Appliance Repair in Hickman, CA

ST Math and Phillips 66 Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex have announced the addition of Calcasieu Parish School Board to their grant program. This partnership enables four elementary schools to access a full site license to ST Math, a visual instructional program that leverages the brain’s innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems.

ST Math’s approach provides students with equitable access to learning the state’s math standards through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback.

ST Math is a digital tool for schools and districts looking to accelerate learning and enhance STEM education. A deep understanding of math provides a solid foundation for careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields. In addition to content knowledge, math is a means to develop skills such as logical thinking, creative problem solving and persistence — skills that are increasingly valued by tech corporations.

“ST Math gives students a personalized journey that allows them the time they need to achieve mastery and equip them with the foundational knowledge to solve unfamiliar math problems in the future. Students at every level can be successful. This program has positively impacted at least 120 schools in Texas, Louisiana, Washington, California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Montana, and New Jersey. Thanks to Phillips 66, we are excited about the opportunity to explore ST Math and look forward to the growth it will have in Calcasieu,” said Jill Portie, Calcasieu Parish School Board elementary administrative director.

CPSB’s math curriculum recently received additional support thanks to a $144,000 donation from Phillips 66. The donation will bring ST Math to four CPSB schools which include Western Heights Elementary, Kaufman Elementary, Ralph F. Wilson Elementary, and DeQuincy Elementary.

“ST Math is proven, measurable and scalable so we are excited to activate it in Calcasieu Parish. This program is all inclusive and benefits every level of student no matter what their first language is, whether they are struggling and want to become proficient, or students seeking to advance. ST Math removes barriers. We hope to be able to expand the program to other schools in the coming years,” said Scot Tyler, Phillips 66 Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex general manager.

The funds will be used to implement and utilize the ST Math program for the next three years, as well as provide ongoing training and professional learning, personalized curricular support, coaching, and 24/7 access to a robust gallery of reports.

HICKMAN, Calif., Aug 25 (Reuters) - California is about to launch an experiment to cover aqueducts with solar panels, a plan that if scaled up might save billions of gallons of otherwise evaporated water while powering millions of homes.

Project Nexus in the Turlock Irrigation District launches in mid-October amid Western North America's worst drought in 1,200 years and as human-influenced climate change exacerbates the dry spell.

The $20 million project, funded by the state, is due to break ground in two locations. One is a 500-foot (152-meter or about 0.3-mile) span along a curved portion of the canal in the town of Hickman, about 100 miles (160 km) inland from San Francisco. The other is a mile-long (1.6-km long) straightaway in nearby Ceres.

Based on a similar project in the west Indian state of Gujarat, the project is the first of its kind in the United States, said University of California Merced project scientist Brandi McKuin. The Turlock project was inspired by a research paper McKuin published in 2021.

Modern California was built thanks to 20th century infrastructure that delivers water from the wet north to the arid south, a network McKuin said now totals 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of canals.

Covering those canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation, avoid using other land for solar farms and reduce aquatic weed and algae growth, saving on maintenance costs, McKuin said.

"It's really exciting to test our hypothesis and the paper we published. We'll have an opportunity to really understand if those benefits pencil out in the real world," McKuin said.

It would also help California meet its renewable energy goal of achieving 50% clean energy generation by 2025 and 60% by 2030.

If all 4,000 miles of canals were covered with solar panels, it could produce 13 gigawatts of renewable capacity, roughly half of what California needs to meet its carbon-free energy goals, she said.

A gigawatt, or 1 billion watts, is enough to power 750,000 homes.

McKuin's research also calculated water savings of 63 billion gallons (238 million cubic meters), enough to supply 2 million people and irrigate 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of cropland.

Like other utilities throughout the state, Turlock Irrigation District Water & Power is required to expand its renewable energy capacity.

"If this is something that works on these first two miles of Project Nexus that we're doing, there's the potential that this could scale to multiple locations," said Josh Weimer, Turlock Water & Power's external affairs manager.

