Story by CAYDEN SANDERS Photos by CAYDEN SANDERS and RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
SOCCER JAMBOREE
To end the final week before the fall sports schedule kicks off, the Hays High School soccer and football teams hosted intrasquad exhibition matches on Friday.
Hays High soccer hosted its match with three teams within the roster for an 80-minute match. The team had previously played on their own grass pitch, but with the school’s new facilities, the Indians get to play on Hays High turf for the first time in school history.
“The facilities are amazing,” Hays High Head Coach Daniel Kelly said. “Every time we would go to an away game, it seemed like they had all the newest things. They’ve got a good streaming system that they put out, and they broadcast their games. Most of them have video boards now, and it’s really cool that we’re able to look out there and see the possibilities. So to have it have that possibility at home, it’s really cool.”
Last season, the Indians went 10-9. But in the west half of 5A, the Indians made it to the state quarterfinals before losing to the eventual state runner-up, Maize South.
For Kelly, this season is to continue building off of last season’s success.
“It starts with our senior leadership; we had a great senior class last year, and I’m asking the seniors this year to step into those shoes and be leaders, both on and off the field,” he said. “It’s the little things that you do every year if you want to be a consistent program; those little things matter. We ask those seniors to step into those shoes, fill everything that we need, that they did for us.”
Kelly noted the team’s original field during the days of the old high school is now where the grandstands sit for the new high school. Kelly looks to use that as motivation for his squad.
“There is tons of history in the soccer program right here. It was built right on top of our old field,” Kelly said. “We can remind the boys of that. We’re still in the same spot that everybody else was in the program’s history. The facilities are a little bit nicer, but there’s a lot of history here. A lot of players, blood, sweat, and tears are right here on this field.”
The soccer team starts its season next Tuesday at the Salina Invitational Tournament against St. Mary’s Academy.
“Last year, we were in the championship of that tournament. We played Salina South, and we lost 2-1,” Kelly said. “Salina South ended up going on and got fourth place in the 5A State. So it’s a good, good tournament, good competition, and we’re hoping to replicate the same success.”
FOOTBALL JAMBOREE
Later in the night, Hays High brought out the football team for another intrasquad scrimmage. This was the first Hays High varsity football event at Hays High.
“I think it’s been 103 years of Hays High School football. It’s crushing to know former players never got to play on a Hays field with maroon and gold,” Hays High Head Coach Tony Crough said. “ It’s a really cool big deal. And just to see everybody in the stands, and around the exterior of the field, I mean, what a great place this community built. It’s a special, special place already.”
After a historic season for Hays High has come and gone, the Indians look to continue to sharpen the spear. Coming off their first-ever state championship appearance and an 8-5 season, HHS defeated three opponents on the road to make it to the 5A title game.
This season, Crough expects seniors and leaders on this team to continue to uphold the standard.
“This senior class has been through it. They’ve seen what it looks like. They know what it takes to give themselves a chance to make it back to where we want to go,” Crough said. “It’s 28 seniors this year, it’s kids that have had a chance to be together for a long time. They’ve dreamed of this for a long time, and I think they just know what it takes now and and their dream is to be able to make it back and do the same thing, which we know is a tough thing to do, but they want to. They want to get back to the championship, so they can carry on the tradition.”
Crough and company have led a program from 3-6 record to 10-2, the best in recent Hays High history, to the only team to make the state championship appearance in school history. During Crough’s time, Hays High saw its first 12-game season, Hays High making it to the 5A west championship twice, and a title game against St. Thomas Aquinas.
“We’ve had consistency of the coaching staff, consistency with administration for the most part, that right there takes it a long way, because every year, you’re not starting over,” Crough said. “When you start seeing that, you know that you’re doing the right things, because people want to be around and be about the program.”
This season, the Indians are led by a senior quarterback, Zane Viegra. After a season-ending leg injury in the state semi-final game against Goddard Eisenhower, Viegra looks to have a healthy leadership role this season.
“The first thing I thought was ‘when am I gonna be able to get back and how is next season going to look,’” Viagra said. “I turned on that game, and I was watching our guys. As soon as I heard they’re going to the state championship, I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was so happy for the team. After I started to recover, all I could think about was how I could get back for my senior year. So to be able to be back and to play this senior year, I am blessed.”
Gus Corsair is a four-star junior offensive lineman, ranked second-best offensive lineman in the 2027 class in Kansas, while being the 292nd-ranked player in the nation according to 247sports.com.
“I think the biggest thing has just been keeping my head down, not focusing on too much the outside noise, really, just focusing on the high school team right now and obviously building relationships with college coaches. But the biggest focus is my junior season right now,” Corsair said. “One thing is just, compete in everything you do. And one thing Coach Crough says is, if you’re going to compete, you might as well win. So I think that’s just the mindset we go into with everything that we’re competing in.”
Along with Viegra and Corsair, another player to watch for is senior running back Holden Lind. In his junior season, Lind carried the ball in four games, averaging 123.5 yards a game.
Senior athlete Jarek Purdy comes in as a leading wide receiver and cornerback for this Indian squad. Purdy feels the foundation of the Indians’ culture is what will help this year’s team.
“We were always reminded of the culture that Hays High football carries. It’s very well known that we’ve been having the reputation of one of the hardest-working, best teams in the western part of Kansas,” Purdy said. “It’s just always kind of being reminded that there’s a culture here and a standard that you always have to try to raise the bar with, and always try to be better and try to improve. It’s always great, knowing that you have that in the back of your mind.
Another player to watch on the defensive side of the ball is senior linebacker Jaxson Chartier. Last season, Chartier stepped up at the end of the season and is hoping to be an impact player.
“It feels really good to be a leader for this defense,” he said. “Last season, obviously, the face of the defense was Wyatt (Kirkpatrick). But, being a senior linebacker leading this defense, calling out all the plays has been an awesome experience so far.”
Senior defensive end Jonathan Rigler moved positions in the offseason from safety to defensive end. Rigler looks to bolster the edge rushing for the Indians.
“Well, it’s kind of cool seeing the defense change over all three years. It’s been awesome to move to different positions last year at safety, this year at defensive end,” Rigler said. “So I’ve kind of worked with everybody on the team and we’re just a super powerful team, and we’re really excited to see what we have in store.”
Hays High football starts its season this Friday night against the Derby Panthers on the road.
“Oh yeah, I think 100% where we’re ready for Derby,” Viegra said. “We’re all in the same mindset. Since the summer started, we’ve all been in that same mindset. We all wanted to put the pads on and get ready to play this season.”