What is an Honorary Captain?
Honorary Captain: Each week we will be choosing a player to serve as honorary captain for that week's game. The player chosen will be someone who is demonstrating the 5 pillars of our football program (discipline, attitude, commitment, toughness, pride, service) and does the right thing both on and off the field.
Week 8: Home Game: Chaska vs. Armstromg (10/18/17)
The Senior Class
On Senior night we think it is fitting that we honor the seniors for all of the hard work they have put into our football program and the success that they have experienced. We have been very pleased with this group of young men and how they have developed over the last four years not only as football players but more importantly as people. They have done a great job leading our team by working hard at practice and bringing a positive attitude with them every day! Thank you Seniors!
Week 6: Home Game: Chaska vs. Waconia (10/6/17)
Zach Holland (17):
When you think of team guys, you should think of Zach as the ultimate team guy. Coaches are always talking about how hard he works on the field and in the weight room. Zach does a great job preparing and always knows the answer to questions his coaches are asking about the game plan each week. Zach is great teammate , as he is genuinely excited for other guys when they make a good play on Friday night. He also is succeeding in the classroom where we have heard from multiple teachers about Zach’s positive actions in class. We love the attitude and effort that Zach brings to our Football team!
Week 5: Away Game: Chaska vs. Apple Valley (9/29/17)
Zibeon Onsongo (10):
Zib had not gotten a lot of playing time the first couple of weeks, but he never complained and he continued to work hard in every practice. He does a great job of blocking on the perimeter and has earned himself some playing time on special teams and offense. Zib is a quiet and respectful kid to all of his coaches. He displays that same respectfulness during the day at school with his teachers and his peers. We love Zibeon’s attitude!
Week 4: Home Game: Chaska vs. Orono (9/22/17)
Nolan Hansen (83):
Nolan has worked extremely hard during practice and never wants to take a play off during practice or a game. He treats both practice and games with the same intensity and importance. Nolan is very receptive to coaching and will do whatever he can to help the team. He is a quiet and steady force both on the football field and in the classroom. Nolan engages, participates, and leads in the classroom as well. We love Nolan’s work ethic and intensity!
Week 3: Away Game: Chaska vs. Chanhassen (9/15/17)
With this being our Tackle Cancer Game our Honorary Captain will be : Jaxon Louricas
Jaxon is 12 years old and has a cancer called medullablastoma. Tonight the Hawks are honored to have Jaxon as a Captain for the Hawks!
Written about Jaxon, from his family:
Jaxon had been complaining of headaches for about 3 weeks. I took him in for his 12 yr check up with the intention of bringing up his headaches to see what the doctor would say. Jax had broken his glasses during this time so I thought possibly the headaches were from him wearing his other pair of glasses which were a different prescription. Jaxon stopped wearing any glasses for a short time to see if the headaches would go away but they didn't. At his check up the doctor agreed with me about the glasses thing and told me to see if it improved once Jaxon got his new glasses the next day. Jaxon's mother and grandmother had noticed over that weekend that something just wasn't quite right with him. His balance was off and his eyes were different. It was almost as if he was looking through me and couldn't focus while looking straight. He became stumble on his feet and struggled to ride his bike two blocks to the gas station. We knew something was up and had talked about bringing him in again. We were moving that Sunday which happened to be Mother's Day, so that was where my focus was as we had to be out of the house.
Jax had just laid low that day on the couch and didn't help moving which was his plan. So I decided after we moved that Sunday to bring him into the ER. We went to Abbot NW in Plymouth and they did a CT scan and found a tumor. They told us to head to Children's in Minneapolis which we did. From there they completed an MRI a few days later to see what was exactly going on. They saw the tumor and scheduled surgery to have it removed and biopsied it to see if it was "high grade or low grade" meaning malignant or not. It turned out to be cancer called medullablastoma. Since Jaxon's surgery, his speech is far from normal, he now walks with a walker because his balance is off and he goes through daily physical therapy and occupational therapy. His doc presented a St Jude's research study to me which I agreed to do. Basically the study looks closer at the tumor and subtypes it into 3 different categories which then the docs formulate a plan based off the findings. The tumor turned out to be in the "other" category. There was a wint and sonic hedgehog category also which his tumor was not in either of those.
Jaxon has gone through a rigorous radiation process at the Mayo Clinic which he has since completed. He is now in the process of finishing up his first week( 6 weeks) of Chemo therapy!
This process has not and will not break Jaxon. He is full of life and love. He cares about others more than himself. We ask to keep Jaxon in your prayers!
Week 2: Away Game: Chaska vs. Blooington Kennedy (9/8/17)
Lane Schmidt (59):
Lane is a hard working player who is very coachable. He is the ultimate team player. Lane was asked during the summer to change positions and worked himself into a starting position. This past week he was asked again for the betterment of the team to work on another position to help the team. He did it without question and is truly an asset to the Chaska Football program.
