Senior farewell

Running it back one last time

Fall senior athletes say goodbye to the sports they love

David Jacobs jacobdav000@hsestudents.org

Each fall, FHS offers eight sports competing in the highest IHSAA class size. These fall sports include football, boys tennis, girls golf, boys cross country, girls cross country, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls volleyball. Each one of these sports sees a senior athlete who grew up playing and falling in love with the sport they dedicated blood, sweat and tears into. Now, these seniors say one last goodbye.

Ian Jennings “I am definitely going to miss [football] a whole lot,” Ian Jennings, senior running back, said. Jennings had less time to savor his love for the game compared to many of his teammates. “I wanted to play for a long time, but my mom did not let me because she thought it was too violent,” Jennings said. Jennings, who started playing in eighth grade, was already at a disadvantage when he started in terms of experience, but naturally, his strength level will be limited as well. “I just wish I trained harder,” Jennings said. “I definitely could have been stronger.” Matthew Kordesh “If I could talk to my younger self, I would say to enjoy every part as much as possible,” said senior tennis player Matthew Kordesh. “It is over a lot quicker than you think.” Kordesh, who started playing as soon as tennis was offered through the school in seventh grade, still wishes he would have started earlier. “It was kind of random because I took one tennis lesson in third grade and liked it, so when I had the chance to play again I did,” Kordesh said. “I just wish I would have started earlier and practiced more on my own time.” Sarah Majeski Sometimes trial and error is the way to fall in love with a sport. For senior golfer Sarah Majeski, this was exactly the case. “I started playing because I wanted another sport to play, and in my family, you have always had to play a sport,” said Majeski. “I tried other sports like diving, swimming and soccer. My dad wanted me to sign up for a golf camp in seventh grade and I ended up loving it.” Similar to sports like cross country and tennis, golf is a unique sport where it is both a team and individual sport at the same time. “Golf was just a sport that I could push myself and be on a team,” said Majeski. “When you play golf you get paired up with people you do not know, so you get to know people. It is not super competitive, you just get to have fun with someone you do not really know.” One thing golf has an edge in compared to any other high school sport is the price tag on the venue they play at. The median golf course costs $14 million, while the newest stadium in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, Noblesville’s Beaver Stadium, was a $14 million endeavor. “I am going to miss being able to play on beautiful and expensive golf courses just for the school,” said Majeski. “I would tell my [younger] self to just have more fun, it goes by really fast and you do not know what you have until you miss it.” Carter Pritchett Being the fastest kid in elementary school is a pride most seven-year-olds would strive to flaunt. For senior cross country runner Carter Pritchett, it started a passion for a sport. “I was pretty fast in elementary… [now] I have been running for eight years,” said Pritchett. Small improvements are the name of the game when it comes to cross country. However, that can be pretty taxing mentally. “I would tell myself to keep grinding, especially when I feel like I am not getting better,” Pritchett said. “That will make a big difference in the long run.”

1. Matthew Kordesh returns a serve. Photo courtesy of Matthew Kordesh. 2. Braeden Dills drops the defender. Photo courtesy of Braeden Dills. Ian Jennings awaits a handoff. Photo by Ruby Kivett

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Sarah Majeski lines up for a putt. Photo by Kailey Santiago

Carter Pritchett strides out to the finish line. Photo courtesy of Carter Pritchett

Ana Foutty Similarly to Jennings, senior cross country runner Ana Foutty got quite the late start to her passion for running. “I started [running] cross country my sophomore year of high school,” said Foutty. “All my friends were runners, and quite a few of my family members were runners, so I decided to try it out because they all loved it so much.” Injuries were something Foutty often had to deal with, despite only having three seasons under her belt. “My only real regrets are just getting injured every season. Running took a toll on my shins and I never end [the season] healthy,” said Foutty. For Foutty, there are some things she will never quite be able to describe. “The feeling of coming down the last straight away with the crowds all cheering, the best feeling that I will miss forever,” said Foutty. “I will definitely miss the team bonding we all have, and I will really miss the races.” Braeden Dills Like Majeski, senior boys soccer player Braeden Dills found the sport he enjoys the most through trial and error. “[My] parents put me in multiple sports when I was younger like baseball and football, but soccer was the sport I enjoyed the most,” said Dills. Keeping the sport you love fun and remembering that at the end of the day it is still a game is something that many athletes can seem to forget with the competitive nature of prioritizing a win. “Practice and improve on the simple things like passing and controlling, work on your weak foot and mainly have fun,” said Dills. “Do not get too caught up in the emotions of the game. I will miss the different emotions [I] feel during games, whether it is a tense or exciting situation, they are great.” Emma Holt Unlike Dills and Majeski, senior girls soccer player Emma Holt has been around soccer her whole life. “I have been playing for as long as I can remember,” said Holt. “I believe I was only three when I played in my first league.” Many athletes follow the footsteps of their older siblings, and Holt was no different. “My parents were trying to get me in as many sports as they could when I was younger,” said Holt. “I have two older sisters that also played soccer, so naturally it was the sport that stuck with me.” The teammates athletes play with will often make or break your experience in sports. After all, most athletes ultimately spend more time with their teams than their families during the season. “I will miss playing with all my teammates,” said Holt. “I have made so many friendships over the years that have made my experience playing this sport so amazing.” The girls soccer team plays 17 guaranteed games during the season, 16 during the regular season, one playoff game and the total will increase if playoff games are won. Therefore, playing hurt seems much more flattering to players like Holt who know the opportunities to play are limited. “I had minor injuries my junior and senior seasons,” said Holt. “I only missed one game but had to rest during multiple games both years to prevent them from getting worse. It was difficult because I felt like I was not going 100% in my games because I was worried I was going to make things worse. Our season is so fast, so I wanted to play every minute I could.” Leslie Groff Like Majeski attending a golf camp and Kordesh a tennis camp, senior girls volleyball player Leslie Groff started her playing career and love for the game after a volleyball camp. “I basically played every sport as a child, so my mom signed me up for a volleyball camp and I started playing in fifth grade and loved it,” said Groff. “Volleyball has been one of the best experiences of my life where I have met so many great people.” When athletes spend most or all of the year playing a sport, the years can go by especially fast. “If I could talk to my younger self, I would say to enjoy every practice and every game because it goes by quick,” said Groff. “I will miss playing with my friends that I have made over the years.” Ana Foutty paces to the finish. Photo courtesy of Ana Foutty.

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Emma Holts eyes up her adversaries. Photo courtesy of

Emma Holt. Leslie Groff goes up to hit the ball. Photo courtesy of Leslie Groff.