2010-11 Best of Colorado Sports Feature Samples
a Gr s ve sa ..
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“Don’t just get by, get better!” “Wheels, baby, wheels!” “Run this race like a piston!” “Ya Savvy?”
Baseball
Players to watch:
PIRATEER March 11, 2011
Graves energizes track squad TaylerSearcy “Don’t just get by, get better” is a saying that has echoed in the mind’s of every track and football player over the years at Englewood High School, for 17 consecutive years to be exact. Who is the person responsible for this repeated positive statement? Head track and football coach Jay Graves. Having coached the EHS track team for the last seventeen years, Graves began coaching football again for the 2010-2011 season. “Graves gets everyone hyped up,” senior football player James Sanchez said. “The ingredients to a good coach consist of being able to get the most out of athletes when they do not know their own potential,” Graves said. Graves thinks that what makes him a good coach at Englewood is the fact that he focuses more on passion and the team. “I’m very team-oriented,” Graves said. Graves also tries to capture the concept of what sports have to offer, and his team believes he succeeds. “Graves pushes us to maximize our body’s full physical potential,” senior track member Quan Pham said. According to his team,
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• Junior Stephen Wilson • Junior Hayden Carlile Transfer students: • Senior Kevin Matthews • Junior Erick Vega
Expectations Players to watch:
• Senior Mary Winters • Senior Desiree Hooper
Team goal:
Team goal:
“We want to go to state.” –Hayden Carlile ‘12
Reasons to watch this season:
“We hope to compete in our tough new league and make it to the playoffs. We also have a free game at Coors Field on March 19.” –Head Coach Mike Rowe
“To be more competitive and try to up our personal best from last year.” –Coach Kenny Anderson
Reasons to watch this season:
“If they are a fan of the game, I think it will be enjoyable. ” –Coach Kenny Anderson
Lacrosse
• Sophomore Damasjae Currington • Senior Israel Rubio • Senior Cody Shrednik
Team goal:
“I would like to see us win at least 50% of our games” –Captain Cody Shrednik ‘11
Reasons to watch this season: “Its the most exciting game on cleats.” –Head Coach Mark Baker
Players to watch:
• Sophomore Wilmarielle Bahamundi
Team goal:
“Just for the girls to learn golf and enjoy as a lifetime sport.” –Coach Brian DeHerrera
Reasons to watch this season: “It’s fun seeing kids make improvements, this is the biggest team I’ve had for girls.” –Coach Brian DeHerrera
Players to watch:
• Senior Karly Gelinas • Freshman Elijah Daughtry • Freshman Kadie Kavinsky
Team goal:
“Finish with a winning record and beat Elizabeth and Sheridan.” –Head Coach Bill Gilmore
Reasons to watch this season:
“The girls are tough and scrappy, and they will give everything they have and will never give up.” –Head Coach Bill Gilmore
Girls’ Soccer Boys’
Players to watch:
• Senior Nick Steverson • Senior Jordan Fricke
Team goal:
“Our goal is to win a meet and improve times.” –Eduardo Velasquez ‘12
Reasons to watch this season:
Swimming
Girls’ Golf
Players to watch:
are the new boy’s relay team of Scott Duscher, Quan Pham, Erick Vega and Kevin Matthews. “When I realized we had a real chance of going somewhere, I started to stay in shape.” Duscher said. Duscher, Pham, Vega and Matthews may all be on the same team, but their approaches to staying in shape are far from similar. “I have been working on my legs, but workouts have not officially started yet,” Vega said. “I work out every day for two hours in the gym, and I try to keep a healthy diet too,” Matthews said. “I exercise on my own in the weight room almost everyday. I like track because it makes me compete against myself and others,” Pham said. All boys have a different workout and different reasons of why they run, but they all have one common goal. “We are all hoping to achieve our goal of going to state for our senior year,” Duscher said. Graves has shaped and perfected the techniques and skills of these seniors, and he is excited to see all of them challenge themselves. One sound that will surely ring in the eardrums of Duscher, Pham, Vega and Matthews on race day is Coach Graves new saying, “It’s about who? It’s about us.”
