Freeman Academy junior Jada Koerner ran away with the individual goal medal as Freeman hosted the Region 3B Cross-Country Meet on a windy Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Valley View Golf Course. Her time of 20:33.14 was 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Scott Dent knew what he was up against heading into the 2021 soccer season at Freeman Academy — that is, low numbers to start, inexperience among the players and a group of teenagers most of whom were on the field together for the first time. All of that makes the growth that he saw in a short period of time all the sweeter.

CANISTOTA/FREEMAN FOOTBALL Oct 28 - Playoff quarterfinal: Pride (5-4) at Ipswich (8-1) at Ipswich, 7 p.m. Oct. 21 - Playoffs: Pride 22 (5-4), Florence/Henry 20 (7-2) Oct. 8: Pride 24, Hanson 32 (4-4) Oct. 1: Pride 50, Irene-Wakonda 0 (4-3) Sept. 24: Chester 26, Chester Area 35 (3-3) Sept. 17: Pride 56, Garretson 50 - OT (3-2) Sept. 10: Pride 46, Viborg-Hurley 18 (2-2) Sept 3: Pride 28, Howard 59 (1-2)

When Kendra Peterson — then Kendra Arens — signed on to be the new head volleyball coach at Freeman Public in the fall of 2019, she wanted to bring stability to a program that had lacked it, going through six head coaches in eight seasons, including a new one each year from 2014 through 2018. To that end, she has succeeded. In her first two years at the helm, Peterson has coached the Flyers to a 38-12 record, a pair of trips to the SoDak 16 and, perhaps most importantly, established a set of rhythms and expectations that had been missing before her arrival.

When the Menno High School volleyball team takes the court in Centerville Thursday night, Aug. 26 for its season-opener, head coach Rachel Stokes and the Wolves will approach the match — and the season — with one ideal in mind: Team over individual.

It’s been almost three years since the Freeman Academy/Marion volleyball team has won a match, the last time being in the first round of the Region 5B Volleyball Tournament on Oct. 29, 2018. The Bearcats went 0-14 the following season and finished the 2020 campaign 0-27. Kenneth and Haley Schroeder, the husband-wife duo now taking on the task of leading the 2021 volleyball team, know this. They know that with a young team they’ve got their work cut out for them. They also know they’re excited to help turn things around.

BY JEREMY WALTNER Who the heck are the Jim River Trappers? That’s a question that will likely be asked this fall by those not familiar with one of South Dakota’s newest football cooperatives — a partnership established in January between neighboring towns Menno and Scotland. Head Coach Ryan Robb has a response to that question, and it’s one that Menno Superintendent and assistant coach Tom Rice loves.

BY JEREMY WALTNER The Canistota/Freeman football team won’t have to wait long for its first test of the season. In fact, it’s coming right away courtesy of Platte-Geddes, the defending Class 9AA state champion that will host the three-time defending 9A champion Pride Friday night, Aug. 20 in the 2021 football opener. The Black Panthers are ranked No. 1 in the preseason South Dakota Media Football Poll; the Pride are No. 2.

Bob Pidde is finally getting his chance at recognition as the newest inductee into South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. The former Freeman standout who went on to play at South Dakota State University was originally to be inducted into the hall of fame in 2020, but the ceremony was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.