At a Glance
Amongst many SLUH racquetball legends, Dr. Joe Koestner stands out. Is Doc the secret to SLUH’s success?
According to some, including Fr. Stewart, Wickedis the best movie ever!? Dive into the Prep News’ thoughts!
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Fueling for February. A tumultuous run of games doesn’t stop the IceBills from climbing their way toward the Challenge Cup throne.
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sports Rifle
SLUH Rifle hiked on down to Washington, sniped their way to a huge win, and are perfecting their accuracy as they gear up for regionals.
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sports Basketball
BasketBills look to get hot, improve defense, after going 3-3 over the extended winter break in a pivotal game tonight against CBC.
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sports NFL Predictions
Looking for who to cheer on in the NFL Playoffs? Look no further, we’ve got you covered! Get the stats and predictions to see who to look out for this weekend!
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End of the Road: Carruthers to close chapter as President of SLUH after ’25-’26 Academic Year
BY Jake Fitzpatrick, Max Marnatti and Lincoln Shorley Core Staff
It’s not about me, it’s about this wonderful institution.” Since 2018, president Alan Carruthers has served as the president of St. Louis U. High. This past Tuesday, Carruthers met with teachers, and shortly after, notified the SLUH community that he will be stepping
down as President at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year. Carruthers grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and attended St. Paul’s High School, playing both Hockey and Lacrosse in his early years.
“I’m just a kid who went to a Jesuit school on need-based financial aid. My dad is illiterate and a mechanic. He never went to high school and my sister never graduated high school,” said Carruthers.
Feature
Jr. Bills frolic in the powder during extended snow days
The weather was snow joke last week, as Saint Louis U. High called for two snow days in a row, followed by two virtual days later in the week. St. Louis city received a cumulative 7.5 inches across the second week of the new year. The winter storm brought frost and uncertainty to Oakland Avenue, staggering the original schedule for the first week back. Snowfall began on Jan. 4, and
continued on and off until the 10th. With the flurries came ice and sleet, hindering city and county residents alike on the roads. On Sunday, Fr. Matt Stewart, SJ sent an all school email, officially cancelling all classes and declaring a snow day on Monday.
“Fr. Stewart is the one who decides whether or not we have class, and then Mr. Carruthers decides whether or not campus closes,” said Assistant Principal Kevin Foy.
Although the email initially promised a late start on Tuesday, Stewart later updated the schedule continued on page 3
“Through my dad, however, I’ve learned that if you’re a good person with love and faith in Jesus Christ, you treat others well, and you work really hard … you will find success.”
Prior to SLUH, Carruthers certainly found success, as he served as a teacher and coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City from 1994-2000; a vice principal and teacher at his alma mater, St. Paul’s Jesuit High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba from 2000-12;
and a principal at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver from 2012-18.
While many Jesuit President’s departures have come as a result of new job openings, Carruthers made his decision with the future of SLUH in mind.
“Could I do another year or two? Absolutely. But it’s not about me. This is the best time for the institution and for me to step away,” said Carruthers. “And the fact is that leaders have shelf lives. We’re like milk. When you look at the hallways when it was just Jesuits that used to do this job, they changed every six years. The Jesuits have been doing that for 500 years. The brilliance to that is that leadership needs to continually stay vibrant and energized. And the fact is, if you leave a leader too long in place, it stagnates. The institution can stagnate. The ideas stagnate. The ownership of the ideas stagnate. And in all honesty, I only have so many good ideas. Those ideas have been, let’s fix the experience. Let’s make it better.”
During his time as president, Carruthers oversaw many largescale construction projects and financial opportunities at SLUH. Some of these accomplishments include completing the Go Forth Campaign (which had started under previous president David Laughlin) which invested more
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Snow delays start of senior service project
BY Max Marnatti Core Staff
Inthe winter of 1971, the first St. Louis U. High seniors made their way through the local area serving the marginalized on the very first multi-week senior service project. Just as in ’71, the seniors of today travel throughout the world to carry out the Ignatian values thrust upon them since their first days as freshmen.
An ambitious idea, the project began development in 1970 but did not get enough support from the school. The project was reformulated for the next senior class, narrowing the
scope to service of presence, dealing only with projects of a social nature and giving the projects three main objectives.
“These were to implement the Christian ideals taught at St. Louis U. High, to break up the closed selfcentered atmosphere at SLUH to some degree, and to enable students to become aware of different social strata,” stated volume 35 issue 3 of Prep News. Today, these same goals are kept in mind by Campus Ministry leaders Brian Gilmore and Simonie Anzalone, who begin each August with preparation for the upcoming Senior Project continued on page 3
photo | Kathy Chott Carruthers speaking at last year’s Cashbah.
