s look forward with some storylines to watch out for with a new sports season awaiting us in the near future.

Can the Dragons make

it three straight?

The New Palestine football program made history once again in 2019 with a dominating roster and Indiana Mr. Football Charlie Spegal running towards immortality.

The state’s most prolific rusher, Spegal grabbed headlines by setting state career-records in rushing yards (10,867), rushing touchdowns (173), total touchdowns (175) and points (1,054).

However, he and a host of other seniors are now gone, which begs the question: Can New Palestine challenge for a third straight Class 5A state title?

Replacing Spegal, the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year for football, won’t be easy, but the Dragons haven’t had a losing record since 2012 when the team went 3-7.

New Palestine has been a final four team or better in five of the past seven seasons.

Senior quarterback Lincoln Roth, a dual threat, could be the answer for the defending Hoosier Heritage Conference champs, along with senior defensive standout Matthew Brown.

Nothing could stop the Dragons the past two seasons, leading to 28-0 record, and with head coach Kyle Ralph at the helm winning is a tradition at 88-4 the past seven years.

Have the Marauders arrived?

After seven years without a sectional championship, the Class 4A Mt. Vernon Marauders finally ended the drought in 2019.

And, they didn’t stop there. Head coach Mike Kirschner’s Marauders went on to capture the program’s first regional championship before falling to Evansville Memorial at semistate, 28-3.

It was a humbling loss, but a valuable lesson for a team that was primarily ignored by the voters even after putting together a six-game winning streak to end the regular season en route to an 11-3 finale.

No one believed in the Marauders in 2019, but now with junior quarterback Gehrig Slunaker, senior Rylan Cole and several other starters back for another go around, 2020 could be the year no one doubts this program, again.

Can the Cougars

strive for five?

The Greenfield-Central boys soccer team had a mission to accomplish in 2019 and they achieved it by claiming the program’s fourth straight sectional championship.

They opened the year by winning seven games in a row and then won 12 consecutive to reach the regional finals before losing to Zionsville, 4-3.

Along the way, the Cougars (19-2) defeated rival Mt. Vernon 3-0 in the sectional finals and they had seven players make the All-HHC team. Coach Bobby Holden earned HCC Coach of the Year honors.

With key losses from 2019 entering 2020 such as Caleb Mundell, Zack Bell, Trevor Sawyer and Brantley Kuntz, the task of keeping their streak alive will be difficult.

Yet, with standouts Abe Buescher and John Halvorsen returning, the Cougars won’t fade away easily.

Breaking Through for More?

The Mt. Vernon boys tennis team finally broke through last year. For seven consecutive years, the New Palestine Dragons owned the sectional.

Not in 2019.

After dethroning New Palestine at the Hancock County Tennis Tournament, Mt. Vernon later added the sectional title to its list of accolades to go with its first-ever county tourney championship in school history.

Mt. Vernon finished the season 17-3 overall and 6-1 in the HHC behind powerhouse Delta. They defeated New Palestine in the sectional final 3-2 to advance into the regional round.

Is another run at county and a potential 14th sectional title all time in the works?

Coaching mainstay Gabe Muterspaugh will more than likely have his Marauders ready to prove last year wasn’t an anomaly.

Is Gibson eyeing another state trip?

Greenfield-Central’s Caroline Gibson was as steady as they come in 2019.

The catalyst behind the Cougars’ first team sectional title since 2011, Gibson shot a 74 at The Links to finish second overall. At regional, though the team didn’t advance, Gibson improved her game with a 72.

Her performance was third-best overall during the tournament at Edgewood and second-best among individuals that moved on to state without a team.

While at state, Gibson placed in the top 30 at Prairie View Golf Club in early October. Her two-round score of 166 (22-over par) tied her for 30th with Castle’s Carly Frazier.

One of 20 state competitors in the top 30 returning again this school year, Gibson has a shot at a return trip, which would be a great way to kick off the 2020 fall sports season.