Girls Volleyball and Softball Squads Snag First Season Wins
Trevor Phipps
Photos By Paul Magnuson
Now that the 2025 fall sports season is in full gear, several high-profile and heavily-watched teams have advanced to the top, showing no signs of disappointing their local and loyal fan base.
At the same time, some Panther teams have encountered rough starts, but they have started to show signs of improvement.
Before the season started, all eyes were on the boys’ soccer and football teams due to their stellar seasons in 2024.
Both teams made history last year when they both hosted home playoff matches. In the end, neither made it to the state championships, but they are hungry to do it this year, with some of their top players conceding they had a “chip on their shoulder” because they fell short of playoff gold.
The girls volleyball and softball teams both greatly improved last season and both just barely missed out on a chance at postseason action. This year, the teams had a rocky start, but they have potential to stay on the leader board now that they are playing more matches in their league.
Here are a few highlights of the Woodland Park high school sports season so far this year.
Many Panther pigskin fans were worried this season and wondered how the football team would fare. Last year, the bar was set very high with the team’s first undefeated season in school history.
To make matters worse, the offseason brought about some drastic change for the football team. The team lost nearly their entire coaching staff to resignations and the majority of their starting roster to graduation.
But, the team was possibly saved in the eleventh hour when head coach Brad Page was hired late last summer. Page (who has previous experience as a football coach at the college level) has been quoted by local news sources, telling his players not to make any plans for Thanksgiving break as the team will be headed to the state championship in 2025,
And so far, the team seems to be on the track to make a strong push for the state title. After their first two road matches, the Panthers beat the Lincoln Lancers 68-0 and then the Salida Spartans 27-20. Salida has proven to be a tough opponent in the past. (Results from the Colorado Springs Christian High School game weren’t available as of press time).
During the first two games, Coach Page kept the team’s quarterback competition alive. The team has had success rotating through four different play callers until they find the one they want to stay with. He also kept true to his pre-season words by adopting a fast, explosive offense that thrives on putting points on the board.
During the first game, freshman Joey Williams along with juniors Bryce Bischoff, Brandon Lewis and Alex Stotts all took turn behind center. Bischoff ended up with the best stats with four completions out of four attempts, 55 passing yards, one touchdown and a QB rating of 177.1.
Senior Nathan Summeril has so far led the team when it comes to receiving with four catches for 91 yards and three touchdowns during the first game. Senior Spencer Cross currently leads the team in rushing with four carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers have a bye this week and they return on the gridiron next Friday. On Sept. 26, the Panthers battle the 2-1 Rye Thunderbolts at home for their homecoming game. Starting in early October, they enter the brunt of their league games, and face a competitive rivalry with Manitou Springs on Oct. 24. This latter contest will be hosted by Woodland Park and will most likely feature a huge crowd.
Even though the 2024 undefeated football team may have stolen much of their thunder, the boys’ soccer team last year actually made it further in the playoffs than any other local high school team when they lost in the third round. The boys are back on the field this year looking for a repeat, but they will have to do it without their star goalie.
Senior Noah Magistrelli, who has led the team in front of the net the past three seasons, earned the chance to play on the practice squad for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks professional soccer team. Even though he hasn’t played a match for the pro team, his contract bars him from playing high school soccer for his senior year.
However, the boys already seem ready to win without him. During their first match on Aug. 25, the Panthers dominated the Pueblo Central Wildcats 5-1.
Then on Sept. 2, the team had a true test during a close match against the Harrison Panthers. The game was tied at one at halftime before the Panthers ended up winning 4-3 in a thriller. Senior Jamie Urban put away three goals while senior Tevin James scored one.
The soccer team continues their season with three home matches this week. On Sept. 16 the Panthers take on the 3-2 Widefield Gladiators, on Sept. 18. They challenge The Vanguard School Coursers (who started out 3-1 at the time of this article) and on Sept. 20 they face the tough Colorado Springs Christian Lions.
The Lady Panther volleyball team had a rough start four straight losses before they overcame the Sky View Academy Hawks 3-1 on Sept. 2 on the road. Currently, the girls have sported a 1-5 overall record and a 0-1 league record (at the time of this writing).
The volleyball season continues with three road matches this week. On Sept. 16 the girls challenge the La Junta Tigers, and on Sept. 18 they battle the James Irwin Jaguars. Then on Sept. 19, they play the South Park Burros.
The Lady Panther softball team lost their first five matches before they came up with a big 24-14 win against the Sierra Stallions. The team (as of this writing), held a 1-6 overall record, but they hadn’t played any league matches, so this is still time for them to shine on the diamond.
The girls are back in action this week with a home match against the Canon City Tigers at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 16. Canon City has a similar record as the Lady Panthers.