energetic, busy, and motivating are understatements when describing Graves. “He is incredibly silly, but a great coach,” sophomore track member Marissa Coomer said. Although silly, this incredible coach’s chants—“Wheels baby wheels” and “Like a piston”— reverberate within the athletes and push them the extra mile to victory. “He talks more than anyone I’ve ever met, and I’m a talker,” senior Karly Gelinas said. With some of the team as underclassmen, Graves has been pushing the new and old athletes into the weight room in order to prep for the upcoming season. During the off season Graves has had the team work on plyometric exercises, including box jumps and drills working “fast twitch muscles” on power and speed. “There are a lot of freshmen who bring talent to the table,” Graves said. The drills are not only preparing these new freshmen for the tough season ahead, but also preparing a select group of seniors with a chance at state. “Senior Dustin Fletcher has a really good shot at going to state for the triple jump,” Graves said. Some other members of the track team who have high hopes for state
Girls’ Tennis
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“The student body should be proud of having one of the best pools in the state. Students should take great pride in the pool and team by supporting their team that works extremely hard from the beginning of the season to the end.” –Head Coach Eric Craven
Eighth grade finishes second in league by Madeline Witzel
A season of battling injuries, learning to lose and fighting for success proved to be a challenge for Coach Jack Bull and the eighth grade football team. The team began their season with three losses, a huge change after being undefeated last year. “It was more challenging, being a new division. Our competition level was not as high last year. They were frustrated, but we focused on keeping things in perspective,” said Bull. “One of our biggest struggles was learning how the other teams we played worked. Figuring out their offense “Our biggest challenges this year were overcoming injuries and coming back after losing really bad to three teams,” said eighth grader Nicholas Krause. As a team, they battled injuries. Injuries included, but were not limited to: Troupe with a concussion and a broken jaw, eighth grader Collin Ryba with a broken foot and eighth grader Joseph Scott with a broken thumb. “Injuries were my biggest struggle, individually. Going to practices and coaching the guys was tough, but I was able to lead even though I wasn’t on the field,” Ryba said. Although they fought against injuries and illnesses, the team was able to rally together and pick up the slack. “When Collin got hurt,” eighth grader Jason Hoyt said, “I stepped up to play for him.” “This season, we talked about endurance and adversity,” said Bull. “They learned more from having to come back from a tough situation, with injuries and our first three losses.” Through it all, the team encouraged each other and many said their greatest personal battle was to keep up morale on the team. “My individual challenge this year was picking everybody up. We had to encourage each other on the sidelines, even if we were down,” said Hoyt. “Leading is difficult, in a lot of ways, but in a lot of ways, it’s easy. It’s hard in the beginning of the season, learning about individuals. And it’s tough to lead after a loss, but we encouraged each other a lot,” said Troupe. The team came back after their first three losses to win their last four regular-season games. They played Harrison Middle School in the championship, and lost 40-14. “We played well in the second half, and finished strong, we even scored on the last play, but they really beat us in the first half,” Bull said. The team overcame opposition to finish with a winning regular season. “I feel like we were successful in a variety of ways, on the field too,” said Bull.
St. Mary’s High School
Jolly Roger Vol. 13, No. 2 October 15, 2010
The
2501 E. Yampa Street Colorado Springs, CO
80909
The JR at a Glance
H o me co ming He r o ics
Mrs. Kralik is on a mission to make sure you are in dress code on mass day. Page 3
Photo by Lauren Heery Senior football players Taylor “T-Mac” McNelis, Nick LaRue, Matt Geiger, Greg O’Donnell and Val “The Valiant” Pico, utilize Buddhist meditative techniques to celebrate their final Homecoming game and victory as Cade Wolf and Domingo “Sunny” Munger lay at their feet in gratitude of the success. By LAUREN HEERY Editor-in-Chief
Sophomore Eric Sangueza has climbed all 54 fourteeners. Page 5
Did you love Homecoming? Todd Olney did! Pages 6-7
“Seniors, this is your last Homecoming! Make it a good one!” yelled sophomore Curtis Torrence at his teammates from the sidelines of the Homecoming football game during the fourth quarter. With the 19-13 score, the Pirates won their first varsity football game of the season and the first Homecoming game in three years. Just as the biting winds of October died down, kickoff began with the Trinidad Miners receiving the ball. The game started successfully for the Pirates when senior Taylor McNelis scored a touchdown four and a half minutes into the first quarter. “I couldn’t believe we were up, I was really excited,” said McNelis. “After the touchdown, I knew we were going to win.” After McNelis scored, senior Greg O’Donnell kicked a field goal bringing the score to 7-0. The Pirates held the Miners through the end of the first quarter. Second quarter continued well for the Pirates, but they failed to move the ball far enough up field and were forced to punt a field goal. Fortunately, O’Donnell - ranked eighth in the nation for high school punters and first in the state of Colorado - successfully kicked a field goal
increasing the Pirates’ lead by three points. Just three minutes later in the quarter O’Donnell punted another field goal after the ball changed possession twice. “I felt pretty good [after the win]. It was probably the most epic game ever,” said O’Donnell. “I was really happy with the team in general.” Soon after the consecutive punts however, Trinidad scored a touchdown without a field goal, edging in on the Pirates’ success. The Miners and Pirates switched possession as each team unsuccessfully moved the ball, with the Miners missing a field goal. With less than two minutes on the clock in the half, O’Donnell punted his third field goal. The Pirates led at the end of the half with a score of 16-6. The Pirates celebrated Homecoming during half-time with a performance by the award-winning SMHS cheerleaders, the re-dedication of the cross that once adorned the original St. Mary’s High School building and now resides on top of the Grace Center by Deacon Dave Camous and the Homecoming Court presentation with help from the Colorado Springs Corvette Club. Third quarter proceeded slowly with multiple possession changes, and with one minute left in the quarter, O’Donnell punted
his final field goal resulting in a 19-6 score. Following the relative inactivity of third quarter, fourth quarter seemed like a surefire time for the Pirates to begin their celebrating. However, in the last three minutes of the quarter, Trinidad scored another touchdown, this time with the extra point, and brought the final score to 19-13. The Pirates’ success was an excellent victory after a six game losing streak this season. “I’m very happy and proud of the kids and how they fought [for the win],” said head football coach Nic Olney. “They played all four quarters solidly.” As Torrence reminded his teammates, this was their last homecoming. Luckily, several underclassman stars on the football team including juniors Nate Germano, Sean Scally and Casey Smith, who all contributed to the Pirates’ win on the offensive and defensive lines. “We’ll miss those seniors,” said Olney, referencing McNelis and O’Donnell as well as seniors Nick Cipoletti and Cade Wolf. “The younger kids are definitely getting the program. Our future is definitely bright.” Hopefully, all the seniors to come will make the best of their Homecoming games just as the class of 2011’s athletes did this year.
