FHS Wrestling... to the top-again.

The Fairbury Jeffs wrestlers qualified 8 for the State Tournament, put 5 in the finals, and had 2 District Champions, Logan Slater and Seth Firmanik. The team finished in 3rd place with 148 points. 

The wrestlers who qualified for state include Carson York, Austin Barnts, Logan Slater, Ace York, Seth Firmanik, Zach Reikofski, John Kerwood and Trent Grizzle.

Trimmphoto asked Coach Garfield and the parents of the wrestlers going onto state to answer a few questions, “1. How does it feel having your child qualify for state?  2. How has the wrestling program benefited your child?” I have posted the replies I received and will post any replies that I get after this article is published. 

Coach Garfield replied and I asked a few follow up questions:

Head wrestling coach Derek Garfield 

 As a coach, watching a parent celebrate in the stands after their child has accomplished something as big as qualifying for the State Tournament is simply awesome.  Parents go through the pain with their wrestlers during the season.  They see them cut weight, come home from practice exhausted every day, fight through injuries, and are there to encourage them after devastating losses.

 So the parents are as big of a part of the process as their kids.  The sport of wrestling is unique to any other sport in the fact that when a kid qualifies for the state tournament they do it by themselves.  They are the ones inside the circle that earn that victory to get to the state meet.  There are no teammates on the mat with them. 

They have to do it on their own.  That is what makes qualifying for state such a big deal.  As an athlete myself, I got to experience that in high school and to this day it is one of my proudest sports memories.  There is no sport like wrestling.  Wrestlers go through things on a daily basis that no other athlete does in any other sport.  So when all of your hard work pays off, there is something so special and gratifying about it!

Do you have any anecdotes about wrestlers that overcame obstacles?  For example, isn’t this Trent first year and he qualified?

The great thing about Wrestling is anybody can win anytime! That’s what makes District Wrestling so exciting. Trent is a first year’s wrestler but didn’t let his inexperience hinder him. It was also great to see John Kerwood come into the tournament as the 6th seed fund a way to medal and qualify!! Awesome stuff

Any predictions for next week? You scout the competition right?

I don’t like to make predictions. We do scout our opponents and will be prepared. Anything can happen at the state tournament. Our job is to get our guys ready for battle and we will be ready!

One more. I won't be able to go... so can you describe what state feels like?

It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before. Wrestling in front of 16,000 fans is an experience of a lifetime. The crowd is amped up and it’s incredible!

Gina Grizzle/Trent

We are super proud of Trent. Deciding to wrestle his senior year, was difficult for not only him, but us. We are so excited & proud of how much he has accomplished this season!  Wrestling has taught Trent so much about discipline and hard work.

This has been great as he gets ready to head to Chadron next year!  We would just like to thank the coaches for all the extra work they did in helping Trent be successful! We have incredible coaches & he wouldn't have had any success without them!

Jo Slater/Logan 

We are very excited for Logan and the rest of the team. Logan started in the mat man program with help of coaches and extra matches that Brian Barnts. We have seen a lot of improvement with Logan and couldn't done it without the help of Coaches Garfield, Lenhart and Jacob Johnson. Thanks coaches for all your hard work to make our boys winners. You are the best. Roger and Jo

Liz Firmanik/Seth

Love and pride. Those two emotions override the rest. As parents we can't do the work for them, only support and encourage and try to keep them from being hangry. They have earned this achievement. I think wrestling teaches more life lessons than I can express.

 Part of that has a great deal to do with the coaches. Fairbury has got some great coaches. They are getting the most out of our boys. They are the ones that have to push them harder every practice and yet keep the excitement and drive going at the same time. Thank you to all our coaches!

Sandra Reikofski/Zach

We are super excited that Zach has earned this opportunity to wrestle at the Century Link Center for state wrestling!! Zach has wrestled so well this year! He earned his 100th Varsity win!! As a freshman Zach was not a Varsity wrestler so getting 100 Varsity wins is huge!!

We are so blessed to have the best coaches out there! They believe in our kids and are so passionate!! 

Zach said last night that he wants to be a coach! Thank you Derek Garfield, Kameron Lenhart and Cory Schweitzer!!!

