Braves enjoy fab fall season

This year’s Cherokee Brave volleyball and football teams carved out one of those rare stories — the kind that will be talked about for some time. From the initial serve to the last touchdown scored, this year’s Braves carried themselves with a true mix of grit and unshakable belief that made this past fall sports season one for the ages at Washington High School.

It was exciting watching our fall sports teams build momentum with confidence and comradery, culminating in a bond that will last a lifetime. Our kids turned rosters of individuals into tight knit teams. Along the way, they set standards that remind us all of what happens when we’re willing to pull in the same direction.

A trip to the state volleyball tournament and state football playoffs was a culmination of months of early morning and late night practices. The hard work and heart of these two Cherokee teams resulted in a lot of success, but more importantly, lifelong memories with teammates.

In volleyball, as good as this past season was, not surprisingly, next year looks to be even brighter.

The Braves return all starters next fall after qualifying for the state tournament before being eliminated in the first round by Humboldt. Next year’s squad will be anchored by all-staters Diedra Doeden (2nd team) and Addy Wolfswinkel (4th team) along with all conference talent Ellana Mortenson, Ireland Kennedy and Emma Ohlendorf. Mortenson joined Doeden and Wolfswinkel on first team all-conference, while Kennedy and Ohlendorf were second team selections.

Other veteran returnees are Kendyl Fox, Mahren Malausky, Ally Timmerman, Bryn Lewis, Laityn Riley and Kendra Smith.

“I don’t want to wish away the next six months, but I am excited about next season,” admitted Tara Lugar, Cherokee head volleyball coach. “We return all our starters.”

Doeden, a 6-3 powerhouse at the net and Wichita State commit, led the Braves in kills offensively with 295 followed closely by Mortenson (239) and Wolfswinkel (232). Malausky led in assists with 436 followed by Wolfswinkel with 412.

In serving, Wolfswinkel’s patented knuckleball curve serve transcended into a team high 72 aces, a new school record, bettering 68 by Kelly Phipps in 2003. Kennedy, a scrappy sophomore, didn’t need the luck of the Irish in garnering her 47 aces, while Mortenson tallied 39, and Doeden and Malausky finished with 22 each.

Defensively, Doeden stood tall at the net with 105 blocks (51 solos) with Wolfswinkel’s 44 and Mortensen’s 36 next on the list.

From her middle defensive position, an always aggressive Kennedy racked up 375 digs, followed by Mortenson (292), Wolfswinkel (217), and Malausky (141).

The volleyball Braves finished 29-8 and claimed the Lakes Conference championship while recording the second best winning percentage in school history (.784), just behind the 2023-24 state tourney qualifiers (.804).

Another noteworthy accomplishment of this group was placing 11 players on the all-conference academic team. Congrats to seniors Macy Gravenish, Kalexis Hyndman and Kadyn Volkert; juniors Doeden, Malausky, Mortenson, Wolfswinkel and Lewis; sophomores Kennedy, Riley, Smith and Timmerman. Gravenish was also an academic all-state honoree.

“I could go on for hours on these girls,” said Lugar. “In early August we set out discussing our team goals, the top of the chart was making it to the state tournament. Then the relentless pursuit began, the girls worked hard, played hard and had fun as we spent a lot of time working on doing good things and being good people, focusing on the greater good,” she said.

On the gridiron, Cherokee’s football Braves won the school’s first district title since 1994 and first playoff win since 1994.

As a team, the Braves finished first in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns with 3,391 yards and 47 TDs. Of those totals, senior quarterback Jaxon Paulsrud had 30 touchdowns and 2,021 rushing yards. Suffice to say, Paulsrud was the straw that stirred the drink.

Paulsrud joined senior offensive lineman Mason Campbell as a first team all-state selection, while senior teammates Blake Lovell and Mallon Malausky were second team all-state picks.

“This senior class was a special group,” noted Kris Alesch, head Cherokee football coach. “They are a true testament to hard work paying off and they will leave some big shoes to fill. This class truly transformed the trajectory and culture of Cherokee football.”

Alesch said it’s no secret that this senior class is the most heavily faith-based group we’ve had in Cherokee and was also the most successful. “I’d like to thank Coach Bruce Dagel for leading this group of young men both in football and spiritually.”

There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle when considering Cherokee’s success on the football field this season. But, unarguably, Paulsrud’s talent stands out. Jaxon set a new school record for most rushing yards in a career (4,380) and the Air Force commit  was also a proficient passer, completing 53.1% of his attempts for 891 yards and eight touchdowns. He also returned kickoffs and punts — returning 12 kicks for 262 yards and nine punts for 129 yards.

Defensively, Paulsrud led the Braves with 75 solo tackles, while teammates Malausky and Lovell finished with 47 and 43, respectively.

“Jaxon is the most talented athlete I’ve ever coached,” said Alesch. “He has some crazy God given abilities that others dream of having. But he also works his tail off and earns everything. As a coach, you dream of coaching kids like Jaxon who do and say the right thing. It’s a shame that people only get to hear about him as an incredible athlete because he is an incredible person as well. I can’t wait to follow him as his career continues at Air Force.”

Coach Alesch also had high praise for Lovell and Campbell. “Both of these guys played at a high level and were huge team leaders,” he said. “Blake played several different positions over the course of his career and has never batted an eye. He is always calm and when he speaks, people listen. He’s big, fast and tough to bring down.”

Lovell finished with 1,212 rushing yards on 171 carries and scored 16 touchdowns. A Northwestern College commit, Lovell played on both sides of the ball, tallying 67.5 total tackles and 43 solos, while providing solid blocking for Paulsrud.

Campbell was the anchor to Cherokee’s offensive line and was a key blocker for both Paulsrud and Lovell. “Mason was a huge leader for us on the offensive line and was great working with the younger guys, holding them accountable,” said Alesch. “It was no secret that later in the year we were running behind Mason a lot and it allowed us to have a lot of success.”

Other seniors sharing the load this season were Landan Stoater, Christian Vander Broek, Kyle Waldner, Noah Rapp, Peyton Gunn, Coy Lewis, Levi Rosentrater and Taegan Thatcher.

Stowater led the Braves in receptions with 34 for 442 yards and two touchdowns and also logged 29 solo tackles. Vander Broek and Lewis finished with 13 solo tackles apiece, while Rapp logged 19. Vander Broek also snagged three interceptions. Lewis handled all kicking duties for the Braves finishing a standout senior season with 66 kickoffs for 3,174 yards including 45-49 point after kicks, while punting 15 times for 609 yards.

Even with the loss of the talent laden senior corps, the future looks bright for the Braves.

Some key bright spots returning include Malausky and freshman sensation Wyatt Ludvigson, who rushed for 132 yards on 25 carries and caught 26 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns. Ludvigson was also a key defender with 22 solo tackles. Malauksy, who missed the final two games of the season with injury, was a top defender totaling 86 tackles and 47 solos.

Some other key returnees are freshman Lincoln Mortenson, Eli Riedell, Karson Miller, Noah Anderson, Gavin Niemeier, Kyeson Rodgers, Owen Schwarz, William Pigott, Joe Jackson, Jon Ohlendorf, Max Ruschmann and Ryer Johnson; sophomores Tyson Fuller, Cohen James, Mitchell Friedrichsen, Parker Wych, Tristin Harding, Braylund Hoeppner and Linkin Benson; juniors Ty Schlichting, Sean Comstock, Weston Johnson, Kam Kraft and Gabriel Cortes-Dominguez.