California is about to launch an experiment to cover aqueducts with solar panels, a plan that if scaled up might save billions of gallons of otherwise evaporated water while powering millions of homes.

Project Nexus in the Turlock Irrigation District launches in mid-October amid Western North America’s worst drought in 1,200 years and as human-influenced climate change exacerbates the dry spell.

The $20 million project, funded by the state, is due to break ground in two locations. One is a 500-foot span along a curved portion of the canal in the town of Hickman, about 100 miles inland from San Francisco. The other is a mile-long straightaway in nearby Ceres.

Based on a similar project in the west Indian state of Gujarat, the project is the first of its kind in the United States, said University of California Merced project scientist Brandi McKuin. The Turlock project was inspired by a research paper McKuin published in 2021.

Modern California was built thanks to 20th century infrastructure that delivers water from the wet north to the arid south, a network McKuin said now totals 4,000 miles of canals.

Covering those canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation, avoid using other land for solar farms and reduce aquatic weed and algae growth, saving on maintenance costs, McKuin said.

“It’s really exciting to test our hypothesis and the paper we published. We’ll have an opportunity to really understand if those benefits pencil out in the real world,” McKuin said.

It would also help California meet its renewable energy goal of achieving 50% clean energy generation by 2025 and 60% by 2030.

If all 4,000 miles of canals were covered with solar panels, it could produce 13 gigawatts of renewable capacity, roughly half of what California needs to meet its carbon-free energy goals, she said.

A gigawatt, or 1 billion watts, is enough to power 750,000 homes.

McKuin’s research also calculated water savings of 63 billion gallons, enough to supply 2 million people and irrigate 50,000 acres of cropland.

Like other utilities throughout the state, Turlock Irrigation District is required to expand its renewable energy capacity.

“If this is something that works on these first two miles of Project Nexus that we’re doing, there’s the potential that this could scale to multiple locations,” said Josh Weimer, the district’s external affairs manager.

Hickman volleyball is rolling in 2022.

The 15-7-3 Kewpies have forged ahead with a balanced offense featuring four attackers who have recorded over 100 kills on the season.

That's helped ease the loss of star player Jerica Jackson, who graduated Hickman as its all-time kills leader at 844.

"We have some girls that can hit the ball," Hickman head coach Greg Gunn said. "We're able to pass, share the ball and use a lot of different drills on offense."

There are two key cogs to the Hickman offensive engine that help the offense click.

Kayla Shedd and Kenley Thornhill are setters for Hickman this season, and both are proving the significance of the position. The two have recorded over 200 assists apiece this season − Shedd has 255 assists, Thornhill has 255 − and each brings a different aspect to the Kewpies' offense.

It's why Gunn employs a 6-2 rotation: six attackers and two setters, with Shedd and Thornhill leading the charge as the ball handlers.

"They're different personality-wise," Gunn said. "They feed off each other. When we decided to run a 6-2, I think it actually encouraged both of them to work harder, to make each other better and to make our team better. I think it's worked out pretty well."

The reason the two of them work so well lies in their chemistry with hitters.

"We have different connections with different hitters," Shedd said. "When I'm on the court, my best connections are on the court. When Kenley's on the court, her best connections are on the court. So I think it just really works well for all of our hitters."

This gives the Kewpies' offense two avenues for success.

If part of the offense is struggling, Hickman can turn to Shedd or Thornhill for a change of pace to find some energy. That happened Tuesday, as Hickman dropped the first set to Smith-Cotton. The Kewpies rallied to win the final three.

Once Hickman found its energy, it rode that momentum to the match victory.

Gunn compared the setter position to a wheel. The duo of Shedd and Thornhill combine for over eight assists per game, which keeps the offense moving.

"It's the hub of the wheel," Gunn said. "You can have all the parts, but if the hub of your wheel's not solid, it's not going to roll very well."

Shedd outlined everything she considers as she sets up one of her hitters.

"If it's not the right height, or if it's too low, or if it's too out or too in," Shedd said. "... It's just crazy."

