EVANS — PULL!

The Gowanda trap team’s season is underway as the first-year squad is aiming down the sights and destroying clay pigeons.

The team had its fourth mandatory team practice on Saturday morning and its seventh total — three were voluntary. Even in that short period of time, the Panthers’ scores are growing.

“I actually just posted on the website the improvements that the kids are making,” Gowanda Trap head coach Ryan Schwarzott said. “Some kids are doubling their high-score average. We are making huge strides and we got to remember, too, that we are a young program. A lot of these kids are brand new, not only to trap shooting, but some of them are brand new to shooting period. We got a lot of kids at different ability levels and trying to work with them with all the different skill levels at where they are at.”

Student-athletes at the Evans Rod and Gun Club, where the team practices and plays, had smiles as the practice was in its waning hours. There was a key focus on gun safety, shooting formation and a whole lot of seriousness. However, despite the focus on hitting the clay targets, kids were still having fun as a team.

“It’s really exciting and fun,” 10th grader Charles Pasternack said.

The sport has different motivators than traditional high school athletic programs. Unlike most team sports, the individual is the focal point for trap shooting. The performer’s scores, like track and field, are a measuring stick to not only see how you’re doing compared to others, but seeing the strides that are being made.

Pasternack said he was shooting scores of three at first.

“Now, I am at 15,” he said.

Hunter Laskey, a sophomore at Gowanda, was also at the practice on Saturday. He said that he began with low scores as well. His score was in the three range.

“Now, I am shooting nines in both rounds. So, I am doing a lot better,” Laskey said.

Laskey used to play football and wrestling at Gowanda. He said that now he only is a part of the trap team. Some argue that guns should not be used for games, though Laskey — through the team — believes he is learning more than just aiming and shooting.

“With the coaches and everything, it teaches you a lot about gun safety and it can help for future (stuff like) if you go hunting and stuff,” he said.

Schwarzott also doesn’t want the team to be more important than the school that supports it. He stresses that academics are first and boasted at Saturday’s practice that all 27 members and even the two student managers are eligible academically.

“I’ve told my students, ‘Regardless if I am your teacher or not, I will get you help, I will find you help, but you’re a student first and you’re a trap shooter second,'” Schwarzott said. “That’s the most important thing. That’s how I work with my kids, my own kids. If they want to do a sport, they need to be doing well in school. It’s not even up to the school, it’s up to me at home. I was happy to see that not one student was on the ineligibility (list) for the trap team.”

If his team members cannot keep their grades up or fail to attend a scoring practice, that athlete will hold a zero score — not only for their own personal score, but for the team.

The coach stressed that there comes a responsibility with an athletic team and trap shooting is no different.

Schwarzott added that the Evans Rod and Gun Club and the Gowanda Central School District’s support helps the program thrive.

The team practices through most conditions on Tuesdays and will compete on Saturdays for now on. Though there were strong winds and cold temperatures at the last practice, it would be tough to keep these athletes at home on a day they can be out practicing.

“It gets cold, but you’re having so much fun, it doesn’t bother you,” Laskey said.

Twitter: @ByKuczkowski