By Brennan Esposito, Staff Writer

Boys Basketball

Practice for the boys basketball team started on Saturday, Nov. 5. They have just under a month to prepare for their first game, which is at home on Dec. 2. Prior to the first day of official practice, the team has been doing workouts, lifting and open gyms since June senior Cross Mason said. Mason has looks forward season, and has welcomed their new coach, Coach Hackenberg, and his plan for the team with open arms. With a new coach comes new plays, strategies, mindset and more, which can be tough for the players to adjust to; our boys do not seem phased by this, and are fully prepared for the season.

As for postseason goals, “I would love to make it back to the Civic Center, and see how things play out from there. In the Federal League, I’d love to finish among the top three,” Mason said.

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball team began practice on Saturday, Oct. 29. Their first game is at home against Louisville on Nov. 25. As for offseason practice, senior Mikayla Vance, along with some of her teammates, have been doing shooting drills and NST, a fitness program that helps with speed and strength. The team is looking much more promising this year than last, Vance says. Coach Wackerly is still the head coach, which makes it easier for the girls because they do not need to adjust to a new system that a new coach would bring in. The team last year had a lot of young talent, so this year will be an interesting one to see how well the girls have developed. The team looks to win the district championship and go to state. Being competitive in the Federal League, and possibly winning it, is something Vance would love to do. The team has adopted the motto “go from good to great” as motivation for the season.

Wrestling

Practice officially starts for the wrestling team on Nov. 11, but that has not stopped wrestlers like senior Brian Gupton and his teammates from training in the offseason. Gupton says that his offseason is going well; he placed third at a tournament on Saturday, Oct. 29.

“I train everyday, which includes weightlifting and different drills that prepare my body for the physical stress of the season,” Gupton said. “Sometimes I will even work out two times in one day. The grind never stops.”

The team this year is led by stronger leadership, and Brian says that the team is already more of a close-knit family. With a lot of returning athletes, the team could be better than last year’s. As a team, Gupton wants to be competitive in the Federal League. As for himself, he wants “to be a state champ, nothing less.” It will be very interesting to see how successful this group of guys is going to be.

Boys Bowling

The boys bowling team had a quite successful season last year, and plan to repeat that. With the loss of a few outstanding seniors from last year, this year’s team will need to step up their game to be successful. Practice has not started yet, but tryouts are on Thursday, Nov. 10. Offseason preparation is left up to individual bowlers.

“I took some time away from bowling to help my knee recover from an injury,” senior Dylan Heaton said.

Heaton is one of the team’s top bowlers, and is hungrier than ever.

“We will have a very competitive team this year and have FLC capability. I will do better than last year and have and will work hard to do so,” Heaton said. Last year, Heaton was First Team All-County, and plans to repeat this year. He would also like to win the Federal League. With a talented group of guys, this is definitely possible.

Swimming

This year, the swim team, both boys and girls, has gotten a new coach. Coach Hawkins is a young, talented swimmer himself, who graduated a few years ago from Hoover High School, and looks to be a promising coach.This year Hawkins also became an assistant coach for the boys cross country team, as to learn what it’s like to be a coach before becoming the head swim coach. The team looks to be great this year, and with lots of young talent, it may be possible. Practice began on Nov. 4. In the offseason, some swimmers took to preparing for the season.

“In the summer, I swam with Hoover High School. More recently, I have been swimming with the Y to try and get ready for the season,” junior Delaney Ferrell said. The competition this year is tough, with Hoover and Jackson having great teams.

“We need to have our heads in the game to be successful,” Ferrell said. The goal for the season is Districts, and hopefully State. For the Federal League Championship, it will probably be between Hoover, Jackson, and GlenOak.

Gymnastics

A few years ago, a GlenOak gymnastics team did not exist. Now, we have a full team, ready to compete. Practice for the gymnasts starts officially on Nov. 19, and their first meet is Jan. 7. In order to maintain and improve skills in the offseason, junior Payton Fox and teammates have taken to tumbling every week.

“Last year our season was good. I got injured about halfway through so I could not finish it out, but our team continues to improve, considering we did not have a team a few years ago,” Fox said.

The team is optimistic about the upcoming season.

“I am looking forward to this season. I believe I will improve along with my teammates. This season should be better than last season for me, especially because I did get injured. I am hoping to make it past sectionals,” Fox said.

It will be interesting to see how well the team will compete this year.

[Updated Aug. 19, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]