BY Kane Luchun and Xavier Heithaus Core Staff, Staff
photo | Bobby Olson
Senior Patrick Byrne sledding.
Senior Theo Agniel sledding with a student from Giant Steps. photo | Jens Istvan
Feature
How Doc established SLUH as a top tier racquetball program
BY Thomas Juergens Core Staff
Every year on the afternoon of Dec. 26, generations of racquetball players gather at Vetta Concord to compete for the acclaimed trophy, The Doc. While these players are of all different ages and skill levels, they all have one thing in common: they are alumni of the St. Louis U. High racquetball team.
Dr. Joe Koestner— affectionately referred to as “Doc” by his players and band students— began the SLUH racquetball team in 1985. But, he had a long journey before then, and it took a long time to create the team of today. Koestner started by playing handball in the 60’s, until he began work on his doctorate. Since playing handball causes swelling in the hands, it was difficult for Koestner to play the piano.
“I would come into my string bass lessons with fat hands, and I started playing some clumsy scales,” said Koestner. “My teacher said, ‘Let’s stop and talk about this. Are you planning on becoming a professional musician or a professional handball player?’ I sort of laughed, and I said, ‘Well, I’m not going to be a professional handball player, that’s for sure.’ So, he said, ‘Then you’ve got to stop it, because you can’t play the way you need to when your hands are like this.’ So, that’s when I took up racquetball in the late 60’s.”
The historied SLUH racquetball team began in fall of 1985, when Phil Schenkenberg ’86 requested a faculty moderator for his new racquetball club. Koestner heard this announcement
over the loudspeaker and joined him in creating the team.
“They had no idea that I had no interest at all in just being a moderator,” said Koestner. “I wanted to coach.”
However, with little coaching experience and having not played at a high level himself, Koestner was unsure of how to teach his new players the strategy of racquetball.
“My philosophy of the game back then was to hit the ball to where the other person isn’t,” said Koestner. “What I started doing is have really good players come in and give a clinic to the guys, and I would sit there and write down what they said you should and shouldn’t do.”
It was during one of these clinics, given by pro player Fran Davis, that Koestner learned about percentage racquetball. Percentage racquetball is a strategy that Doc would implement heavily with the team, which revolves around hitting a shot that is both most likely to make it and to give yourself an advantage in the rally, as opposed to slamming the ball as hard as possible.
“Her approach to the game was so logical that it just struck a chord with me, and that’s when we adopted the whole principle of high percentage and low percentage shots, not shooting from the back of the court, and using the ceiling ball to control the game,” said Koestner. “So, that came from her; I don’t take credit for that. I just take credit for winning a hell of a lot.”
Over the following years, Koestner would go on to start leagues in the fall and spring, as well as establish tourna-
ments throughout the winter season, such as the Top Turkey and Top Seed tournaments.
“I noted that the guys were good athletes, but they would put their racquets in the closet on the last day of the season and then get them out the following October,” said Koestner. “So I thought, ‘Well, we’re never going to win anything if that’s how much racquetball we’re playing.’ That’s when I started doing these extra tournaments and leagues.”
Doc initiated several tournaments over his years as coach. The Top Turkey tournament was started as a way to keep playing during Thanksgiving break. The Top Seed tournament places the top three players from each school against each other in brackets. Koestner created this tournament because old rules made it difficult for all players to compete in the State tournament.
“In order for you to qualify to play in the State tournament, you had to have fifty percent of your team have a winning season, or else no one on the team could play,” said Koestner. “So I started the Top Seed tournament so that all those guys that didn’t get a chance to play in State would get a chance to play each other.”
One of the tournaments that Koestner started was the SLUH alumni tournament, which began in 1996. Koestner wanted to keep his current players playing over break, while also getting an opportunity for alumni to come back and play again.
“One thing that bothered me was the fact that when we had a vacation like
BY Andrew Hunt News Editor
Hunkering down during the snow at the end of Christmas break, I sacrificed a precious night of scrolling Instagram Reels to watch Jon Chu’s Wicked with my family. In 2021, I had watched with great satisfaction the original musical—released in 2003 and grossing $1.7 billion to date— during its tour at the Fox, but I expected little from another film adaptation of a popular musical. I remained only intrigued by the odd amount of praise my sports-loving older brother heaped onto it after watching it a couple weeks before. Nevertheless, I found myself impressed and entertained as the credits scrolled: Wicked is a musical movie done right.
The film caused a splash when it hit U.S. theaters on Nov. 22. While the original musical was obviously huge in thespian circles, it remained in that domain; this adaptation of the musical’s first act has left a more widespread cultural impact. Among other aspects of the film, Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba)’s voice on “Defying Gravity” has pervaded TikTok. Men and women alike have flocked to
theaters—it has earned $697 million, making it the highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time.
