AHS hosts varsity basketball teams
Arlington High School invited 11 boys basketball teams to its gyms June 11 for a varsity camp.
Each visiting school played three games from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m., putting in offseason work coaches hope will benefit them come the winter months.
Eagles head coach Jake Polk said he's hosted camps for several years going back to his time in Centennial.
“I always think it's really fun to look at teams and put the schedule together,” he said.
On June 11, the coach was able sort out game matchups for East Butler — coached by former Blair assistant Matt Novak — Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, Diller-Odell, Clarkson-Leigh, Pender, Laurel Concord Coleridge, Tri-County Northeast, the Omaha Lightning, Raymond Central, Malcolm and Elkhorn.
Polk said he also enjoys working with opposing coaches during camps, but also showing off what AHS has to offer, too. His Eagles competed against Tri-County Northeast, Elkhorn and the Lightning during the session. Their goal was to have players improve individually through competition, but also to improve as a team and build chemistry.
“We lost some important seniors, so we're looking for some leaders to step up,” Polk said.
Soon-to-be 12th-graders Oliver Ladehoff and Luke Sharp will do that, but Arlington will need further contributions on the floor.
“I think they'll be good leaders, but we need some young guys to step up and join them,” the coach added.
At the end of the camp, he said the team took a good step forward.
“It was a day of growth for us,” Polk said. “We've just got to get better next week when we go to Tekamah.”
Blair wrestlers compete at Jackrabbits camp
Blair High School wrestlers attended a team camp at South Dakota State last week, too.
Coach Erich Warner's Bears participated in technique work across multiple days in Brookings, but also competed in duals, producing a 5-3 record for a second-place finish in the Silver Bracket. Blaise Baughman and Wyatt Loftis led their team with individual records of 9-0 and 7-1, respectively.
BHS' Trevor Furchert, Jaxon Logan and Ledger Bernasek were 6-2, too, while Tannon Bellamy was 5-3. Axel Dick went 3-5, Carter Corbett was 1-7 and Gaven Hammond went 0-8.
More camps ahead in June
Washington County-hosted team and youth sports camps continue through the end of the month and beyond this summer.
Fort Calhoun cross-country's night camp started Monday and continues through Wednesday. The Pioneers' girls wrestling team will host Morningside University coach Jordan Cliff for a clinic Friday morning, too.
FCHS also hosts youth girls basketball and volleyball camps June 23-24. The hoops camp starts at 8:30 a.m. before the volleyball session at noon.
Also on June 24-25, Fort Calhoun softball will have a team camp, while Blair High School hosts its two-day softball youth camps at the Youth Sports Complex. Those Bears sessions begin at 9 a.m. with young kids and continue through the afternoon with older players.
Notably, on June 23-27, Morehead State head coach Paul Cox returns to Blair for his annual Blair FC soccer camps.
— Staff reports
