Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus North football players Hunter Koharchick, from left, Nate Riker and Kelvin Lin help pick up trash and help remove invasive plant species from the wooded area adjacent to the People Trail in Mill Race Park in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
About 100 Columbus North High School football players participated in a ‘Weed Wrangle’ at Mill Race Park Wednesday afternoon.
Through the blazing heat, they were able to give back to their community and strengthen their team bond by weeding invasive plants at the park. The team partnered with the Blazing Starts CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area), an organization that focuses on removing invasive species from parks in Bartholomew County.
The organization, formed in 2021, leads 12-15 “Weed Wrangles” annually in local parks, including Anderson Falls, Owens Bend and Blackwell Park. Local volunteers come from organizations including United Way, Cummins, Toyota and now Columbus North High School.
The service project was originally planned and coordinated by Maggie Boyer, the mother of sophomore wide receiver Hunter Koharchick. She noticed coaches emphasizing making the team feel like a family and working cooperatively, Boyer said.
“We just wanted to put that into practice and give back to the community that supports this team,” she said.
Boyer hopes the summer service project will last for years to come. As high school students need to reach a certain number of community service hours before they can graduate, this provides an opportunity to fulfill those hours, build team relationships and serve Columbus.
“During the school year, the team will be focused on playing together and winning,” Boyer said. “It’s nice that it worked out, that over 100 able-bodied young men are able to come during the summer, while they’re focused on building their team.”
The event began with an informative presentation by a Blazing Stars representative, teaching students about which weeds to wrangle and how they affect local wildlife. The most common plants to be removed are Asian bush honeysuckle and kudzu.
Senior Braeden Farrell learned how monarch butterflies depend on the native plant milkweed to survive, and invasive plants often take resources the plant needs. Farrell was happy to help despite the difficulty of the work.
“Mill Race (Park) has always been a place I’ve enjoyed and it’s important to keep it clean for people who come after,” he said. “I’m hoping this will become an annual thing, even after I’ve graduated.”
One of the challenges of the project was working in the intense summer heat. On Wednesday, the heat index was in the low 100s. Although the players had access to water, popsicles and ice cream, it was still a challenging environment.
Head Coach Logan Haston referenced the team motto — together. Although the work was tough, he was proud of his students for completing the tasks together.
“We’ve been wanting to get people out into the community,” Haston said. “It’s tough work, but we’re going through it together and creating bonds between players.”
Koharchick echoed his coach’s point. Throughout the day, he met teammates he wasn’t familiar with and formed relationships with them that will last beyond the football field, he said.
“I wasn’t expecting this much work, but it’s good to do difficult things together,” he said. “Everything we did today strengthened our team. The park looks nice for people to enjoy and it just makes everyone happier.”