Theresa Barnts/Austin

You ask how does it feel having your child qualify for state? It is hard to put into words but here it goes. Austin has been in wrestling since the age of 4 probably earlier than that just messing around with his older brother when he was involved in the sport. It has been years of hard work, sweat & tears along with so many emotions. Austin made it to state his junior year for the first time but was unable to place for a medal.

To have him make it his senior year is both exciting and sad! It is a huge accomplishment just to make it and we are excited to see what this year brings. With that same thought in mind we are sad knowing this is his last go around. Being able to wrestle the last four years under a great organization with Coach Garfield and the assistance of Coach Schweitzer at the helm has benefited Austin to become the best wrestler he can be.

To the coaches who dedicate their lives to the athletes and the passion they have for the sport you bring out the best in these kids and the team as a whole and we are very grateful to have been able to be a part of this. #CONTINUETHECLIMB


Joann Kerwood/John

John Kerwood

How does it feel to have John qualify for State?  We are so excited for him!  It doesn't quite seem real yet to me.  Like when he got that point in overtime.  Doyle knew right away what what the ref was signalling, I didn't.
 John has worked so hard, and as a parent you keep encouraging them even when it isn't working the way they want it to.  This is a big deal to Doyle too, as he wrestled at Meridian but didn't quite qualify for State.
  Wrestling is a mind, body, and soul sport.  When you wrestle, you are also learning nutrition, weight control, getting rehydrated, etc.  You also get to visit with participants from other schools.
Our coaches are GREAT!  Always pumped up, always observant, always encouraging, and EXCITED with accomplishments.  They've taught John to be more aggressive.....on the mat. Thank you Coaches for everything!! Good Luck to everyone this weekend!   Joann Kerwood

Karrie York/Carson

Carson York

How does it feel having your son qualify for state?  Having one son qualify for the state tournament is about as excited as a parent can get. Only moments later to see your oldest son wrestle his final match and loose is about the worst feeling as a parent. To say we experienced the full spectrum of emotions if putting it lightly. We couldn't be more proud of the dedication and determination of both our boys.

How has the wrestling program benefited your child? The wrestling program has benefited us in many ways. Wrestling has been part of our lives since the boys were 4 years old. They have learned from an early age that wrestling isn't going to be easy, it takes lots of dedication and hard work. They have learned that some days will go your way and some days will not, but the best way to get better is to shake it off and keep reaching for your goals.

The benefits from the wrestling program are life long lessons that can't be replaced. We are blessed to have such a great group of coaches that would do anything for our boys and who dedicated to seeing them achieve their goals. And to Jacob Johnson, you have been Carson's inspiration and go to for support and we thank-you! Go Jeffs#BestCoaches#BestFaNS# BestTeamates#LikeFamily

Ace York

Creating dynamic shots

Occasionally I write photo blogs that nobody reads giving my advice on how to take better sports photos. Here is another one. This time I will be talking about basketball and wrestling because I shot a basketball game last night and a wrestling meet a few days ago and found a few shots I want to share.

Now this won't help most people who can't get down on the court or mat to get close to the action because my advice depends on getting as close as you can without getting hit by a ball, a player or a ref. And I've been hit by 2 of the 3 more than once (football and basketball, almost got nailed by wrestlers on more than one occasion.

So here we go...

Fairbury highschool varsity girls against Aurora

I shot the above picture with my Canon T3, yes I said T3 with a 20mm wide angle lens with the camera body resting on the floor pointing up. I had to shoot blind obviously because I wasn't going to lie on the floor to frame the shot.

After 2 years of shooting basketball I can usually frame the shot pretty well by pointing in the general direction of the action. The wide angle lens is very forgiving. I shot this at F3.5 at 400 shutter speed. That's about the fastest shutter speed I can use in a gym and get well lit photos.

Here is a link to the complete photo set.

Fairbury Jeffs boys varsity against Aurora 

Here is another example of the same technique. If you get lucky, you can get a shot that makes the players look like they can jump to the moon. Here is a link to the boys set.

I'm sure when people see me squatting down and resting the camera on the floor they think I'm nuts but this is what you get when you try something different. I do the same sort of thing with my wrestling shots.

I rarely shoot wrestling from anything higher than waist level. I think wrestling looks much better shot from below.

