Football

The Oracle football team has started the year at a respectable 3-2. After blowing out Benton Central in the home opener and defeating Carroll in the Bacon Bowl, the Oracles have hit a rough patch, going 1-2 while losing to a very good Eastern team and missing the win in a razor thin 36-35 loss to Sheridan. Nevertheless, the Oracles are in good position to finish with a winning record, as their explosive offense, which is averaging 25.2 points per game, should be able to pick apart their remaining schedule, as all the remaining teams have surrendered 40 points or more at least once this season. The Oracles have Senior Night on Oct. 18 against Taylor before playing the first round of sectionals the following week.

Boys’ Tennis

The tennis team has done remarkably well, led by juniors Jaden Long and Kooper Myer. The team is currently 7-4, including road wins against Rossville and Carroll. The second doubles duo of Sam Schimmel and Colt Spangler have been racking up wins, as their only loss came against a highly skilled Twin Lakes team. The team also accomplished the impressive feat of winning the conference this year, going undefeated in conference play. The Oracles finish out the regular season at Benton Central on Thursday before they gear up for sectionals next Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Soccer

The soccer team’s first season as a co-ed team has been one of development. Though the team is 2-8, they managed to pull out wins at Maconaquah and against Taylor. “We have a very young group,” said senior goalkeeper Ethan Randle. This young core, though inexperienced for this season, will continue to get better and look to improve the team and its record in future years. Meanwhile, Randle has received some personal distinctions: he is the state leader in saves and saves per game, the latter of which he holds a lead of 5.1. 

Volleyball

The Lady Oracles have picked up three wins thus far, taking down Fountain Central, Tri-County, and Tri-Central. Despite starting the season 1-9, the team has shaped up. They have changed their rotation, which paved the way for them to block better, hit the ball harder, and overall work better as a team. The girls have four more games left, including Senior Night on Oct. 8, before they take on the first round of sectionals on Oct. 15.

Girls’ Golf

After narrowly avoiding being cut altogether, the undersized girls’ golf team has made leaps and bounds this season. The team picked up their only win against South Newton, whom they beat on Sept. 5. As for improvement, the girls have seen a severe increase in their ability to drive the ball, which has led to an average decrease of 6 strokes since the beginning of the season for nine holes of play. Sophomores Elyse Perry and Grace O’Neil led the team at the conference meet, both finishing with 118 strokes. Perry also led the team at the sectional meet, finishing with a team best 112 strokes over 18 holes.

Cross Country

The cross country team has seen some major improvement from last year. Freshman Alyssa Erickson has stepped up for the girls’ team with a personal record of 24:20, while sophomore Collin Dulin is leading the boys’ team with a personal record of 19:41. Overall, the team has also dramatically improved their times, as the team has seen an average time improvement of a minute from the beginning of the season. The cross country team has two more meets before the HHC meet on Oct. 5, followed by sectionals on Oct. 12.