Certainly, Wicked has had a lot going in its favor. It builds off of the well-loved household story of The Wizard of Oz and contains some of the most catchy musical songs Broadway has ever been a voice for. Those alone are worth a view—of course the film will gain traction.
But it also earns its praise and cultural hype as a film. As in my case, Wicked seems to be loved more by those that watched it than those typically interested in its subject matter—loved by all types of people, not just musical fans. It brought the classic story and the well-loved songs to the big screen in a maximally effective way: it is exhilarating but not dizzying, flashy but rarely self-indulgent, emotional but never slow.
This starts with the choreography. The magic of seeing choreographed music sequences on-stage is what many musical movies often fail to capture on film, but Wicked’s creative cinematography and magical setwork makes each of these sequences thrilling and well worth it. “Dancing Through Life”—the pretentious
Thanksgiving or Christmas, racquetball just came to a stop, and I thought this was not good for team development,” said Koestner. “Then I noticed I just always enjoyed the guys on the team so much, and I thought it was kind of a bummer that I never got to see them again after they graduated. Another reason that I started the alumni tournament the day after Christmas was that most guys come back to town, even if they marry and have jobs in a different city, they usually come back to visit family on Christmas.”
Koestner continued as head coach, and then assistant coach, leading SLUH racquetball in claiming all 16 of their national championships, including the 12 consecutive titles which began in 2011 and ended in 2023. Koestner was also inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for his work in racquetball.
Koestner retired from teaching and coaching at the end of the 202223 school year. At the alumni tournament that year, then-coach Stephen Deves ’11, wishing to commemorate Koestner’s accomplishments, renamed the tournament to the Doc Koestner Alumni Tournament. Deves also created a trophy for the winner to claim each year, known as The Doc.
“I started my first couple years playing in this tournament and running it. Each year, I just got to know some of these SLUH alumni that would come back every year. What I learned was how much they loved this tournament, looked forward to coming every year, and how much they enjoyed being competitive and trying to win. It was just a really fun experience, and what I loved is that it brought people together across decades. People that would not normally know each other or be friends would see each other once a year and hang out. It was just really neat to see people from the 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s, all coming together and playing, and I just thought that was such a special thing. And then obviously, as I had played in this program and coached in this program, I understood that SLUH racquetball is so special because of the man that was in charge of it for 30 years, Doc Koestner,” said Deves. “He has built this community that is so unique and such a loving family. So for years when I was director, I had this idea that eventually this tournament
deserves to be called the Doc Koestner Alumni Tournament because he is the reason all these alumni keep playing. So when he officially decided to retire then I thought it was the perfect timing.”
The alumni tournament has connected generations of SLUH racquetball players, from Scott Ziegler ’99 (6-time winner) and Joe Sharamitaro ’02 (7time winner), to Brendan Giljum ’10. Giljum was the first player to ever claim The Doc, winning the newly renamed Doc Koestner Alumni Tournament in 2023, which was also his first time winning the alumni tournament.
“I was honored to be the first person to win The Doc, as he has had a massive impact on me when I was a student, still as a player, now as a coach, and overall as a person,” said Giljum.
This past December, James Storgion ’18 became the second person to claim The Doc, beating Giljum in the finals 21-14.
“Brendan’s a great friend of mine so it was cool to play him in the finals. I’d made it to the semis the last three years and had made it a goal to win next year, so it was awesome to beat that goal by a year,” said Storgion.
The Doc Koestner Alumni Tournament is a testament to the team Doc built, from its early days in the 80’s learning percentage racquetball, to 12 consecutive national championships in the 2010’s and early 20’s, and it will continue to serve as a get-together for one of SLUH’s largest families.
“This is a very special event that I want to see continue to thrive and be meaningful. I want it to be an annual event where people want to come back for the SLUH Alumni Tournament. Whether they’ve played or not in the last year, whether they are competitive, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they want to continue to be a part of this racquetball family. I would like to see it continue to be a fun, competitive, and meaningful event where people just enjoy being there, reconnecting with their old classmates, and then those that are serious and competitive also have a strong desire to want to win and do well,” said Deves. “Ultimately, I just want to see it be the link that keeps our SLUH racquetball family together.”
Next year’s Doc Koestner Alumni Tournament will be held on Dec. 26, as usual.
Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey)’s introduction to the story—is alight with teenage vigor as Fiyero tries to teach the students of Shiz University to stop worrying in life. They prance through the school’s fantastical library, dancing and climbing rotating ladders.
