by Samuel J. Nunnally; Assistant Sports Editor

Male Athlete to Watch- Dylan Okenfuss, Junior, Baseball

Dylan Okenfuss looks to have another great baseball season this year, after being named second Team All-Conference last season as a sophomore. Okenfuss led the Panthers with 23 hits and a .383 batting average. Okenfuss played shortstop last season for the Panthers, and finished among the top 15 for batting average in the Suburban West Conference. As far as his personal goals go, he hopes to win districts and make a run in the playoffs. During the offseason Okenfuss, played for his club team, the St. Louis Rays, and improved his hitting by working in the cage. After a 10-16 season last year, Okenfuss hopes to have an improved conference record.

Female Athlete to Watch- Allison Wade, Junior, Soccer

After leading the Panthers in goals last season, Allison Wade looks to have another great season. Wade scored eight goals and notched six assists for a total of 22 pts. She led the Panthers in all three of these categories. For this season, Wade hopes to win the Golden Boot Award (an award given to whoever leads the team in goals) and also to be a leader and a player the rest of the team can look up to. Wade wants to have an improved record from last season, to have more players try out for the team, and have more players with experience.

Team to Watch- Boys’ Volleyball

Coming off of a season where they made it to the state quarter finals, boys’ volleyball hopes to have an equally great season this year. With three returning All-Conference players in Mark Leininger, Austin Rademeyer, and Ryan Hoyer and an overall record of 18-10 last season, the Panthers hope to improve even further this season.
“To win state,” said Mark Leininger about his goals this season. “I want to win the conference and hopefully get a good place in districts,” said coach James Fisher.

Game To Watch- Boy’s Baseball at GCS Ballpark

Every season the boys baseball team plays a game at GCS Ballpark, home of the Gateway Grizzlies. Each year, they play their rivals, the Oakville Tigers, and for the first time, all levels are going to be playing. Last year the varsity team won 4-3 on a homerun by Brandon Zufall in the ninth inning.
“I tend to put this game higher than others, seeing as though it is against Oakville,” said coach Tim Ode. This April 6, the Panthers hope to bring homes another win.