High School Fall Varsity Sports Preview: Gross Catholic High School

Gross Catholic High School Fall Varsity Sports Preview for football, softball, volleyball, cross country, boys tennis, and girls golf as provided by the coaches.

Football

• Head Coach: Tom Van Haute
• 7th Year as Head Coach at Gross
• Assistant Coaches: Mike Stutzman – Offensive Coordinator, Randy Schmitz – Defensive Coordinator
• Last Year’s Record: 4-6 (1st Round Playoff loss to Skutt Catholic)

Season Outlook: We are excited for another season.  This next 2-year cycle, we will be competing at the C1 level due to our enrollment.  We are excited to see some new opponents and take on the great C1 competition.  We bring back several returning starters on both sides of the ball and have a lot of underclassmen pushing for starting spots.  We will be a young football team that will be ready to compete and play a physical brand of football.

Our senior leaders include Alex Cogswell, Josh Sheard, Jacob Heffelfinger, Vincent Linder, Evan Rexin, Carson Kozeal, Kaden Mumm, Luis Tule, Peter Ginn, and Tommy Brousek.

A few players who have shown a lot of improvement include Sophomore QB – Colton Sweetmon, Junior Safety – Danny Cogswell, and Junior RB – Robbie Brennan.

The first game of the season is this Thursday, August 29th vs Columbus Lakeview at Bryan High Stadium.

Softball

• Head Coach: Kelsey Knoblauch
• 2nd Year as Head Coach at Gross
• Assistant Coaches: Carrie Zoucha, John Buscher, Dan Zoucha, Callie Billings, Kenna Buscher
• Team Record Last Year: 8-15

Season Outlook: I am so excited to see who is going to step up and fill the leadership role. We lost two amazing leaders last year, so we are looking for somebody that wants to take this team under their wing and lead by example.  We have a small group this year, so I look forward to building great team chemistry to push each other and win games.

Although we have a low total number of girls, the majority of them are juniors with varsity experience.  Maggie Earnest, Tessie Biros, Lauren Kosse, Mia Winkelmann, Olivia Goodwin, and Lucy Linder are all returning and will be pivotal in leading this year’s Varsity squad. We also have returning starters Sofia Gomez, who I see leading the middle infield, and Lexi Skradski leading us in the circle.

The softball team kicked off their season this past Thursday with the annual Cougar Classic Tournament.

Volleyball

• Head Coach: Julie Cortinas
• 3rd Year as Head Coach at Gross
• Assistant Coaches: Sheila Thomas, Denise Juhler (JV), Brooke Bowen (Reserve)
• Team Record Last Year: 15-18

Season Outlook: This year, Gross Catholic Volleyball is excited and optimistic about moving back into Class B. Our team is a mix of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers. The work ethic and chemistry of our players are going to shine on the court this season.

Our setter, Mariah Dutcher, continues to showcase her talents and will be a top serving and offense
mastermind. We have a dynamic pair of middles, dynamic Senior Anna Rice and a stand out Freshman
Adara Fowles, will lead an explosive offense. Our returning outside, Junior Sienna Miller, brings
consistency, outstanding IQ and leadership to the team.

The lady Cougar team is well-positioned to make this an outstanding season and we have everything to
prove!

They start their season this Thursday, August 29, at 4:30pm at Plattsmouth High School.

Cross Country

• Head Coach: Leah Schwartz
• 3rd Year as Head Coach at Gross
• Assistant Coach: Joe Wiebold, Volunteer Assistant

Season Outlook: We have a couple of runners who have a shot to compete at the State level this season. It will be exciting to see the hard work they put in over the summer pay off as they contend with some of the top runners in the area. We are a young team with a lot of potential for PRs this season. As we strive for success on the course, our ultimate goal is to grow in holiness and build character through the discipline of running.

Team Leaders

Josh Jansen (senior) has been running on the team for four years. Josh is committed to living up to the expectations of Christian leadership placed on senior athletes and is focused on intentionally building a positive team culture, making the team a close-knit family that takes care of one another. Josh’s commitment to growing in virtue through athletics makes him a great role model for younger runners.

Amalia Doty (junior) is beginning her second season on the team. Amalia is naturally gifted at making new runners feel welcome and initiating conversations with her teammates. Her commitment to excellence in the sport sets an example worth striving after.

Most Improved

Amalia Doty (junior) put in significant miles since last season, both in track and over the summer. Her off-season training and her growth in confidence as she returns for a second year will give her an edge over many of the athletes in our conference.

Tyson Wiebold (sophomore) has demonstrated a consistent commitment to train over the summer for the past two seasons, and his hard work is paying off. He has a strong base to build upon this season, and his steadfast commitment to putting in the miles sets a great example for his peers.

The Cross Country team kicks off its season on Saturday, August 31 with the Class of The Metro meet, hosted by Papillion South.

Boys Tennis

• Head Coach: Mike Renner
• 13th Year as Head Coach at Gross

Season Outlook: We will be young. 11 of 18 players are either freshmen or sophomores. Senior Keaton Meyer and junior Brace Adamson are the only returning players with extensive varsity experience. We need to replace all our 1s and 2s.

Brace is going to make the move from 2 single to 1. Keaton will be a candidate for two singles. Junior Brandon Hempel and sophomore Alex Baber have made much improvement and will be considered for doubles. Our team is inexperienced but hard working. Our goal is to show significant improvement from day 1 to the state tournament.

The Boys Tennis Team has its first match this Thursday, August 29, at Bellevue West. The match is scheduled to start at 4:00pm.

Girls Golf

• Head Coach: Wayne Wilson
• 16th Year as Head Coach at Gross
• Assistant Coach: Bob Maher

Season Outlook: Our Varsity will be led by three seniors. Mackenzie Serow, Ellason Manning and Grace Nilson. Our team captains for 2024 are Mackenzie Serow and Ellason Manning elected by their team.
Others competing for varsity are Chloe Thompson and Alli Venditti.

Mackenzie Serow is the team leader on and off the field. She is a fantastic role model for our younger
team members. She has shown over the years how much time and effort it takes to work on your golf
game to be successful.

We have a larger team this year with 14 girls. With the experience coming back and the summer
commitments from our leaders, I am encouraged and optimistic for the season. Class B golf has a ton of
talent and we hope to be a part of the post season plans this year.

The Girls Golf team starts on September 3 at the Waverly Invite at Crooked Creek in Lincoln.