Sports

The Blazers just wrapped up our second week of competition for the ‘22-’23 wrestling season. The Blazer wrestling team competed at all levels this week with some great opportunities to get better.

GEHS Lady Blazers vs. Blue Valley Dec. 1 Varsity 42-58 Loss (0-1) The Girls Varsity Basketball team took on a Blue Valley Tigers team that has since been dubbed the #1 Ranked team in the city, last Thursday night. The Tigers, which feature D1 recruit committed to Oklahoma St, Jadyn Wooten. The game was a highly anticipated one as the Lady Blazers hope to rectify last year’s injury ridden season that left them with a record of 4-17. The game was tied at the end of Q1 15-15, sparked by 6 of her team leading 17 points by freshman Landri Schaffer. The Lady Blazers trailed by 6 at halftime, 31-25. Blue Valley continued to pull away in the 3Q, as the lead ballooned to 16. The Lady Blazers hung tough and jumped out to a 7-0 run to start the Q4, cutting the lead down 9, but that was as close as they would come, eventually falling 58-42. The student section was loud and proud throughout that game and while there are no moral victories, this was a good start to what looks to be a promising season for Coach Leiker’s squad

Mark Holthaus & Kerry Stoneking Varsity at Mill Valley W 47-36 (2-1) This past Friday, the Lady Blazers took on the Mill Valley Jaguars in their first road game of the young season. The Lady Blazers like to start fast and start fast, they did.

In the last weekend of the debate season the results are in. This tournament was a big one on number of schools, 25, and big on entries. We needed a big win this weekend and it was stacked against us, but the trailblazers came ready to fight. For two teams it was a hard twoday competition, Friday and Saturday. Team of Morgan Mackinney and Sofia Tortolero won one and lost four. Sophomore team of Maddison Carriger and Kaila Burnside went undefeated till quarterfinals only losing to the senior team from Blue valley who won the open division giving them a place in state. In the JV division Kate Sanders and Alyx Greene once again came in 3 wins and two loses giving Alyx a place with Kate in state. Finally, tagging on to the success they had in football, debaters David Torres and Gabe James, needing a 4-win 1 loss record, saying we want more for GEHS, they went 5 wins and 0 losses being the only team in their division going undefeated, and placing 1st and making them eligible for state. This means GEHS is bringing a full two person policy debate entry come January of four teams. Amazing dedication. Please congratulate not only them but all the debate team on their success.

Kelli Baker These singers will travel to Wichita at the end of February to practice and perform with the best singers in the state. Aubrie Blanz Mixed Choir Sam Scoggins Grace Rieder Treble Choir Elaine Jensen Mixed Choir (First ever 4 year All-State Choir participant in GEHS history) Jacob Venevongsoth Mixed Choir Alternate .

The GEHS Debate team was in action this Saturday, November 5th at Olathe East with seven teams. The competition is getting harder as we are a month away from the end of the season. In the novice division Kaitlyn Cline and Titus Smith went two wins and three losses. In the open division team Turner Brown and Lily Campbell and team of Ellie Rhea and Brinley Enz both went two wins and three losses. Gardner Edgerton had a strong presence in Junior Varsity with Kate Sanders and Alyx Greene taking 7th place with a record of three wins and two losses. Gabe James and David Torres took sixth place with a record of three wins and two losses, and Jace Blum and Kate Miller took 5th with a record of three wins and two losses. Finally the team of Kaila Burnside and Maddison Carriger took first place with a record of five wins and no losses with a total of 17 speaker points This is just two points away from a perfect score.

Last Friday night was memorable. The conditions, the playoffs, defending 6A state champs, home game. It was all setting up for a storybook football game that I am positive will be talked about for years to come in the community. Blue Valley Northwest came into town with a 6-3 record feeling good about their chances of repeating as 6A champs. Little did they know, the Blazers had something to say about that.