In the early part of the season, the Dodge County girls hockey team has looked like they will be a team to deal with. After taking home a victory in their season opener at Simley, the Wildcats displayed a deep offensive approach combined with a defensive effort that limits opportunities for their opponents.

The opening game of most seasons can be one that is waiting to reach its climax. With the anticipation for the opener building since the team started practice, everyone awaits for that one moment where everything feels like it did when they played their last game months ago. 

One of the phrases that Kasson-Mantorville volleyball coach Adam VanOort reiterates throughout every season is that volleyball is an uneven sport. In every match, there are multiple ups and downs that a team has to get through to get to their final goal. Sometimes, that means playing one of the better matches of the year, but coming up short and wondering what could have been.

In every sport, there are always sequences where the momentum swings backand-forth. While some sports represent the large pendulum of a grandfather clock, volleyball’s momentum shifts are more like a dog’s tail after seeing a bone out in the open.

Back in summer camp, Kasson-Mantorville Matt Winkle had his eyes set on the upcoming season. With an electric sophomore season in the rear view mirror, the upcoming junior season for Winkle needed to be a step forward to help the KoMets reach the state tournament. With that in mind, he looked back one more time and wrote a giant W on his wrist band.

With any season that comes to an end, there happens to be a lot of immediate reflection to digest what happened during the course of the year. Sometimes, that process can start as soon as the final whistle is blown to think how much a team has grown or what they could have done to keep their season alive.