In the last two examples I used a 200mm telephoto lens which I just started using for wrestling. I didn't think it would work since I was so close to the action to start with, but I can get some amazing head shots using it.

Here are a few more examples of shots taken from the mat, and I mean the camera touching the mat pointing up.

I'm adding this last shot because it's cool... Shot from waist level with a 50 mm lens at shutter speed 500.

So in conclusion, if you want you pictures to stand out, you have to shoot them differently from how everyone else is shooting them. If you stand around and take snap shots, your pictures will look like snap shots. If you put some effort into them, they will pop.

I think most journalists shoot for the paycheck and as long as they get something to publish and make the editor happy, that's fine. To me that's not good enough.

KT

How to shoot dynamic wrestling photos (or how to shoot in a dark gym)

Last year I wrote a blog on how to shoot wrestling photos and deleted it because I didn't think anyone read it. Still not sure if anyone did, but I am writing a new article here if you are interested. If you have seen my wrestling photos, you will see that they have a certain style and feel that I hope makes them look more dynamic and less like snap shots.

The way I do that is by using the widest aperture (F stop) and fastest shutter speed for the amount of light in the gym and angles that make the wrestlers look huge.

Domenic Hyson

This photo of Domenic Hyson, and eight grade wrestler from Fairbury Nebraska is a good example. This photo was shot at F3.5 at a shutter speed of 400th of a second with a 50 mm lens. Any faster shutter and the picture would have been too dark and if I would have lowered the F stop to 2.8 I would run the risk of losing focus with such a shallow depth of field.

If you can nail the shot at F2.8 your results will be amazing as the background will blur and your subject will become more important.

Jacob Johnson

This is an example of a shot of wrestler Jacob Johnson shot at F2.8 in a much better lit auditorium in Kearney Ne. You can see how the crowd in the background are much less in focus. This effect is multiplied when your subject is close. 

What really makes a good wrestling photo pop is the angle at which it was shot. My angle of choice is as low as I can get which is usually placing the camera on the mat and shooting blind. 

Seth Firmanik

By blind I mean I aim the lens at the subject, wait for the best action and shoot without looking through the view finder. This takes practice, but with time I was able to get pretty consistent usable shots from a very low angle. 

So the key to getting dynamic shots in my opinion is angle, a wide aperture and the fastest shutter speed you can get with the light conditions you have. Most gyms have poor lighting for photography and using a flash is not acceptable. 

Here are a few more examples to show you from last year.

Of course it is always important to time your shots so you are getting the best action, and not everyone can shoot from the mat. I do because I'm shooting for a lot of families and I want the best shots I can get. If you are shooting from the bleachers your telephoto lens will limit your light input  and may cause your pictures to be darker than you like. 

The only solution to this problem is purchasing a lens that will shoot down to F2.5 and those lenses can be expensive. 

How to shoot football under the lights

I didn't think anyone actually read any of my photography advice blogs until last night at the Milford game when a photographer from Milford came up to me and asked me if I was Trimmphoto. I was surprised she figured out who I was since she wasn't local and I don't put my photo on my page but she said she had read my blogs on how to take sports pictures so I know at least one person read one of my articles.

So, here is a new one. How to shoot football under the lights. 

Shooting football under the lights is difficult because you have limited light available from the sideline light stands. Some of the best pictures you can get come when the sun is just setting and the field lights are on giving you a great set up that lasts about 20 minutes---if you are lucky.

F4/shutter speed 500

When you have this combination of lights, you can generally shoot around F4 at 500-1000 shutter speed and get a good shot. The F4 will give you a decent depth of field that will keep your image in focus better than at F2.8 which I usually shoot to give me a narrower depth of field. 

The F4 is more forgiving if you get your focus point off a bit but if you nail the focus at F2.8 the picture is far more dramatic because the background will blur out. 

F2.8/Shutter speed 1000

This effect works best when your subject is close but at F2.8 I have had distant pictures shot from across the field that had decent background blur. The problem with shooting F2.8 is if you don't have your focus perfect on your subject, it will blur because the depth of field is soooo narrow. 

So what do you do when the sun goes down and all you have is the field lights? Well I found out that shooting at a wider aperture helps and a bit slower shutter speed. The wider aperture (F4) and shutter speed of around 400 will get more light into the camera and increase your depth of field so more of the image is in focus. 

