As fall transitions into winter, football players trade their cleats and pads for basketball shoes, wrestling shoes or Speedos and volleyball players trade their kneepads and Spandex for basketball shorts or cheer uniforms.

Winter sports are right around the corner and all of the athletes who did not play a sport during the fall are done scrambling to get in shape before two-a-days and put their social lives on the back-burner for 3-4 months while they participate in the longest sports season of the year.

There are several winter sports to choose from including: Basketball (boys and girls), boys swimming, wrestling and indoor track.

The Lady Panther basketball team staged tryouts for their 2018-19 season Nov. 19-21. The team only lost one senior the previous season, so with nine returning varsity players, PHS is confident in their play for the upcoming season.

There are eight seniors suiting up for varsity this season, including: Rachel Bonander, Aubrie Stenerson, Karlie McKenzie, Katie McKenzie, Ashtyn Heny, Devon Curtis, Brea Terry and Jasmyne Lensegrav. The only junior on the varsity roster at this point in the season is point guard Michele Wagner.

“I think our teams greatest asset this year is that we have eight seniors,” senior point guard Karlie McKenzie said. “All of us have individual things we are good at and it makes us come together and play the game well.”

The Lady Panthers will play their first games of the season at a tournament in Lovell, Dec.7-8. They will match up against the Rawlins Lady Outlaws, the Douglas Lady Bearcats who are the reigning state champs from the previous season, and the Pinedale Lady Wranglers.

The Lady Panthers were named No. 4 in the preseason rankings behind Douglas, Lyman and Buffalo.

“One skill that the team has done well in practice so far is demonstrating teamwork,” McKenzie said. “We encourage each other and we share the ball, and this will really help us get far this season.”

After the opening tournament the Lady Panthers will match up against the Cody Fillies, whom they defeated twice the previous season.

“I’m just super excited because I think we are going to do great things this season,” senior post Bonander said.

The Panther basketball team had tryouts on Nov.19-21 and had a very large group of boys try out, forcing the coaches to make more cuts than usual.

“

We have a lot of guys who can provide solid minutes off the bench.

— Senior Carson Heinen

There is a large group of returning varsity players this season including a group of six seniors, those seniors are Carson Heinen, Kaelan Groves, Dalton Woodward, Kain Baxter, Carter Olson and Will Preator.

“I think out team’s greatest asset would have to be the depth to our bench,” Heinen said. “We have a lot of guys who can provide solid minutes off the bench.”

The Panthers will have their first games of the season at a tournament in Buffalo Dec. 7-8. The Panthers will be matching up against the Pinedale Wranglers, the Rawlins Outlaws and the Buffalo Bison who won a state title the previous season.

The Panthers didn’t make it into the top five for preseason rankings but shows promise with a large group of seniors returning to the roster.

“I think our team’s greatest asset this season is our experience and athleticism,” senior guard Groves said. “I’m super excited to compete and play my last year with our senior group that has all been playing together since third grade.”

The Panthers next match up will be against their cross-county rivals the Cody Broncs Dec. 14.

“I’m super excited to finish my last basketball season with the kids I’ve been playing with since elementary school,” Heinen said.

The Panther wrestling team began their practices Nov. 19-21 and have had a decent-sized group of athletes come out with boys and 1 girl.

The wrestlers had two state champions last season in Reese Karst and Brody Karhu with each athlete winning their weight classes.

“I’d say our team’s greatest asset is the number of tough, experienced wrestlers we have that are in the upper classes,” Karhu, a junior, said. “A lot of the boys in there I’ve been wrestling with since third grade and the amount of hours we’ve put in together gives us a great advantage.’

The Panthers will compete in their first meet of the season at home matching up against teams from all over the state with 17 teams attending Dec. 7-8.

The Powell wrestlers have been putting in lots of time on the mats preparing for the season and hoping to collect more state titles this year.

“I’m excited to see how this year pans out and see all of the improvements made throughout the

year team-wise and personally,” Karhu said.

The Panther swim team has 20 participants this year with three seniors returning from the previous season.

The Panthers placed third at the state meet last season and hope to place well again this coming season.

“I think our team’s greatest asset is our energy, drive, and passion to do good,” senior Trent Wilson said.

The swim team will compete in their first meet of the season at home in a varsity triangular against the Cody Broncs and the Worland Warriors. The next day they will compete against rival school the Cody Broncs in a dual meet in Cody.

“I’m excited to try to get top five  at state and help my teammates get to state as well,” Wilson said.

The Panther and Lady Panther indoor track team will begin their practices in January after Christmas break.

The previous season, the indoor track team competed with the Lovell Bulldog indoor team. This year, the team might be competing with cross-county school the Cody Broncs now that they have moved up to the 4A classification.