By: A.J. Nichols

As the temperature drops, wrestling, basketball, swimming and diving heats up as they start practices this week after a great fall sports season.

Cross Country made a state championship appearance that included the boys team, and Morgan Dalton and Elsie Bruckhart representing the girls team. Varsity football made a playoff appearance but suffered an unfortunate loss to Alter High School in the first round. Girls soccer finished their season with a 10-9 record and going 1-1 in playoffs. Boys soccer went 14-3-2 also with a 1-1 playoff record. Both golf teams had respective invites to postseason tournaments.

Dominic Hummel is a senior on the Bellbrook High School wrestling team. He has high hopes for the season ahead, and his goal is to qualify for the state championship meet.

Wrestling kicks off their season with their first practice on Friday, November 14, and meets to follow in the coming months.

“It’s old school conditioning, trying to get our bodies ready,” Hummel said. “Also an intro to how the season is going to look, and how the room works.”

The boys and girls basketball teams also have high hopes this year as they are getting ready to have a deep tournament run at the end of their respective seasons.

Libby Bunsold, a sophomore at BHS, is coming off a dominant freshman season last year and holds the school record for steals in a single game.

“The focus for us this year is to be fast and controlled, forcing the other team to also speed up,” Bunsold said.

“The players are adjusting very well to our practice intensity, and everyone is working very hard and is giving everything they have to the team,” Bunsold said. “To improve on last year, we have started to do more lifting to get stronger, and practices are more intense than last year.”

“The ultimate goal is always state, but once we get to districts, anything can happen,” Bunsold said.

Logan White is a junior at BHS and is looking to make an impact this season on the varsity basketball team. “The focus for this season is Cameron Reagan,” Logan White said. “He has been consistently one of our best players on the team,”

“The players are adjusting well from what we’re trying to do,” White said. “But it has been a bit of a challenge.”

White also listed a few underclassmen who are rising to help the team get ready for the season ahead. “Jack Howard and Caleb Hess have been standing out a lot to the coaches and players,” White said. “They should be something to keep an eye out on as they are the future of this team.”

Practices are in full swing and the first varsity boys’ game is on December 2 vs. Badin at 7:15pm. The girls’ first varsity game is on November 22 at Notre Dame Academy at 12:30pm.