Issue 3

EA

13 students design ring exclusively for Allen pg. 2

Music video brings school together pg. 7

Bowling team hopes to make it to state pg. 12

Eagle Angle Newspaper

Allen High School // Allen, Texas, 75002 // Volume 30, Issue 3 // January 15, 2013

Hope grows

Juniors volunteer at children’s house in Honduras

story by Laura Hallas // staff writer

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he two girls walk through the small Honduran villages near Puerto Lempira, attracting quite a bit of attention. The “gringos,” or non-Hispanics, are a novelty. The indigenous Miskito Indians turn a full 360 degrees, staring at the visitors.

But as the girls move closer and closer to the cluster of four buildings, things begin to get more familiar. Children run up and cling onto them.

“It is like going to visit your family,” junior Katie Slaughter said.

Slaughter and junior Megan Randolph volunteer with Send Hope, a non-profit organization that has been caring for underprivileged Miskito Indian children in Puerto Lempira, Honduras, since 2005.

Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America, with 60 percent of its population below the poverty line.

“It is just eye-opening,” Randolph said. “These kids don’t have anything, and if they can be happy, just coming back [to Honduras from Allen each year], it just really set my priorities straight.”

Start of Hope

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end Hope’s facility contains a school, dental clinic, a volunteers house, and a children’s

house named the House of Hope.

Slaughter and Randolph have been volunteering at the house for the past three years, going for about 10 days each summer, and they said they plan to continue.

Send Hope is traced back to 1991, when a fellow church member at the First United Methodist Church of Allen invited Allen dentist Tom Brian on a mission trip to Honduras.

“I told him I had always wanted to [help people who didn’t have access to dentists],” Brian said.

“So I went and I pulled teeth for a week, and realized that’s what God called me into the dental field for back when I was in high school.”

While Brian was in Honduras, he said he met an 11-year-old boy whom he still remembers. A memento of their first meeting, a stick, remains prominently displayed in the corner of his Allen office.

“One day I was there, [and] I saw this kid [...] using [a] stick to walk with,” Brian said. “I thought that he was using it as a toy, but I realized he was using it to walk with because he didn’t have any crutches.”

The boy, named Walter, had broken his ankle when he was 3 years

old and it had become infected. Brian brought the 11-year-old to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, where he was treated.

It was his experiences with Walter that inspired Brian to start the children’s home in 2005, which currently holds 45

the friends became interested in Send Hope after Randolph’s brother and mother volunteered for the organization.

Randolph said that she was in shock her first year

volunteering, when she saw the poverty first hand.

“When my mom and brother came back and just showed us // continued on page 7

children ranging

from newborns to teens.Volunteers from the church helped construct the buildings and brought the first teens to the project.

Getting involved

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“

It is just eye-opening. These kids don’t have anything, and if they can be happy, just coming back [to Honduras from Allen each year], it just really set my priorities straight.

laughter and Randolph are members of the church, and

junior Megan Randolph

Ch

”

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Football wins state championship 35-21

Sweet victory The football team hoists the 5A Division I championship trophy shortly after receiving their gold medals. photo by Saher Aqeel

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he clock hits zero. The game and season are over.

Senior team captain and offensive lineman John Clark is on the field and isn’t sure what to do. So he kneels down on the ground and prays, thanking God for helping his team become the 5A Division I state champions.

“You know at this point it really is still surreal, and it hasn’t completely sunk in. I have to remind myself by looking at that medal,” Clark said a few days after the state championship game.

Game night

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n front of 48,379 fans at Cowboys Stadium, the Allen Eagles beat the Houston Lamar Redskins 35-21 on Dec. 22

story by Akshay Mirchandani // sports editor art by Garret Holcombe

to win their first state championship team just makes all the difference in said. “You know, in the past teams in since 2008 and join a list of just nine the world,” Hermann said.

DeSoto and Skyline and other teams, Going into the championship they take plays off, and we weren’t schools that have won multiple 5A game, SportsdayHS of the Dallas accustomed to that and it took us state championships.

“I was happy for the team,” head Morning News showed that their a little bit to adjust to that as an coach Tom Westerberg said. “I wanted offense was the fifth best scoring offense.” us to finish the thing out with a win, offense out of all the 5A schools in Lamar’s offense had 25 first and when you get to that point, that’s the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex downs, 227 rushing yards, 220 what you want to do. passing yards That’s one of the things about being an Allen and 447 yards And I was very happy for them that they did Eagle, you do things right and you lay it out all of total offense, that as a group because but Westerberg on the line. senior Cameron Hartsfield this is a great group of kids.” said the defense Tammy Hermann and her with an average of 43.9 points per did a good job of stopping Lamar. husband Mike have been season game, but during their first two “[We] don’t really worry ticket holders for nine years and possessions of the game they had only about what all the stats look like,” said winning state is great for the 59 yards of offense.

Westerberg said. “Bottom line is “I think the reason why we that we had more points than they community. “[The championship is] just a started so slow is that [Lamar] was did, and we were very opportunistic testament to the fact that a one-school a little bit different in the fact that when we had our chances and we got town that really gets behind their they fought every single play,” Clark some points out of the deal so that

“

”

was really the biggest key.”

One of those defensive stops came with 6:17 left in the fourth quarter. Lamar was down 28-21, but the Eagles forced a turnover on downs. That gave the ball back to the offense and set up a 67-yard touchdown run by senior running back Marcus Ward to make the game 35-21.

Senior defensive back Cameron Hartsfield, who won the defensive MVP of the game, said that the defense knew they needed to keep up their intensity.

“We wanted the stop as bad as they wanted the first down,” Hartsfield said. “That’s one of the things about being an Allen Eagle, you do things right and you lay it out all // continued on page 13

Inside news 2-3 // feature 6-7// center 8-9 // opinions 10-11 // sports 12-15 // photo essay 16

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Flu season hits hard, fast story by Victoria Erb // assistant editor

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“It gives me pause [that the flu has started earlier this season],” junior/senior nurse Vicky Bayer said.

“It makes me wonder if the shot is going to be effective for people that did get immunized, those smart people out there. Is it going to work for them?”

Junior Addison White was diagnosed with the flu on Dec. 11 and stayed home from school on Dec. 12.

“My family was freaking out [that I had the flu] because both my mom and my dad were going out of town that day,” White said. “My dad was already gone and my mom was about to leave when I told her I had a fever, so she was like, ‘I am taking you to the doctor. I don’t wanna leave without knowing what’s wrong with you.’ It was a big deal.”

According to the CDC, common symptoms of the flu include fever,

chills, coughing and muscle and body aches; common complications are pneumonia, bronchitis and sinus and ear infections.

“Either the fever or the headache [was the worst] because it caused me the most physical pain [when I was sick],” White said.

White, a color guard officer, said she was surprised that she got the flu because she has never had it before.

She did not receive a flu vaccine this season. In order to be protected from the flu, flu.gov recommends getting the vaccine.

“I honestly don’t know [why I got the flu],” White said. “I didn’t get it when my sister had it. It’s probably because a bunch of girls in color guard had come back from being sick, and all those different exposures [are] probably what caused it.”

In addition to the vaccine, the

CDC also recommends frequent hand washing, covering your mouth or nose when coughing or sneezing and avoiding contact with sick people.

“I stay away from people who are generally sick,” junior Justin Smith said. “If they come to school and they’re coughing up a lung, I can’t be around them. And then when it’s cold outside, I bundle up.”

According to the CDC, the vaccine forces the body to produce antibodies, which protects it from the virus. For this reason, the vaccine lasts for different amounts of time depending on the person and how good their immune system is. Bayer said it takes two weeks for the flu shot to take effect. “[The flu vaccine is] your best method of prevention, besides hand washing, staying away from sick people and things like that,” Bayer

said. “It’s an [added] protection that you cannot get anywhere else. It’s a great protection because it’s telling your body to recognize this bug and get rid of it if it comes in.”

Because the flu season is starting earlier and will be more dangerous this season, White said she will be more cautious.

“I’ll just [be] extra careful,” White said. “I’ll just try to be healthier now because I have been sick.”

Smith said that the flu season will not change the way he lives.

“I’m just going to do my everyday [thing],” Smith said. “I’m just going to do whatever I’m going to do. When swine flu [came out], everybody was taking precautions, but then there’s me. I was taking precautions at first, but then I was like, ‘I don’t care.

Whatever. I’m not going to get sick.’

And I didn’t.”

Students create new, official class ring A story by Mckenzi Morris // operations manager

Jan. 29

e th by

Feb. 8

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In order to accustom to the new Lindsey Elementary School located in McKinney for the 2013-2014 school year, Allen ISD is proposing changes to school boundaries.

The proposal began on August 2012, and the final decision will take place on Jan. 29.

pi le

The Dallas Wind Symphony performed a special holiday show at the PAC titled “Horns for the Holidays” on Dec. 16. and featured the band brass musicians who performed with the wind symphony. They performed in a pre-concert conducted by head band director Charles Pennington.

