Woodward Takes Over Wildcat Football, Lady Cat Volleyball set to take District 2B by Storm

Fall sports are well underway at Harlem High School and the Volleyball and Football team are ready to go. The Wildcats and Lady Cats have been in the gym and on the field since Friday, August 12 preparing for the 2022 fall sports season. Numbers are great across the board for both sports with 25 girls out for volleyball and 28 boys out for football

Harlem Lady Cat Volleyball

The Harlem Lady Cat Volleyball team is led by Head Coach, Kim Faulkinberry along with Assistant Coaches, Lyle Faulkinberry and Aimee Billmayer. The Lady Cats have a great mix of experience and up and comers giving the coaching staff a good mix to build their teams with.

Back this fall are returning starters senior Jessica King, senior Mylah Rider, and junior Emma Billmayer. Coach Faulkinberry also welcomes back junior Kaitlyn Johnson and senior Ma'Lea Moore, both of whom saw plenty of Varsity action a season ago. Also back for her senior season is Aniya Longknife. Junior Caly Adams and senior Mitchrena Begay will also look to contribute this fall.

Sophomores looking to make their mark on the varsity include Aaraya Mount and Raelynne Briere. Sophomores Jaden Blackcrow, Lacia Wells, Ihte' Stiffarm, Izzy Baker, Gracie Sanchez, Amara Cochran and Svea Hogan who will look to help build the program. Freshman this fall looking to make a name for themselves include, Cyla Adams, Kelsie Messerly Mount, Trinity Bell, Cadence Fortin, Justise Heppner, Jarah Wilson, Desiree First Raised and Elleona Azure.

Coach Faulkinberry has a pretty good idea who will rise to the top and lead the team, " Jessica King, Mylah Rider are emerging as leaders as well as Emma Billmayer and Aniya Longknife. Keonna Medicine Bear, Ma'Lea Moore, Aaraya Mount, Raelynne Brier, and Kaitlyn Johnson are going to make big contributions as the season goes on."

The younger girls will have plenty of opportunity to compete and contribute, "Sophomores Aaraya Mount and Raelynne Briere will be getting varsity time this weekend. They have really stepped up and fit in with the chemistry of the team. I have my eye on a few of the other sophomores as well," commented Faulkinberry. "I told them I will be watching as they grow as a volleyball player throughout the season. They are really starting to buy into the concept of competitive volleyball."

During the Lady Cats first weekend of competition, Coach Faulkinberry is looking for a few things in particular, "I am hoping to see some girls really blossom in their positions as well as be able to play out of their comfort zone. The girls are going to really have to focus on the mental aspects of the game as we won't be taking a full team to Malta." The Lady Cats performed very well the first time they took the court, going 3-1 at the Malta Invitational this past Saturday.

The Lady Cats compete in the District 2B, and after making their way out of the District Tournament the past few seasons, Coach Faulkinberry is hoping to set the sights a little higher, "It will be interesting to see the progression throughout the season. I like the chances of us finishing high in our district and really make some progress at the Northern B Divisional. I tell the girls, 'Why can't it be us going to Bozeman?"

Harlem Wildcat Football

The Harlem Wildcat football program hopes to turn their program around with the hiring of first year Head Coach, Trenton Woodward. The Wildcats played their first season of Class C Eight-Man Football a season ago after struggling for years in the Class B ranks. Harlem played hard but again struggled to find any consistency in an otherwise difficult season.

Coach Woodward hopes to change the mentality right from the start. To do that he will fall back on 19 years of playing football to lead the way. He began playing organized flag football at age 5 at the Bozeman YMCA field. By the fourth grade he had graduated to the Lions tackle football league and then moved on to play junior and senior high school football in Three Forks where he earned a starting position as a lineman his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

Following high school Woodward played five years as an offensive lineman for the MSU Northern Lights. He played for Coach Christiansen his first season and then was a player representative in the search committee that lead to the hiring of Coach Rollin for whom he played the final two seasons. Woodward finished his career starting as an offensive lineman his final three seasons.

Coach Woodward's first coaching job came just this past spring as Junior High Track and Field Coach for the Wildcats. "I was hired as the junior high track coach in Harlem this past spring and that really helped heading into the football season," said Woodward. "I started teaching in Harlem at the start of the 2021-22 school year. They needed a junior high coach in the spring and I stepped up. We have a lot of talented freshman coming in this fall and being able to spend that time with them in the spring getting to know them really has helped a lot with football this fall."

After officially being hired as the Head Football Coach in June, Coach Woodward got married, went on a honeymoon and spent a busy summer with life that was already planned, "We were limited to a few workouts during the summer, but we were really able to accomplish some important things, established expectations and we have started to see some of the older kids start to step up, hold themselves accountable and in turn have started to hold their younger teammates accountable really setting the tone for a good start to camp this fall," stated Woodward.

"Our biggest group of players is our freshman class but we have a few kids returning that have experience, Clay Adams at running back has had a good camp. Charlie Calvert has been phenomenal this fall in camp playing the wide receiver and corner positions and has really stepped into the leadership roll. Junior Leon Champaign is doing exceptional at the quarterback position, he has really stepped up big time as a player and a leader and is getting to know the position better," added Woodward

"On the defensive side of the ball Cody McCabe, a freshman has really stepped up and will play safety for us. Clay Adams is so athletic, like a Swiss Army knife. He'll mainly play linebacker for us but we could put him anywhere and he would excel. Our defensive line has a ton of potential, and if play they play like their coached they will be phenomenal," said Woodward.

Coach Woodward is assisted by Enrique Rivera, Antonio Blue-Gamble and volunteer Derrek Azure. "Collectively they bring a lot of football knowledge, discipline and experience to the table. The kids have been receptive to what we are trying to do, to change the climate. These boys have all seemed to buy in and have really committed themselves to the change we are instilling," commented Woodward.

"The first weekend of the season is big for us, I expect our kids to compete first and foremost. I expect them to leave it all on the field and win or lose we need to come in Monday and get ready for Shelby regardless of the outcome," concluded Woodward. The Wildcats defeated Poplar 28-12 in their season opener.

This years roster includes seniors Clay Adams, Charlie Calvert, Devin Doney, Evan Doney and Chantry Jorgenson. Juniors are: Jermaine Brockie, Leon Champagne, Thomas Champagne, Thunder Bigby and Troy LongKnife. Sophomores include Joe Arensmeyer , JayThomas Stewart, James Walls, Hawken Haakenson, Trent King and Vandise Little. Freshman out this fall are, Matt Billmeyer, Miles Fetter, Hunter Haakenson, Kobe Hammond, Ty Kinyon, Ty Kittson, Hayden Main, Cody McCabe, Charles Messerley, Donovan Posey, Dustin Adams, and Ki-iw Windy Boy.