This scene exemplifies a key to what makes Wicked’s choreography work so well. Firstly, it makes the common and wise choice to not simply imitate on-stage musicals with their unidirectional, large, and tightly-coordinated dance numbers. But in making this choice to move the camera around, it’s also careful to not steer too far in the other direction: unlike IntheHeights (2021), for example, Wicked maintains a smart directional integrity even as it cuts between shots and angles. This provides for cohesive and wildly entertaining scenes that are not disorienting, as it dangerously could be.
The set and costume design provides plenty of magical material for these scenes to work with. The colors are bright, and CGI mixes well with reality. This comes out particularly well when Galinda and Elphaba first become roommates at Shiz, and in “Popular”: unlike most movie sets, the
location of their dorm room seems to be alive. It is altered, interacted with, and fluidly moved around in, much like a stage set.
Finally, the acting grounds this wildly imaginative film into something we can understand. It would be a mistake if these characters were as flashy and otherworldly as their world and costuming are, but they are not— this is what Wicked again does right. Each character feels real and downto-earth, despite their fantastical appearances and the magical world they partake in. The snobbiness of Galinda (Ariana Grande) and smugness of Fiyero, for example, feel straight out of a high school rom-com—something we can connect to. Erivo, on the other hand, portrays Elphaba as a witty, shy, careful-with-her-words girl that feels more real than anyone else despite her green skin.
Jeff Goldblum exudes a delightful mix of Disney-like magic and a simple paternity to his role as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself. Nevertheless, his opportunities as a character are heavily restricted: the film transitions clunkily from his short-lived benevolence to the assumed understanding that he is more of an evil character by
waging a war on the animals. The underdevelopment is bothersome, and it’s unconvincing that his character is either of these things. Viewers might feel similarly when Galinda suddenly befriends Elphaba after distancing herself from her.
But the flaws are far too easy to look over when you have this much fun watching a movie. In crafting Wicked, Jon Chu knew his audience. No—it’s not theatergoers or The Wizard of Oz diehards. It’s people: people who want to be entertained, who want to be inspired and emotionally charged by a movie. Wicked certainly does both of these things, even though its real emotional punch remains to come when the film adaptation of the second act releases on Nov. 21, 2025.
The movie’s end is well worth the dramatic build up, as its biggest statement arrives on an electric high note with Erivo’s rendition of “Defying Gravity,” the musical’s most iconic number. As Elphaba flew off into the sunset on her newly acquired broom, it was clear Wicked had pulled out all the stops. It’s the pinnacle of an unapologetic film that really does make you want to “dance through life.”
photo | Courtesy of SLUH Racquetball Alumni and current racquetball players pose at the Alumni Tournment.
Carruthers to complete term at end of next school year
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than $71 million into the school for financial aid and other projects, the taking on of a $10 million dollar STEM donation, and having a need-based scholarship named after him. These financial projects all become personal to Carruthers given his background and experiences as a student on need-based financial aid. Many of the funding projects that Carruthers has accomplished go unnoticed by students.
“Statistically, our endowment has more than doubled. Our building is in a better financial situation; we’re going to be debt free very soon,” said Carruthers. “Getting us from where we were financially and enrollment-wise when I got there to where we are now has been a big area of pride for me and our department.”
Carruthers also oversaw many construction projects inside and outside of the school. From fixing the HVAC system in the J-Wing for the personal comfort of the school to renovating the Madonna della Strada Retreat Center, no facility has been left untouched. Other improvements include the Dill Center, the Innovation Lab, the department offices, the Campus Ministry space, the Madonna della Strada
Retreat Center, and of course the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple.
“Right when I got there, I walked into Alan’s office, and after introducing himself, he took out his pencil and stabbed a hole in the wall,” said Head of the Board of Trustees Daryl Jones. “He said to me, ‘This building is crumbling,’ and that’s when I first got to see the real Alan Carruthers at play.”
“From the get-go, he said, ‘The chapel is the most important room in the building and we need to think of it that way.’ I think that the chapel came together because of the things he prioritized for us,” said principal Matt Stewart, SJ.
During the chapel renovations, Stewart and Carruthers’ relationship prospered through their close work together.
“We have very honest and open dialogue which is helpful so we can be creative with each other,” said Stewart. “I think it’s nice knowing that the person in charge loves the mission of our school and is passionate about high school boys’ Jesuit education. He just loves it, and so it’s fun to be a part of that environment.”
To Carruthers, his greatest accomplishment did not come through the material gains of the school, but rather through his son,
Archie Carruthers ’24.
“I’m super proud of him: his academics, his leadership, as well as what he did in music and athletics,” said Carruthers. “The professional stuff is great, but the most important job I will ever do in my life is being a father.”
From being a father, to stepping up as head coach for various sports, to acting as assistant drama producer, to finally being president, it’s these experiences and relationships that have stuck with Carruthers the most throughout his years in Jesuit education and formation.
