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.