the
REPORTER
Cy-Fair High School
22602 Hempstead Hwy
Cypress, TX 77429
Volume 65 Issue 4
Playing big leagues
February 3, 2012
Astros recruit Cy-Fair grad Rebeccah Barger Photo Editor
We shoot, we SCORE!!! Basketball update, page 10
One percent. Those were his chances - of making it onto a college team, and of breaking into the professional baseball world. Since Chris Wallace, a 2006 Cy-Fair graduate, began playing baseball at the age of 5, he worked hard to beat the odds and become catcher for the Houston Astros’ minor league. Despite his success, Wallace still remembers what made him passionate about the game in the first place. “I really just grew up loving the game,” Wallace said. “I used to watch my dad play, and it’s been fun since the start.” It was clear to Wallace as he entered high school that the game started to become a little
more difficult. Despite the challenges he faced, Wallace recalls the Cy-Fair team and still carries with him the valuable lessons that it taught him. “I really loved the team,” Wallace said. “Cy-Fair was very fun. The competition at high school level was good. I was friends with all the guys. We had an amazing coach and we always went out and had a good time. I remember when we lost, we all looked at it as an opportunity to become stronger. I would just tell myself that it’s a learning process.” Wallace and the team’s learning curve was quick, and they went to the state championship in 2006. Playing in high school began to show the true opportunities of molding into a college opportunity as scouts arrived to watch rising stars. “When scouts started to recruit from the Cy-Fair, they began scouting the team my
A staffer’s adventure in paninis, page 13
Who’s still in the race? page 04 Trading up- Chris Wallace’s professional (signed) trading cards, collage. Photo illustration by Allyson Burns.
Win: Wallace blocks home.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda Wallace.
sophomore year,” Wallace said. “I remember trying a lot of different things to get noticed. They would attend high school games, and eventually I was able to play baseball for University of Houston.” Wallace played catcher throughout his four years at the University of Houston and graduated in 2010. The higher level of competition brought Wallace and his teammates to the Conference Championship his sophomore year. “The game gets faster at a college level. I mean, the competition is still good at college. All of it has been a big learning curve, and I’ve enjoyed everything,” Wallace said. However, during his junior year in college he encountered a setback when a baseball hit his face. Reconstructive surgery was required to fix it. “It was hard, but I have really become a better player because of it,” Wallace said. “I’m more motivated to reach the goals that I set for myself. It never stopped me from wanting to keep playing.” Wallace’s next big step was focusing on getting a chance to play professionally. He spent a year playing in Corpus Christi before returning to Houston when he was signed to the Astros minor league as a catcher. see Astros recruit Alumnus, page 7
‘There’s nothing better, baby, do you like my sweater?’ Sadie Hawkins, right around the corner Allyson Burns PR Manager
Barrel racing, competitions, and FFA, page 05
Soccer’s getting intense, page 10
Better break out your khaki pants because the Sadie Hawkins dance is your chance. Student Council has been talking about a spring fling for a while, and now it is officially planned for Friday, Feb. 10 in our cafeteria. This type of fling comes with a twist. The guys are free from the stress and worry of asking a girl, which gives the girls a chance to step up. Rumors about the actuality of the dance are now deemed true. “Our freshmen year we tried to have a Sadie Hawkins dance but failed,” senior student council president Allie Ryan said. “It’s on student council’s calendar this semester.” The theme for a traditional Sadie Hawkins dance is a western style atmosphere, meaning that hay stacks and cowboy hats will be evident. Guests are advised to dress accordingly. “This will be a ‘barn dance’ atmosphere, where we will play different genres of music than are typically played at Homecoming and Prom dances,” student council sponsor Rachel Mabry said. “Guys and gals throw on their
boots and dress in their best country-western wear and two-step around on the dance floor.” The new idea seems striking because it’s something different to do. The last Sadie Hawkins dance happened four years ago, so no one really knows what to expect.
Get em’, girls! Sadie Hawkins is right around the corner. Photo by Sam Burdyl
“I think that it would be pretty neat,” junior Sarah McConaughey said. “It’s a new way to look at things and I want to see the reactions the guys will have. It should be cute.” “I personally would love to have a Sadie Hawkins Dance,” Ryan said. “It raises school spirit and it’s something to add to the second semester.” Student Council sponsor includes some notions as to why Cy-Fair should partake in a Sadie Hawkins Dance. “Sadie Hawkins dances are interesting for a couple reasons,” Mabry said. “First, they reverse the standard roles we often associate with formal occasions. Girls ask the guys. Secondly, Sadie Hawkins dances, traditionally are more casual or informal.” The dance will help raise money for the Class of 2012’s Prom. “The Sadie Hawkins dance has been a part of our school’s tradition in the past, but for one reason or another it has not occurred in the four years that I have been a teacher here,” Mabry said. “This dance can be a new tradition of Cy-Fair--one that will occur more than once every few years.”