“The whole purpose of me doing what I do was always to create great experiences for young people, particularly young men,” said Carruthers. “So as president, that didn’t change.”
In preparation for his departure, the Board of Trustees has begun creating a search committee to find the next person for the job. The board is cleaning up the job descriptions and figuring out the values that the school and the board want in the next president.
“Right now, we as the Board of Trustees aren’t worried about searching for who the next president will be. We’re just starting this process of who is next,” said Jones.
As snow piles up, students enjoy extra time in warmth of their homes
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and cancelled classes again, citing poor road conditions and student safety. Seniors were directed to inform their service supervisors that they would not be able to report to their sites, and to resume their work on Wednesday. SLUH students were instructed to log into their respective Zoom classes using links provided on their Canvas pages.
“First and foremost, we want our students to be safe, and that has to be our primary value,” said Foy. “Virtual learning isn’t ideal, it’s not as good as in-person learning, we all agree on that, but it’s better than nothing.”
On Wednesday, all periods met virtually on Zoom. With restricted 40-minute class calls, many teachers added breaks or ended classes slightly early. Students and teachers alike faced roadblocks in learning, lacking the materials and the confidence to make up for an in person day.
“Virtual days are hard because it’s so difficult to pay attention and be engaged in class,” said junior Uriah Binder. “They aren’t nearly as effective because most teachers cannot teach without being there with us.”
“We got good at virtual teaching and learning during Covid quarantine,” said Foy. “It’s important to keep those skills sharp if necessary due to weather.”
Although the campus may not have housed the student body, it was still full of activity even amidst the storm.
“It is relatively common for the other adults in the building to come in when students don’t. The maintenance and grounds people are often here shoveling and plowing, and the security guys are here too,” said Foy. “All the people who make the building and the campus run need to be around. There’s a lot more to it than the average student thinks, because this is just a really big machine with all these different parts.”
The hard work done by the grounds crew was evident. As stu-
dents piled out of their cars on Thursday morning, they stood at the base of the aptly dubbed “Mt. SLUH” casting a shadow over the student parking lot. Those whose parents were able to drive them didn’t miss the sights, being greeted by a second mountain plopped in the middle of the turnaround.
“My parents wouldn’t ever let me drive in weather like this. It’s too dangerous, even driving to my nearby Schnucks is hard and slippery,” said Binder.
An email the previous night from Assistant Principal for Student Life Principal Brock Kesterson announced the return to SLUH would also come with a dress down day to relieve stress.
“I thought it was great,” said junior Chris Carson. “I think more dress downs in general would be very healthy for SLUH morale.”
For a day, the rhythm of the school returned to normal. Students saw the kickoff to Junior January in the form of complimentary donuts as they walked in. The absence of the seniors was palpable, but classes picked up right where they left off before the break. The morale began to trickle back into school on Thursday, slowly but steadily. Students did not show the normal back to school
“We are deciding on whether we want it to be an internal process or more of an external job. In all of it, I have confidence that we’re going to get the right committees to pick a guy who can do just what Alan did … thrive.”
As the search continues, they hope to get input from not only the adults in the search committee, but also from people throughout the school community like parents and students. After the candidates go through this process and a decision is made, that decision is sent to the Regional Jesuit Provincial Tom Greene, SJ who will give the final say and offer the candidate the contract.
Both the Board of Trustees and Carruthers hope that they can have the pick finalized by February of next year so that they can get a sense of the school and the greater community of donors, families, faculty and students.
”Our hope is that the person would be selected and introduced to the community by February of 2026 and be here for CASHBAH to meet everybody in person and then start on July 1,” said Carruthers. “That decision date in February gives me the opportunity to meet with that person weekly via Zoom from then to July to talk
about finances, banking, investment, academic policy and all the things that us presidents have to deal with.”
Carruthers holds high hopes for his predecessor, hoping that that person not only follows through with the academic and Jesuit mission of the school, but also with the improvement of the building and the people in it. Carruthers also hopes that the next president takes initiative to improve and modernize more of the center of the school like the classrooms and desks.
“We did a strategic vision that we started on last year, and we’re now taking that and implementing a lot of data studies and a lot of research on what are the best tactics to pursue, for example, academic excellence. And knowing that, that will take years to accomplish and start developing those tactics. This is the next president’s job, because they’re the ones that go out and raise money, they’re the ones who make the decision on what’s next,” said Carruthers. “I have an incredible, committed team that all share the love of the mission and the love of the Jesuit Ignatian identity, and as a result, through our faith and through our belief in what we’re doing, we work through it all.”
A Spectacular SLUH Service Tradition: Senior Project begins
(continued from page 1)
in January. “It gives students a chance to practice being the kind of people we want them to be, to work with a natural sense of selfishness,” said Gilmore. “This project really exposes them to something beyond themselves.”