Setting up hitters is an art form, and Hickman has two setters who are growing together.

Hickman plays Father Tolton, Blair Oaks, California and Rock Bridge in a challenging final few weeks of the regular season.

"The whole team is really excited for each other," Shedd said. "We know that we can win any game."

Located just off Lion Parkway in Maury County Park is our football stadium. The planning for the stadium began in 1958. Although, many of us have grown up attending ball games there, we really do not know how much effort was exerted on the part of our community and our leaders to complete the stadium. Through intensive labor and generous donations the stadium was ready to use in 1959. The stadium was finished before the 1960s Central High School Building.

A quote from a brochure about the stadium stated: “Now, at last, Columbia is to have a really fine stadium and field house as citizens join in building a football plant second to none in this area.”

Before this stadium was built and completed the Central High School football team played at Pillow Park in Riverside which is now a part of Riverwalk Park.

The new stadium was to be situated between the barns that were left by the Experiment Station and the train tracks. Architects, Marr and Holman, drew the plans that would carve the stadium out of a ridge creating a horseshoe shape which would provide clear views of the field.

Rough excavation was done at no cost because generous businessmen connected with the excavation and dirt moving industry supplied the machinery and expertise. Many of these men were connected with the phosphate industry. Site preparation required moving 40,000 cubic feet of earth. The stadium was made larger because these busy men worked long hours to make a contribution to the future.

The original seating capacity was 5,500. A proposal promised that the curve of the horse shoe could add 4,500 seats. In the original stadium there were wooden seats which have been replaced with aluminum seats. The original lights were replaced with LED lighting in 2018.

There was to be a field house with showers and restrooms. That building is now used for the visiting team, and referees. The Lions have a dressing room in the circle near the end zone and enter the field through a tunnel. The concession stand and press box were also planned. The original press box was not in the middle of the field because planners did not include the end zones in their calculation. Both the concessions stand and the press box have been replaced. Also modern restrooms were constructed joining the concession stand.

The original ticket booth was so small that when six Central teachers were selling tickets there was barely room to move. The new ticket booths are much nicer, and there is room to work.

Although much of the labor was donated there was still a fund raising effort. Everyone was urged to contribute, and even the smaller amounts would be appreciated. The invitation reads: Think big! Give big! Get the best! There was even an opportunity to give on the installment plan.

How the money would be spent:

Stadium (concrete work, seats, drainage and engineering $34,450

Field Lights $18,550

Field House $20,000

Park Area and Fence $7,000

Total $80,000

The cyclone fence which is original was installed by the Columbia Kiwanis Club. Kiwanians remember contributing funds, man hours, and many blisters to build the stadium.

Reserved tickets for 10 years would be sold at $100 each at the stadium completion in 1959. All reserved seats were in located in midfield. The 10-year tickets were transferable.

There were three stadium committees: planning board, construction committee, finance committee, and publicity committee.

The Planning Board members were James Burcham, Lewis Amis, John Harris, Ralph Matthews, Clyde Medford, Ralph Neubert, Horace Rainey, Jr., Ulna Swann, Bob Vise, Alison Webster, L.S. White, T.S. Willis and DeWitt Viar.

Construction Committee members were L.S. White, Hardin Hill, William G. Allen, James Campbell, Oscar Damron, John Farmer, Ralph Matthews, Harry Pressnell, Don Richardson, Smiser Smith, Malcom West, Stanley Williams and T.S. Willis.

The Finance Committee members were Wally Beasley, Sr., Moscow Wright, Raymond Brown, Wade K. Dickens, James H. Dowdy, James H. Dowling, Aubrey George, Percy Haynes, Marshall Ledbetter, James McGrew, Fisher Oakes, Jr., Frank Sowell and C.A. Whelchel.

The Publicity Committee members were Lew Amis, Jack Dealy, Wm. E. Fraser, and Wm. J. Harris, Jr. All of these men were Maury Countains that were known for supporting worthy causes.

