Buhler is kicking off the fall sports season with Spirit Night on Friday at Crusader Stadium. From 4 to 8 p.m., fans can enjoy Dollar Night concessions and inflatables for the kids. Scrimmages and introductions for fall activities begin at 4:30 p.m.
Football
Buhler football returns a lot of offensive firepower from last year’s 9-3 team. Senior tailback Ben Clouse headlines the offense after averaging nearly seven yards per carry before a season-ending injury last fall.
Up front, Clouse will run behind a seasoned line anchored by Logan Turner (SR), Nixon Standlee (JR), and John Aldrich (JR). Other key returners on offense include senior fullback Max Harmony and sophomore receiver Landon Martinez.
On defense, expect linebacker Jacob Miller to have a monster senior campaign. He and defensive end Jax Pratt (JR) are the only returning starters from a defense that last year allowed fewer than 17 points per game.
Buhler opens the season on the road at Mulvane on September 5.
Cross Country
Expect both the girls’ and boys’ teams to contend again for a state title.
The girls’ team returns nearly every key runner from last year’s 4A state championship squad. Junior Corbin Starkweather and sophomore Isabella Friesen, both top-15 finishers at state, are set to lead the charge again this fall.
The boys’ team is no stranger to hardware either, having secured a seventh consecutive top-two finish at the state meet last year. Junior Gavin Lindahl, who placed fifth at 4A state as a sophomore, headlines a deep and experienced squad.
Buhler hits the ground running on September 4 in Great Bend.
Tennis
Sofia Spies burst onto the high school tennis scene last year, finishing with a stellar 32–4 record and earning runner-up honors at the 4A State Tournament as a freshman. Spies is back to lead a Buhler squad looking to improve upon a sixth-place team finish.
The season gets off to a busy start with meets at Hesston and Salina Central this week.
Golf
Buhler girls’ golf is young and talented. Led by sophomore Anika Paulsrud, who finished ninth at state last year, the Crusaders placed fifth as a team at the 4A tournament.
With a year of experience and a talented core returning, including Paulsrud, Addison Specht (SO), Paityn Weber (SO), and Macy Miller (JR), expectations are high for another deep postseason run.
Volleyball
There’s a new face at the helm of Buhler volleyball.
Ashley Nehls, who brings collegiate coaching experience from Dodge City Community College and William Woods University, steps in as head coach following one of the program’s most successful seasons in recent memory—an unbeaten league run and AVCTL III title.
Nehls will have to replace a talented group of seniors, including first-team all-league setter Breann Ruda. Outside hitter Emerson Waldren returns for her senior season after being named AVCTL III Player of the Year as a junior.
The Crusaders open the season on August 30 at Goddard Eisenhower.
Soccer
With more than ten seniors returning and just two players lost to graduation, Buhler soccer enters 2025 as one of the most seasoned squads in recent years.
Key players back include Reuben Harder (SR), Jayden Adcock (JR), Zach Friesen (SR), and Lincoln Tanksley (SR)—a strong core looking to build on last season’s momentum.
The Crusaders open the season on the road against Winfield on September 4.