Jan. 12

School boundaries

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Holiday show

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le

Dec. 16

Registration for the Allen Eagle Run has begun and will take place until Feb. 8 for $15, from Feb. 9 to Feb. 26 for $20 and at the door for $25. Benefiting both teacher and student scholarships, this 5K Run is sponsored by the Foundation For Allen Schools and Allen Council of PTAs. The Run will take place on March 2 at the Eagle Stadium.

ta ff

Band

Band Area level auditions will take place on Jan. 12. Out of more than 200 Allen students who auditioned for all-region on Dec. 4 and 5, seven advanced to Area, 12 were selected as alternates and 28 were selected for the All-Region honor bands.

Eagle Run

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the news angle

photos by Saher Aqeel

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“After seeing all the college rings, we were just looking for some inspiration and we [thought], they all have their crest, where’s ours? No one in Allen High School really knows about the crest,” senior Hae Song Lee said.

Opportunity, Unity, Diversity: “We thought [the words] best represented Allen High School in general because we have so many opportunities in Allen,” Lee said. “It’s a small town but we have so many blessings. Then unity, we’re all together. We only have one school in the district of Allen but you don’t really see that anywhere else.”

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School Crest:

Eagles on the side: “The front of the stadium where it says Eagle Stadium, there are two eagles that stand guard and in the front of our school there’s also two eagles,” Lee said. “We were just like ‘oh we should incorporate this in our ring some how.’”

“We tried to incorporate different things from around the school, like something you wouldn’t notice,” Anderson said. “The eagle statues that are outside in the front of the school on each sides of the doors, those are the eagles that go around on the band of the ring.”

An gl

Horseshoe: “We incorporated the stadium because it honestly, whether you like it or not, has become an icon of our town and our high school and who we are as a student body,” Anderson said.

pproached by Executive Principal Steve Payne with the idea of creating a new class ring in early September through their IB art class and PALs II class, 13 students contributed to the design.

“It was really awesome to be a part of [designing the ring] honestly. And knowing that if it does catch on, it will be a legacy that I was a part of,” senior Connor Walden said.

Each ring will have a unique number engraved on the inside of the band and the ring with the number “1” on it will go to the high school.

“I feel really privileged. That’s something our school is about, privilege,” junior Siri Anderson said. “We are all really lucky to be here, at a school like this. It’s the first high school class ring to be made [by students].”

Purchase is open to current juniors and seniors and orders were taken on Dec. 13 and 14.

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Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

ue to the influenza virus vaccine not matching this year’s strain, this flu season has started earlier than normal.

In the United States, it typically peaks in January or February and can last until May, according to flu.gov. It is unclear when this season started, but Dr. David Berry of Blacksburg, VA said the earliest known local case of the flu was in September.

ABC News in Philadelphia said that the last time a flu season was this bad was the winter of 2003-04, when there were 48,000 deaths in the United States, making it one of the most lethal seasons in the past 35 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 18 infant, child and adolescent deaths associated with the flu since the beginning of October 2012.

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SOPA and PIPA strike

Whitney Houston dies

Kony 2012

Where: United States When: Jan. 18 What: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are Internet censorship bills created by the Senate to stop online piracy. On Jan. 18, protesters went on strikes to stop SOPA and PIPA from being passed.

Websites opposed to the two bills, including Google and Wikipedia, also participated. Wikipedia shut down for the day, and Google ‘censored’ their logo.

Where: Beverly Hills, California When: Feb. 11 What: Singer, actress, producer and model Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel suite’s bath tub. Houston’s autopsy results and blood work revealed that she was a chronic cocaine user and her last dose the night she died caused her blood pressure to drop, resulting in loss of consciousness and drowning.

She was 48 years old at the time of her death.

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4 ‘Batman’ Premiere shooting

7 Neil Armstrong dies

Where: Cincinnati, Ohio When: Aug. 25 What: Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, died on Aug. 25. He died at the age of 82 due to complications from bypass surgery.

10 President Obama’s Re-election

When: Nov. 4 What: President Barack Obama was re-elected with 332 electoral votes over Republican Mitt Romney’s 206. Among the popular vote, Obama received 51 percent of the votes and Romney received 47 percent. Obama won key swing states that could have tipped the scale in Romney’s favor, including Ohio, Florida and Virginia.

2012

When: July 27 through Aug. 12 What: The 2012 Olympics were held in London this summer.

Synchronized swimming, gymnastics, diving, archery and cycling were a few examples of the 206 events. 204 countries participated and Michael Phelps won the most medals in Olympic history, bringing home six medals in all: four gold and two silver in swimming. Aly Raisman brought home two gold medals and one bronze medal in gymnastics, also for the USA.

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Benghazi Attack

When: Sept. 11 What: Armed Islamic militants in Benghazi, Libya, stormed the U.S. diplomatic mission building and killed the American ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three of his staff members.

The attack was brought on by a 14-minute American-made YouTube video portraying the Prophet Muhammad as a villain.

It emphasized the instabilities of countries that participated in 2011’s unrest and revolutions.

11 Sandy Hook School Shooting

Where: Newtown, Connecticut When: Dec. 14 What: For reasons still under investigation, 20-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire on Sandy Hook Elementary School Dec.14, killing 20 6 to 7-year-olds and six adults.

President Obama, who ordered flags to be flown at half-mast, said during his national address, “These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.”

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MCT Campus

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6 Mars Landing When: Aug. 13 What: The $2.6 billion rover Curiosity landed on Mars, beaming back pictures of the red planet. It began travel on Nov. 26, 2011, and is supposed to spend two years on Mars collecting data that it will send back to NASA.

http://www.rcshield.com/2012/03/studentsraise-awareness-about-joseph-kony/

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9 Superstorm Sandy

When: Oct. 24 What: Superstorm Sandy developed in the western Caribbean Sea on Oct. 22 and passed through Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas on Oct. 24, making landfall on the U.S. Northeast Coast on Oct. 29.

Sandy caused major flooding, power outages and an estimated $50 billion worth of damages.

Sandy took the lives of at least 125 people in the United States and 71 people in the Caribbean.

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MCT Campus

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http://www.bh mpics.com/view-london_o lympics2_012-1920x1200.html

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World Ending

When: Dec. 21 What: There were predictions that the world would end on Dec. 21, 2012, because the Mayan calendar ended on that date. Many people prepared for the prediction by teaching their kids survival tips and training themselves to expect the worst in a situation. There were also other predictions that arose as a result of the original end of the world prediction, such as a total blackout from Dec. 23 – Dec. 25.

MCT Campus

compiled by Megan Lucas & Rebecca Moss // assistant editor & staff writer

a year for the books graphic by Madyson Russell // layout editor

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

Where: Aurora, Colorado When: June 20 What: James Holmes, 24, entered a midnight premiere of “The Dark Night Rises” wearing a riot helmet and gas mask and dressed in all black. He exploded canisters of gas and then began to open fire on the crowd, killing 12 people and wounding 58.

Holmes is still awaiting trial for the shooting.

Summer Olympics

When: March 5 What: Invisible Children, cofounded in 2004 by Jason Russell, launched its Kony 2012 campaign through a YouTube video in March. It urged viewers to rally and alert their governments about the child armies, called Lord’s Resistance Armies (LRA), in Central Africa led by Joseph Kony. Their goal was to capture Kony by the end of 2012, which was not accomplished. The video currently has more than 96 million views on YouTube.

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4 Do you have a place to practice archery after NASP?

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

Texas Archery Academy in Plano is a 30,000 sq ft indoor archery range with shooting distances from 10 – 50 yards and archery classes for students at any skill level.

Visit our website at www. texasarcheryacademy. org, take a look at the pictures, review our instruction programs, join the JOAD team or just stop on by and shoot for a while.

gourmet burgers hand-dipped shakes diner specialties 20% discount when you present your school ID! The Village of Fairview 148 Fountain Court Northeast Corner of Stacy Rd. and 75 972-549-4133 www.purplecowtexas.com Valid for students, parents, staff and faculty. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Dine in or carry out.

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Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

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Fandom frenzy story by Nini Truong // staff writer photos by Saher Aqeel

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andom. Family. Those two words are synonymous with each other. A fandom is a large group of people that connects from all over the world and bond over a television show, book, movie or any piece of pop culture. A family is a group of people you feel comfortable to be yourself around and will love you unconditionally. In short, a fandom is a family. The Eagle Angle decided to explore four fandoms that are popular among students.

Doctor Who

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

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he Brits seem to have it all. Cute guys, cute accents and cute aliens.

That’s right, aliens.

“Doctor Who” is a British sciencefiction television show that began in the 1950s and continues on today, thanks to the current show’s writer, Stephen Moffat.

Doctor Who follows the intergalactic adventures of the time-travelling Doctor and companions, such as Martha Jones, Donna Noble and most recently Amy Pond and Rory Williams. Doctor Who is the longest running science-fiction television show.

“You’ve got the grandparents that are the old fans and the parents that may have watched the new Doctors and the end of the old Doctors and there are the children that are watching

the new Doctors,” sophomore Robin Ewoldson said. “It’s linked all these generations into one collective group.”

Fans of “Doctor Who,” or Whovians, interact with each other through conventions, role-play, the Internet and fanfiction. Students wear Doctor Who shirts and acquire collectables such as the Sonic Screwdriver. “[Before getting into Doctor Who], I read books and I didn’t watch television at all,” Ewoldson said. “It got me into watching television again. It connected me with most of the friends I have today. Without them and Doctor Who, I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as I am today.”

