AXTELL — The Axtell football team has aspirations of writing a new chapter in its school’s history.
With an overwhelming number of returning starters, the Wildcats have a solid reason to believe they can get the job done.
“Our goals are to win our district, to win more than one playoff game,” second-year coach Mike Branstad said.
The Wildcats return seven starters on offense and six on defense from last year’s 4-5 team that returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. However, that return ended with an opening-round loss.
Axtell’s last playoff win came in 2010.
Back to lead the team are seniors Carson Lindau and Taaron Lavicky. Lindau (6-0, 150) ran the team from the quarterback and safety positions. Lavicky from the flanker and defensive end spots, where he was the second-leading tackler on the team.
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The leading tackler honor, not only for the team but for the Hub Territory, belonged to now-junior linebacker Jake Halvorsen (6-0, 180), who averaged 13 tackles per game. He also gained more than 1,000 all-purpose yards as a running back.
Elijah Bergstrom (5-8, 180, Jr.), Halvorsen’s sidekick in the backfield and at linebacker, had equally impressive numbers with more than 1,500 all-purpose yards and nine tackles per game.
Other returning starters on offense are guard Jon Lammers (5-9, 235, Jr.), center Preston LeClair (5-11, 190, Jr.) and guard Caleb Kindschuh (5-10, 190, Jr.).
Lammers also started on the defensive line, while Dominic DeJonge (5-9, 160, Jr.) started on defense at linebacker.
Other returning lettermen are tight end-safety Noah Branstad (5-6, 110, Jr.), and tight end-defensive lineman Reece Hunt (5-10, 170, So.).
Axtell opens the season Aug. 25 at home against Alma.
VOLLEYBALL
Like the football team, the Axtell volleyball team will build on its experience this fall. The Wildcats return three starters and two letterwinners from last year’s 23-9 team that finished third in the Fort Kearny Conference regular season and fourth in the FKC Tournament.
“We lost a large group of Seniors from 2022. We are looking to replace that group with younger players who don’t have a lot of experience,” coach Brad Nelson said. “Our senior group for 2023 will have a solid core of players and our younger girls should fill in.”
All-around senior Emma Callan returns after record 199 kills and 54 ace serves last year. Also back is senior middle hitter Jenna Marsh, who had 162 kills and 46 blocks last year.Seniors setter Ellie Johson rounds out the triumvirate of returning starters.
Other returning letterwinners are senior Kassidy Wehrer and sophomore Emily Danburg.
Axtell’s biggest challenge will be to replace graduated senior Lexie Eckhoff, who scored nearly 500 kills last season, and other players who provided a big chunk of the back row defense.
The Wildcats open the season Aug. 26 hosting the Axtell Invitational four-team meet.
CROSS COUNTRY
Axtell cross country coach Joe Philippi enters his sixth season with the Wildcats looking forward to the return of three state qualifiers on the boys’ team, all top 25 finishers in and one on the girls’ team.
He said the boys’ team is “a small group with big goals. Three runners look to be state medalists and bring home hardware from the state meet,” Philippi said.
Axtell won the Class D 4x800 relay at the state track meet in May and half of those runners, seniors Tyler Hanson and Keyton Cole, will represent the Wildcats on the cross country course. Also returning is Isaiah Springer, who had the best finish of the returning runners on last year’s state cross country team.
The Axtell girls narrowly missed qualifying for the state meet last year, and Philippi hopes they will push through this fall.
Junior Avery Stritt did qualify last year. She will be joined by returning letterwinners Jaeylan Samuelson and Grace Lorenz,
Axtell opens the cross country season Sept. 1 at the Cambridge, Invitational.
