High School Fall Varsity Sports Preview: Bellevue East

Bellevue East Fall Varsity Sports Summaries for football, softball, volleyball, cross country, boys tennis, and girls golf as provided by the coaches.

Football

• Head Coach: Aaron Thumann
• 3rd Year as Head Coach at East
• Assistant Coaches: Damien Roberts, Cameron Dacanay, Joe Mesa, Jake Weaver, Steven “Chip” Procko, Desmond Wright, Bill Patterson, Luke Evans, Antonio “Tones” Arriola, Aden Perry, Derrick James
• Last Year’s Record: 5-4

Season Outlook: We have had some really good success the last two seasons, going 4-5 and 5-4. This is our first winning record in 14 seasons and the most two-season win total in over 20 years at Bellevue East. I am really excited to see where our student-athletes take this program to next as a team, as individuals, as students, and in their impact on our school and community.

They did an awesome job all summer. They continued to grow each week. They’ve pushed each other and helped each other take some great steps forward. As we head into fall practice, I can’t wait to see how they push each other. I can’t wait to see who is going to compete. Who is going to take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. And who is ready to help us continue to take this program in a positive direction.

Our program continues to grow in a very positive direction. We are having more success on the field. We continue to see more and more student-athletes want to be a part of our program, which only makes us stronger and breeds competition. This is obviously a new season and a new team but if you ask any of our student-athletes, that doesn’t change their mindset or goal of where they want this program to go. There is no question that it will continue to require consistent hard work, sacrifice and the understanding that nothing is given, but our team understands those things and wants to step up to those challenges.

There are tremendous opportunities for student-athletes to compete and play in our program and my coaching staff does an amazing job of teaching the game and developing smart, physical, and tough football players. There is no better staff in the state in my opinion. We take great pride in giving our student-athletes a very positive experience and we take it as a personal responsibility to help each one of our student-athletes reach the success that they want to have in football, school, and in life. 

As we talk about in our program, it’s important to Keep Growing and keep Changing Your Best. As a staff, we strive to grow and get better for our team every year. We owe that to them. And we work to instill in our players that if they are willing to grow and Change Their Best, there is no limit to what they can become in every aspect of their life.

A few team leaders include: -Dillon Ginter (WR/DB)- Dillon is entering his 3rd year as a starter. He is someone that everyone looks up to on our team just based on experience. But Dillon also does a phenomenal job of taking guys under his wing, guiding them, and teaching them the skills they need to be successful. He’s not the loudest guy on the team, but he knows how to bring the best out of people.

-Jack Duncan (OL/DL)- Jack is our only returning starter on the offensive line and he has taken complete ownership of that position. When you talk about a player being another coach on the field, that’s Jack. He guides and teaches every position up front. He holds everybody to a high standard on our team and he has no problem holding people accountable if they’re not doing what he believes they should be doing. He works incredibly hard and is always hammering his craft, pushing to see how far he can go.

-Owen Grieb (WR/DB)- Owen is the ultimate team player. He is willing to do or play wherever the team needs him in order to be successful. He plays safety, receiver, has learned QB, returns kicks. He wants to be on the field and he wants to help any way that he can. His work ethic is an absolute example. He of course works really hard in practice, but it’s the work he does outside of practice that sets him apart. Pushes himself in the weight room. Stays after practice each day and catches 100+ balls. Messages me and says hey coach I’m up at the field getting some extra work in, could you turn the lights on for me. Then along with that, he’s a guy that will stand up in front of the team and tell them we did this great today, but we need to do this better tomorrow.

-Liam Parker (K/DB)- Liam has been an outstanding leader for us this off-season. He holds our student-athletes to a very high standard. He pushes our guys each day to Change Their Best. He understands what it takes to be successful and he echoes that to the team. In the weight room, he pushes kids to challenge themselves. He is everyone’s biggest hype man in there and is the first one to celebrate with them when they hit a big weight/PR. He understands the importance of doing things the right way and he holds people to that standard.

