Head coach Lucas Lanning and the Fredonia Yellowjackets completed their second full day of practice Tuesday afternoon as teams across the area continue preparing for the upcoming high school football season. 
 

Fredonia is looking to put last season behind it after managing just one victory during an eight-game regular season. With the Yellowjackets' first game now roughly two and a half weeks away, Lanning and his team are focused on making the most of the time they have before the season begins. 
 

Lanning says the team's strength will come along the offensive and defensive lines, where Fredonia has a combination of experience and depth. 
 

The Yellowjackets will also enter the 2026 season with a new system on offense, defense and special teams. Lanning says the changes will help the team continue to improve and compete at a higher level. 

Fredonia will wrap up its first week of practice on Friday, with the Yellowjackets taking what they've learned into the weekend as they continue preparing for the start of the season.

Labette County head coach Bradley Argabright and the Grizzlies are looking to build on an impressive 2025 season, one that saw the program make its first-ever appearance in the state semifinals. 

Labette County finished 9-and-3 last season and rolled through much of its competition before its postseason run came to an end against Bishop Miege, falling 37-7 in the state semifinals. 

The Grizzlies will lean on their senior class this fall, with 13 fourth-year players returning after 18 seniors suited up for Labette County a season ago. Argabright says that experience will be important as the team works to replace several key contributors. 

Argabright also says his skill players have the ability to continue playing at an elite level in Class 4A, giving the Grizzlies an opportunity to make another deep postseason run. 

Labette County may have lost a significant portion of last year's roster, but returning players and continuity within the program can help the Grizzlies fill those voids.

The Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens enter the 2026 season ranked eighth in the NJCAA preseason national poll, with third-year head coach Nick Dobler looking to build on a successful first two seasons. 
 

Dobler is 16-and-6 during his time at Coffeyville, leading the Red Ravens to a share of the KJCCC title in his first season before finishing second in the conference last year. 

Coffeyville has seen some turnover on its coaching staff from year to year, but Dobler says his players have bought into the new faces joining the program. 
 

The Red Ravens will also face a significant test early in the season, with their first home game coming against defending NJCAA Division I champion Iowa Western. The Reivers defeated Hutchinson 28-10 in last year's national championship game, and Dobler says Coffeyville will need to be ready from the opening whistle. 

Before that matchup, Coffeyville will open the season on the road against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on August 29. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Neodesha Bluestreaks have their first week of practice underway, as head coach Nathan West and his team begin preparations for the upcoming season. 

Neodesha finished 5-and-4 last season after starting the year 4-and-1, but the Bluestreaks stumbled down the stretch, dropping three of their final four games. 

That finish isn't expected to carry over into this season, and Nathan West says Neodesha is returning a deep group of seniors who have been key pieces of the program since their freshman year. 
 

West also says his players can make an impact at the high school level, while creating opportunities to continue their football careers at the next stage. 
 

Neodesha will look to build on its strong start from a year ago, while putting together a more consistent finish throughout the season.

The Erie Red Devils have their first practice of the season in the books, as head coach David Pitts and his team took the field for the first time Monday afternoon, working around the torrid heat. 

Erie had a slow finish to last season, and the Red Devils are looking to get off to a stronger start this year. Coach David Pitts says several underclassmen were forced to step up in recent seasons and are now taking on bigger roles. 

Erie enters the season with a younger core of players, but Pitts says there’s still plenty of energy and excitement surrounding the program, especially as the Red Devils make the move to eight-man football this fall. 

Erie will continue its first week of practice throughout the week, alternating between outdoor and indoor training sessions depending on the temperature.

A new gridiron campaign is just a few weeks away in Cherryvale, and head coach Harry Hester and his Chargers enter the 2026 season looking to improve on last year's 5-4 record. 

Cherryvale closed the 2025 regular season with a three-game winning streak, beating its final three opponents by an average of three touchdowns. However, the Chargers fell to Riverton in their opening playoff game, ending an encouraging season. 

Hester is entering his 14th year at Cherryvale, his 19th as a head coach and his 24th year in coaching. He brings more than two decades of experience to a program seeking its first playoff win since 2013. 

The Chargers return nine starters this season, five on offense and four on defense, while several newcomers will look to make an immediate impact in the trenches on both sides of the ball. With a mix of experience and new faces, Cherryvale will look to take the next step in 2026.

A local high school baseball coach is working to get extra eyes on high school baseball and softball players in the area.

Midwest Diamond Academy Founder Will Owens says asking himself the question of what can I do to help grow the sport led to the creation of the academy. Owens says later this month they're hosting a showcase area high school softball players.

There are 42 softball players from around the area who will be featured in the showcase. The seven colleges that will be in attendance include Coffeyville Community College, Missouri Southern, Oklahoma Wesleyan, Southwestern College, Southwestern Christian University, NEO and Neosho Community College.

Coffeyville Community College is picked to finish second in the KJCCC football standings this season.

The Red Ravens receive 38 points and one first-place vote in the conference’s preseason coaches poll. Five-time defending champion Hutchinson takes the top spot with 48 points and the other six first-place votes.  Coffeyville has gone 16-and-6 overall and 10-and-2 in conference play during Nick Dobler’s first two seasons as head coach. That stretch includes a share of the 2024 conference championship and a second-place finish last season.

Garden City is picked third, followed by Butler, Dodge City, Independence and Highland. All seven conference teams will play at least 10 games this season through scheduling agreements with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.  The Red Ravens open the season on Saturday, August 29th at 7:00pm in Miami, Oklahoma taking on NEO.