Family photo 2013 t Holcombe ar t by Garre

es Madi Nutterfield or m ho op S ) ht g ri o t ft e l W hovians: (from l , Lindsey Myers ,Robin Ewoldson, Sam Kno

Anime

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riginating in Japan and dating back to World War II, anime has been popular among adolescents for years. Anime consists of graphic novels and television versions of the novels. Popular animes include Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin and Bleach.

Anime tends to put the characters in strange situations that don’t occur in everyday life such as ninjas training to become a ninja master, young boys using their sixth sense to solve crimes and assassins

redeeming themselves.

“A lot of situations in anime are over the top, what if scenarios,” junior Joshua Campbell said. “Like with [Rurouni] Kenshin. He was an assassin from a war that had been over for 10 years. His legends are always so blown out of proportion.”

Anime has been popular among American teens since the ‘80s. It is common to walk into the library and find shelves dedicated to 1,107 anime novels, or mangas, as

they’re referred to among anime fans.

“Anime, it’s not as geeky as you think it is,” senior Madeline Dreymala said.

Fans, like Dreymala, get into cosplaying and show off their creations at conventions.

“I have a rainbow of cosplay,” Dreymala said. “I have been focusing on cosplays where I can do fun props with it. I’m really good with jigsaws and power tools and all that stuff.”

My Little Pony

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ronically, grown men have begun watching “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” Celebrities such as Stephen Colbert have found themselves watching episodes of My Little Pony and last year, there was a club dedicated to “My Little Pony” that has disbanded since then after the seniors of the club graduated.

The students in the club would watch and discuss episodes together.

“My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” is a cartoon that began airing every Saturday morning on The Hub in October 2010. The show follows the daily lives of various ponies.

“It’s meant for little girls but it’s more attractive to dudes,” senior Amanda Nico said.

Bronies,

fans of My Little Pony, show their love by doing what most other fandoms do: watching the show, cosplaying, roleplaying and writing fanfiction. But what makes this fandom different is that the creators of the show actually listen to what the bronies have to say.

“The fandom is so big that there are thousands, it’s huge,” sophomore Max Hudson said. “There are many different sub-categories of bronies.There are regular bronies that watch the show and listen to fan-created music. [Some] make actual plushies. Others enjoy cosplay and putting them in different situations. Another reason why this fandom is so special is because the producers interact with the fandom.”

Bronies: (lef t to Reiersgord, right) sophomores Dan Max Hudso ie n, Dil on Ran l McPart land, Connor ey

Avengers

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ver since the movie’s release in May, “The Avengers” fan base has blown up. Starting off as a comic book series, people from places such as Canada, United Kingdom and here fawn over the heroes in The Avenger’s Initiative, the official league these heroes are in.

“The Avengers” include Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Thor and Black Widow, the heroes who

are set to save the world. Fans obsess over their favorite hero or villain, watch their favorite movie multiple times and wear their Avengers loving heart on their sleeve. “[People outside the fandom] think we’re crazy.

They think we like something too much,” senior Asa Litolff said. “You look at things differently and you care for the characters and the people.”

“The Avengers” fandom

is known to be almost entirely created off the Internet. Fans, including Litolff, congregate on blogging platforms such as Tumblr and discuss their favorite heroes from there.

To the fans, these heroes are not just characters in a movie, they’re real heroes that mean something. “[The Avengers] are people who are normal and go out and become the hero,” Litolff said.

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In sync

Students film schoolwide music video story by Maggie Rians // staff writer

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music video that combines lip syncing and audio dubbing. The majority of the filming at the school took place on Friday, Nov. 30, but a committee of staff and students spent weeks preparing for the event.

“I wanted to put Allen on the map,” student leadership I and II teacher Stevie Mayberry said. “[Other schools] know us for our stadium, they know us for our football team, they know us for band. They know us for our [eagle]. They know us for several things, but they don’t know what else we have to offer.”

After 30 hours of editing by senior Trevor Trepanier and junior Chase Sedate, the school viewed the completed lip dub on Dec. 17.Senior Liz Smith said that she had both a positive and negative reaction to the finished product. “[The lip dub] had good intentions and I think it could [have] been better if we actually had more

Camera time While junior Cody Nguyen films from the golf cart, anatomy and physiology students in the main hall hold skulls and other science materials to perform their scene in the lip dub. photo by Saher Aqeel

time to [complete] it,” Smith said. I really liked the band part down on the field. I felt like that was one of the better parts.”

The three songs chosen for the lip dub were “Home” by Phillips, “Good Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City and “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons. Gregoriew said he wanted songs that would generate excitement but also had a deeper meaning. He said one of his goals was to make the student body seem like a family despite the large number of people.

“The key meaning in ‘It’s Time’

by Imagine Dragons is in a line that says several times ‘I’m never changing who I am’ and so that’s again another piece of that element that we were trying to get across,” Gregoriew said.

“This is your home. We are going to try to have a good time while we’re here, but you don’t have to change who you are. Go find what works for you. Go to that club. Go to the organization. Go to that team. Go to the part of the school that’s for you and be you.”

Smith lip synced as the Homecoming Queen and a Yearbook editor. “[Lip syncing] seemed like so much fun so I decided to volunteer,” Smith said. “I also wanted to do it because it’s something else to [get involved with].

The lip dub was supposed to be filmed in the perspective of a new student, played by sophomore Jordan Pryor, entering the school for the first time. Gregoriew said that he thought Pryor would play the role as the new student well because he has attended schools in the district

Singing along Filmed by junior Zac Butler, Scientific Research and Design members sing their part in the lip dub, directed by JP Gregoriew on Nov. 30 around the school. photo by Saher Aqeel since kindergarten and is involved in extracurricular activities such as hip hop club and theater.

“At first, [the role of the new student] was intimidating because you usually don’t go into a big group of people and say ‘Hey, let’s be friends,’” Pryor said. “But after a while, you start getting used to it.

You start getting to meet new people and see what it is like to be in other groups and what the other after school activity people are like.”

Gregoriew said that he selected five students to be the main cinematographers. These students include: juniors Evelyn Pecikonis, Zac Butler and Cody Nguyen; sophomores Jacob Jolly and Ryan Fairbanks. He also gave other A/V Production students opportunities to help with the filming process.

“I was really excited to have the opportunity to film because I thought we were going to only have one camera person try to compete

for [filming the lip dub],” Pecikonis said. “But at the end we all got a little piece, and I was really excited that we could contribute.”

Besides selecting the three songs and film operators, Mayberry and Gregoriew said the preparation process included scheduling the timing for the music, mapping out a location for each organization and rehearsing the lip dub process.

“When we actually started [filming] and said ‘Go,’ chills ran across my body,” Mayberry said. “The whole [process] gave me the chills.”

Pecikonis said she thinks that the lip dub was not only a great experience for her but also the school as a whole. “[As I filmed] standing in the hallways next to all the clubs it made me realize that the [lip dub] is something the whole school can do together,” Pecikonis said. “And to have the entire school getting together is really awesome.”

Students return to Honduras for mission work // continued from front page all of the pictures, it just didn’t seem real,” Randolph said. “It was even more [shocking] when I met the kids, that this is real. But just hearing about it, you wouldn’t even think that [the level of poverty] would be possible.”

The two girls went down for the first time the summer before freshman year and have continued for the last three years.

“When I was with [them], I was happy,” Randolph said. “But when you’re by yourself and you are thinking about it, that was just shocking for me. But then over the years, it’s still sad, but it gets more important to make [the kids] happy in the now.”

Reaching out

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hile the house is not an orphanage, Slaughter said that many of the children stay there indefinitely. She said that often the parents are unable to care for the kids, and the kids have little future outside of Send Hope.

“Most of them aren’t going to leave because where are they going to go?” Slaughter said. “They all have family, but their family is living just like them, it’s not like most of them have an opportunity to get a good education and go somewhere, a few of them do, but most of them don’t.

They are just focused on getting their food.”

Slaughter said she remembers one of the first kids she fell in love with, named Addison. When she found him, he was living on the streets, his father imprisoned and his mother unable to properly care for him. Addison was only 7 years old at the time.

“In comparison to the kids here [in the U.S], it is a much purer love,” Slaughter said. “They are not looking for anything from us, they just want to hold our hand.”

Kids like Addison who are brought to the House of Hope receive food, medical care, education and a place to stay. One medical condition that the house deals with is malnutrition. Through donations, the house is able to care for about 200 malnourished babies and children.

Slaughter said that about 80 percent of the children who stay at House of Hope were previously sexually abused and that this can become an issue, like when one girl returned from a visit with her family and began abusing other kids.

“It is frustrating,” Randolph said. “You are trying to teach them one thing and that is the other thing about the parents coming and getting them. [They] go back and everything

that they were taught just goes out the window. They are back and forth between the two [lifestyles]. It would just be easier if we could keep them.”

While Send Hope cares for the children, they do not have custody of them, so parents can come and take their kids whenever they want. With almost no way of reaching the kids during the year, Slaughter said she feels helpless when they leave.

“It is kind of scary when we leave every year because we don’t know for sure that they will be there next year,” Slaughter said. “The first year we came back and a lot of those kids were gone, and [the volunteers] don’t know where they are; we aren’t going to see them again.”

Lasting love

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he organization has success stories where children are able to return to stable families, go to receive a better education in another country or are even adopted.

For example, there is an 11-yearold girl studying in Plano, and a boy who is awaiting adoption by a famous Honduran soccer player.

