The 2022-23 sports seasons have come to an end for the Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs and to celebrate this year's accomplishments athletes, parents and community members gathered for the annual athletic banquet last week. This year's celebration included a special presentation for Rich Gerk. Gerk plans to retire from the many hats he's worn at Haxtun but specifically as coach and athletic director.

Gerk began his teaching career covering a maternity leave in Merino in the spring of 1992 and in 1993 he began teaching in Haxtun. That same year, he took his first coaching assignment as an assistant ba...