Even though the cafeteria was the setting, the occasion was not lunch. Instead, parents, teachers, coaches and students alike arrived for a dinner and awards ceremony for the annual fall sports banquet.
The banquet began with a greeting from Mr. Hill, athletic director, as he introduced the coaches of the fall sports teams. All of the coaches were present except for Head Football Coach Allen. After a brief salutation, it was time to get in line for the dinner provided by Andre’s Banquet & Catering.

Once the coaches finished their dinner, they began to address their thoughts and feelings about their teams and seasons.

First up was Head Cross Country Coach Crowe, who took the podium and reflected on the season. “There was a lot of improvement this season,” said Crowe. “By the end [of the season] everyone ran their personal best times and there were four state qualifying runners, which was the most since 2008.”

One of those state qualifying runners was senior Cleo Pleaseant.

“When I qualified for state in districts I felt like I really achieved something, and improved my skills as a runner,” said Pleaseant.

After Crowe’s address, Head Swim Coach Tuegel made his comments with zeal.

“The season went well and had a very favorable schedule,” said Tuegel. “We ended up being fifth in our conference, which has been awhile since we’ve achieved that. In recent years we have come in seventh, eighth, or ninth place.”

Next was Head Volleyball Coach Cloud who took to the podium to give his speech.

“The season was a bit strange due to the fact that there were only two returning varsity players, but there was a lot of individual growth within the team,” said Cloud.

Spontaneously, the volleyball players surprised Cloud by going up to the podium and giving him a framed picture of the team with their signatures on it to show him their appreciation for him as a coach. The picture can now be seen on the bulletin board in Cloud’s classroom.

Head Softball Coach Byrne described his season as a very up-and-down experience. “It was a roller coaster ride. This season reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” he said.
The softball team found Byrne’s speech entertaining and laughable. “He used some cheesy humor, but it was funny,” said sophomore softball player Yasmeen Coby.

At one point in the evening, Hill addressed the personal struggle of Yabsra Belayneh, senior, trying to pursue his dream of playing soccer. Belayneh, who is from Ethopia, attended court sessions with the Missouri State High School Activities Association, better known as MSHSAA, in hopes to receive the chance to return to the soccer team. However, Belayneh was 19 years old at the time, which wasn’t within MSHSAA’s 18-year old age limit. He was denied the opportunity to rejoin the team due to his age.

“I’m really thankful for Mr. Hill for mentioning that there,” said Belayneh. “It was kind of sad, but I was happy that he talked about it because it encouraged me.”

All in all, the athletes thought the sports banquet was a great way to close up the season and congratulate those who showed athletic excellence.

“I think it’s important to give recognition to people for their physical ability and skills,” said senior field hockey player Kerstin Morley, who received a First All Team Conference honors for her sport.

“The banquet provided closure for what was my last fall sports season,” said senior swimmer Henry Braeske.