“Just the fact that the kids are alive are kind of success stories,” Slaughter said. “Like the babies, especially the kids who grow, who come as babies to the house, it is just

really cool. Like ‘this baby would have died,’ and now they are running around, helping other kids. It’s giving more kids the possibility of having a hope and future.”

Brian, who continues to visit Honduras, is struck by the contrast between people’s lives in the U.S. and South America and the difference she sees when she crosses the border. “[I] just realize how much we have and how little they have. [I] just wonder what made a difference,” Brian said. “On one side, a kid is going to get medical treatment, on the other side, maybe not. On the north side, people have an opportunity, on the south side, people are begging for opportunities, and [I] wonder why things are so different.”

Both Slaughter and Randolph plan on continuing their missionary work. Randolph wants to continue to tutor kids. Building on her experience as a PAL, Slaughter hopes to open her own children’s home.

“When you live here, you just think of missionaries and stuff. They are like the superhero Christians, but I never actually considered that I would do that,” Slaughter said. “And God put that on my heart, and now that’s what I want to do. So just going to the house, it just builds you.”

Hug it out Outside House of Hope, junior Megan Randolph hugs one of the little girls she worked with over the summer. photo submitted by Katie Slaughter

Compassion and Crayons Junior Katie Slaughter colors with two children during her yearly summer stay in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. photo submitted by Katie Slaughter

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

he cameras begin to roll and Phillip Phillips’ song “Home” blares through the football stadium as the band marches to the beat. Culinary students sprinkle flour in the air of the Performing Arts Center. Commercial photography students snap photos. One day. One school. One take.

“I thought the [lip dub] might be a really good way for people to be connected, to have something that they share,” lip dub director JP Gregoriew said. “Because if you’ve noticed in the filming of the lip dub, everybody is a part of it, so everybody knows the songs and everyone had a piece of it and that in itself connects us, not just because we are in the same building, but because we all do different things. It kind of connects people and pulls people together.”

A total of 104 clubs, organizations and athletic teams were represented in the lip dub which is a

8

The more it changes.

Remember when W

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

ith a population of 350, Allen was founded in 1870 as a stop for the Houston and Texas Railroad and was named after Ebenezer Allen, the former Texas attorney general. Allen began as a small town with three churches, a chair factory and a flour mill.

The site of the first railroad robbery in Texas happened in Allen where Sam Bass, a train robber and outlaw, pillaged a train on Feb. 22, 1878.

AHS 1970

Elementary & high school 1970

Roden baughs 1969

Shell gas sation 1965

story by Rebecca Barney & Kendall Hays // assistant online editor & staff writer 2013 photos by Saher Aqeel 1900s photos from AHS yearbooks

I

t is 1974, and 14-year-old Curtis Baxter moved to Allen, a small town with a population of around 5,000 people with more farmhouses than stores. There is a grocery store, a few small businesses and two or three gas stations, but the majority of Allen is undeveloped.

“You used to go to town and go to the grocery store, and [you] knew everybody in the store nearly,” Baxter said. “Now when I go to the grocery store, I don’t see anybody I know.”

Baxter founded Allen Automotive, a family-owned business, in 1978. Baxter said that he wanted to become a mechanic after taking automotive in high school at McKinney because Allen did not offer

it as an elective. At the time, the only other automotive businesses in Allen were a one-man garage on Jupiter and the five gas stations in Allen. “[My family] has been here so long that most of our clientele are the older families that have been here forever,” Baxter said. “They still come here, and they refer others. I’ve never advertised since we’ve been here.

We’ve lived off word of mouth, from person to person and just tried to treat people right.”

In 1978 Baxter graduated from a class of about 100 students, which was the largest class to graduate up to that time. Allen did not offer as many electives as it currently does, which is more than 100. Baxter’s two children

also attended Allen High School.

“When my kids came home and brought their homework and stuff, it just blew my mind,” Baxter said.

“The things they were having to do [for school] was way over my head.”

In 2003 the first class graduated from the high school instead of the current freshman center and had a class of about 850 people. PEIMS specialist Megan Perkins has lived in Allen since 1994 and attended elementary, middle and high school

here and graduated with that first class.

“The [high school] has doubled in size,” Perkins said. “All of the hallways were about half of what they are now. All the classes like veterinary medicine and the broadcast department, all of those things are new, so there’s some pretty awesome opportunities that are available now.”

When Perkins came to Allen in 1994 she said most of Twin Creeks had not been built yet, west

McDermott was two lanes and there were different requirements for graduation, such as not having to take physics.

“It’s been crazy to watch [Allen] grow so much and even crazier when my sisters would go off to college and come back and [a building] wasn’t there when they left,” Perkins said. “I know I’m like a little cheerleader for Allen, but I love this place.”

...

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Rolling on N

ow Allen is home to around 83,700 people, 5.5 million square feet of retail space, a $60 million dollar football stadium and was voted as the 13th best place to live in the United States for 2012 by “Money Magazine.”

AHS 2013

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

Shell 2013 Rodenbaughs 2013

Original railroad station 2013

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rom farmhouses to stadiums, Allen has grown both in population, which has nearly doubled in the last decade, and in the amount of activities it has to offer.

Baxter said that Allen is not at all what it was in 1974 and that almost everything except the atmosphere in Allen has changed.

“I don’t know what I could tell you has stayed the same,” Baxter said.

“I think maybe the football pride, even when I was in school. There was

a lot of pride in the football games.”

Junior David Garrett, who moved to Allen in July of last year, and sophomore Katie Primrose, who moved the summer before middle school, were both surprised by how big football is in Allen.

“I think that Texas just blows [football] up a little bit, obviously with our stadium [being big],” Primrose said. “There are just bigger crowds that come for it, and you go more all out for [football].”

After living in Allen for over three years, Primrose said that the best part about living in Allen is the bragging rights and being able to tell people about the stadium and large graduating classes.

“I think it’s cool to have such a high standard of excellence in everything that goes on here,” Primrose said.

Garrett said that one of his first impressions of Allen was how friendly everyone was.

“There are so many people that it’s easier to find people that share interests with you,” Garrett said. “It was pretty easy to find friends.”

Junior Brooke Nelson has lived in Allen for 12 years, and her parents also attended and graduated from high school here. The Nelsons moved back to Allen from Oklahoma once her father finished serving in the army.

“You come [to Allen] and it’s like this is my home, I’m not leaving,”

Nelson said. “I don’t want to leave.

I’ve always felt that way about Allen.”

Despite the growth in Allen, Nelson said it has maintained a sense of unity by having one high school instead of creating a rivalry by having several. “[Allen] is so big, but I feel that it still has that [small] town feel to it,” Nelson said. “It’s small to me. Even though it’s not small, it feels like it.”

...the more it stays the same

Pop Culture 2012

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Music

Movies

“Set Fire to the Rain”

by Adele

“The Dark Knight Rises” story by Carter Adams

story by Lucy Boys // staff writer

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

As with all of Adele’s songs, people play them so much on the radio to the point where you become immune to them. “Set Fire to the Rain” is certainly a song you can connect with but never describe. I would rate “Set Fire to the Rain” as a must listen because of Adele’s rich voice and mastery of music and lyrics, but only now and then, unless you want to be caught singing it at random times.

“Somebody That I Used to Know”

by Gotye

// staff writer With great casting and a thrilling story, the last installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises” really does rise above all the other movies that came out in 2012. An all-star cast, including Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman, brings the iconic characters to life in a way no actor or actress has done before.

With the seventh highest lifetime profits in United States’ history and second highest box office profits in 2012 and a magnificent cast and story, I expect “The Dark Knight Rises” to stay on the best movie list for many years to come.

“The Avengers”

Social Media Best of 2012 App(Free)

1.

2.

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Most Used Website: 1.

story by Carter Adams

// staff writer story by Lucy Boys // staff writer The interesting sounds and catchy beat made “Somebody That I Used to Know” an instant hit.

The song is a bit repetitive but adequately mixed with a variety of lyrics. “Somebody That I Used to Know” also presents itself nicely in a storytelling and hit song format to make it connectible. Now, after about five replays, the catchy beat has gotten stuck in my head and I wish it was just some song that I used to know.

“Call Me Maybe”

by Carly Rae Jepsen story by Lucy Boys // staff writer Unlike most songs, I heard this when it became a giant hit. I liked it the first few times but removed it from my playlist when the catchy tune and repetitive lyrics got stuck in my head. “Call Me Maybe,” however, had the ability to become a great song because of the flirty tone mixed with the overly repetitive lyrics and made Jepsen well known for her talent and voice. Many artists need a hit song to make their music known and get dedicated followers, and “Call Me Maybe” is Jepsen’s hit song.

“Gangnam Style”

by Psy story by Lucy Boys //

staff writer I have seen memes over it. I have seen people dance to “Gangnam Style.” However, I was so not expecting the confusing mesh of Korean and English and catchy beats and my pre-set bias of this song being changed and reassessed. This song confuses me. I like it in the sense that I can dance to it easily, but I prefer songs that make me feel something.

Perhaps if I had actually seized the chance to learn Korean, I could understand “Gangnam Style,” but for now, I would consider this a fun dance party song for homecoming but not a song to listen to relax.

