New faces take over Dogie sports

Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
 
With the new school year comes several changes to the face of sports at Newcastle High School. Several coaching vacancies were looming after last year, and a statewide coaching shortage made the prospect of filling those positions a bit concerning.
However, NHS activities director Mike Gregory is pleased to have filled all the recent vacancies as well as one that has been open for a few years.
After Ashley Reed stepped down as head coach of Lady Dogie volleyball, two-year assistant coach Jenny Willard stepped up to take over the program. Willard’s transition to the helm, as well
as the resignation of freshmen coach Nikki Barlett, then left vacancies at the sub-varsity level. As such, the 2019 coaching staff will include Keeley (Adams) Anderson as the new junior varsity coach and Andrea (Chord) Gregory as the new freshmen coach. Both Anderson and Gregory are former Dogie netters, and Anderson was a part of
the coaching staff last season as well. 
“We are excited to have Jenny take over the head coach position,” Gregory nodded. “We’re confident she will do well, and are also looking forward to the rest of her staff helping to build the program.”
When woods teacher Bryce Hoffman accepted the position of assistant elementary principal last spring, he left not only his teaching position, but also the head coach position for Lady Dogie soccer. When the district hired Jason Wheeler to fill the woods opening, they were able to kill two birds with one stone by also hiring him to fill the long vacant head coach job for Newcastle wrestling. 
For the last several years, Lee McCoy — head coach of the Upton Bobcats — has served double duty as the two schools co-opted to compete as one team. McCoy will continue as head coach, but will now be working in cooperation with Wheeler as the Newcastle/Upton Co-op will continue to exist.
“Lee has done a really great job as head coach of both teams, but it will be really nice to have a head coach here in town as well,” Gregory smiled. “In essence, Lee and Jason will be co-head coaches so I think that will work out really well.”
Hoffman’s soccer coach vacancy is being filled by Cami Willyard who has served as middle school head soccer coach for the last few years. Willyard is also a product of Lady Dogie soccer and went on to play for the University of Mary for one season until a recurring knee injury forced her to hang up her cleats. 
“Cami was an easy choice to take over the girls’ soccer program,” Gregory declared. “She has a lot of experience playing and coaching, and she really comes from a soccer family, so it should be a pretty easy transition.”
As Josh Peterson and Alex Schaneman also moved on from Newcastle last spring, Dogie soccer was left without any coaches. However, Peterson’s head coach position has been filled by yet another Dogie alum as Elyse (Gray) Dickey has agreed to take over the program. As of now, the assistant position remains open so Gregory is hoping to get that filled as well before the season starts in the spring.
Dickey is returning to Newcastle from Glenrock, and has been hired to replace Special Education teacher Brian Geisinger after his
resignation.
“It feels good to have not only filled all of the coaching openings, but to have done so with some pretty qualified people,” Gregory stated. “Though we still need to cover the assistant boys’ soccer position, we’re feeling a lot better about it than we were a couple of months ago!”