Why 2 Springfield sports programs had to find new homes for the 2022 fall season
They weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, and a couple of high school teams now have to cope with new locations.
The Lutheran volleyball team has relocated to Our Savior’s Lutheran School, while Lanphier has moved its football practices and home games elsewhere.
That is the source behind Lutheran’s motto for this year: It’s not the building but what we’re building.
“They don’t care where they play,” Lutheran coach Katie McCulley said. “They just want to play.”
Unflappable Crusaders
Lutheran’s physical building at 3500 W. Washington St. was deemed unsafe due to mine subsidence that surfaced over the summer. The high school will now hold its classes at Springfield First Church of the Nazarene beginning in late August. It also left the volleyball team searching for a temporary home.
The past two years at least equipped McCulley to handle the adjustments as seamlessly as possible.
“When it all happened, you're kind of like, 'OK, what are we going to do?' and thankfully our junior highs have been amazing with outpouring of love and support,” McCulley said. “This was kind of just the best option because it's so close to Lutheran High and it just has the capacity to be able to hold more people for home games. We're just excited to be here to be in the gym and to be playing.”
Lofty expectations
A robust lineup of talented veterans also helps.
The Crusaders reached the Class 1A state finals and finished 33-5 overall last season. Key returning players include seniors Makenna Cox, Kaleigh Bergschneider, Caleina Herman and Ali Davis.
Bergschneider and Herman played together at Our Savior’s in junior high.
“It literally feels like home,” said Herman, the starting setter. “Playing here just feels like normal and everything. With Makenna too, she played at Trinity (Lutheran), so it's normal for her too with Kaleigh. It's just fun that we all get to go to high school together now and play because we were all big rivals back in grade school. Now it's just fun.”
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They certainly remain buoyed by their experience and camaraderie together.
“I'm so excited,” said Cox, a prolific outside hitter committed to NCAA Division II Missouri Western State. “At the beginning of the season we were not expecting anything. We were like, 'We're just juniors,' and we won our tournament (in the Crusader Classic). We were like, 'Oh, we can actually do this, you know?'
“How much we improved from the beginning of the season to the end, we're just picking right up where we left off. It's just going to be fun to see what we do.”
Although there isn’t a timetable yet in regards to a permanent base, the Crusaders can continue to elevate their game at a suitable gym.
“I'm definitely controlling the tempo of the game because as a setter, you're the leader of the court and you control the tempo of the game and everything,” Herman said. “I just know how they want their ball, so that definitely helps because if you don't talk to your hitters and stuff, there's no communication. That's not how you're going to win.
“You win by talking and that's very important in volleyball. If you don't have any communication, then you can't really win because it's not all about how you play. It's about how you are with your teammates, too.”
Lanphier’s old stomping grounds
Lanphier’s football facilities — including Memorial Stadium — remain closed due to renovations at the school.
The Lions will play their home games at Southeast and can be found prepping at its old practice grounds just beyond the railroad tracks at 13th and Division streets.
Lanphier coach Don Goff recalled last using this small solitary field as an assistant coach under John Oaks in 1993. The Lions won the inaugural Central State Eight Conference title that season.
“There were a lot of good times,” Goff said. “We went undefeated in the conference and we were the first conference champs, so there's a lot of good memories.”
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A couple of challenges include the need to transport water and ice to the field, as well as no electricity. Ongoing construction has also diminished access to the weight room. But the upgrades will be worthwhile.
Memorial Stadium is expected to reopen this spring with new artificial turf.
“They've been converting a couple of our weight rooms into classrooms for this transition period, so that's going to be a challenge for us,” Goff said. “But you know what, we're blessed to have those challenges.”
‘Further along’
Lanphier forfeited two games due to the coronavirus last season and finished 0-9 in the formidable CS8.
Goff sees positives going into the Week 1 opener at Normal U-High, however.
It starts with a senior corps that includes offensive lineman Jeremy Wright, wide receiver Eli Horne, linebacker Wyatt Dilley, quarterback Kobie Christison and running back Cornelion Brookens.
“We're further along than we were last year,” Goff said. “This year we had more of the guys around during the summer so we had a chance to establish some base offense and defense.”
Brookens, a transfer from Springfield High, said they’re trying to turn things around after last year.
“It's feeling good,” Brookens said. “I'm meeting a lot of new people. Coach (Goff) made me feel comfortable out here.”
Contact Bill Welt: (217) 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Lutheran volleyball, Lanphier football find temporary homes for 2022
