By Max Goodwin
Football
In April, Raymore-Peculiar hired Greg Jones to replace Sean Martin as head coach after the Panthers finished 1-10 last season. Jones was most recently the defensive coordinator at the University of Central Missouri. He was head coach at Liberty North from 2017 to 2022, and at Kearney from 2006 to 2017, where he won two state championships.
What is this time of year like for a coach coming back to lead a high school program after a few years at the college level?
“Chaotic,” Jones says.
There are new offensive and defensive plays for players to learn with new coaches who have never worked together. It’s the kind of challenge that Jones was looking for. He came to Ray-Pec to coach in a town that has just one high school and one football team. He says it’s easier to move in the same direction in a one-horse town.
“Everybody here is a panther.”
The Panthers will be looking to improve their passing game and defense, while relying on the running game. Senior Dezephen Walker is ranked in the top-20 running backs in the nation and one of the top three players in Missouri. Jones says Walker works hard and has a great future ahead of him.
Cross Country
Ray-Pec likes to call itself the champion of public schools in cross country. The boys’ team was conference and district champions, and finished third in the Class 5 state championships behind Rockhurst and St. Louis University High School.
Three seniors return after finishing in the top 36 in the state last year. Gabriel Voelker is one of the favorites to win an individual state championship. He ran a time of 15 minutes 9 seconds and finished fourth at the state meet. Jackson Peek finished 24th with a time of 15 minutes, 47.8 seconds. Elijah Smith finished 36th with a time of 16 minutes, 5.3 seconds. All three have a goal of finishing in the top 15 at the state championships this year.
“I want to win this one,” Voelker said.
In the spring, in track, Voelker won the 3,200-meter state championship for Ray-Pec. Voelker, Peek, and Smith plan to run in college but are still deciding where to go. They are a close team with a lot of talent and should compete for the state championship as a team this year.
Coach Jamin Swift is coaching in his 27th year at Ray-Pec after his own time as a runner at Emporia State University.
Softball
The expectations are always high for Ray-Pec Softball. They were 24-7 and district champions in 2024, a successful year on paper, but Ray-Pec won third in the state in 2023 and had a goal of doing better than that.
“From an outside perspective, it was a success, but for us it definitely wasn’t,” said Reygan Ackley, senior, who plays first base.
The Panthers have plenty of pitching with enough hitting and speed to achieve their ultimate goal of winning a state title this year. Fourth-year head coach Ali Jo Locher said the challenge is to not focus on those end-of-season goals but each game at a time. They are an older team that knows the routine at this point. This year can be special if Ray-Pec improves its hitting from the past two years.
“We want to see more production at the plate,” Locher said. “More people producing at the plate and helping our pitchers out.”
Ray-Pec starts the season at the Midwest High School Invite in Shawnee on Aug. 29.
Girls Tennis
There’s a new crew leading the tennis team after two-time state qualifier Dulce Dunham graduated. Ray-Pec has had a good run in recent years, finishing around .500 each year.
They were 8-11 overall as a team last year.
The No. 1 this year on the court is senior Adel Drengubiakova. She is a foreign exchange student from Slovakia. Ray-Pec’s No. 2 is senior Dailyn Rodriguez, who finished fourth in district last year.
“It’s a nice one-two punch, and a great group of girls overall,” said coach Derek James Howard.
James Howard says there is more learning in the early season with such a young team, but they will improve as the season goes on.
Boys Soccer
Andrew Fletcher is the head coach of Ray-Pec soccer after previously coaching at Grandview. The Panthers were 3-18 last year and begin this season on Sept. 2 at Belton.
Girls Golf
Ray-Pec girls’ golf is coached by John Plankers again this year. The Panthers won their district last year and finished fifth at the Class 4 state championship. Two seniors lead the team this year, Ansley Harper and Madalyn Young.
Girls Volleyball
Samantha Williams is the head coach as Ray-Pec returns from an 18-15 season in 2024.
Boys Swimming and Diving
The swimming and diving team, coached by Joseph Parisi, opens the season on Aug. 30 at the Blue Rock Invitational at Blue Springs South.