The project is meant to be a tangible way for students to practice the Christian ideals that SLUH so often preaches about, including being a man for others. With these ideals in mind, the project has gone through many changes throughout the years, focusing further on the Ignatian teachings of service and reflection through reflective pauses for the seniors and an all-school assembly for the seniors to share their insights.
senior’s development as a young man and the impact on those he serves. Whether they be children in crisis, or elderly people in need of a new bingo partner, these marginalized groups have always felt the impact of the SLUH seniors.
“We did have a group in the past that was so outgoing and fun,” said Activities Director Rachael Fendler at Delmar Gardens South. “Our entertainment had been cancelled on a Friday, and the students volunteered to do minute-to-win-it games and even had a dance off for the entertainment that day.”
mood and slowness but instead were more cheerful and got straight into things in and out of class.
“I thought the silver lining to Covid was that there would be no more snow days,” said AP physics teacher Paul Baudendistel.
The late return wasn’t optimal for teachers, who had to do their best to rework their schedules to make the most of the time they had. Although expected to come back the next day, the administration once again announced a virtual day for Friday.
“I did my best to use all the techniques during the pandemic to engage students through the screen,” said English teacher Chuck Hussung. “It still wasn’t satisfying compared to class.”
Even amidst the tentative schedule that defined the week, students enjoyed their extended break in the snow.
“I went sledding on the big hill in my backyard with my sister,” said junior Charlie Nacke. “I was so happy to have my break extended.”
“I had fun snowboarding while my dog Max chased me down the hill,” said freshman Ryan Sextro. “My friend and I made a video running out in the snow with our swimsuits on.”
“This all comes from the Jesuit tradition of the importance of not just action, but reflection on your action, like pausing and asking, what does all this mean?” said Gilmore. “Having some built in touch points for reflection are helpful to deepen the experience.”
Due to the ice and snow of last week pushing the start dates of many projects back, some of these reflective moments have been cancelled. Some groups out of the over 40 locations, most of which are schools, only had one day of service last week or had not even started until this week.
“I was disappointed when the project kept getting postponed,” said senior Jackson Hanks, who began his service last Thursday at City Garden Montessori Elementary School. “I’m just really excited to see a new perspective in the St. Louis community.”
Earlier in the year, the seniors got the chance to pick their location for themselves, allowing them to serve at a place that might expand their perspectives.
“The school just seemed very inclusive,” said Hanks. “I saw that they promoted a lot about anti-racism and LGBTQ+ rights, so that was a big reason for me to pick it. Plus, I was trying to step out of my comfort zone by doing service with kids, which I have never done before.”
The service done is about both the
The seniors are not just responsible for entertainment at their service locations. At places like the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, the seniors have to nurture the children, leaving a lasting impact on their childhood.
“The young men are so comfortable working with the kids, and it is so enthusiastic to see them play with them, especially our young boys, because they rarely get the chance to interact with young male role models,” said Robin Jones, the Senior Site & Volunteer Coordinator from Crisis Nursery.
For some of the seniors, their experiences will leave a lasting impact, drawing them back to do more service, showing the success of the project as a whole.
“Many students tend to make connections with certain residents, and we watch their connection grow throughout the month,” said Supervisor of Transportation and Volunteers Danika Dooley at Lutheran Senior ServicesLaclede Groves. “We have also had many students choose to return to serve with us even outside of their required hours, which we always welcome and encourage.”
In February, the seniors will roam the halls once again, having developed further by carrying out the values that have anchored the project for 53 years. Each senior will share his experience serving a marginalized community, emboldening the next generations of seniors to forge new relationships and develop further in Ignatian faith.
art | Kane Luchun
Powering Up
Hockey moves to 2nd in conference thanks to persistent team play over winter break
BY Daniel Neuner and Brendan Kelly Core Staff, reporter
Adding four more tallies to the win column, the St. Louis U. High hockey team generated lateseason momentum over their last nine games.
On Dec. 13, the Jr. Bills entered the rematch against Chamunace with confidence after their previous victory over the Red Devils. However, SLUH was met with struggle before the game even began, with many players out due to injuries, club team conflicts, and more.
The first period brought a scoring frenzy with five goals in total, two from SLUH and three from Chaminade. The Red Devils kicked off the scoring with a short-handed goal from senior Will Pelligreen, capitalizing on a Jr. Bills’ miscommunication.
The Jr. Bills then responded on the same power play with a quick tapin by senior Brewer Hamilton from a set-up pass by senior Gavin Simon. After two later goals by Chaminade forwards, assistant captain Carter Cacanindin slid a shot between the goalie’s legs to make the score 3-2 Chaminade.
