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Blending On the Pitch
Central Kansas
When Rob and Andrea Drake married a dozen years ago, they encountered some of the same challenges many newly blended families experience. One of the ways they tried to build a sense of family and togetherness for their children was getting them involved in youth sports. Little did they know an innocent start in kids soccer would turn into a year-round, all-consuming passion.
Rob was a standout high school... More 
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Brick By Brick
Central Kansas
Verlin Dreiling built houses. His son, Randy, has built a football program.
Coach Randy Dreiling, winner of the last four Class 6A state championships at Hutch High, developed a dogged work ethic at an early age growing up in Victoria, Kan. He watched his father construct masterpieces one brick at a time. Bricklaying is a profession that requires patience and a steady hand.
“My dad was a... More
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Boston Prospects
Central Kansas
Meghan and Erin Boston don’t mind if the other sister steals the glory with a game-winning hit or a spectacular play on the softball field. However, if one of them tries to steal the other’s clothes, there might be a problem.
“We love each other but we do get on each others nerves a lot,” says the elder sister, Meghan, a junior at Newton High. “We are extremely competitive... More
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Front, Back and Center
Central Kansas
Inside the yellow border outlining the soccer field at Andover District Stadium, bodies maneuver and feet fly as the Trojan girls defend, pass and shoot. Among this group of high school athletes are twins, Kelsey and Kortney Clifton, and their sister Emily Hammond. All are seniors on the Andover High soccer team.
It’s not everyday that you meet three sisters who are in the same grade – and start... More
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Softball Ties
Central Kansas
Outside, snow blows. Inside, balls fly. Stepping into the Mustang Softball indoor practice facility in northwest Wichita is a little like taking the lid off a grimy shoe box only to reveal an immaculate interior filled with magnificent gems – some of the best softball talent the area has to offer. From the exterior, no one would ever suspect that inside the unremarkable metal walls, remarkably dedicated athletes work to... More
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Three Brothers
Central Kansas
To a man, some of the Stucky brothers’ fondest memories go back to family games on Sunday afternoon.
Jason, Jordan, Joel and Dad would go at it on the concrete slab at the family farm near Elbing. The boys honed their basketball skills in those early years, preparing themselves for high school ball down the road at Berean Academy.
The practice paid off. All three of the Stucky... More
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Families who play together, stay together
Central Kansas
Around 75 years ago, John and Laura Pauly migrated from Atchison in northeast Kansas to the farmland around Viola, a one-street town six miles north of Conway Springs. They raised a big family, and so did their kids. In all, John and Laura became grandma and grandpa to 56 children. The roots of a Conway Springs football dynasty begun in 1997 can be traced back to that couple.
... More
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The Larson Ladies
Central Kansas
On a Friday afternoon in July, five Larsons, all ladies, graced the Maize High gymnasium, not an unusual occurrence during the past decade. Seven years ago, Maize volleyball coach Teri Larson’s oldest daughter, Robyn, played her first season under mom. Three younger siblings watched, anticipating their turn on the court, which in the course of time came to pass. Robyn is now entering her senior season as the setter for... More
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Pair of Aces
Central Kansas
Just east of mid-town Wichita on the evening of June 20, Norman Rockwell would have been pleased to set his canvas and capture a moment for posterity. On a playground across the street from College Hill Park, things were as they should be in the summertime: six-year-olds waved at coach-pitched baseballs; a parishioner cut the grass at Blessed Sacrament Church; a family too young yet for baseball, but old enough... More
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Heath Carroll
Heath Carroll will do his best in 2008 to put Wellington back on top, right where his dad, Preston, and...
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A collection of this month's best action photos.
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Blending On the Pitch
by: Clark Schafer
When Rob and Andrea Drake married a dozen years ago, they encountered some of the same challenges many newly blended...
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