The North Platte Bulldog football and volleyball teams are knee-deep in the 2015 seasons and are performing very well. Here are all the names and terms you need to know for this season:
Away- For most teams at NPHS, this fall season is an away-season. With most of our games on the road, the Boneyard will either have to hit the road, or cheer twice as loud during the home games.
Bulldog- The pint-sized, punch-packing canine never gives up in a fight, the perfect moniker for our team.
Cole Joneson- The second-year starter, who took the reins last year after then-starter Shane Mauch went down with a hand injury, looks to lead the Dawgs to a successful season.
Dempsey, Matt- after a semi-disappointing, injury-plagued 2014 campaign, a now healthy Bulldog defensive end, looks to help anchor the D-Line this year.
Expectations- The North Platte Bulldogs enter the 2015 seasons with high hopes. Football has an easy schedule and a better team. Volleyball also looks to make a splash in the State tournament with 7 seniors on the roster.
Folk, Brendan- Senior Middle Linebacker and Wide Receiver, helps the Dawgs on both sides of the ball.
GNAC- Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference. The home conference of the North Platte Bulldogs.
Haley Schanou- The red-haired, reliable Libero has been with the varsity team for 3 years and according to MaxPreps.com, has per game stats above the national average in every category except for kills.
ISO- An inside power run that is a go-to, staple for the Bernie Madison-led Bulldog team.
Justin Henry/Josie Cox- Henry, The senior linebacker, is number 39 on the field and number one in our hearts. Cox, the touted transfer from Maxwell, and UNK commit strengthens the team.
Kuenle, Allison- also committed to UNK, Kuenle brings some firepower to the front line.
LaVista, Papillion- State finalist last year, has not brought the same fire this year and has dropped two matches to NPHS.
Mauch, Sami- Only a sophomore, Mauch brings youthful energy and depth to a team that boasts 7 seniors. She is the future of the NPHS team.
Neff, Alex- The Doane commit, and senior setter, cements the center of the court. She is arguably the reason for Kuenle’s sky-high kill totals.
Olivia Nicholson- The highly touted Colorado State commit, leads the Dawgs into the frays.
Papillion-LaVista South- The Lady Titans took the wind out of our sails at the Bellevue tournament, but that didn’t stop us from the number 1 Class A ranking.
Quarterback- This year the position is set, but next year, the spot is a question mark for Madison’s staff.
Raska- Unlike last year, both Madison and Morgan are boosting the Dawgs team at the net.
Steele, Kort- The junior kicker sparks comparisons to Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein and his golden boot has already won one game for us this season. Maybe we should start calling him Legatron.
Trevon Weaver- He may go by “Weav” to friends, but his play doesn’t make him any new ones on the field. The 6’2”, 190 pound, wide receiver/running back, brings speed and and an imposing presence to the field.
Uniforms- In the last few years, various Bulldog teams have seen a makeover in the threads they wear. This year the volleyball team was outfitted with new duds for the season.
Visitors- The Dawgs face many of the tough foes on the schedule at home. Hopefully, we can use home-field advantage to get some Ws.
Wroot, Kade-Against Lincoln High, he came up with the ball in the endzone for the last-minute, game-tying fumble-recovery-score. Following that, in OT, he made two stops on 3rd and 4th downs to give NP the ball and a win.
XP- Steele missed his first extra point of his career against Lincoln East in his career, he’s 33-34.
YAC- Yards After Catch, Yards After Contact, these are both big stats for receivers, both sophomore Braiden Ruffin and senior Grant Pavelka are really good in both categories. Maybe we should throw to them more, but that’s none of my business.
Zero- The number of season-ending injuries the Dawgs have suffered this year.