www.mcsun.org
SPORTS & ARTS
Friday
october 24, 2008
B Mt. Carmel SuN
Volleyball ranked first in league; defeats Westview melissa roadman editor-in-chief
cathy mcdermott sports editor
Photo illustration by Matt Coffelt | Photo Editor
Michael Hurley (12), Michael Nelson (11), and Reggie Nobel (12) pose in the team locker room. Athletes use this room to bond with their teammates.
“Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough baby…” The oldie rings throughout the team locker room as the varsity football team takes off their pads, after a day of practice. From classic songs to modern day T.I. and Lil Wayne, the boys are often singing and dancing while they are suiting up or showering down. But a lot more happens in the locker room than putting on a musical. Everyone has seen the typical locker room scenes in movies. MC’s locker room doesn’t differ by much. “I would say they’re pretty close [in comparison],” an MC football athlete said. “In “John Tucker Must Die,” they talk about what they did or what they plan on doing with girls, and I think that is based off real locker scenarios. The guys are always bragging about what they’ve done or telling their plans to the whole team. I think it makes them feel cool, like the big man on campus.” According to a couple of players, a lot of what is said is exaggerated . “Sometimes the guys will say things that are really degrading towards women,” the athlete said. “They’ll put down some of the girls that I’m friends with. I try not to listen to what they say.” Even if the boys ignore the rude comments, the rumors often end up spreading past the locker
room doors. “What you do say in there isn’t supposed to get out, but some people spill it,” an athlete said. “It’s bound to get out, especially when you’re telling a whole team of people.” Although most would argue that this is just as bad as girls sitting around gossiping, the athletes argue otherwise. “I think girls make a bigger deal out of it,” he said. “Guys you can tell and they’ll forget what you said within seconds. Girls get all emotional and dramatic.” Besides the small talk, the team, more often than not, just horses around in the room. “We’ll mess around a lot,” an athlete said. “If people were to see what we do, they’d think we’re pretty gay, but it’s all for fun. A lot of them just smack each other and touch each other, then say “no homo,” but saying “no homo” doesn’t make it not homo. At first, I was like ‘wow, this is ridiculous.’ Honestly, if people were to see some of it, it would be embarrassing for everybody.” The strange thing is that the coaches are aware of this fooling around. “They know we’re joking and just having fun,” an athlete said. “But when it comes time to be serious, we settle down.” Whether they’re singing and dancing, talking about their weekends, playing around, or prepping for a big game, the team locker room is a place to “relax and enjoy yourself with friends.”
Cheerleaders fight on to break stereotypes Lauren hall STAFF WRITER
whole lives. They cherish the adrenaline and the “thrill of performing” that they get during every game. “I would get nervous before the games, but as soon as Their contagious smiles light up Sundevil Stadium. The the music starts it’s just like being at practice,” Farrell said. loud chants excite the many spectators. No matter what the She, like Moore and many other cheerleaders, started score of the game is, they’re always there to support. cheer when she was in elementary school. They are the girls remembered throughout the halls of They continued because it is something that they have MC, as cheerleaders. been doing their whole lives, and they just love the games, Although cheerleading is not and supporting the school. considered a sport at MC it is a “It’s fun to go to all major commitment. of the football games,” The girls spend two to twoMoore said. “I got into I became a cheerleader to and-a-half hours a day practicing. sports because my older They work on stunting, flexibility, break the stereotype. And I think brother and dad were jumps, and memorizing their everyone on the team has broken really into football too.” cheers. For those who take “Practice is hard if you are it.” cheer seriously, they are not use to it,” JV cheerleader not the stereotypical Jennifer Farrell said. “It’s intense cheerleaders that people - Raven Hunter (12) training for your legs, and it assume them to be. destroys your arms.” “I became a Many people underestimate cheerleader to break how hard it must be to lift a full grown person in the air. that stereotype,” Senior Raven Hunter said. “And I think According to the JV cheer captain, Tess Moore, it really is everyone on the ream has broken it.” a struggle. The cheerleaders work hard to bring spirit and support “You get lots of bruises and I’ve seen girls break their to the school. To be remembered by what a small population noses,” Moore said. “Sometimes, people break their elbow of cheerleaders has been like in the past is a very harsh while they’re tumbling, but there’s no crying in cheer!” reality for the girls. The physical strain of catching someone can very hard “It is unfortunate how people look at us, because not on the girls. everyone is like the girls that you see in movies like Bring it “We can never let the flyer hit the ground,” varsity On,” Farrell said. cheerleader Raven Hunter said. “So once at practice when The girls who enjoy it could possibly take cheer I went to catch someone I got knocked out for a whole 10 seriously after high school, and could find a future career minutes.” as a cheerleader. For many cheerleaders, performing in front of a large “I’ve been performing my whole life,” Moore said. audience is something that they have been doing their “Cheer is always going to be a part of my life.”
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ana alvarez | Photographer
Standing on their personally designed ladders, the cheerleaders support the varsity football team on the sidelines during a game.
JV water polo
JV water polo successfully defeated Westview, its toughest opponent yet. The team is feeling confident about the season.
JV cross country
The team ran in the Cal Poly Invitational. The girls swept their race. The boys finished second in Division II.
The gym was filled with cheers as the girls volleyball team prepared to play in their most important match of the season so far, Westview. With MC and Westview tied for first in the Valley League, this match would determine who would lead going into the second round of League play. In one of their most intense games of the season, MC beat Westview by a slim margin. In the days before the game, the girls had practiced hard, conditioning and building skills. “Our coach just constantly reminded us that we need to worry about our side of the court and do what we need to do to win,” senior Sam Warner said. The first game of the match began in favor of the Wolverines, 20-25. According to senior Sarah Votel, this is a common problem for the team. “We always start out slow and start to pick it up towards the middle and finish the game strong,” Votel said. The girls came back to win the second game 25-22 but lost momentum in the third game, losing 20-25. Going into the fourth game, they knew the importance capturing this game, which they did, winning 25-16. “As the game went on we had more heart and went in with even more intensity and fire than we started with,” Votel said. The last game of the match between the two undefeated teams in the Valley League was determined by four points with MC pulling off the win 15-11. “I think in the end we also had the drive to win and it’s whoever showed that they wanted it more would come out on top,” Warner said. Votel and junior Carly Voris had seven kills each. Warner had 31 assists. This match was followed by another quick victory over Ramona, beating them in three games. On Tuesday, the girls played Orange Glen and defeated them easily in three games.. Votel had 11kills, Warner had 15 assists and sophomore Sierra Moran had three aces. The team played Valley Center yesterday but the results were not available at press. Although the team is currently ranked first in the Valley League, they are working hard to solve their problems that impair their games. “We have a hard time playing as a team sometimes, but when we do, we’re unstoppable,” Votel said. “We prepare by practicing. Lately we haven’t had the best practices, we’re trying to understand that practice is a reflection of a competitive game.” With only three more matches to go, they have their goals in mind. “As we enter the second half of our season we continue to strive to accomplish our goals of winning league and ultimately winning CIF. In order to achieve these things the team will have to work hard and prove they have the heart to do it,” Warner said.
EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS! Galleries of the Marching Sundevils and all varsity and JV sports.