The permanent control board that was established consisted of Mr. W. J. Field, Central High School principal; William M. Ross, president of the Columbia-Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce; Dewitt Viar, chairman of the Maury County Park Commission.

After completion of the stadium the maintenance would be administered by the Central High School Athletic Committee: W. J. Field, Ralph Matthews, and Robert Vice, who was the coach. Central High School’s football team was to have the priority use of the field. It would be available for other teams if Central was not playing. Over the years the responsibility for the field has been transferred to Maury County Park.

According to Maury County Parks’ website the seating capacity is presently 3,700. The stadium not only hosts football games, but soccer games, and band contests. No one could have imagined how many young people and fans would enjoy the planning and vision of our community leaders 64 years ago.

In next week’s column, I will give the history of the people who had the stadium, press box and field named after them.

The California Lady Pintos volleyball team took a field trip on Thursday to Columbia for a matchup against the Hickman High School Kewpies. It was the fifth time the Lady Pintos and Kewpies had ever met in a match, with Hickman winning all four of the previous matches. After losing the first set, California buckled down on defense and used it to power their offense -- winning the next three sets to defeat the Kewpies 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17).

In the first set, California looked to use the same offensive strategy they used against Blair Oaks, aiming for the corners of the court, hustling after every loose ball and avoiding dropping the ball into the middle of the court.

California got off to a quick start and an early timeout was called by Hickman. From there, both teams fought tooth and nail, with California taking a 19-14 lead into the closing points of the set. However, Hickman had a long history of late set comebacks against California and remained well in the game. Led by Hickman junior Kenadi Canty, junior Kyndra Collier, and sophomore Sy'Rae Stemmons, the Kewpies pulled off another comeback, finishing the set on a 11-4 run to steal and lead the match 1-0.

Lady Pintos volleyball Head Coach Julie Bailey said Hickman's comeback was sparked by unorthodox mistakes from her team and the Kewpies taking advantage of those mistakes.

"In the first set, we had the lead most of the way and kind of gave it away. We had too many errors with letting way too many balls hit the ground, which is not like us. So I was glad to see the girls did end of fixing that throughout the night," Bailey said. "We ended having a lot less of those in the next three sets. That turned out to be one of the biggest differences for us in the match."

The second set got off to a rocky start as both teams went back and forth with serving errors, with California taking an early 8-6 lead in the process. From that point on, California's offense began to click and the surge was spearheaded by senior Emma Whiston, who had a kill, a block, an ace, and two assists on California's next points. The Lady Pintos held on to the lead throughout the rest of the second set, to tie the match 1-1 with a 25-21 set two victory.

The Lady Pintos got a unique point in the beginning of the third set when junior Penelope Cotten served the ball, which hit a Hickman defender and went out of bounds for a point. That helped the Lady Pintos jump out to another quick lead to begin the set. This time, California jumped out to a 16-8 lead. Once again, however, Hickman pulled off another comeback and were needing only one more point to take a 2-1 lead in the match. After Bailey took a timeout with California trailing 24-22 in the set, the Lady Pintos got a block and kill from senior Lauren Friedrich to send the set to extra points. California then stole the set with two kills from juniors Ella Bailey and Isabella Kincaid to win the third set 26-24 and take a 2-1 series lead.

The fourth set saw the Lady Pintos play their best volleyball of the night. Once again, California jumped out to a fast start and took an early 12-5 lead. Unlike the last three sets, the Lady Pintos managed to prevent another substansial comeback and remained in control behind four kills from Friedrich and Kincaid. Kincaid finished the set and the match with back-to-back kills and California won the fourth set 25-17 and the match 3-1.

Coach Bailey said California's defensive adjustments as the night wore on and some breaks given by Hickman helped them get the well-deserved victory over the Kewpies.

"I think our defense picked it up better in the third and four sets. We were making some really good defensive plays, and we were attacking wide and trying to aim for the corners. We were also giving Lauren (Friedrich) the ball in the six spot which was key for us," Bailey said. "I felt like when they came out in the fourth set, they appeared to be a little bit defeated. They didn't seem like the same team. They were making some mistakes in that fourth set that they had not be making. They hit several balls in the next, they had some serving errors, and they were having problems giving their hitters the ball. We did play better throughout the night, but we did get some help."

