Softball, Volleyball and Soccer Squads Kicking Off 2019 Season
~ by Trevor Phipps ~
Believe it or not, fall sports in Woodland Park is more than just about Friday Night Lights and pigskin euphoria.
In fact, several other high school athletic teams have shined in recent years during the fall. Here is a short synopsis of other non-football WP high school teams that are now competing. Check for further updates in weekly editions of TMJ News and on our website at www.mountainjackpot.com.
WP High School Softball
Even though the football players have yet to play a game, the Lady Panthers were playing out on the softball fields before school even started. The girls played their first game at home at the Woodland Park Middle School on August 20 the day before they entered the halls at the high school to begin class.
Unfortunately, the girls did not win their first game, and now even after they have played three matches they have yet to win one. The girls lost their first game against Palmer Ridge by a devastating score of 16-2. The good news is that the first few games will not count against the Lady Panthers’ chance at the playoffs because they do not start playing league games until the second half of their season.
The Lady Panthers then played their second game last Friday on the road against Falcon. The girls improved from their first game and were able to touch the home plate more times but they still lost by a 12-8 score.
Then, on last Saturday, the Lady Panthers played a doubleheader at Holmes Middle School in Colorado Springs. During one of the two games, the girls were shut out by Coronado 10-0.
This year the team has the same coach Dale Huntington, and he hopes to improve the team from the 10-13 overall record he coached them to last year. Last season, the girls led by Huntington earned a winning 5-3 league record but they were unable to get to see a playoff game.
The girls play three more non-league games this week including two home games against Pueblo Centennial and Canon City. The Lady Panthers don’t play their first league match until September 12 when they take on the Harrison Panthers at home.
WP High School Boys’ Soccer
This year the Panthers hit the soccer fields at just about the same time the football players start their season.
The most significant change in the soccer team this year is the return of a veteran coach of the program.
From 2003 to 2013 Andrew Pappadakis led the Panther soccer team before he decided to call it quits for personal reasons. After he quit Woodland Park Councilman Noel Sawyer took the reins of the team for five seasons before resigning last year. Once Sawyer resigned, Pappadakis decided to take his position back as the team’s head coach.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Pappadakis is back with a vengeance and is ready to coach the boys to some victories. The coach should not be rusty because he coached the girls’ soccer team for several years before he stepped down after the 2017 season. So, last year was the only year Pappadakis was not out on the soccer fields in the last decade.
The boys’ first game is on the road against Pueblo East on September 7. The boys then play Falcon on the road on Sept. 10. The Panthers’ first home game is scheduled on September 12 on the high school football field at 6 p.m.
Last year, the high school boys soccer team finished with a winning record as they went 8-7 overall. The boys just missed a chance at the playoffs as they only finished with a 3-4 league record. The Panthers’ returning coach has said that he is excited to bring some moment to the team for their 2019 season.
WP High School Volleyball
The girls’ volleyball team has started practicing to get ready for their game play starting this week. For the 2019 season, head coach Stacey Roshek returns and she is ready to lead the team to some W’s.
Last season, the girls’ volleyball team was on fire as they had quite a successful team. The girls had the best high school sports team last year as they finished with an overall record of 20-5 and a league record of 7-1. The girls earned a spot in the regional playoff tournament where they lost to Cheyenne Mountain.
This season, the girls hope to do as well as they did this year and maybe even make it further in the playoff tournament. The girls play their first game this week on Thursday on the road against Pueblo Central.
Like other sports teams, the girls play non-league games for the first half of their season. Most of the games the girls play at first do not count towards the playoffs until the Lady Panthers play their first league match against Harrison on October 3.
