Football pads are on. Volleyball knee pads have been on. Distances are being run and swum.
Fall sports practices began Monday for Newton High’s football, volleyball, cross country teams and the NCMP — Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella — swim team. Area high school teams of Lynnville-Sully, Colfax-Mingo, Prairie City-Monroe and Collins-Maxwell/Baxter have been hard at work this week with football, volleyball and cross country practices.
One big change this fall on the NHS sports scene — no boys’ golf in the fall. Newton has moved down into Class 3A in the boys’ golf ranks, and will play spring golf in 2016.
Most of the area high school fall sports teams held their team camps last week. The athletes and coaches moved smoothly into official practices this week.
The Newton Daily News sports staff is gathering preseason information on teams from all five area schools. We will publish our annual Fall Sports Preview special section Aug. 26. Several sports will have kicked off their seasons earlier that week.
Newton High’s 2015-16 sports season begins Aug. 20 with the Under Armour Protect this House Kickoff. Before the annual Cardinal football scrimmage at H.A. Lynn Stadium, all the fall teams will be introduced to fans.
Newton’s volleyball team hosts a tournament and the NCMP Aquagirls hit the competitive waters at home on Aug. 25. The Cardinals have Knoxville, Oskaloosa, ADM, Carlisle and Dowling Catholic coming in for the Newton Invitational volleyball tournament. The Aquagirls open the season against Linn-Mar at the Newton YMCA.
The Newton cross country teams head north Aug. 27 to compete in the Gilbert Invitational. The meet is held on the Iowa State University cross country course in Ames. On the same day, the NHS freshman volleyball team hosts a five-team tourney.
Prep football season opens Aug. 28. Newton’s Cardinal football team opens the 2015 season on the road at Knoxville.
And we’re off.
Scanning the sports news — I used to tune in as the Little League teams work their way to the Little League World Series. There’s always one team which comes with a great backstory and you begin rooting for it to win it all.
It does, then ... we’ve had so many disappointing issues come out about Little League teams in the past few years. It’s tough for me to tune in any more.
Kansas City’s Royals are chugging away. We’ve seen their mid-season additions to the roster give them a boost. Ben Zobrist brought some pop to the lineup. The Royals’ starting pitching rotation welcomes Johnny Cueto on the mound. Cueto is 1-2 since joining the team, but all three have been solid starts. Cueto also brings flare to the mound.
One of the really good guys of the NFL was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend. Will Shields of the Kansas City Chiefs not only was a tremendous offensive lineman, but a great person. Well done, No. 68.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com