Superhero movies usually do well in box office reviews, but Marvel’s “The Avengers” is a step above most movies in this genre. “The Avengers” is currently first in box office profits for 2012. With an entire cast of superhero all-stars, I thought that they would be competing for the spotlight in “The Avengers,” but director Joss Whedon allows for each character to shine in his or her own way. Hilarious jokes are cracked throughout the entire movie but never take away from the movie’s seriousness and tension. “The Avengers” is a fantastic movie filled with action, comedy and great actors.

“Hunger Games” story by Rebecca Cernadas // staff writer Inspired by Suzanne Collins’ novel, “The Hunger Games,” is based in a futuristic America where districts are forced to offer a boy and girl to fight to the death in an arena. It miraculously keeps the book’s important details and story line, which is rare for movies based off books. The script and acting blew me away. For example, the main character Katniss and her sister are even closer than they are in the book, importantly showing why Katniss wants to protect her. From the opening scene, the tension and fast pace glued my eyes on the screen.

With phenomenal acting, believable settings and incredible special effects, “The Hunger Games” definitely did the book justice.

“The Hobbit” story by Rebecca Cernadas // staff writer

2.

3.

Top Viral Videos by number of views (December 31 2012 ) 1. “Gangam Style” -904,630,060 2. “Kony 2012” -94,283,720 3. “A Dramatic Surprise on a Quiet Square” - 39,308,261

Most followed Instagram accounts as of 12/13/12 1. kimkardashian 2. justinbieber 3. kendalljenner

Inspired by J.R.R Tolkien’s novel, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” follows a young hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who sets out on an adventure with Gandalf and a group of dwarves to take back their home that was stolen by a dragon. The film impressed me with the script’s incredible mix of humor, sorrow and suspense. The movie was realistic with the special effects of the creatures and monsters, and the eerie forest setting is perfect because it’s impossible to know what creatures lurk in the shadows. The acting was spot on and the chosen actors were perfect for compiled by their role. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is a Rebecca Cernadas & must see.

Carter Adams // staff writers

graphic by Madyson Russell & Saher Aqeel

The upside to feeling doubt

Skipping success story by Jessica Alaniz //

story by Harrison Geosits // staff writer

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result that’s so much better than what you started with can be presented.

Doubt keeps us on our toes. It’s the ever-present inspector, always willing to point out our mistakes.

Whether it’s how terrible those jeans look, how lame that sentence structure is or how silly you seem in that hat, doubt will be the first person to tell you. But this isn’t a judgmental friend you can just shoo away. Doubt is always there, whether you like it or not, but its criticisms can be beneficial. Without that accomplice, we would end up leaving the house looking like a hot mess.

So many people say “listen to your heart” whereas I simply say listen to your doubt. It’s the one thing that tells us the truth, even if it’s easier for us to lie to ourselves. It may be easier to say that you look great in those jeans, that your essay is perfect and that your hat makes you look more sophisticated. But what kind of friend would doubt be if it lied to you? On Facebook, there are always those silly pictures littering my news feed that say, “A real best friend tells you the truth.” So really, I can’t think of a friend better than doubt.

We can’t stop functioning just because we critique ourselves too harshly. The thing is, we have to aim for the perfect balance of pride and doubt if we want to become the best we can be. Let doubt drive you to success. Let it help you make the right choices. A person’s self-doubt can inspire them to do great things.

staff writer

just feels like the whole day is wasted.

You stayed home doing nothing and woke up at noon and a couple hours later school would let out. So an entire day is wasted for just a couple more hours of sleep. Here’s a tip: go to bed earlier. Now you’re going to have to make up all that work from the day you decided to skip.

Let’s say you pushed the snooze button on your alarm clock a few too many times and now you’re late for school. That doesn’t mean you should skip, it just means you missed the first part of class, so get ready and get in the car. Don’t have a car and you missed the bus? Fine, there’s nothing you can do to get to school, so stay home. Wrong. Call your parents, ask a neighbor or if all else fails, walk.

Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one who cares that I don’t have to take semester exams by not missing so many days of school. Especially for the seniors, we don’t have to take exams the first semester if we meet the qualifications. If you miss one or two days of class, you have to have a “B,” and if you have three, then you have to have an “A.” Then people start complaining that they “didn’t know” that absences counted against that.

Please. Save the drama because we all know the rules. Some students just choose to ignore them.

Skipping school. Just don’t do it. By going to school you stay on top of work, you’re not in trouble all the time and your day isn’t wasted. In the end, skipping school only hurts you.

S

kipping school. Why do it?

Oh wait, let me guess. You woke up late, you didn’t finish your homework or did you just not want to come to school at all?

To me skipping is pointless.

Just because students skip doesn’t make them “cool.” It makes them fall behind on school work.

That sounds like a nerdy thing to care about, I know, but it’s true. Everyone is always complaining that school is hard, but if they came to school and did their work, they wouldn’t have anything to complain about.

Students don’t seem to care about being truant anymore. I don’t know about your parents, but mine would be pretty mad if they had to go to court and pay for a mistake that I made. It’s important to realize whatever choices are made today will affect the future. For example, someone decides they don’t want to go to school anymore and drops out because they figure they can get a good job and make a decent living, when in reality it won’t be easy. According to www.choices.org, 7,000 teenagers drop out of school every day.

Plus, time flies when you’re not at school. Have your ever looked at the clock and thought “Wow, I would be getting out of class now?” Then it

Football obsession, lipdub, ring benefit students story by the Eagle Angle staff

hroughout this past year, events like the opening of the stadium, the announcement of a new school ring and the lip dub have caused criticism against the school for extravagance and misplacement of priorities. Students and adults seem to feel that too much focus is placed on football, the lip dub was pointless and the rings are unnecessary.

But in reality, events like these bring together more groups than people realize and benefit the entire school by contributing to a sense of belonging within the school and city.

One of the most common complaints about Allen’s football love is that it focuses only on the football program when there are many other student groups. But also involved in one football game are the Blue

Crew, Screamin’ Eagles, trainers, cheerleaders, Tallenettes, color guard and, of course, the 700 band students.

Then, there are the broadcast and newspaper students in the press box and the newspaper, yearbook, photography and broadcast students shooting video or photos on the field.

Even if the stadium’s 18,000 seats are empty, there are still hundreds of students in at least 11 different programs during a game besides the football team that are training and getting experience that can help their future in college or a career.

Football games might be blown out of proportion, but everyone standing shoulder to shoulder in the 9,000 seats on the home side and everyone participating on the field are coming together for the same purpose:

supporting the Eagles.

Similarly, the lip dup included 104 clubs, organizations and athletic teams, even though there are only 62 groups listed under the activities link on the school website. Also, the class ring was worked on by 13 students and is something special just for Allen. Both of these opportunities bring students together to accomplish a common goal and it’s impossible to say that they do not affect and tie together the entire school. Students who criticize the ring or lip dub video need to consider how student-focused and inclusive Allen is and appreciate the opportunity of being an Eagle.

If students create a connection or bond among themselves, then the community can create a connection to the school. This community bond

preserves the feeling of living in the small town that Allen originated from, despite its population doubling in the past decade to 84,246 people in 2010. Everyone knows what’s going on in the school. Blue “A” parking permits can be spotted all over town and stores change their signs to wish the football team “good luck.” When the community feels involved with the school, they are more willing to support the school financially and emotionally. It is important to realize how lucky it is to belong to a huge town that cares for the school as if it was still a one stop light town.

Although these bonding experiences seem pointless to some, a sense of togetherness is vital to a school and an individual’s success.

A study from devstu.org shows that

when a school promotes a sense of belonging and connection, students are less likely to involve themselves in violence or substance abuse and are more likely to develop positive attitudes about themselves. Nothing helps 4,000 students feel like they belong together more than having a giant dance party for three and a half hours in the form of a lip dub.

Experiences like choreographing and performing a ridiculous dance for two seconds in front of a camera, hooking pinkies with a total stranger when the Eagles kicks off in our $60 million stadium or wearing a ring designed especially for Allen kids may not seem like a big deal. But in the long run, all the spirited things Allen does is exactly what keeps our school at the top.

the eagle angle Editor-in-chief Managing Editor

Assistant Online Editor Rebecca Barney

Assistant Editors

Operations Manager Mckenzi Morris

Lydia Gardner Grace Lee

Megan Lucas Victoria Erb

Business Manager

Photo Editor Saher Aqeel Layout Editor

Breanne McCallop

Madyson Russell

Online Editor

Sports Editor

Kailey Warren

Allen High School

Akshay Mirchandani

Staff Writers Alexis Mane Ashley Acosta Callie Anderson Carter Adams Collin Thompson Danny Ortiz David Dodson Harrison Geosits Jarret Rogers Jessica Alaniz Katelyn Moody

300 Rivercrest Blvd. Allen, Texas 75002

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Policy: 1000 copies of each issue are distributed on campus to faculty and students. Content may be viewed online at theeagleangle.com. Letters to the editor should be submitted to eagleanglestaff@yahoo.com. Any errors found within the publication will be rescinded in the following issue. Businesses who wish to advertise should contact Callie Wiesner, newspaper adviser, at 972-7270400 x 1609. The Eagle Angle reserves the right to deny publication of advertisements. Advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by the staff or administration. All editorials reflect the views of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the staff, adviser or administration. The Eagle Angle is a member of Quill and Scroll, the Interscholastic League Press Conference and JEA/NSPA.

eagleanglestaff@yahoo.com

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

ot to point out the obvious, but everyone faces selfdoubt. And people tend to see doubt as a big scary monster that can swallow you up and spit you out. But actually, self-doubt can be good. It can act as the teller of even the most unpopular truths. It can tell us exactly what we need to hear and it can help us avoid making mistakes. It allows us to create something fantastic, to notice things that are “unfortunate” and gives us the ability to improve ourselves.