America, Here We Are!
Bem-vindo! Willkomen! Oso oseyo! SMHS has been given the honor to host some new Pirates this year! new faces from around the world have been seen walking around the halls. Our new exchange students have been given the chance to not only gain new experiences, but allowing us at SMHS a small glimpse inside their worlds. By JAZMIN MUNOZ Advertising Manager
Sophomore Xavir Flexisher HomeTown: Monheim, Germany Enjoy some spookily delicious cupcakes. Page 10
Index 2 News 4 Midterm Elections 5 Sports 6 Homecoming 8 Sports 9 Halloween 10 Features 12 Opinions
Host Family: The Nutter Family
Activities: Currently playing on SMHS JV soccer team and is hoping to play on the SMHS basketball team. Thoughts on SMHS: “It’s very different. There are many things we don’t have in Germany. We don’t have high school sports teams. And our education system is different. The rules are more strict here than they are in Germany. Pretty cool, many things are different, but I like it.” Favorite type of Music: Rap and R&B Favorite Current Song: “Over” by Drake Favorite TV Show: The Simpsons Favorite Recent Movie: “Inception”
Junior Arthur Piniental Home Country: Brazil Host Family: The Fetter Family Activities: Currently playing on the SMHS Varsity soccer team. Thoughts on SMHS: “I love Saint Mary’s. The people here are very nice.” Favorite type of Music: Techno Favorite thing to do back home: Hanging out with friends
Hurdling Obstacles
Pulse
In the aftermath of an accident, Vista’s soccer team is more passionate to win the state title — and give one midfielder another chance to play.
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Zack | Smith Clutching the steering wheel, Cody Brown glanced at the clock. 11 p.m. He had just finished volunteering as a referee for his girlfriend’s soccer game, and was running on two hours of sleep – the product of a late soccer game against Douglas County and a rushed English project the night before. Fifteen minutes later, Brown, a senior, felt himself nodding off, only now feeling the effects of his sleep deprivation. “Around 11:15, I realized that I was really tired and sleepy,” he said. “It only took about 10 seconds for me to realize that I was tired, to when my eyes closed.” Moments after closing his eyes, Brown awoke and found himself driving along the shoulder of the freeway. Panicking, he jerked the wheel to the left to get back on the road, only to turn it again to the right. He over-corrected, and the car flipped. His head rebounded off the window on the first roll, knocking him unconscious. The car rolled four-and-a-half more times before finally shuddering to a stop. Waking up, Brown recalls hanging upside down in his seat. An ambulance arrived soon after and, as he struggled to breathe, medics sawed off both doors on the driver’s side to remove him. Brown was placed in a stretcher and neck brace before being rushed to Littleton Adventist Hospital. A month after the accident, Brown is recovering and attending classes again. From the rollover, he sustained a concussion, severe bruising on his nose and ear, road rash on his left shoulder and hand and an air bubble in his lung, the cause of his breathing difficulties the night of
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THE ROAD TO THE TITLE What: Quarterfinals Versus: Rangeview High School Time: Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Where: Sports Authority Stadium (formally known as Burt.com Stadium) in Parker
Photo by Amy Markowski Senior Cody Brown, a left midfielder and left fullback, enters a game versus Grandview. Brown is recovering from injuries sustained during a rollover, and may be able to play in the finals.
the accident. Looking back, Brown is shocked that he came away with as few injuries as he did. “When I realized I was about to crash, I thought I was dead, and that I was never going to see my parents or girlfriend ever again,” Brown said. “I was amazed just to be alive.” In the wake of the accident, his teammates have rallied around his cause. Brown, a left midfielder and left fullback for Mountain Vista’s undefeated (14-0, 2-0 playoffs) soccer team, will not be able to return until deep in the playoffs,
pending on the results of an upcoming concussion test. “It was an eye opener,” goalie Trevor Obering said. “It taught us to not to take anything or anyone for granted.” Because this season marks the last of Brown’s high school career, his teammates have made it a personal goal to continue winning so he can play into the postseason. “Cody is one of my best friends, and it hurts not seeing him play,” senior defender Ander Aretakis said. “If we get to the championship game, Cody will get to play there, and that’s just extra motivation.” Brown’s teammates have continued to check up on him, and he is nothing but positive about the way the team has aided his recovery. “[My teammates] have been great to me. They all came and visited me and brought me candy on Saturday because they wanted to make sure I was all right,” Brown said. “During our game against ThunderRidge, T. (Center midfielder Tidiane Dia) scored the first goal to put us up 1-0. The first thing he did was run over to our bench and give me a hug, which meant a lot to me.” Yet, Brown does not fail to mention the team’s ultimate goal. “This is our last year to win it, and we don’t get a second chance. We need to make the most of this season – and that means winning the state championship.”
