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Team eyes funds, lifts weights

By Shawn Linenberger - | Jul 31, 2002

Tonganoxie residents might have been slightly confused last week when players sporting football jerseys combed the city.

Football season doesn’t start until early September, but players were promoting their team by selling discount cards throughout Tonganoxie. The card gives holders discounts at various businesses in Tonganoxie, Lawrence and the surrounding area.

The team also had a lift-a-thon Saturday in the Multipur-pose Center to raise funds.

“We’re in desperate need of new dummies,” Elston said. “And if we are fortunate enough to make the playoffs and travel somewhere, we’ll get our nice bus and a nice meal.”

Last summer, the team raised money through a lift-a-thon and splurged for a charter bus and meal when the team traveled to Parsons for a road game. The Chieftains won’t have that distant jaunt this year, at least not in the regular season.

Along with the intense fund-raising, THS also concluded its camp Saturday and participated in 7-on-7 games with McLouth.

Elston was pleased with how the summer went, especially in the weight room on Saturday.

Nick Stein led the team with a bench press of 335 pounds, while Clayton McDaniel box-squatted 605. The Chieftains have 12 players benching more than 225 pounds, five of whom bench 275 or more. Last year, just three Chieftains benched more than 225. In the box squat, the team has a dozen players squatting more than 500 as well. Elston even noted that smaller players, primarily freshmen, doubled their bench press weight from the 75 range to the 145 range during the summer conditioning program.