It is largely accepted that selfdoubt causes failure, but really it is failure that cultivates self-doubt.

Believe it or not, when a person lacks confidence in their ability it drives them to become better. Take, for example, art.You have the assignment to draw a picture. So you draw a line, but maybe it’s not good enough. So then you add something more, then something else. Now because of second-guessing yourself, the end result is both more complex and more complete than the plain old line originally drawn. If we didn’t hesitate, doubt and second-guess ourselves, everything we created wouldn’t be as good as it could be. Because of faltering faith in one’s ability, a person is able to see the room to improve.

When you doubt yourself, an end

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Strikes of champions Varsity bowling goes 6-0, hopes to win state championship

story by Zane Dean graphic by Madyson Russell // staff writer // layout editor

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these people, if you bowl 10 hours a week we will win state,” McCusker said. “And they believe me, and they bowl 10 hours a week, and we go and win a lot.”

As a three-year team member, varsity boys captain junior Jackson Burke said the boys team is the best it has ever been. The boys team has placed 16th and 11th in state the past two years. This year, the boys team lost a senior and gained a sophomore and a freshman.

“I think [the boys team is successful] because all the guys have such a good connection and we are all bonded, and plus we all have a lot of skill to offer to the team,” Burke said.

McCusker said he anticipates the girls team will also go undefeated,

but their matches will be closer than the boys. Compared to the past seven years, where they have had five bowlers on the team with a 200 average, this year, their top individual average is 191, and their lowest at 114. Within the past six years the girls team in state has placed fifth, third, first, second, seventh and fifth.

“Last year we had a pretty strong team, our worst averaging bowler was 150 something and then our high was in the 200s but we were all pretty close,” varsity girls captain senior Beka Cowan said.

Cowan said team chemistry and attitude matter a lot when it comes to the team’s success.

“Attitude has a huge thing to do with it, cause if you go into a match

thinking ‘uhh these people are good we’re not gonna beat them’ then, well, we’re not,” Cowan said. “The attitude and your thoughts of what’s going to [happen] or expectations at the match really help.”

Both the girls and the boys teams contribute part of their success to how well they get along. Jackson said the encouragement from teammates, from nicknames to knuckle bumps, is an important part of their team chemistry. Cowan said in years past the girls team had people who did not get along well, which made it difficult to get into the baker’s format, the final game in a match that determines the teams overall average.

“There’s no defense in bowling, so it’s all about what [the other teams]

think right whenever Allen shows up.

I want people going ‘oh my, we’re not happy Allen’s here, because they’re going to crush us,’” McCusker said.

“That’s what I want them thinking. I want their team thinking that, I want their parents thinking that, I want their coaches thinking that.”

McCusker said the challenge to young bowlers is preforming under pressure, and that everyone on the team counts on the individual to do their job.

“Imagine a pitcher or a golfer or any of those people who are doing something with a ball, and making it turn as they throw it,” McCusker said.

“Our goal is to make that ball turn in the pocket and drop 10 pins.”

Golf teams look to repeat last year’s championship story by Katelyn Moody // staff writer

A

fter the girls golf team won the 5A State Championship last year and the boys golf team won districts and placed sixth in regionals, the program is looking to continue that success.

“All we can do is try to use the experience that we gave last year and apply it to this year,” head golf coach Karen Gravley said. “The one thing I ask them to do is lay it all out on the golf course and give me three months, give me four months, give me however long our season lasts, and just put it all out there for themselves and for their teammates so they can walk away with no regrets.”

The Varsity 1 girls team has played in four tournaments this year and has come in first twice, second once and placed fourth once. The Varsity 2 girls team has played three tournaments and have placed first once, second once and sixth once.

“We’re all just really competitive,” junior co-captain Elizabeth McCloskey said. “We’re all like, in our own little bubble half the time. I guess that’s good because there’s one goal. We’re all for one thing.”

According to Gravley, the girls want to keep the program strong, but they have weaknesses, such as lack of exposure to big tournaments. Varsity 1 has played three tournaments in Texas and one in Arizona, while Varsity 2 has played three tournaments in Texas.

“The strong suit for our girls is their desire to excel and to continue the tradition and the legacy that the players from our previous years have set for them,” Gravley said. “These girls have now become apart of that legacy and they want to continue to keep Allen in the forefront of junior girls golf.”

McCloskey said the team needs to bond more and become closer in order to keep excelling.

“We’re not as close as we probably should be like other teams, like volleyball and stuff like that,” McCloskey said. “It’s like an individual sport, but we’re still a team.”

The Varsity 1 boys have played in tournaments in Waco, Fairview, Robson Ranch and Ft. Worth, and have come in first, 12th, 14th and 30th.

“Probably our weakness is our depth,” Gravley said.”We have four seniors, so that means that somebody is going to have to really step up next year.”

Sophomore Ray Mishra said the team needs to stay positive, but that they are improving compared to last year.

In 2011, the boys team placed sixth in the District 8 - 5A Championship

and in 2012 they were the overall championship team in their district.

“I think as a team we’ve gotten closer, and just playing with each other [by] getting to know each other better, learning [from] each other’s game and getting used to being around each other,” Mishra said. “Our games have gotten a lot better, ‘cause we get older, we get more experience and we just keep practicing.”

According to Gravley, the boys have been working hard and h a v e many strengths as a team, including how they strive to practice. The boys practice as a team every Wednesday from 3-4:30 at Twin Creeks.

“They have been very willing to work hard,” Gravley said.

Gravley sits down with each t e a m after the new year to t a l k about setting goals that they want to accomplish together.

“We’ll talk about what we want to do and then what I’m going to ask them to do is to give me a couple individual goals they want to achieve and how they’re going to work to make that achievement,” Gravley said.

After the fall season, McCloskey said she is preparing for the spring season to get ready for regionals and district.

“We’re doing pretty good, but that was just our fall season and that’s not as big as the spring season, because we have regionals and district and state,” McCloskey said. “So I guess we’ll see in the spring season.”

the sports angle Landry Award

ha nd

Jan.11

The hockey team went 2-1 in the month of December and is now 5-9 on the season.

The team’s next game will be on Jan. 17 on the road against Jesuit.

an i

Hockey

irc

Dec. 4

Varsity football team captain and wide receiver Oliver Pierce was one of the five finalists for the 2012 Landry Award, which recognizes the top high school football player in North Texas. Jesuit wide receiver Jake Oliver won the award at a ceremony on Dec. 10.

Texas vs. the Nation A press conference was held Dec. 4 announcing that Allen will be hosting the Texas vs. the Nation college football all-star game on Feb. 2. The game will feature top college seniors who played in Texas in their high school career matched up against top college seniors from the other 49 states.

Dec. 10

Basketball As the Eagle Angle goes to press, the boys basketball team is currently 8-11 and last in district 10-5A. District play started on Jan. 11 on the road against McKinney Boyd.

Jan.17

co an mp d ile Ja d rre b tR yA og ksh er ay s M

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

oth the boys and girls varsity bowling teams are shooting for state this year, as they try to add to their substantial list of wins and awards.

This year, both varsity bowling teams are undefeated, going 6-0.

The team average for the boys is 194, while the team average for the girls is 161.

Varsity bowling head coach Joseph McCusker said he expects the boys team to win their district this year undefeated and that their goal is to win the state championship.

“We are here on Monday night, we are here on Tuesday, we’re here on Wednesday, we’re here on Thursday, we’re here on Saturday morning, and we are in a position where we tell

Eagles win state championship against Lamar Redskins 35-21 13 Ringin’ in traditions

The season

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Escadrille to have their own state ring

Favoring

“I think its fine because its not an official state ring so I don’t see why it’s a problem, so I think its fine since there’s a difference.”

continuing the legacy

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ne of the things that Westerberg said this team shares with the 2008 championship team is that both teams were very close to each other. Clark said their chemistry was instrumental in taking them to the state championship.

“We’re gonna be able to look back and remember all these guys, and we’re just going to be able to give them a call and meet back up with them and click right off the bat again because I think the bonds we made this year chemistry wise, will never be broken,” Clark said.

Hartsfield said that the experience of winning a championship will help next year’s team to be even better and contend again.

“I believe fully in this team,” Hartsfield said. “They had a taste of what it’s like to be one team that makes it happen and the chemistry and everything. So I believe the other guys coming up from JV, they’ll be coming up to a great group of guys that know what it’s like to be a true team and have that chemistry with one another. So I believe we’re gonna be probably even better next year.”

Audrey Sizemore, junior Escadrille Member

“Well I know that the philosophy here as Allen is you don’t just play one of us, you play all of us, and I think using that philosophy is pretty well justified.”

Blane Hinton, band teacher

“The band should get rings, they put in more work. I mean they go out there probably around six in the morning I see them out there before track practice and they are practicing plus they have after school practice so they should definitely get a ring.”