F4/ Shutter speed 400

The depth of field in this shot is wider but the background still has sufficient blur to separate the subject from the background. One thing you will notice about shooting under the lights is how stark your pictures will look. The lights tend to make everything look a bit harsh when it comes to coverage and shooting from the end zone can look very stark. 

F2.8/Shutter speed 500

Since there is no light coming from behind you when you shoot from the end zone, you get this dark area in the middle of your subject. The light comes from the right and the left and makes for a very dramatic shot. 

My best advice would be to shoot at around F4 at a shutter speed of around 300-500 and keep your subject centered so it is in sharp focus. I find my Canon has some difficulties in low light keeping focus so I tend to shoot a lot to cover myself. If I can get 30 good shots out of 300 photos taken I feel that's a good percentage. 

F2.8/Shutter speed 1000

Shooting at the beginning of the season offers more options because you have more "day" light to work with but by the end of the season you are relying on the lights above you and that can be a disadvantage. 

KT

“What sets the Fairbury Jeffs football program apart from the other teams they play?”

“What sets the Fairbury Jeffs football program apart from the other teams they play?” was the question I posed to several coaches and families associated with the program and I want to share with you their replies. I was going to write an article on a photographer’s perspective but I think I will keep that part short since I got so many good responses.

Jacob Johnson (Ashland-Greenwood Bluejay Football)

I will say that from my perspective shooting on the field, I have noticed the Jeffs are very focused on what they are doing. The coaches have a firm grasp on what is going on and the players pay attention. There is very little downtime and the team is just that, a team.

 We do have a few standouts this year and I will say that Adam Wasserman is always entertaining to shoot from the sidelines. I never can tell what he will do next and he keeps me on my toes when I have the telephoto focused on him.

And then he hands the ball off to Jacob Johnson and I have to keep up as he motors down the sidelines in a blur. Or Adam throws to Cayman DeBoer and I have to get that shot in focus as Cayman catches the ball and runs in for a touchdown. 

I have a blast shooting these guys.

Zack Reikofski (Auburn)

And let’s not forget the line. The monsters Zack Reikofski, Johnathan Kerwood and Trent Grizzle make the ground shake when they are defending the line. I know it’s hard not to leave anyone out when writing about a team, and maybe I shouldn’t single anyone out, so I do apologize if I missed anyone you thought should be mentioned. If you would like to add to this story, please send me a reply and I will add it. 

I do want to say though that I have seen these guys chase down the quarterback with some insane intensity. I wouldn't want to be on their bad side. 

Kameron Anthony head coach 

I would like to start with my first reply from the question I posed. This is from head coach Kameron Anthony. 

I believe we have a couple things that help set us apart. First we do have quite a bit of talent on both sides of the ball, we have smart players who understand football and it's hard to game plan against us when we have multiple people who can score. Also, we do not have selfish players. We preach for them to just do their job and they do it. All of them understand that they can't always have the ball in their hands and that's ok with them. The big guys up front know they are just as important to our success even though they are not the ones always scoring the touchdowns.

When the team is having success, everyone is having success. I believe we also have a very good group of senior leadership and overall leadership. I believe it's been the best since I came to Fairbury. Lastly, I believe we have a group of 38 gentlemen who want to play football and be a part of this team. Everyone is vitally important to this team and all of them understand their role. Whether it is the starters or someone who only runs scout team, they take their role and give it their best. This is what makes our team truly special.

Next assistant coach Derek Garfield

Derek Garfield Offensive Line Coach

"I think what sets us apart from other teams is 2 big components. This group has been through the building process together. They have seen the lowest of lows and the highest of highs on the football field together. Struggling to win games early in their career helped build a work ethic and a determination to be great!

They bought into everything that our coaches did and have put in the work to be great! Secondly I think having our coaching staff stay together throughout this group of players playing career has been great. They've ran the same offense, defense, and special teams throughout their entire playing careers. 

With work ethic and stability great things are happening. I've said it before but something special is brewing in Fairbury, Nebraska and I'm honored to be a part of it."

Former Jeffs athletic director PJ Smith replied

The Jeffs have a solid group of upperclassmen that have been together for years. When they were young I would see them at games cheering on the guys I was coaching. They often talked about how they wanted to win a state championship at a young age. These boys also have always had their head on straight which is very important.