Coach Bailey said the quick starts the Lady Pintos had in each set proved to be an important component to California's victory Thursday night. Bailey claims California used a strategic setup called "The Six" to avoid Canty from blocking the ball on returns. The strategy payed off throughout the match and Canty's play became more and more limited as the night wore on.

"It's harder for a team to dig out and get a lead after trailing early. We were really working the outsides and we were running Sixes out of our middle from Lauren (Friedrich) and Macie (Trimble) to avoid their big blocker. I got the girls to start going in line a little bit more and not play cross-court as much. It took their blockers somewhat out of the game," Bailey said. "From the back side, we got several good cross-court hits from our back side set and it helped us get some points. We had some times where we were dumping the ball in the middle and that's not good for us, because it allows them to give it right back to their middle girls. So I told the girls that we've got to hit the corners and spread them out, so they can't get the ball to their front line, and it worked."

The Lady Pintos then went on to play in the Warrensburg Tournament and won first place by winning five matches against Lafayette County, Sacred Heart, Pleasant Hill, Santa Fe, and Warrensburg. The Lady Pintos are now 19-1-1 on the season and will play Helias Catholic at home Thursday.

Junior outside hitter Isabella Kincaid scored the last two points in the fourth set to seal the win for California over Hickman. Kincaid had 13 kills and three blocks against the Kewpies. (Democrat Photo/Evan Holmes)

Senior Lauren Friedrich makes a block for the Lady Pintos in the second set against Hickman. Friedrich had 13 kills and five blocks on Thursday night. (Democrat Photo/Evan Holmes)

Columbia Daily Tribune

Tears welling in his eyes, Hickman senior wide receiver Cole Harrell walked off the field and lined up to shake hands with every Jefferson City player.

Despite winning the week prior, the Kewpies had just lost their fifth game of the 2022 season, losing to the Jays 57-22 and falling to 1-5 on the year, second-to-last in the Central Missouri Activities Conference.

Harrell played almost every snap.

“I just make the most of every play,” he said. “High school football only comes around one time of the year, you only get it four (years). So I just make the most out of it that I can.”

Hickman found itself down 21-0 to start the second quarter. A momentum-building drive brought the Kewpies inside the red zone for the first time in the game, but an underthrown ball intended for Harrell from sophomore quarterback Carter Holliday led to an end-zone interception for Jefferson City.

That was one of four takeaways on the night for the Jays’ defense, who capitalized with 21 points off turnovers.

“We (got in) our own way,” Hickman head coach Cedric Alvis said. “We have to execute. … We have some talent on our side, but we can’t be giving the ball away.”

Following the shaky start to the half, the Kewpies drove the ball inside the red zone twice more, boosted by two 40-plus-yard plays from sophomore Donivan Taylor and junior Tionne Milo that turned into touchdowns. Harrell also saw his share of action, recording three tackles and a catch by halftime.

The Kewpies seemingly had swung the momentum to their side within a few drives, even ending the half on a long interception thrown by Jefferson City quarterback Jacob Wilson. After halftime, however, Hickman played similarly to their first-quarter performance, scoring only one more time the rest of the game.

“In terms of success, we were able to move the football,” Alvis said. “Just like we did last week, so that was a consistent thing. It’s the small things. Small details were getting us beat. We can’t not do small things throughout the week and expect for it to come together at the end.”

Fueled by Wilson’s four rushing touchdowns, Jefferson City kept rolling in the second half, earning a 35-point win over Hickman in its last home game of the year.

The loss was nothing short of emotional for the Kewpies.

“We put in (so much) time and effort with this result,” Harrell said. “It’s just eye-opening. I guess we gotta get back in the lab, do our stuff and work harder every day.”

