With the end of the fall sports season approaching quickly I wanted to take the opportunity to put in writing my overwhelming gratitude for those individuals who played a role behind the scenes in order to pull off as many home and away events that took place from the end of August to this point in October.
I am going to try and recognize every person I can - but please know I may miss an individual here or there, but it is not for a lack of wanting to acknowledge them - there have been just so many wonderful supporters of our Sandhills Valley Mavericks program that it can be difficult to keep up with. So please know - regardless of the role you played - we are all extremely grateful.
Let me start off by thanking the coaches and players - I won't name them individually because this article really isn't about them, but thank you for trying your best and doing what you could to improve and provide us entertainment.
Thanks to the bus drivers: Josh Allen, Pam and Rod Schaeffer, Bryan Regier, Joshua Deines, Rex Walz, Paula Goffena, Jeana Hanna, and Sandy Lanka for making sure activity members made it to their destination and back home safely. Many of the nights can be long and the drive far.
Much appreciation to the crews who help out at home football/volleyball games:
Scott Gaites for being the voice of Maverick Athletics, the various members of the chain gang - Nathan Weems, Josh Allen, Chip Kramer and Rich Burnside. Also Jon Walz, Kaman Dailey, Jill Schaeffer, Gentry Barner, Jenni Joedeman for helping with the clock/scoreboard - which allows me to float around and do so many other things on Thursday/Friday Nights. We are always thankful for Mr. Regier and the Stapleton Schools band/choir members who get us started with the National Anthem before each contest.
We had a variety of staff members who volunteered to work tickets/gates: Deanna Klosen, Megan Jones, Barb Doty, Denise Frey, Joni Morash, Brenda Monson, Lacy Kinderknecht, Syd Schulz, Jeaninne and Robin Davis.
Sandy Lanka and Kathy Connell were tremendously helpful in setting up concessions and so many individuals worked for hours providing snacks and drinks to hundreds of visitors to our games. Special thanks to Missy Kramer, Jen Frey, Patrick Hynes, Erin Hynes, Patty Stewart, Bo and Kadee McVay, Carly Schrock and so many more that I can’t remember off the top of my head for supervising and raising funds to help so many programs around our community.
Gary Halstead, Dasie Nichols, Megan Jones, Bobbi Isom and many of our HS volleyball girls who worked as line judges for volleyball matches this fall.
Our football official crew for many of the JH/JV football games were: Chance Connell, Sawyer Hanna, Jon Walz, Brad Layher, Arlan Paxton and Lance Moore. These gentlemen went above and beyond to help out at both Stapleton and Tryon.
For volleyball - Janet Victory, Chelsey Myers and Bridget Weems, Kristina Miller and others made it possible for us to conduct games in a fair and impartial manner. Being an official can be a thankless job at times, but we are grateful for their willingness to serve.
Thanks to the Stapleton Co-op market and deli for preparing meals for our Varsity Officials from out of town so that they could leave here experiencing first class hospitality as they ventured back to their hometowns from as far away as Bridgeport and Kearney.
We are very appreciative of other local businesses that have supported our athletes this year. Sublime boutique, Creative Printers and Nebraska portraits combined to create our awesome banners and team posters. Thank you to the Stapleton booster club for donating the monies to help secure these items for us!
It would be wrong of me not to mention our cohorts over in Tryon - Kami Florea, Tim Vanderheiden, Bethany Cochran, Tawnya Simmons and so many others at McPherson County schools for doing their part in hosting home contests and organizing travel arrangements for away games.
Lastly, our crew of student managers who assisted the coaching staffs’ with film, hydration, carrying gear, taking down stats and so many other jobs that often go unnoticed - until they aren’t completed. Thank you to Leo Walz, Alex Anderson, Pierce Phelps, Carsyn Gragg, Tye Schaeffer, Ethan Weems, Trinity Cassell, Avery Weems, Lillyan Sheets, Izzy Waker and KwynLee Kramer.
On a more personal note - there are so many others on this list that helped keep me semi-organized and bailed me out when things became hectic and at times overwhelming. Thanks to Klara and Jeana in the office, Bo and Paula for making sure the fields and facilities were ready - Bridget Weems for picking up the slack EVERYWHERE!!! - Mrs. Isom and Mr. Redinger for covering supervision in the building while I was running around - and thank you to the community of Stapleton for your support for our staff, students and school. As they say in basketball slang - “let’s run it back” for the Winter Season.
With much respect and adoration,
Jeremiah Johnson
Secondary Principal/AD
Stapleton Public Schools/Sandhills Valley Cooperative