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MVHSEagleEye
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Tabasco crew shreds spicy jibs in Telluride with juniors Graehme Hilding and Owen Parker. Originally, f you are in Telluride at the the crew was just skiers, but later Hoot Brown Park or some- a few snowboarders joined in, where in the backcountry on like juniors Drew Herder, Sam Gold Hill, you might see a group Nichols, sophomore Ari Lightof skiers and snowboarders in sey and senior Eric Shellhorn. oversized t-shirts with a Tabasco “I like feeling like I belong to sauce label on them. Eight Mon- something. People make crews trose High School students have so they can belong,” Nadiak said. their own crew and they shred The crew used the logo from every chance Tabasco sauce they get in bottles as their Telluride dursymbol so Most people just stay in ing the winter. they could be the terrain park [in TelluJuniors Zach recognized. ride], but some of us like Nadiak, Curtis “We used to to venture elsewhere on Beutler, and rip the labels the mountain.” Kevin Rust are off Tabasco the “founding bottles and — Zach Nadiak, 2012 fathers” of the stick them to crew. They decars and stuff,” cided to make Beutler said. the ski crew in 2007. Beutler and Beutler decided to modNadiak came up with the idea ify the design by addwhile skiing with Ian Stucky. ing things like “spicy jibs.” Stucky had a ski crew called the “Jibbing is when you incorpo“tie dye crew” and suggested that rate an obstacle in any trick, like the two make one of their own. a rail, log or rock,” Beutler said. “We had some Tabasco sauce The crew shreds in Telthat we borrowed from local res- luride every weekend, and taurants, so we decided to call it sometimes in the backcountry the Tabasco crew,” Nadiak said. on Red Mountain and other Beutler said he, Rust and Na- places outside of the ski area. diak had been skiing together “Most people just stay in the tersince elementary school, along rain park [in Telluride], but some
danashellhorn sportsreporter
November 2010
athletes
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shredtime: The Tabasco Crew, mad up of (top) Graehme Hilding, Curtis Beutler, Eric Shellhorn, John Huisjen, Zack Nadiak, Sam Nichols, (bottom) Kevin Rust, Owen Parker, Ari Lightsey, and Drew Herder pose on the roof of Herder’s car. The crew are getting pumped for the shred season to start when Telluride opens on Nov. 25, 2010.
of us like to venture elsewhere on the mountain,” Nadiak said. The crew members inspire each other to try new tricks and master them. Rust likes being able to ski with a group of people and learn from them. “If Zach does something cool, I want to do that so I try it to be cooler than Zach,” Rust said. “It is a never-ending cycle.” To learn new tricks, the crew goes to the back country and builds a big kicker in the powder, so if they fall it does not hurt as much. They practice tricks until they get them and then head to the park. “I like being able to call anyone in the crew if I am going snowday: Junior Zach Nadiak builds a jump on Telluride Mountain last ski season. The crew constructs various jumps on more obscure runs to practice up [to ski] and see if they want their tricks. Photo courtesy of Curtis Beutler to come with me,” Beutler said.
Photo by Emily Bernier
Another inspiration to the crew is being filmed. Herder is the main filmer while the crew is shredding. Herder got into filming from watching his friends YouTube videos. He likes being able to share his videos after editing them. “I had a bunch of footage from the season and I was saving it up for one final edit,” Herder said. He had so much footage of the crew he decided to make a ski movie, so the crew released “Baked in Telluride” this summer. “We have kind of a basic movie right now,” Rust said. Rust feels they can work on their first movie and build off of it in new videos. Herder said the crew would like to release a movie every year and try to
get recognition with them. “We need to huck some more gnar [gnarly tricks] to get known,” Herder said. The crew has been working on their tricks for this season. Beutler made a “summer setup” in his backyard with a kids slide as a starting ramp and wetted it down to practice his tricks. “I do it to get what the trick feels like so, when winter does come, it will be that much easier,” Beutler said. Herder made a section for every member of the crew, but he said the movie was too long last year. “This year we are probably going to film a little less and get a little more shred time,” Herder said. Because shredding the slopes is what the Tabasco crew is all about.