By the end of the night, Harrell had tallied five and a half tackles and two catches, one of which was a 2-point conversion late in the game. Despite being down by over 30, he continued to play hard, staying in the game until the last snap.

“It’s for my brothers,” he said. “People on the sideline. My family. I do everything for them, and they do everything for me. It’s just tough.”

In the few snaps that he wasn’t on the field, Harrell spent the time hyping up his teammates from the sidelines, yelling and motivating them in between plays.

“Whatever they see me doing, effort-wise, they should be doing the same,” Harrell said. “On defense, it’s assignments. If you’re not doing your assignment, there’s a gap and it’s 10 yards for the offense. If we’re not assignment-sound and not everyone is doing their exact job, it’s not going to be a good game.”

Although the offense had stalled out toward the end of the game, the team’s effort remained at an all-time high. After the eighth touchdown by Jefferson City, Taylor stayed down for a few seconds, shaken up from a dive he had made trying to block the PAT attempt.

“Effort is all it comes down to,” Alvis said. “It’s outstanding. Especially the seniors, they leave it all on the line every night.”

Following the loss, multiple Hickman players had their heads down, but they were reminded by the simple phrase printed on the back of every helmet. It read: “Smile on”.

“Every play, things can go bad,” Harrell said. “‘Smile on’ means it’s on to the next play. That’s our motive … smile on. Nothing can hurt you, it’s just always the next, whatever it is.”

The phrase even reminded Alvis to keep his head up after seeing one of his players’ helmets as he was walking off the field.

“Smile through adversity,” he said. “We surmount it, even when bad things happen, we gotta smile through.”

The Kewpies end their season on a three-game road trip, the first of which is against Grain Valley, which is riding a three-game winning streak. Hickman plays at Rock Bridge the following week, and then Belleville West (Ill.).

“The sky’s the limit for this team,” Harrell said. “At this point, we’ve got nothing to lose."

Katie Hickman

Spiegal and Grau

Rarely do history lovers get to see the whole of an era solely through female eyes. Author Katie Hickman has taken on this challenge and produced a thorough and touching account of life in the American West in Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West 1836-1880.

These four tumultuous decades begin with stories of the first white American women, Protestant missionaries, to enter into the Oregon Country. The saga continues on through the vast caravans of whites, both poor and rich, as well as both freed and enslaved African Americans trudging the long and sometimes treacherous Oregon Trail, a path where once only fur trappers and their native guides had dared to tread.By the second decade the stories switch to the rush of the Forty-Niners to California’sgold fields, the Mormon handcart exodus to the Great Salt Lake, and the infamous story of the Donner Party, whoexperienced some troubles crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter.

. . . a wonderful glimpse into a bygone time . . .

After the Mexican-American War, California officially became a part of the United States. However, enslaved African American women still had to fight for their freedom in California courts, and Chinese women were openly sold on the docks of San Francisco and trafficked as sex workers to both Chinese railroad laborers and whites. Brothels, gambling halls, and saloons employed many women, but some found “respectable” work in being a cook or laundress. After a lull in westward migration during the Civil War, the migration began again in earnest. Instead of wagon trains, it was nowpossible to travel in relative luxury by train, as the first intercontinental railways were constructed to bring the riches from these far-flung realms back to the East and on the rest of the world.

But the stories don’t end there. Hickman has done well to present the course of America’s westward expansion through the stories of Native American women as well. Their lives would be changed forever by the flood of foreign immigrants who invaded their land and ruined an ecosystem that had once provided plentiful game and sustenance for generations. Outright genocide was sponsored by the state of California against its native peoples. Some native womendid intermarry with white immigrants—first with the French trappers and then with American settlers—but these stories of domestic harmony did not guarantee their peoples peace. For nothing could stop the incursion of the US military and the “White Brothers’”desire for gold, silver, and land.

By the 1870s, the US government had broken many treaties they had made with the Tribes. Thissparked war with the Lakota and others who wished to hold on what was left of their way of life. Soon it would become apparent that they were surrounded and outnumbered by white settlers, the buffalo herds decimated by white hunters. Forced onto reservations, by 1880 their way of life was at an end.