They are dedicated to each other and to their coaches. The coaches are tremendous guys that are in it for the kids. They relate to the kids well and are like a big family. Finally the community loves a winner and they do a great job of following the teams. They are so supportive.

Denise Wasserman 

Adam Wasserman-Zach Holes

You know that's kind of a tough question as I haven't seen any other teams prep for a game or stand on their sidelines during a game. What I see from Fairbury's program is unity. These Senior boys have been playing ball together since 3rd grade. They know what each other can do. It's like they can look at each other and know exactly what they are thinking. That brings on leadership to underclassmen. 

It brings them together which in turn just keeps going to the younger guys that play youth tackle and flag football. Those young ones want to be like those big guys. After all that said, there are the coaches. In a sense, the coaches have half the battle of having a team because of the unity, but the other half could be difficult. They have to get these guys to believe that when they call a play, it will work. 

Young guys can be pretty stubborn, so to have them believe in the coaches, makes the game better yet. Hats off to the coaches for enthusiasm on the sidelines and keeping these guys positive and for showing excellent sportsmanship. Very proud to be a parent of these awesome guys.

Matt Edson Offensive Coordinator/QB coach

Matt Edson

The hard work and dedication the players have put into the sport as well as the commitment to never give up on any situation. We have scored 50 touchdowns the most in the nation, we have scored 338 points which leads all of Nebraska in 11 man.  That is 56 points a game, which would be a Nebraska C1 record if maintained throughout the season.

 The record was set in 1977.  It would also be a 11 man record that was set in 1950. We have also broke the school record for most points scored in a season as well as touchdowns in a season. 10 different guys have scored this season.Third all time in total offense with 3030 yards. Which is 505 yards per game. That would also be a C1 record if maintain throughout the year.

Third all time in total offense with 3030 that is a Fairbury record. Also all Fairbury records date back to 1999.


Cheryl Trimm Booster club president 

Having watched this team for the last several years from the perspective of a mom and from the perspective of Booster club president, what stands out to me is the sense of family and community.  These boys support each other, encourage each other, celebrate with each other and rally around each other when things don’t go the way they want.  

 They take the good and the bad with each other.  I’m impressed also with the solid leadership of the senior boys.  They model hard work, dedication and sportsmanship with the under

classmen and the younger kids every time they take the field as well as off the field.  Our coaching staff are fantastic!  Each one has demonstrated their dedication to these boys over and over again.  I can’t say enough about the dedication of the football parents, either! 

 Putting up signs early every Friday morning, serving team meals, washing those white pants……We’re a village supporting these boys and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of Jeff Nation!! 



Sandra Reikofski


Unity, selflessness, lack of ego, talent and parent support. Coolest parents alive!! Also the seniors have played backyard ball in the Wasserman’s lot since they could walk! They have grown up running all day long throwing balls! They may be in different friend groups but just gel so well as a group as a team! Dedicated coaches is why the program is so successful this year!

Lori DeBoer

Cayman DeBoer (Auburn)

I think it starts with our coaches believing that we have something special & the kids all buying in to it.  They work hard in the off season & even harder during the season. 

We have great leadership, great coaching, great sportsmanship & great kids.  It's a win-win combination.

Gina Grizzle

Trent Grizzle (Ashland-Greenwood)

Simple explanation:  We are a complete team! Our coaches are some of the most positive coaches I have ever met!  They care about these kids as individuals and not just as athletes.

They are laying the foundation for them to be successful in all of their future endeavors!

Tina DeBoer

Dawson DeBoer (Lincoln Christian)

A Senior class that is a step above other teams. Leadership. Unity. Commitment. Family. Faith. Strength. Loyalty.

I remember when these Senior boys started playing youth tackle football in the 3rd grade. There was something about this group that coaches loved. Each year as they progressed so did their bond of friendship and love of the game.

 Now as Seniors I see a football team with a lot of leadership. Helping each other and all the underclassmen to get better each week. They are pushing themselves harder than ever before to reach the goals they have had since youth tackle football.  This team thinks very highly of their coaches. Bonds are being made with their coaches that will last a lifetime. All in all we are one big family!!