Gilson Umunnakwe, senior

Opposed “I don’t think they should get rings because they were not on the field helping the football players win the game.”

Jordan Ritter, sophomore

“The state championship is really just the football players, the cheerleaders and everybody else.

Yeah they get an option, but they don’t really play an impact in the game.”

John Rocha, senior running back

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varsity

“Sure they were at every single game but I mean it’s not like they were on the field so I don’t think the Escadrille, cheerleaders deserve state rings if they didn’t actually do anything to win the games.” onathan Cocking, senior

State strife: For the first time in Allen, the escadrille announced on Jan. 6 that they can also puchase a state ring designed uniquely from the football state ring and available only to escadrille members. graphic by Madyson Russell information complied by the sports staff

Team chemistry gives girls basketball strong start story by Madeline Martin // staff writer photo by Taylor Brill

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Mavericks: As the Eagle Angle goes to press, the Dallas Mavericks are 14-23 on the season and 12th in the Western Conference. Forward Dirk Nowitzki made his return to the court on Dec. 23 against the San Antonio Spurs after missing the first 27 games of the season recovering from knee surgery.

Cowboys: The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Washington Redskins 28-18 on Dec. 30. The loss caused the Cowboys to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Rangers: The Rangers lost outfielder Josh Hamilton via free agency after Hamilton signed a 5-year $125 million deal with the division rival Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers officially signed catcher A.J. Pierzynski on Dec. 26 to a one-year $7.5 million deal. The team also officially signed designated hitter Lance Berkman to a one-year $10 million dollar deal on Jan. 8.

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re Ma diso

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graphic by Madyson Russell

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en

fter going 18-16 last season, the girls basketball team is currently 18-8 and 1-2 in district.

As the Eagle Angle goes to press, the team is third in district 8-5A behind Plano West and Plano.

Head coach Sean Weibling said that the competition level is increasing and that the girls must improve with it. “[The season is] going well, it’s going real well,” Weibling said. “I’m really proud of the way [the girls] have performed.

We’ve been in two tournaments, been in the championship game of both tournaments, so that’s been good.”

Senior forward and captain Rachel Piles said their goal is to place second in district and make the playoffs. She also said that the team has improved from last season and that the understanding of one another has helped with the team’s recent success.

“We’ve definitely gotten better, like chemistry on the team ‘cause we’re all closer this year,” Piles said. “[This] helps on the court ‘cause now we trust each other with the ball.”

In the locker room, the team has a paper pyramid set up on the wall that has all of their ambitions written down and they’re moving their way up

from the bottom as they reach each of their goals.

“We’re getting stronger, we’re lifting, we’re doing this preparing, getting in shape, we take it one step at a time,” sophomore guard Kayla Bise said.

The team participates in team building activities such as sleepovers and team dinners to get to know one another better. Weibling said the bonding between the girls has helped the team get close to one another.

“My favorite part [of the season] is just the family atmosphere,” Bise said. “Just growing together and having girls that you can be around nonstop.”

This year, there are eight returning and only four new players on the team.

“I feel like we’ve played together longer, so we know what to expect from each other,” Piles said.

After thier losss against Flower Mound 57-41 Tuesday, Dec 11., Piles said that picking up the pace and not slacking off will help the team be successful in future games.

“We need to not just show up [to games],” Piles said. “We need to show up to play.”

Bise said that the scores do not mean anything and they know when to step up their game when necessary.

“We have a [good] bench now that we can trust anyone, like more than seven girls, we can trust all 12, to get the job done,” Bise said. “I think we have a lot more talent this year.”

Weibling said whether it is during summer workouts or during the season the team is always improving their game.

“It’s learning from our mistakes,” Weibling said. “That’s our biggest thing and that may be in film, that may be in learning [the] teammates better, learning the chemistry of how we work together. All work together as one.”

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

he Eagles started the season with a 24-0 shutout over the defending state champions, the Southlake Carroll Dragons. That was the first time that anyone had shut out the Dragons since 1997.

“They beat the state champs, not only did they beat them they shut them out,” Hermann said. “And then to go all season and win the state championship, you couldn’t ask for anything better. I mean it was like writing a storybook, it was perfect.”

Throughout their playoff run, the team also beat the Skyline Raiders and DeSoto Eagles. Carroll, DeSoto and Skyline were all ranked in the top 10 in the 5A State AP Poll when the season started. A 24-27 overtime loss to the Coppell Cowboys on Sept.

28 was the Eagles’ only loss of the season. The team never lost another game, going 15-1 for the season.

“I think that’s when we really, as a team, started clicking,” Clark said.

“You know, we were getting through

with big plays from Oliver [Pierce] and Kyler [Murray] and the defense, you know, but I really think it was a turning point because in the weight room and on the field we knew that if we didn’t pick it up as a whole team, that it wasn’t going to be pretty.”

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// continued from cover on the line.”

This state championship comes in the inaugural season of the new Eagle Stadium. Hartsfield said it’s a great feeling to be able to kick off the stadium the way they did.

“It’s phenomenal. It’s beyond words, I can’t even explain it. It’s more like, it’s a feeling that I know I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Hartsfield said.

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Point Counter Point

What is more important: Teamwork or star players?

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uring an NCAA Division III college basketball game between Grinnell and Faith Baptist Bible on Nov. 20, Grinnell sophomore guard Jack Taylor scored 138 points to set a new NCAA single-game scoring record. Taylor’s record-breaking game sparked national debate on whether Taylor’s game was a good thing for basketball and for sports. Two of our staff writers debate whether it’s best to have superstars or a true team.

Superstars necessary for team success

story by Klayton Carpenter // staff writer

story by Collin Thompson // staff writer

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

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True team more important than superstars

eamwork is great, but if a team is hoping to win a championship, its superstars are what will accomplish that goal.

Football teams can win if they have an elite quarterback who can put the team on his back and carry them, if he completes throws and is smart enough to not throw interceptions, even if their defense is subpar or their running back just doesn’t cut it.

The Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck is a prime example of an NFL quarterback who has the skill to carry an insignificant team to a playoff spot. After being drafted first overall, he took a team that was 2-14 last season to the playoffs.

Even if the player isn’t a quarterback but let’s say, a linebacker like Super Bowl champion Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis, a superstar can help lead his team to a victory. Lewis, known for his pre-game speeches and loud tactics that get his teammates prepared for battle, even when he is out with an injury, uses his game experience to teach his team and his passion for the game to inspire them.

Play makers make the NBA, and even the WNBA what they are. If a team has one play maker who will bring people to games, then the team will have a better home court advantage, which helps lead to wins.

Los Angeles Clippers’ power forward Blake Griffin missed his entire first NBA season, but came back the following year and won the NBA Rookie of the Year, was selected for the NBA All-Star Game and won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. A

player on a team without a lot of talented players still attracts fans to come see a superstar player.

Even in college, or lower levels of basketball, a high-scoring player can personally win a game for his team without much teamwork. In the case of Taylor’s 138-point game, even without an entire team effort to score points and win, a team can revolve around one player and piggyback a victory.

Baseball offers opportunities for there to be more superstars Because of differences between hitting, fielding and pitching, a player can be great at just one and still contribute to team wins.

In 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 34-year-old Curt Schilling and 37-yearold Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson combined for a 43-12 regular season record while the rest of the pitching staff combined for a 49-58 record. Schilling and Johnson combined for a 4-0 record with a 1.40 ERA and 45 strikeouts in the 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees in the first Fall Classic since Sept.

11. Having a couple dominant pitchers can carry a ballclub to a championship and can offset any problems with hitting a team could have.

Having team chemistry is helpful, but what propels a team to greatness is the players who are leaders and play makers, who attract the fans and lead by example.

A team is made of individual players that are in it to win a game, and to them, it doesn’t matter how that happens, as long as it happens.

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$12 million salary, 105 RBIs, 30 HRs, .285 BA and no playoff berth. Albert Pujols is arguably the best first basemen in the major leagues, but he alone can not win a World Series. His 2012 performance showed that.

He needed help. A superstar is not the most important variable to a true team.

Dictionary.com defines team as “a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest.” The most important factor to a winning team is simple: work together. If there is one player who is much better with a tremendous salary difference, the team chemistry will be completely off balance because players would think that they play just as hard but for a smaller paycheck. This theory is the philosophy of Billy Beane in “Money Ball.” Beane, played by Brad Pitt, is a general manager who creates a winning team by fulfilling the team’s needs as a whole instead of relying on one player. That was the key to victory.

A superstar can cover up the team’s true talent. For example, Ken Griffey Jr. was the leading cause in a hopeful future for the 1995 Seattle Mariners until he injured himself in a leaping catch at the wall. Many people thought that the season of the Mariners was gone but Seattle saw it as a perfect opportunity for the team to step up and take the league by surprise.

In the three months that Griffey was gone, the team was .500 in wins and many new players came out of the woodwork. Designated hitter Edgar Martinez was 32-years-old but had a career year with 121 runs, 52 doubles, .356 BA and .479 OBP which were all the best numbers he had ever put up, winning a Silver Slugger along with an All-Star appearance. This injury was seen as a tragedy at the beginning but turned out to show the genuine team that Seattle had.