Angles of: Officials
Sports nickyarja
With constant questions about their eyesight, insults, ridicule and arguments from players, coaches and spectators, being a high school basketball official is no easy job. “Officiating is hard, it takes a good commitment,” Mike Bullen, official of 33 years, said. “It’s fun because people wonder how you could do it.” PLAYERS:
COACHES:
As a basketball official, dealing with coaches arguments regarding the calls is inevitable. However, Bullen does not feel he has to deal with it frequently. “Most coaches don’t spend the time (arguing calls consistently),” Bullen said. In the cases where coaches do argue a call over and over, Bullen simply tells them to let him do his job. “We’ll say ‘Coach we’re not doing that; let us do our job.’ They have more to worry about than arguing,” Bullen said. However, Bullen is not afraid to hand a coach a technical if the coach cannot control his emotions during the game. Officials know that coaches are going to argue a call or two, but Bullen still expects good behavior from everyone at the game. “I have high expectations for the coaches, players and spectators at the games,” Bullen said.
february 2011
Graphic by Kyle Klements
The role of an official, contrary to many spectators belief depending on the lead, is to keep the players safe and in line, and insure the game does not turn violent. When a player steps out of line, Bullen talks to the player, the captains and the coach to rectify the problem. “I talk to all three,” Bullen said. “Most coaches fix the problem immediately.” Bullen notices that most players listen when an official talks to them about a call or warns them about their play. “I go and talk to them to calm them down,” Bullen said. “[Players] back down once somebody notices how they are playing.” Officials work together to call the game. “We share information about the players between the officials,” Bullen said. “We work as a team.”
PARENTS:
STUDENT SECTION:
During high school basketball games, student sections can become rowdy while cheering for their team, distracting the other team and yelling at the officials. Bullen hears them, but disregards them. “AD’s (Athletic Directors) and principals keep an eye on the kids,” Bullen said. “If things get out of whack, we will tell them to watch the students. I have never had an issue.” Bullen knows that sportsmanship is important to administrations around the valley. “Schools around here are all about doing the right things for all the kids,” Bullen said. “Sportsmanship is very important and very good here in the valley.” Photos by Stephanie Skinner and Jade Smith
When it comes to parents, Bullen does not usually notice them. At high school basketball games, the crowds are so large that one parent’s voice will not stand out. “In AAU we take a lot of grief,” Bullen said. “It’s an empty gym, so you hear it.” The most frequent comments from parents like ‘be consistent’ or ‘call it both ways’ are heard so often, that it generally does not affect an official. Bullen notices that the majority of parents only want what is best for their kids. “Parents like to be proud of their kids,” Bullen said. “Occasionally they are nonrealistic.”
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2010-11 Best of Colorado In-Depth Sports Samples
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Arapahoe Herald | Friday, February 11, 2011
SPORTS
(Above) The varsity boys basketball team gathers together at their game against Cherokee Trail on Jan. 29. They went on to win the game 92-40. Allie Jones | Arapahoe Herald (Right) Captain Parker Semin shoots a free throw during the game. Semin is currently the highest scoring member of the team. Melanie Archipley | Arapahoe Herald
Boys basketball team shoots for state championship Melanie Archipley Arapahoe Herald Due to the newspaper’s printing schedule, any games after Feb. 7 are not covered. The record before this date was 18-1 overall and 9-1 in the Centennial League. e may be witnessing perhaps the greatest boys basketball team in the history of this school,” Principal Ron Booth said at the conclusion of the winter pep assembly on Jan. 21. “However, they won’t be able to attain a state championship without the support of the student body at games.” On a typical day of basketball practice, the guys work diligently at shooting, running and preparing for the workout to come. They shout to each other words of encouragement and pointers, and focus intently on improving. This is the Arapahoe boys varsity basketball team – second in the state. “Our team goal this year is to make the state championships,” senior Corbin Fromm said. “It’s going to take a lot of work.” Their only loss was to Overland on Jan. 21 with a close score of 60-56, which they knew would be a tough game. (They played Mullen
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on Feb. 9, however, these results could not be included because the paper had already been sent to print). Despite this setback, they are still confident. “We’re always hungry to win,” senior Will Ratterman said. “Anything less [than a state championship] is failure. We decided from the start of the summer that we weren’t going to lose.” They know what it will take to taste victory at state, and they’re putting in the effort. Never before has the boys basketball team won state, and the last time they were the runner-up was in 1995. For the first time in 16 years, the basketball team has got a real shot at making history. “No one cares who scores,” captain Parker Semin said. “As long as we’re winning, we’re happy.” Everyone is an all-star who does their part, contributing to the team in many ways. “They understand it’s a team sport and they understand it’s a team game,” Varsity Head Coach
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Dan Snyder said. “That’s why it’s called a basketball team.” They credit their strong mentality and experience working together as the key to their success. “Every single person on our team is a good leader,” senior Tyler Balli said. In addition, most of the members have played basketball together for years, gaining experience working with each other and becoming close friends along the way.
