Hartford Press Box

Hartford Boys Soccer places seven athletes on Division 3 All-State Teams

It was another memorable season on the pitch for the Hartford men’s soccer program. They finished the regular season with an unblemished record (19-0-1), won the Southwest 10 Conference once again and took home a district championship trophy to add to the case. While some will remember the loss in the regional semifinal (which came against the eventual state champion), others will remember it for the cherished moments that defined this group’s legacy.

The Huskies were ranked in the top-6 throughout the season in Division 3, and you’d think that would lead to countless postseason awards, not only at the conference level, but at the state ranks, as well. Well, that’s exactly what happened recently, when the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association (MIHSSCA) handed out their all-state honors and seven players received recognition at the four different potential levels.

Hartford’s Caiden Smith was the lone player to receive first-team all-state honors, while a pair of players, Dylan Kuehnle and Anthony Mejia, each received second-team all-state honors. Brody Johnson and Allan Zaldivar were recipients of third-team all-state honors, while an additional pair of players, Erick Morales and Alexis Rivas, was honorable mention all-state recipients.

Congratulations to these players for their accomplishments this season! We will return in upcoming columns of the Hartford Press Box to honor several of these same student-athletes for all-conference, all-district and all-regional honors, so stay tuned for those awards in future editions of our newspaper.

Hartford’s winter sports teams beginning practices as season

debuts loom

Well, the time has come for us to flip back the clocks an hour, don ourselves in long-sleeved, warmer clothes and get the cars prepared for the flying white flakes of snow coming our way. We all know in our little section of southwest Michigan that winter will be arriving before we know it and we must embrace the change in seasons. However, that also will come with a new plethora of sports and Hartford’s student-athletes are starting to prepare for the schedule ahead.

First, we must mention that the Hartford competitive cheerleading squad began practice last week, on Nov. 6. The ladies will be under the direction of a new coaching staff, led by Sarah Briley, this year. However, the calendar is void of events for the remainder of the year for the team to be cheering at. They are currently projected to begin their campaign after the calendar flips to a new year, with their debut occurring on Thursday, Jan. 11, with a conference meet (SMCCC) at Gobles.

Two additional sports, basketball (for the men) and wrestling, both started practices this week, on Monday, Nov. 13. Outside of a change to their rosters of student-athletes, minimal changes will occur, as coaches, John Johnson (basketball) and Matthew Nilson (wrestling), are returning to lead their respective squads. In terms of debuts on the court or mats, the boys basketball team will open their season on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at Watervliet, while the wrestlers will travel to Hudsonville on Wednesday, Dec. 6, for duels which will feature the host Eagles and East Kentwood.

Finally, the Hartford Lady Husky basketball team will begin practice next week, on Monday, Nov. 20, which will mean that all our teams in green and white will be preparing for the tasks that lie ahead. Much like the teams we mentioned in the previous paragraph, changes in the roster of student-athletes are the only difference from last winter, as Kaitelyn Arreola returns for her second season at the helm. The schedule will tip-off for the ladies on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when Marcellus Howardsville Christian makes the road trip for the home and regular season openers.

The Hartford Press Box, and this editor, is excited to get to work covering your favorite athlete or team wearing green and white during the winter sports season. We encourage our loyal readers to stay tuned to future editions of our newspaper, as we prepare you for what’s to come for the Huskies / Lady Huskies in the days and months ahead.

As always, GO GREEN! GO WHITE!