Brave Heartedis a wonderful glimpse into a bygone time that lives on in the stories of these strong women who overcame many hardships and tragedies. Armchair historians will enjoy reliving these days along the Western frontier.

Buy this Book: Amazon (Print) (Kindle)

There wasn't anything that could change the outcome once the clock ran out on Hickman's 28-0 season-opening loss to North Kansas City on Friday night.

That's why sophomore quarterback Carter Holliday was already looking ahead.

The only way to absolve the defeat was to address what went wrong.

"We've got film in the morning," Holliday said. "We'll go from there."

More:Boone County high school football roundup: Harrisburg, Tolton and Centralia win thrillers

That film session would show a handful of mistakes Hickman made that resulted in penalties and turnovers. It would also show a staunch defense that forced turnovers, provided pressure and covered receivers well.

It showed Holliday's first game in full control of the Hickman offense, a night where the youngster made some mistakes of his own.

However, he also made enough plays to show the potential he carries moving forward as the new architect of a young Hickman offense.

"There were a few times he could've gotten the ball out sooner," said Hickman head coach Cedric Alvis. "He wants to be judicious, he doesn't want to force the ball and make a turnover, so it's a learning thing."

The 2022 high school football season in Boone County features seven new starting quarterbacks. Holliday is one of the seven, which also includes Austin Evans, Sam Kaiser, Jake Ryan, Anthony Alicea, Colton Nichols and Cullen Bennett.

The difference this season at Hickman is that it's Holliday's job. No question, no objections. He started the Kewpies' games last year against Jefferson City and Raymore-Peculiar but also split time with Corbin Clark and Cooper Thornhill.

Holliday enters 2022 leading a young Kewpies team with a young, developing core. The onus on the coaching staff is to develop that young talent.

Holliday's skill set was on display Friday night even if it didn't show on the scoreboard.

His outing wasn't consistent, which is understandable — there was consistent pressure from the likes of Edric Hill. He's a four-star defensive line prospect who recently committed to Alabama and was regularly in Hickman's backfield.

But Holliday finished his first game of the season completing 8 of 14 passes for 89 yards and one interception. He also ran for 29 yards.

One of the best plays he made on the night was a scramble, where he was chased out of the pocket and delivered an on-target throw to tight end Brock Camp for 17 yards. It was a thorough play that required athleticism, accuracy and chemistry.

Holliday showed his ability on designed runs and scramble plays where he gained yards and made something out of nothing.

"We didn't reach our full potential," Holliday said.

What exactly is that potential? It's hard to say this early, just one game into the season, but the flashes are what Holliday points to.

"We've got a lot of talent out here," Holliday said. "If we put all the pieces together and don't hurt ourselves, bro, we can play."

Holliday was referring to the penalties. Hickman committed over a dozen penalties for well over 100 yards. Some of these were pre-snap infractions, false starts and illegal formations, while others were post-play flags that set the Kewpies back 15 yards.

Those pre-snap penalties were mental mistakes. Those add up to small things that the Hickman offense can fix. It wasn't any less frustrating Friday night, however.

Penalties and fumbles stalled drives into North KC territory.

"We drive the ball 50 yards down the field, and then penalties," Holliday said.

That passion to fix what ailed the Kewpies is a sign of a competitor, which is how Alvis sees his young quarterback.

Alvis said he'll pose questions to Holliday in reaction to Friday's game. He'll ask Holliday what he saw and why he did certain things.

"I think the easy thing is when you lose, especially when you lose in that fashion where you don't perform as well as you think, you get down on yourself," Alvis said. "A true competitor is going to figure out what they need to get better."

As Hickman moves forward, the job ahead of the team is easier said than done. Mental errors are the Kewpies' errors to correct, and the Kewpies' alone.

Holliday is ready for that undertaking.

"It's all about mindset," Holliday said. "Knowing I can do that, and do it."

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.