We have a few players that I’m really excited to see what they do this year based off of what we’ve seen from them this off-season.

Christian Lester (WR/LB)- Christian played TE for us last season and did a great job, but this year he’s making the move to WR. He’s got great speed and does a phenomenal job of finding the ball. His route running has gotten better and better throughout the off-season and I honestly can’t count how many one-handed catches he’s made. Very excited to see what he accomplishes this fall.

Devon Smith (TE/LB)- Devon is an extremely physical football player. Just wants to hit people and it doesn’t matter if the ball is in his hands or not, he wants to hit people. He works incredibly hard and always wants to learn more. Very excited to see him bring that knowledge and physicality to the field this season.

Ethan Greenwell (TE/DE)- Ethan is only going to be a sophomore this season, but has continued to look more and more impressive on both sides of the ball. He is very smart and has caught onto things very quickly. He knows his assignments well and continues to show that he needs to be in the mix this season.

We can’t thank the Bellevue Community enough for their support for our program and student-athletes! That support means the world to us! Thank you! We are working hard to continue to grow for you and we can’t wait to see you in Chieftain Stadium this season!

The football team opens its season on Friday, August 30, at 7pm with a home game at Chieftain Stadium vs. Fremont High School.

Boys Tennis

• Head Coach: Krista Tew
• 6th Year as Head Coach at East
• Assistant Coach: Benjamin Dalton
• Last Season: 8-6 in Duals, 10th in Metro, 19th in State

Season Outlook: – The team will look to seniors Brandon Tracy and Jace Taggart as leaders this season.  Brandon Tracy is returning for his senior year and will compete in the #1 Singles position for the third year. Tracy has a great amount of tennis knowledge which makes him great for a leadership position. Jace Taggart is also returning for his senior year, and this will be his third year on the Varsity team. Jace always brings the team together and gets everyone laughing, I think that is a huge thing to have as a leader. 

Junior Drew Benne has shown huge improvements since last season; it should be a great season for him as he finds his footing in playing higher-skilled players. 

We lost 5 of our Varsity players from last season, so we will have a lot of new faces that are up to the challenge.

The boys tennis team has their first match next week on Thursday August 29th, 4:00 PM, at Papillion-La Vista High School.

Volleyball

• Head Coach: Courtney Smeby
• 12th Year as Head Coach at East
• Assistant Coaches: Megan Pierce-Cramer, Kaylie Dengel, Christina McDowall, Arianna Waschkowski, Delaney Woodruff, Lilly Gulley
• Last Year’s Record: 13-19

Season Outlook: Last year, our team was incredibly young, and while we faced some growing pains, the experience we gained has set a solid foundation for this season. With all of our starters returning, we’re in a great position to build on that experience and take our game to the next level.

We also have several impact players who will play crucial roles in our success. Outside hitter Layne Parker and middle hitter Mya Weber are both expected to be major offensive weapons, consistently generating kills and putting pressure on our opponents. Meanwhile, setter Riley Homan will be instrumental in setting the tempo of our offense, orchestrating plays, and ensuring our attack remains sharp and dynamic.

Senior Kennedy Alwine, who has made remarkable strides as a strong offensive option in the offseason, is also a key leader for the team. Her growth and leadership will be pivotal as we look to make our mark this season.

As we head into the new season, our focus is on leveraging our experience, building on our strengths, and making a significant impact. We’re excited about the potential and ready to showcase our progress. Expect to see a more seasoned and competitive team this year, eager to leave its mark.

The volleyball team starts its season next week on Thursday, August 29 with an Away Dual vs. Elkhorn South at 6:30pm.

Softball

• Head Coach: Casie Onken
• 6th Year as Head Coach at East
• Assistant Coaches: Whitney Wilson, Mark Brown, Shannon Smith, Nathalie Larios
• Last Year’s Record: 15-16

Season Outlook: I’m looking forward to finally seeing the RETURN on all the DEPOSITS they have put in over the past 2 seasons, in the weight room, and hitting.  They have worked as hard as any team I have ever coached and we are expecting a big payoff.