The fatigue of a short bench hit the Jr. Bills as the Red Devils netted four unanswered in the second period, including two by forward Joseph Avenevoli to end the period.
Even with a goal from sophomore Gabe Fesler, the Jr. Bills could not complete the comeback, leaving the rink with a 7-3 loss.
A week later on Dec. 20, the Jr. Billikens headed to Affton seeking revenge against CBC for their 5-3 loss to the Cadets on Nov. 18. With multiple key playmakers returning to the lineup, the Jr. Bills were fully equipped to topple a strong Cadets squad.
In the first period, however, SLUH found themselves trailing after a goal from CBC senior Karson Price opened the scoring. But early in the
second period, SLUH clawed back as sophomore John Burke fed the puck to his defensive linemate and sophomore Nathan Vogl, who buried the equalizing goal.
Five minutes later, Simon gave SLUH the lead, almost immediately followed by a cushion goal from sophomore Ryan Hill. The third period went scoreless, and SLUH came away with a key bounce-back win against a long-time rival in CBC.
“It was a big win for us and something that we really needed as a team,” said Hill.
On Saturday, Dec. 21, SLUH came face-to-face with the top team in their Municipal Conference, the Vianney Griffins. SLUH had taken down the Griffins a month earlier thanks to a late game-winning goal from junior Aiden Hasek to win 3-2. Hoping to secure the top seed in the postseason, Vianney looked to deliver a statement win.
A speedy Griffins’ offense tormented the Jr. Bills early on in the contest, but impressive pad saves by senior goaltender Andrew Bely kept the scoresheet blank until senior Kai Duncan gave SLUH a 1-0 lead.
A glove save stopped Hasek early in the second period on a golden scoring opportunity for the Jr. Bills, and a minute later Vianney senior Dylan Eifert tied the game up at 1-1. However, a mere 30 seconds passed before freshman Zach Diebold put SLUH back in the driver’s seat with a goal in his first varsity appearance.
A Griffins goal from senior Andrew Fendler in the third period ended the scoring for the night, as the SLUH defense fought to stay alive until the buzzer. Outshot 16-4 in the third period, SLUH escaped with a 2-2 tie.
Friday, Dec. 27 brought a high energy game as the Jr. Bills faced the De Smet Spartans in hope of avenging the Jesuit Cup loss just a month before. With a hunger for revenge, the fired-up Jr. Bills came to Affton Ice Rink with few key players miss-
ing.
While the first period brought high intensity with a back-and-forth game and neither team scored in the first 15 minutes, the energy was alive for both teams as they both gained momentum heading into the second period.
The second period brought a lacrosse-style goal from forward Colin Varady, flipping the puck on his stick and whipping it into the net all while behind the goal. The unwavering Jr. Bills responded with an underclassmen team goal late into the period by freshman Thomas Caplin, assisted by sophomore Noel Dorn and freshman Aidan Hayes. The goal shifted momentum to SLUH as they carried it into the third period.
With a 1-1 game heading into the third period, Caplin returned the favor to Hayes, setting him up with a great pass and allowing Hayes to gain the lead for the Jr. Bills. However, with just four minutes left, forward Brenden Prest equalized the score for the Spartans, making it 2-2. After a back-and-forth in the last four minutes, the Jr. Bills ended up tying the Spartans.
Just nine days after their 2-2 tie, SLUH and Vianney faced each other once again on Dec. 30.
A high-intensity game from the puck drop, Vianney maintained quality possession but weren’t able to get themselves on the scoreboard in the first or second periods.
By the third period, SLUH’s physicality had worn down the Griffins, and as a result the Jr. Bills retained the puck much more easily, allowing them to generate more scoring opportunities throughout the period.
SLUH’s offensive pressure finally reached its tipping point toward the end of the game, when Hasek hammered home the game-winning goal, his second third period winner against the Griffins this season.
“We fought hard the whole game, and to come out with a win at the very end feels really good,” said
Hasek.
The Jr. Bills then headed to Maryville to face Marquette on Jan. 1 after a tie in their previous encounter. The first period brought a goal by senior Drew McLean, giving the Mustangs energy going into the second period.
Halfway through the second period, senior Will Vendt shot a puck right above senior Andrew Bely’s shoulder to extend the lead to two. Fighting to stay in the game, Jr. Bills sophomore Bill Gross netted a goal with just over two minutes left, but in the end it wasn’t enough to secure the win. The Jr. Bills left Maryville with a 2-1 loss.
Following a heartfelt ceremony before puck drop, Senior Night against Chaminade brought parents and fans a beautiful revenge game that the Jr. Bills had needed after their previous 7-3 loss to the Red Devils.