“Everyone’s been giving it their all since it’s our last year,” senior Javon Moore said. The varsity team includes eight seniors and three juniors, and the guys say that they owe it to themselves to end their high school basketball careers with a bang. “We all care about each other and that’s what makes us able to yell at each other and get on each
other,” Captain Beau Webb said. “We are all good friends, like a second family.” Motivation is easier to come across when they have their friends backing them up. “When our team lost to Regis last year in the playoffs we all thought ‘Next year is our last year, let’s just do whatever we can and become as close as we can’,” senior Trace Jessup said. “I think how close we are and how hard we decided to work for our last year [helped us].” Many of the guys agree that they’ve grown in depth, meaning that no matter who’s playing, their skill on the court is constant. The team members stressed how any player can be switched in to or out of the game and it doesn’t affect the score, figuring that they don’t have to worry about pacing themselves and can simply give it their all. “Our intensity in our game has picked up,” Fromm said. “We have a ‘to-kill’ instinct.” The number one priority is playing to the best to their abilities.
“We play as hard as we can every time, even if we lose,” junior Zach Kocur said. “We don’t want to lose saying that we could have done something better. We give it all we have while we’re out there.” But just physical strength and power won’t win basketball games, they said. What really inspires them are the fans. “We have the best fans in the world,” junior Shane Jensen said. “At every game our bleachers are completely filled. At away games, we have more fans than their home fans. We love them.” The crowd offers them so much support, and the guys truly appreciate it. Coach Snyder says he especially values the band that comes to play for them, ramping up the spirit even more. “I love the fans and all the creativity that they bring to every game,” junior Tim Haas said. “They’re just great.” The Warrior spirit truly is a factor. All of the players agree that the energy their fans bring to the court is the best part of the game. Nearing the end of a tough practice, senior Bobby Johannsen simply smiled and made one final request from the team, to give “a shout-out to our fans.”
is to kick the problem person or people off or to just find another team that works. The problem with this idea is that then that could plant a bad seed, figuratively. Some teammates might think that kicking someone off was extreme and they may cause a problem or quit in reaction. Now the simplest way to fix this is what I call the “stop being catty girls and start being mature athletes” fix. Now this fix pretty much goes they way the title says it does. All you do in your team is stop making drama, complaining and being selfish. Become more of a team and become closer, so it’s a brotherhood or a sisterhood. Take the boys varsity basketball team for example. They are a brotherhood inside and out. They have each other’s back, no matter
what. They know that drama happens but they know they won’t let it come between them and ruin their team, their friendship and their brotherhood. Their closeness helps them in their quest for the state championship title. The same idea goes for all teams who want to be the best they can be. Without team members being close, selfless and hardworking, a team can never reach its true potential. Another problem sometimes is that the parents get into the drama and then make it worse on the coaches and players. I’m not saying all parents do this, but it happens. I call it the “soccer mom syndrome” (no offense to soccer moms). When a parent gets this syndrome it can be almost deadly.
It won’t kill anyone but it has a very high percentage to make the kid feel frustrated or pressured and may cause the other parents to not like the diseased parent. The syndrome could be contagious to other parents and kids as well. I think this all goes back to my scarring experience with teams. The teams I was on never worked out no matter what I did or my coach or anyone else, we just couldn’t do it. Parents would get the “soccer mom syndrome,” coaches would go power-hungry or kids would become divas. However now that I’ve seen the boys basketball team truly work perfectly, on and off the court, I realize the perfect team isn’t impossible, just rare. The perfect team is full of hard work and passion for their sport and teammates.
We don’t want to lose saying that we could have done something better. We give it all we have while we’re out there.” – Zach Kocur, junior
Success in sports resides in the team, not necessarily the talent
WARRIOR CALL
Allie Jones | Sports Manager | Arapahoe Herald Does a perfect team exist? Is mates got caught up in the drama and forgot why they loved playing it possible to see a team work so a team sport and forgot what it was well together that there is never an like to work together. ounce of drama, complaining or However, this isn’t about me selfishness between teammates? and my problems (sorry to disapLooking at our boys varsity point), this is about what I hear basketball team I realize that, yes, from student athletes and how a perfect team exists and yes, they their teams seem far from perfect. have the perfect balance. Although the coaches and parents I guess in my past I’ve been scarred. Scarred by teams that were may not notice the drama, the complaining or the selfishness – full of people who were selfish, the rest of the athletes’ friends and complained and caused drama. All of that is why I quit playing sports. families hear about it. So many of my friends and teamOne way to fix this problem
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Young and Restless
Left: Junior Gus Waneka and Daniel Lara compete in the 3200m race during the first meet of the season for Thompson Valley. Waneka ran the race in 9:53, a new personal best for him. Below: Senior Ben Williamson runs the open 800 meter race during a 2010 track meet. Photos by Karina Ernst.
