Bellevue West Fall Varsity Sports Previews for football, softball, volleyball, cross country, boys tennis, and girls golf as provided by the coaches.
Football
- Head Coach: Michael Huffman
- 13th Year as Head Coach at West
- Assistant Coaches: Brent Litz, Mike Pokorski, Jeremy Anderson, AJ Forbes, Eric Hotz, Graham Spalding, Jake Gentile, and Jair Myrick
- Record Last Year: 7-4
Season Outlook: Have pieces at each position group that should lead to a very successful season. Size and strength on the lines, speed and toughness in the backs and linebackers, and length, speed, and talent in both the receiving group and the defensive backfield.
A few leaders on the team include Will Anderson (QB), Jermaine Green (WR), Adrian Wilson (DB), Kairi Smith (DB). All have taken it upon themselves to demonstrate a great work ethic, being vocal, and holding their teammates accountable.
Dylan Miller is one of the best athletes in the state. Interested to see how he does in his role as a hybrid safety linebacker and at running back. Tarell Fields will have a breakout year at middle linebacker. His intelligence, strength, and physicality will stand out on Friday nights.
The team kicks off its 2025 campaign at home on August 29 vs Omaha Central.
Boys Tennis
- Head Coach: Matthew Lauritsen
- 2nd Year as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Reuben Barry, Jenna Mar
- Dual Record Last Year: 5-7
Season Outlook: I’m most looking forward to seeing our returning varsity players compete after a strong offseason of work. I think with the right mindset, they’re going to be able to raise the ceiling on how good they can be!
I think juniors Owen Arko, Andrew Johnson, and Tommy Emery are growing into leadership roles based on their high commitment to getting better and how they conduct themselves on and off the court. They keep things fun for our team, perform well in the classroom, and compete at a high level for us.
Mason Frill, Nate Witkop, and Skyler Towne have all made strides this summer and should be able to play at a high level in doubles, especially.
Our players have put in a great deal of time and effort to become better tennis players and they play the game the right way!
The team begins its season on August 28, 4:00pm at Bellevue West vs Omaha Gross.
Volleyball
- Head Coach: Christina Krajicek
- 12th Year as Head Coach at West
- Assistant Coaches: Christa Roberts, Courtney Kovar, Kacie Anderson (JV), Emma Allison (Reserve), Morgan Whitehead (Freshmen)
- Last Year’s Record: 18-18
Season Outlook: We will be short on returning varsity players this year, but we are overflowing with passion, talent, and competitiveness. This group has fully embraced the challenge of rebuilding and competing at the highest level. So I’m excited to see our growth throughout the season. This team has established a culture of effort and accountability and is eager to compete!
Gabi Teper is our Middle and our lone senior. Her passion, work ethic, and positivity will play a large role in our growth this year. Our defensive squad: Claire Monjarez, Sophia Miller, Teagan Glom, and Zoe Zbylut will lead us with their consistency and relentlessness.
I’m excited to see what Emeree Monlux, Alyssa Inselmen, Lily Anstine, and McKinley Blackburn will do for us offensively! All of them have a tremendous amount of potential and are eager to get their feet wet at the varsity level. Reagan Hoogeveen and Tressa Duran are both freshmen who have helped complete this team. Reagan has stepped into the setter role nicely and Tressa will pace us offensively. Emma Derogatis will be another setter for us this year, but also shines defensively. Her effort on the court will help set the tone for our team defensively.
The team starts their season on the road vs Papillion-LaVista on Thursday, August 28.
Cross Country
- Head Coach: Larissa Knudson
- 7th Year as Head Coach at West
- Assistant Coaches: Brandon Crenshaw
Season Outlook: Overall, we are a very young team this year, so we are looking forward to runners stepping up into new positions on the team. Everyone has a positive attitude and are focused on progressing in their training.
Tatum Neilson and Zoe Ryan are returning for their senior season, and both have previously qualified for the state meet. They both had a great off-season training throughout the summer, and the coaching staff is excited about how they will lead both on the race course and off of it with our young team on the girls’ side.
Junior Judson Gregory has shown steady improvement throughout last season, the track and field season, and had a great summer of training. He looks to make an impact on our boys varsity squad.
Our team is young this year (over a third are freshmen), so there is a great energy at practice every day. Our upperclassmen have stepped into their leadership roles and are doing an excellent job of creating a positive team environment for all.
The team begins its season at Papillion La Vista’s Class of the Metro Meet on Saturday, August 30th, at Walnut Creek Recreation Area. The first race is at 7:20am.
Softball
- Head Coach: Josie Chronic-Rasmussen
- 2nd Year as Head Coach at West
- Assistant Coaches: Alyssa Gappa, Payton Akers, Auggie Rasmussen, Cayla Nielsen, Josh Chronic
- Last Year’s Record: 15-17
Season Outlook: I am looking forward to building off of last year. We learned a lot from year 1, and the returning players are a really good group of kids who want to change the culture.
We are lucky to have a very strong junior class with a lot of varsity experience, making it easy for them to step into leading roles. Jaycee Woodard (SS), Aubrey Busch (3B), Brooklyn Phephles (CF), and Grace Veik (P) will be crucial to helping the underclassmen feel confident on the field and guiding them to have success to help the team.
Tessa Zavala (OF/C) has made huge strides with her bat in the off season and will be a weapon to the team’s scoring, as a staff we believe she is really going to have a breakout season.
This team wants to compete, they want to do everything it takes to prove themselves. We made huge strides in year 1, breaking 7 of the 12 team offensive records last season. We look to build off that and shock some teams!
The team starts its season on August 21 at 6:30pm at Omaha Westview.
Girls Golf
- Head Coach: Rick Mintken
- 8th Year as Head Coach at West
- Assistant Coach: Laura Scott
Season Outlook: We are looking to continue to grow the game of golf at Bellevue West and see improvement from last year. A few golfers to keep an eye on include Gabi Merkle, Amara Mitchell, and Carmen Drollinger – all seniors, who have been in the program for numerous years, and kids that younger kids can look to for advice and help.
The team begins its season at Miracle Hills and Highlands on August 28.
