Shawnee Mission East High School - Hauberk Yearbook (Prairie Village, KS)

Page 24 text:

X 'm -vuwiv' ' wmv 'Q k . L ING ff I F is gli 'sub X ' ' . a' Q qi i 'J' K 1 Q was 3 J l ,W Q, ggi 94.5393 ,S mf 'ls ,I , ,,, A .fQ,t 3 W ? v 0 . , . Q A as if g , 1 , A M, Jw 92, z , if A Q X? Q , A .nl af il 7' il - Q-QV' -

Page 23 text:

SIDE JGKE DDS SPICE D.I.D. There are classic games such as Bridge and Monopoly, outdated games like Canasta and Tripoley, and our currently popular games, Pictionary and Scruples. Most games are played for amusement and sociability, a relief from daily stresses at school or work. Foot- ball, on the other hand, is a game that re- quires physical and mental toughness and a lot of hard work. Its competitive spirit adds the pressure and demands many games try to avoid. But isn't hard work the key to success? Shawnee Mission East coaches believe it is. The five coaches, Bill Stiegemeier, John Reed, Russ Kokoruda, Dan Zollers, and Dave Barreca required 11096 from the play- ers at all times. Each coach specialized in a certain area of the field to provide individual- ized attention and counseling, thereby creat- ing a stronger team as a whole. Head coach Stiegemeier coordinated each section to pro- duce the best final result. Many players agreed that Stiegemeier is uniquely able to motivate and encourage oth- ers. They said that he was always available to talk and listen with sincere interest and that his use of positive reinforcement helped maintain the positive attitude of the team. His basic philosophy about coaching is, 1'The coaches shouldn't put pressure on winning. lf the players work hard at practice and gain self-confidence, the winning will come natu- rally. The greatest attribute of this year's team was the camaraderie between the juniors and seniors. They worked together as friends in- stead of competing with one another. With only five returning lettermen, the concentra- tion of talent among the juniors was an asset to the team. Each position was filled so fre- quent subsitutions were possible and benefi- cial tothe team's stamina, Stiegemeier said. The coaches and players also had a great relationship. The team was easy to talk to, and they really wanted to be the best. Their unusual hard work ethic and willingness to cooperate was very helpful to the stafff, The early season wins against Leavel- worth and North helped fuse the team to- gether and sent a flair of confidence into the air. Losing games simply proved the team was beatable and renewed their commitment to look for needed improvements. Senior Ke- vin Leff explained, Ulf we lose because the other team really beats us, we're disappointed but can go on. But if we lose because we haven't played up to our potential, our atti- tude is more negative. However, that encour- ages us to go out and work hard to improve our mistakesf' A team can work and work, but may even- tually have to accept its weakness. East lacked team speed. This proved a detriment, but they were able to compensate for it through consistency. Senior linebacker and center Barry Nicbolson said, We don't rely on just a few big plays to win the game. We try to make each play a big play. The mix- ture of talented players and distribution of leadership helped balance the team. Leff commented, At different times, different people assume the leadership roles. That way we don't have to rely on just one or two people to motivate us on the field. Players had other ways to keep the ball rolling. Inside jokes always add some spice to team fellowship. The mystery of D.I.D. still baffles many Lancers. Questions began flying when varsity players displayed their banner What's D.I.D. all about? during the sports rally on Lancer Day. The saying has been somewhat of a tradition since eight grade. Senior Kevin Latinis estimated, We aver- aged eight D.I.D.'s per game in the first three gamesj, while senior Mark Moore asked, Which team? Moore went on to explain this philosophy with, Winning isn't every- thing, it's just how many guys you knock out of the game. The team will enjoy recalling the many jokes it shared: Well, their backs aren't slippin 'g Coach Reed's reply, I think Falk's got a question g and in light of fre- quent losses, I must have left my football savvy on the bus. The Lancers finished the season with 3 wins and 6 losses. One of the worst breaks occurred with only a few seconds remaining in overtime against SM West. West had scored a touchdown but missed the extra point, allowing East a shot at the win. A last minute Lancer fumble at the one-yard line left both the players and fans dismayed. The 13-7 loss was a heartbreaker. . The team maintained a positive attitude, Moore explained. Maybe our record didnit show it, but we worked hard and felt on top most of the time throughout our season. -Megan Mistler Football 19

Page 25 text:

Sophomore Peter Mackey collects his thoughts be- fore the next play against the North Indians. The game resulted in a defeat for East. iphoto by Margi Thomasj The East offense, led by senior Mark Moore, is set to score a touchdown against the Northwest Cou- gars. lphoto by Darren Kennedyj v