The Martinez situation was unheard of because he was a designated hitter. Historically, the star positions had been first base, centerfield and shortstop, but that all changed in 1995. He was the first big player of that position to be a stand out player.

A trade can change the whole team’s way of playing. As a Cardinals fan, all I heard after the 2011 season was, “Oh, good luck without Pujols next year,” but at the beginning of the 2012 season, I knew there was something special about the defending World Series Champion Cardinals. The team struggled at the beginning of the year but rallied to the NLCS. Yadier Molina reacted to the team’s loss much like Martinez did in 1995; Molina had the best year of his career. 65 runs, 159 hits, 22 HRs, 76 RBIs, 12 SBs, 45 BBs, .315 BA, .373 OBP and .501 SLG were all career highs. The team had five all-stars including 1st time all-star David Freese. They were a true team: many equally paid players with equal talent working together.

Taylor scored 138 points, a great game when you first hear the stats, but it covered up the great performances of many other players such as David Larson from Faith Baptist Bible.

Larson played the game of his life (70 points) but will not be recognized because of Taylor. I love to see great stats like this, but I hate to see them ruin great achievements of others.

I’m not saying superstars bring the rest of the team down to a lower performance level, but the numbers do. A superstar is a great way to increase ticket sales and give your team a better name, but at the end of the day, the basis for a good team is chemistry, equality and hard work.

All of these things help the team overcome drama and focus on the game. Without those, good luck winning a championship.

Lockout reflects poorly on NHL owners story by Danny Ortiz // staff writer

The Winter Classic: canceled.

The All-Star Game: canceled.

These are two of the most looked forward to events by hockey fans, but they will have to wait to see them until next year due to the greed and selfishness of the team owners who don’t want to give the players the amount of money they deserve.

Although the NHL lockout ended on Jan. 6, after the owners agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement, it was all a waste of time that hurt everyone During the lockout, both the

owners and players came up with different offers for each other in order to split up the revenue in ways that would be beneficial to both sides.

Both sides agreed on a solution and at least salvaged a shortened season.

This is the second time in eight years that the league has experienced a lockout. Many fans lost interest in the sport after the first lockout and avoided the league all together, damaging the league’s revenue overtime.

The new CBA will give 50 percent of revenue to the players, which is much less than the 57 percent the old CBA would have given. It is nonsense for the players to receive less money under the new CBA. It is the players who helped the owners make money in the first place.

In reality the players deserve the

majority of the money because they are the ones who suit up and give the game their all. They have to wake up and train for several hours. They have to take hits and sustain injuries for their team to be successful. The owners tell the players what they expect out of them and put pressure on the players while the owners are just there relaxing watching the players work non-stop. The 50-50 split of the revenue isn’t fair considering that the players are the ones making plays to hoist the Stanley Cup. Letting the lockout last this long was a bad idea considering the NHL does not have star power like back in the days that would have fans wanting more anyway. They don’t have a Wayne Gretzky everyone idolizes, so if they had not settled the problem

they would have struggled to attract fans to the sport. Sure, they have Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, but that’s only two players and both of them combined don’t match up to the greatness of Gretzky.

Not only does saving the season make fans happy, it is also great for the players financially. Even though these players are super stars playing hockey is their job, and during the lockout they were prevented from doing their job and getting paid.

Multimillionaires don’t really need to worry about money as much, it still does not mean that the extra money wouldn’t benefit them or maybe their children’s college fund. Besides, these owners are billionaires and make much more than the whole team combined so I don’t see why they were complaining about the status of

their wallet.They’re just hurting their image and to some extent the image of their franchise. Fans are bashing the owners because these owners can’t control their greed.

But finally after 113 days, the owners and players have come to their senses and settled the dispute.

Although players will receive less money than under the previous CBA , they lace up those skates, throw on that jersey and return to the ice and give the fans what they have been waiting almost five months for.

While it wasn’t pretty waiting those long months and it was a waste of time, hockey fans are ecstatic that their favorite sport is back. Like they say “better late than never.”

Commissioner resignation will improve NBA administration 15 story by Jarret Rogers // staff writer

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avid Stern’s resignation from the NBA commissioner’s office on Feb. 1, 2014, will come exactly 30 years after he took the job. For many, this change of power can’t come soon enough.

Stern has been self-obsessed in the later years of his career and has effectively ruined his legacy as one of the best commissioners sports has ever seen.

There are some decisions that Stern made that left me and others thinking “Why fix something that’s not broken?”

In 2006 the league introduced a new “microfiber” ball to be used in games as opposed to the leather ball that had been used for the past

36 years. This seems like a minor decision, which ultimately it was, but Stern had to make it into a fight with the players.

The players hated the new ball before the season even started and were very vocal about it. Shaquille O’Neal said the ball felt like something bought at a toy store. A study that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban funded found that the ball bounced 5 to 8 percent lower than the leather ball, as well as bouncing 30 percent more erratically.

The obvious decision for Stern would have been to come out and say the league was trying something new. He should have understood the players did not like the new design and promise that the old ball would come back immediately. But of course it couldn’t be that easy. Stern fought the players off for two months and made them play with the ball for a year.

This story that ultimately should have been nothing had to turn into a fight between the league’s

administration and the players because Stern wouldn’t come right out and admit that he made a bad decision.

Stern made a much bigger move in December 2011 when he vetoed a trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Hornets (a team the league owned at the time) and the Houston Rockets. This would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles, Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and a first-round pick to New Orleans.

The key problems are that through a financial mess the league ended up owning New Orleans and saw this trade coming a week before when talks began. There are many things they could have done to prevent this embarrassing debacle. If the league was worried about conflict of interest and did not want to send a player of Paul’s caliber to L.A., then they should have just let the league as a whole know that they weren’t looking to trade him at that time.

Another huge issue in this story was that the league was just coming off of a five-month lockout in which a key component in negotiations for the new collective bargaining agreement was to find a way to balance the wealth. Sending Paul to Los Angeles would have ended the NBA season right after the trade because Paul, Kobe Bryant and a healthy Andrew Bynum would have been the definition of a super team.

Once again Stern’s ego gets in the way of making the right decision because he refused to admit what he attempted to put in place through the new CBA didn’t work.

On Nov. 30 Stern fined the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for sending their top four players, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green, home before a game against the Miami Heat, a game that was on national television. Stern said later that teams have an obligation to fans across the league to put their best players on the floor for all to see.

Teams should not have an

obligation to fans other than their own. The Spurs represent the city of San Antonio and are trying to win a title for the city of San Antonio. The schedule was set up to where the Spurs had four games in five nights and the game against the Heat was the fourth and final game.

The league forces players to play under these extreme conditions and the Spurs, by sending their players home, were saying that they don’t agree with amount of games and that players need more time to rest and prepare.The Spurs and all other teams across the league have an obligation to their fans to do their best to win a championship and resting their players in this game just saves legs for playoff time.

Stern has been making his job more about himself than basketball for years now. His departure in 2014 will make the NBA a better league when his successor Adam Silvers takes over and the whole league enters into a new era.

Rate your reactions:

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Olin Carter

6

Zach Dominguez

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Brianna Horan

Soccer

Baseball “Just because I mainly focus on my sport and football and just a few of the others that like my friends participate in.”

“I try to pay attention as much as possible just because I have friends in almost every sport and so I hear a lot about what they have to say and what they’re winning and stuff like that.”

Basketball “Because you can’t just be the only sport in your school that’s doing good. You have to pay attention and make sure the other sports are doing good and representing Allen.”

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Kelly Holden

Volleyball “I don’t know, I love Allen and I love our sports, especially football.”

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Jenae Thompson

Softball “I don’t really like any other sports. I only really follow football.”

graphic by Akshay Mirchandani

Allen High School // Issue3 // January 15, 2013

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you follow other sports around the school?

2012 State Champions T

he Allen Eagles captured their second 5A Division I championship in the program’s history after beating the Houston Lamar Redskins 35-21 on Dec. 22 at Cowboys Stadium.

“It really didn’t have to be the talent that took us to the state championship game and ultimately to become state champions,” senior offensive lineman John Clark said. “I think it was the teamwork and all around love for the game that we had and shared with each other.” story on cover & page 13

Reach for the glory (top right) Players scramble for a chance to touch the Division I 5A State Championship trophy after defeating Houston Lamar 35-21 at Cowboys Stadium on Dec. 22. photo by Saher Aqeel

Speedy recovery (top left) During the fourth quarter, trainers help senior Michael Jacobs off the field after sustaining an injury. photo by Saher Aqeel

Field fever (top middle) Junior Ugo Onwuzurike and football manager Jordon Kaufman rush onto the field during the opening ceremonies. photo by Madyson Russell

Strong finish (top right) Football players crowd around and try to get a hand on the Division I 5A state championship trophy at Cowboys Stadium on Dec. 22. photo by Saher Aqeel

Uplifting victory (left) Beating Houston Lamar 35-21, seniors Oliver Pierce and Byron Bonds celebrate the championship. photo by Saher Aqeel

Congratulations coach

(bottom left) Head coach Tom Westerberg commends the team on their hard work during the season when interviewed after winning the state championship. photo by Saher Aqeel

Play maker (middle left) Senior defensive back Cameron Hartsfield makes a play. Hartsfield won the defensive MVP of the game, with a record of nine tackles including one tackle for a loss of yards. photo

by Saher Aqeel