Team Leaders: Haley deMontel, Maddy Mitchell, Peyton Ayala, Alisha McMurtry, Cota Barmore, and Brynn Friedrich. They are all returners who know what they want from the team this season and who hold themselves to a high standard.  They understand the opportunity they have in front of them and have been looking forward to this season since finishing Runner-Up at Districts last year.  They lead by example and have set the tone to be great role models for our younger players.  

Most Improved: Peyton Luderman, Audrina Urwin, and Addy Knuth have both worked hard ALL off season.  They were in the Weight Room everyday all summer and have gotten faster and stronger and they are willing to do anything for the team.

This team not only puts the work in on the field they also put in the work in the classroom earning a team GPA of 3.65.  Senior Haley deMontel has Committed to play Softball at the University of Saint Mary Kansas City after graduation. 

The East softball team opens their season this Thursday, August 22, at 6:30pm at Millard South.

Cross Country

• Head Coach: Connor Mazzei
• 3rd Year as Head Coach at East
• Assistant Coach: Laura Carlson

Season Outlook: Bellevue East Cross Country has a large number of underclassmen on our team, including many who have earned varsity team spots. I am excited to accompany them on their journey as student-athletes, reaching full potential and fostering a positive culture of belonging. Even though we are a young, small team, we are celebrating our boy’s team’s two wins this past season at the Omaha Central and Boys Town invitationals. This coming season, BEAST XC’s varsity teams have the potential to be its most competitive in several years.

I am grateful for the leadership of our Junior class, namely Aiden Lindensmith, Grant Reyes, and Victoria Bogatz, who represent integrity, ambition, and work ethic during practice and on the competition course. Their ability to cheer on every student-athlete, while helping our team hold high expectations for personal and collectivistic growth, is paramount to our continued success.

Junior Kira Mabry and Sophomore Walker Anselmo have made amazing strides in reducing their 5K times. These two especially make BEAST XC a positive, welcoming environment centered on achieving individual goals.

We look forward to a transformative season and encourage all members of the Bellevue community to support distance running. The positivity, support, and conditioning provided by being part of a cross country team at any Bellevue school is unfounded, and I appreciate the collaboration between XC programs in our school district. Do not let the workouts be intimidating! We are here to support every student-athlete in their endeavors to become their best selves.

Our first meet of the season will be held at Walnut Creek, beginning at 7:30 AM, and hosted by Papillion-La Vista High School. All Metro Conference schools will be present at this grade-level meet.

Girls Golf

• Head Coach: Nicole Burns
• 7th Season as Head Coach at East
• Assistant Coach: Leland Johnson

Season Outlook: We are excited to see these girls develop their game and learn the sport more.  After having a few girls earn some medals last season, we would love to see a few more earn some medals this season as well.

Our three seniors, Martha Blanco, Janessa Mbatia and Lenna Fowler, have already shown great leadership to the younger returners and new players.  Martha is starting her fourth season on the team, which is helping her step into that leadership role on our team.  Janessa and Lenna were great additions to the team last season, and they both have fit into that leadership role on our team as well.

We had quite a few girls get out this summer to work on their games in various ways.  JJ Reimer worked hard this summer to earn all of her points and we are hoping to see that translate to her earning a few more medals this season to add to the ones she earned last season.  Junior Zoe Caldwell will be joining us for her first season as a Bellevue East golfer and she brings her experience and knowledge of the game with her.  With our numerous returners this season we are looking forward to picking up where we left off last season and improving everyone’s golf game.

The Bellevue East Girls Golf team is continuing to grow and improve and with the increase in numbers we are excited to be able to have a JV Girls Golf schedule and this is allowing us to get even more girls on the golf course to get them a chance to really learn what this game of golf is all about.

The girls golf team opens play later this week on Thursday, August 22, at the Lincoln High Scramble.