Official NSAA-sanctioned winter sports practice began Monday in Washington County and across the state.
The Arlington girls wrestling and the Fort Calhoun girls basketball programs opened sessions with new head coaches. They are Layne Laaker and Eric Jones, respectively.
Here's who else is in charge and what first matchups they are preparing their teams for.
Basketball
Jones' first varsity Pioneers team will face its first opposition from Oakland-Craig on Dec. 2. The Jamboree exhibition home game starts at 5:30 p.m.
Coach TJ O'Connor's boys squad will host the Knights the same night at 7 p.m. FCHS will then open regular season play 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at Fremont Bergan after Jones' girls play at 6:30.
In Blair, both Chris Whitwer and Matt Aschoff return as the Bears' boys and girls head coaches, respectively. They host a 5:30 p.m. girls Jamboree game against Arlington next Monday before the boys' contest at 7:15.
BHS opens regular season hoops play at 1 and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 against Ralston at home.
After Arlington competes against Blair in Jamboree play, second-year head coaches Tashia Wolf and Jake Polk lead their teams into regular season play at home against West Point-Beemer on Dec. 5. Wolf's girls play at 6 p.m. with Polk's boys to follow.
Wrestling
Laaker is the only new Washington County head wrestling coach this winter. The former Eagles assistant will get his girls team ready for its Nov. 26 scrimmage — which starts at 6:30 p.m. — before it opens the season officially 12:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Columbus Lakeview.
Arlington coach Doug Hart's boys team will have the same schedule to start the 2024-25 campaign.
In Blair, both Erich Warner and Terry Bellamy will lead the boys and girls programs again this season. The BHS boys open with a home triangular against Fremont and Council Bluffs Lewis Central on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. They then host their annual home tourney at 4 p.m. on Dec. 6.
Bellamy's girls, meanwhile, start their season with their own 5 p.m. triangular on Dec. 5 against the same two schools.
Fort Calhoun's second girls wrestling season, meanwhile, opens with a 7 p.m. Dec. 3 scrimmage before a 6 p.m. Dec. 5 dual at Wahoo. The team is coached by Lilly Gossman.
Drew Welchert coaches the Pioneer boys, who'll scrimmage Dec. 3, too, before starting the season officially during the Bennington Invitational on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. The FCHS girls will also participate in the tournament.
Swimming
Both Arlington and Blair's partnerships with the Fremont Tigers' swim team continue this winter.
Eagles and Bears will compete alongside their fellow Tigers on Dec. 5 when FHS opens the season at a Lincoln Standing Bear dual at 4 p.m.
Fremont's first home event is Dec. 10 against Norfolk at the Dillon Family Aquatics Center. It starts at 4:30 p.m.