Thompson Valley Girls Track and Field aims for State behind proven athletes Austin Schempp – Editor-in-Chief Two years removed from their 4A State Title, and one year removed from their 2nd place State finish, the Thompson Valley Girls Track and Field Team is ready to continue and build upon their successful campaigns. For the girls, capturing the 4A State Title will not be an easy road, but they feel that they have the correct pieces to compete for the elusive title. “We’re going to win State this year, especially if we can pull together some sprint relays,” states junior Karina Ernst, a crucial piece to Thompson Valley’s success both in the track and field program as well as cross country where she placed sixth in the Colorado State Cross Country Championships. During Thompson Valley’s 2010 season, the Eagles found their way to second place in Class 4A, centered around a core of star athletes. Karina Ernst, a sophomore during the 2010 season, ran especially well at the State meet earning a third place finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:14, and an unnaturally close race in the 1600m run taking second place with a time of 5:10, a time that was one second from first for the event. The team also saw Katie Lindenmuth emerge as an individual State champion in the long jump, despite a season
plagued with injury. Also scoring at the State meet was Becky Schmitt, a senior at the time, who won the individual State title for the 3200m run. Replacing her, as well as other graduated seniors such as Shelby Soucek (sprints, hurdles) and Sarah Van Horn (pole vault), should pose a challenge for the Lady Eagles. For the 2011 season, the girls will look to returning stars for the majority of the points scored, but some new faces should stand out this year, as well. “We’re a young team on both sides, so there’s a lot of learning to be done, both by the kids and us coaches. There’s a lot of talent on both teams and we’re eager to see how things pan out. Fortunately, we have some great veterans,” explains head coach Matt Norton. Says junior Karina Ernst, “I think we’re going to be very competitive this year, we’ve got a lot of new and young talent. We also have experienced athletes returning.” Experienced athletes of the team know that success hangs in the balance of staying healthy. During the 2010 season, Lindenmuth found this a difficult task as she battled an injury throughout the season. “Overcoming an injury was really tough, but I’m stronger now, mentally and physically,” Lindenmuth states
“We’re a young team on both sides, so there’s a lot of learning to be done, by both the kids and us coaches.” -Coach Matt Norton
Strength and Speed Everywhere Behind a strong distance core, the boys track and field team looks to win Above: Katie Lindenmuth competes in a sprint relay for the Eagles. Lindenmuth looks to repeat her State long jump title this season. Photo by Karina Ernst. confidently. If athletes like Ernst and Lindenmuth are able to stay healthy and compete, Thompson Valley is sure that good things will come. “I’d like to get at least two [individual] State titles this year, but my main priority is to just come back from my injury and train,” says Ernst of her plans for the 2011 season. Lindenmuth identifies similar aspirations for herself this season. “I think I have a pretty good shot at winning State again,” says Lindenmuth
of repeating her long jump title. “I’ve trained all winter with the team, and I’m learning something new every day in practice.” Norton believes that the two will be a crucial component to the team’s success, and also will be “big parts of [the team’s] relay efforts this season.” As for the rest of the team, athletes like Abby Colpitts (400m, 800m) and Gina Schmitt (800m, 1600m) should see an improvement from last year, as well as other young athletes who have yet to make an impact in the program.
Austin Schempp-Editor-in-Chief This past fall, the Thompson Valley boys cross country team was the runner up for the State title in Class 4A. This was an impressive feat, one that hadn’t been achieved by the boys program since 2000. For spring 2011, the boy’s track and field team hopes to capitalize on the success of its cousin program and go further than their 35th place finish at the State Meet in 2010. At last year’s State Meet, the boys earned nine points, eight more than that of the 2009 team. Andy Kemmer, a senior sprinter in 2010 qualified for State competition in both the 100m and 200m race. Kemmer was fourth in the 200m and 10th in the 100m and provided the team some much needed points. Junior Noah Harold, a rookie to the program, took 12th in the State at the triple jump. Also making noise at the meet was the boys 3200m relay team, who took 7th at State with a time of 8 minutes, 12 seconds. The end of 2010 also meant the end of a high school track career for several key members of Thompson Valley’s team which included Andy Kemmer and Thomas McKenna, a member of the 3200m relay team. Despite the losses, the boys believe they can do better, and with a strong core of distance runners leading the way, the team should be competitive not only in the Northern Conference, but for state competition as well. “For the boys, we’re much stronger in every event group than the last three years, at least. Field events,
in particular, may be the best we’ve had since I’ve been here. The distance squad should come close to matching the 2006 team, while the sprinters, hurdlers, and relays are showing drastic improvement,” says head coach Matt Norton. “We should be top three in the conference. Our distance events will anchor our team,” says senior Ben Williamson, also a member of last year’s 3200m relay team. Anchoring the distance program is junior Gus Waneka who recently ran a sub-ten Above: Gus Waneka competes during a regular season meet last year. Waneka minute two mile, proving hopes to qualify in multiple events this season. Photo Courtesy of Karina his hard work during winter Ernst. conditioning has paid off. Shaffer (discus), Sam Baca (shot), Ben Williamson Norton is excited for the (distance) and Daniel Lara (distance) are expected to possibilities surrounding Waneka, saying, “Gus had make an impact. Norton believes that these young men a great winter of running and is stronger than ever. Two weekends ago, he ran ten miles under 60 minutes have all “moved up a level and should consistently be very competitive.” which should bode very well for the 3200m. He also The team is also looking forward to future years, as has great power and speed, which should translate to assistant coach Doug Crumb is now the district pole sub-4:30 (1600m), sub 2:00 (800m) times.” vault coach. Norton wants to recruit young kids “in Other athletes are expected to rise to the occasion hopes of dominating that event in the next couple of for the program. Guys like Josh Mielke (hurdles, years.” sprinting) Noah Harold (sprinting, jumping), Trent
“We should be top three in the Conference.” -Ben Williamson
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Left: Junior Abby Colpitts runs in a relay during the City to City Challenge for the Eagles. Photo by Karina Ernst. Above: Senior Alicia Randall, junior Gina Schmitt, and sophomore Lauren Andersen, run the 3200 meter race during the City to City Challenge Meet. Photo by Karina Ernst.
