After months of strength and conditioning programs, recreation and league baseball and softball, swimming and a variety of other summer athletics, the fall season begins Thursday with the first day of practice for many area high school programs.
For 3A Iola and 2A Humboldt, the programs may be similar in size, but they seem on completely different paths as the Mustangs hope to establish themselves in the Pioneer League while the Cubs look to reload and maintain dominance in the Tri-Valley League.
Following 13 days of practice, the pair will meet for the only time this season at the Humboldt High School Jamboree Aug. 29. The following week, Iola and Humboldt open their seasons on the road with Iola facing Baldwin Bulldogs. Humboldt, meanwhile, will jump right into TVL play as they face TVL runner-up Caney Valley.
Like their 11-man counterparts, area eight-man programs have their first practice coinciding with the first day of school.
Reigning Three Rivers League champion Marmaton Valley will play in the Central Burden Jamboree Aug. 29. They host TRL runner-up Oswego the following week in their home opener.
Another team making a bid for the Three Rivers Conference title this season is Crest. The Lancers will mirror MVHS to a lesser degree with plans to participate in a jamboree at Madison High School. They will jump into TRL play by hosting the Yates Center Wildcats for their home opener on Aug. 29.
Volleyball
The IHS volleyball team will host a Saturday morning jamboree beginning at 10:30 on Aug. 23. It’s not until Sept. 6 that they begin the regular season with a tournament in Rossville.
Humboldt will open its preseason at the Labette County Jamboree Aug. 28, then open the season Sept. 2 at the Colgan Volleyball Tournament in Pittsburg.
Instead of participating in jamborees, Marmaton Valley, Crest and Yates Center will jump right into regular season play with triangulars slated for Sept. 2.
Marmaton Valley will face host team Erie and Altoona-Midway. Crest will face St. Paul and Central Heights. Southern Coffey County will face Uniontown.
As for area tennis, golf and cross country programs, the Iola tennis team kicks off on Aug. 28 with a duel at Chanute. The Iola golf team begins play Sept. 2 at a tournament in Oswego and the Iola cross country team is in Garnett for their first meet Sept. 4. Humboldt and Crest will also participate in the Sept. 4 Anderson County race while Yates Center and Marmaton Valley open their cross country seasons Sept. 4 in Burlington.