Nancy Terrill-Amundson

Chance Admundson (Lincoln Christian)

They practice hard everyday, they stay humble and they play one game at a time. As coach Lenhart tells them before they go on the field, they play hard from the first whistle until the last whistle blows.

Derek Anderson Athletic Director Fairbury Jeffs

I would say the versatility of their backs and receivers.  All of them do a great job with many facets of the game.

Jeffrey Johnson

I would like to say it is their incredible team speed, but that may not be true. The boys do hustle down the field but there are no sprinting champions on this team. I would like to say it is the years and wisdom of our grey haired coaches, but the average age of our staff is probably still in the 20’s. Maybe with this youth comes incredible  enthusiasm, motivation and very a competitive mind set. This has been feeding these boys a high percentage of their  formative years.  I would like to say It is their success in Fairbury Youth Tackle Football, but  we all know that a great 5th grade team doesn’t always translate into a great high school team.

 Although, knowing you can win and feeling some success does give a team an edge when it comes to a difficult opponent. I would like to say it is the "Cool" helmets and their strikingly good looks. But Oregon football has zero titles so you can’t say that. I would like to say As a parent, genetics has a role in our kids success, but anyone who looks into the stands knows the parents are not professional athletes. You might see determined parents who work hard and that work ethic  translated to the boys in their off the field training and summer activities preparing for the season. I would like to say it is high academic achievement and the raw toughness of these boys, this might have some truth, but there are others that share these traits

Here is the reason, I figured it out.

Get  ready to write this down,….. “I don’t know”. We can theorize the answer but on this side of heaven, there are some answers we just do not know. Lots of folks attribute their success to being blessed  but I would not want to say a team with less wins is less blessed.  Being blessed goes far beyond wins and financial comfort.

Ok, here is my best guess, these boys are very giving. Bottom line.  I can cite many examples but will only name a few.  Each Saturday these boys give back to the youth by  helping with flag football. They have been open to each and every young one who wants to give them a high five or just want to talk to a varsity football player. These boys give themselves to team in their efforts to prepare for this season. Weights, 7 on 7, and camps are all examples of the investments these boys made into being a great team. 

I feel what sets this football team apart is their willingness to give of themselves to the team.  I pray this is true because there are other teams that are faster, bigger, have more experienced coaches,  cooler uniforms and  larger school budgets and facilities but the foundation of any sport is to learn to give of yourself, 100% to a group effort . This is what sets this team apart, this is what will carry these boys not only through the season but  throughout their lives. Unselfish giving.

Cody Moyer

What sets Fairbury Jeff football apart from others is the work ethic and determination by not only the coaches but the players to do whatever it takes to be successful as possible

Annetta Baxa

   I would say  "commitment"is one of the biggest things that makes the Fairbury JEFF football program standout. Commitment  to each other , their coaches ,

the commitment their coaches have to them and the commitment to themselves to improve as  individuals,on and off of the ball field. A lot of them have played together since the 3rd grade and through the years have learned to be a team that wants to do and be the best.

They have a coaching team that truly cares for them and wants them to succeed in the game of football and also life. Many things make this program stand out but the love for their coaches ,team, fans, and the game itself has made this a year to remember.  Thank you Fairbury Jeff's Football! Truly a bunch of wonderful young men!

The most important shots

The best shots are off the field, at least I think so. A good action shot is like winning the lottery. You have a 10% chance of getting it and if you do it gets the "Wow" factor. But to me, it's the looks on the players faces that tell a story. The look of concern, the look of excitement, and the happy or sad faces of winning or defeat. 

I spend quite a bit of time on the sidelines looking for those pictures that tell a story and those are the ones that probably end up being downloaded, printed and put in scrap books. I'm sure a good tackle or a dive into the endzone make it there too, but not as often. 

I know I'm not the only one who got this shot, but I'm glad I did. It was a good set up that happened by accident. I love the player in the back with his arm raised as to say, "We won!" And they did.

I chose to shoot this shot because of the sky in the background. I have an art background and when the sun is just going down and the field lights are on it can make for some dramatic shots.

I could go into depth of field, F-stops and all sorts of other topics, but I don't think most people care about that stuff. Most great shots are by accident with a lot of pre-planning in hopes something cool happens.