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Mustang sports New coach and young team tackle adversity Story and photo by Amelia Schofield Hopes were high when Justin Armour, a former NFL player, took over the football program here at Manitou Springs High School. Armour had only lost three games in his entire four years as a student at MSHS, but now his record has been shattered after the team’s slow start of 1-5. When asked, Armour says he feels for the guys more than anything. When he was in high school it was unusual to have underclassmen in starting positions. This year, the mustangs have seven sophomores in starting positions on the defensive side of the ball. The Mustangs have had many obstacles in the way including personnel injuries and suspensions. Manitou started the season without five players, Colt Graham, Chad Sienknecht, Joe Boehn, Devin Parker and Brandon Vaughn who had been suspended due to violations of the athletic policy. Also two guys including kicker Steve Peek, joined the team late. Now, past the midway point of the season, nine players have suffered injuries.
One of the most impacting was the injury of Donato Santos during the homecoming game. During the second quarter, Donato caught a pass to put the mustangs at the one-yard line. As play carried on, fans realized Santos wasn’t getting up. “At first I thought it was just his ankle because they continued to play but when they stopped again and no one else was down I got nervous,” Gabby Santos said. After the injury, the team ended up losing to the Buena Vista Demons. Donato’s injury impacted the team immensely. “Donato is a gamer especially on the offensive side of the ball,” James Schofield said, “He shows up and makes plays and he made a great play when he got injured.” After much speculation, Santos was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and is out the rest of the season. When asked how this will affect the rest of the season head Armour said, “Losing a kid of Donato’s ability is never good for the team. This year has been full of hurdles and losing excellent players is always tough.” The Mustangs are going to face challenging opponents as the season continues, but with some key players coming back from suspension, hopes are high. “We have made adjustments and other kids have stepped up into the opportunities that opened up. It’s important for us to play better week to week, improving individually and as a team.”
At the Homecoming game, the Mustangs line up on defense, hoping to stop Buena Vista’s attack. Many players have done just that. Sam Shultz, Logan Delph, Aaron Malvern, Coty Blumenfield, and Joe Boehn are a part of the team this year after not playing for a few years. These five players have been an incredible help Armour said. Shultz has taken the role of starting quarterback and team captain. In the two games following homecoming he passed for 250 yards, and then had 200 passing yards along with 100 yards receiving after. “Stats like that are quite outstanding,” Armour said. The joined efforts of Malvern, Delph and Blumenfield have helped quite a bit on the defensive side of the
ball. In the meantime, Boehn made his debut game against Trinidad on October 15. “Even in practice you can see the difference Joe is going to make on the offensive side and defensive side.” Armour said. Along with those players there have been four players that have been extremely reliable, not missing any practice and giving there hardest during games. KC Quarry, Cole Jones, Dillion Brown and Chad Sienknecht have put forth a huge effort in the season. Although the Mustangs have faced difficult obstacles, they have very high prospects for the future.
Lady Mustangs beat Alamosa, Basalt to advance to regionals By Jake Bockhorst The girls volleyball team, despite once again being a bit short on experience, is still moving steadily forward into the playoffs. The Mustangs are suiting only five seniors and two juniors for playoffs and rely on a number of sophomores, including Gabby Santos, Meghan McGee, Ali Thompson, and Alyssa Archuleta to provide the team with energy and consistency. “The sophomores work hard, are very driven and competitive and don’t necessarily play like sophomores, they play more confidently,” said Ms. O’Connor, the girls head volleyball coach. The Mustangs finished third in their league with a 6-4 league record, losing
Photo by Amelia Schofield
Junior Courtney Sikora tosses the ball for a serve against St. Mary’s Academy.
twice to TCA and CSCS. They ended their season with a solid overall 12-7 record and have used the season’s experience to advance to regionals. Saturday, the Mustangs finished in the top two at Districts at St. Mary’s to earn that spot. If the girls hope to continue they have to, “be consistent and aggressive, but also smart,” O’Connor added. The team is intent on trying to get to the state tournament and has been fueled by senior leadership. Starting seniors Calla Urban, Lisa Wood, and Devin Keating have provided the team with valuable experience along with juniors Courtney Sikora and Connor Wilkinson. Coach O’Connor summed up the efforts of the season, “Like any team, we’re measuring success based on meeting the potential of the team, by seeing if we can play to our capabilities. “ The girls will play Valley High School in Gilcrest on Saturday in pool play, meaning once again the top two advance.