Off and running: Free State jamboree a ‘fun note’

Free State's Khaury el-Amin (20) breaks free for a touchdown while defensive back Bryce Torneden (1) gives chase as they play in an intersquad scrimmage during the annual fall sports jamboree, held Thursday at FSHS.

In the final step before the start of most fall sports seasons, Free State High held its sports jamboree on Thursday night to showcase all of its teams to fans.

The volleyball, boys soccer and football teams had varsity and sub-varsity scrimmages, while the cross country team ran a few laps in front of the crowd.

“I like it. It’s a good way to see where you’re at, at the beginning of the season and just start off the year on a fun note,” junior cross country runner Claire Sanner said.

The girls cross country team, which received a loud ovation during its introduction as the defending Class 6A state champion, used the run alongside the boys to test their time splits through each lap.

It was also a chance for the cross country teams, along with running in front of a crowd, to avoid running in the heat, which has forced them to make adjustments with their training in the past two weeks.

“Training-wise, it’s been bad,” senior runner Thomas Becker said. “There was one day this season where we didn’t do any miles at all. We just did some core (exercises), and that’s never happened to me in the last four years, other than that day. …(The heat) really did a number on us.”

Before the varsity football scrimmage and cross country run, hundreds of fans lined the walls of the small gym to watch the varsity and sub-varsity volleyball teams scrimmage. The main gym is still under renovation.

“I was a little nervous just because our (number) of fans was so much bigger than I had seen in years past,” senior libero Paige Corcoran said, “which is good because I feel like we’re going to get so much more support this year.”

The nerves didn’t affect them too much, as the varsity team started winning points quickly with an efficient offense and defense in the first set.

“We have a lot to work on, but I think we’re going to be good this year,” sophomore middle blocker Naomi Hickman said.

The volleyball players aren’t the only ones with things to work on before their season-opener. The football team struggled with tackling and roles on defense, which, though it left coaches fuming, gave fans plenty of offensive highlights.

“Our defense did not do what we wanted to do tonight,” senior lineman Shane Hofer said. “We just have to work on that until next week. We’ll get better. On offense we did OK, but there’s still a lot of things we need to work on.”

Though the football team has scrimmaged a few times in the preseason, the jamboree is one of the best events to prepare for the regular season because it’s under the lights and resembles most of the regular season festivities.

“It was a lot of fun just getting out there with everyone,” Hofer said. “It’s like a little better than the watermelon scrimmage (last week), just because the weather is a lot better.”