After an uneventful first period, the Jr. Bills came out swinging with three unanswered goals by Duncan, Caplin, and junior Aiden Hasek in the second period.
“We had to win,” said Duncan, “especially since it was Senior Night.”
With a three goal lead, the Jr. Bills sat comfortably in the lead heading into the third period. The third period punched home SLUH’s victory with a goal from freshman Wyatt Gula after a clever set-up from Hayes and sophomore Brady Gerstein.
The nail in the coffin, however, was the impressive passing play made by linemates Simon and Hasek that led to a tap-in goal for Duncan. The goal affirmed that the SLUH lineup had bought in to a system of team play and connectivity on the ice.
“It was one of the most beautiful plays in all of SLUH hockey,” said Duncan.
With that, the third period buzzer rang, sealing a dominant 5-0 Senior Night victory for the Jr. Bills.
The first leg of SLUH’s back-toback encounters with the Kirkwood
Pioneers commenced on Jan. 4 on the Pioneers’ home ice at Kirkwood Recreation Station.
Individual-oriented gameplay, starkly contrasting their play style in the previous game, prevented SLUH from controlling the puck in the neutral zone and creating chances up the ice. An early 1-0 Kirkwood lead was exacerbated in the second period with a power play goal by senior Luke Watson.
Now trailing by a two-goal deficit, SLUH was able to chip away at Kirkwood’s lead with a breakaway goal from Duncan at the end of the second period. However, Kirkwood poured on their offense in the third period and came away with a 3-1 upset win over the Jr. Bills.
After a week of down time, SLUH faced Kirkwood for the third and final time in the regular season. The Jr. Bills hoped to take revenge after their 3-1 loss to the Pioneers just days prior.
After an uneventful first period, the Jr. Bills led the scoring with a power play goal by Duncan with assists from linemates Hasek and Caplin. Later in the period the Jr. Bills extended the lead with a well placed shot by Caplin, making the score 2-0 in favor of the Billies.
The third period brought domination by SLUH with a final empty net goal by Duncan, sealing the game for the Jr. Bills. The victory finalized SLUH’s 2-1 record against Kirkwood.
On Monday, SLUH will face Lindbergh before their final game of the season against rivals De Smet, whom they tied over winter break. Wins against the Flyers and Spartans could provide a spike in momentum for the Jr. Bills as they head into the single-elimination Challenge Cup Playoffs at the beginning of February.
“January is the time to pick up the pace as we get ready for playoffs,” said head coach Steve Walters. “If we can buy into the system in these last few weeks, I have no doubt this team will go far.”
Rifle dominates Washington Blue Jay Classic, look toward Regionals
BY Matteo Abbate and Griffin Grabowski Staff, reporter
Before worrying about first semester exams and homework, the St. Louis University High Rifle team was already out shooting the first match of the season at the 2024 Washington Blue Jay Classic. Many shooters were worried about how they were going to shoot, but after the competition had ended, SLUH came out with a strong performance that will only get stronger as the season progresses.
SLUH Blue came out on top with the most points, totaling 2,297 with senior Liam Miller having the
strongest lead with a stellar 582. Following behind was senior captain Cyrus Ranek with a 578, senior Joey Cuneo with a 573, and junior Colin Dickinson with a 564.
“I was pretty disappointed in my performance. I had a much lower stand than usual,” said Ranek. “I could always blame my performance on the slippery floors, but that’s not the real reason I didn’t shoot how I wanted. My head wasn’t in the game. I was coming off of good performances from last year, and I thought it would be easy. I didn’t try as hard as I should have and it came back to bite me.”
SLUH White came in second place with a total score of 2,250
points. Junior Nathaniel Shaw led the team with a score of 575, which was closely followed by senior Jacob Litzler with a score of 572. Finishing out the White team were juniors Clayton Garozzo (558) and Griffin Grabowski (545).
SLUH Sliver came in fifth with an overall score of 2,195. Junior Andrew Roth led with a 554 and was followed closely behind by sophomore Luke Payton with a 553. Sophomore Colton Re and senior Jozsef Biro with a tied score of 544.
SLUH Red ended the competition with a combined score of 2,019 points. Sophomore Nathaniel Kleiner was on top with a score of 532. Senior Jack Stubblefield shot
511, sophomore Mac O’Connell scored 508 and junior Kollan Alfred shot 468.
“After the match I don’t think I talked to a single person who didn’t tell me ’I know I can do better!’ That is a huge positive,” said head coach Will Bresnahan. “I have a lot of confidence in our shooters and I can’t wait to start seeing great results in the second half of the season. And the freshmen continued to kill it.”
The Blue Jay match was over a month ago and a lot has changed since then. Most of the shooters have been practicing over the winter break and were even able to shoot against alumni on Christmas
Eve. Current plebe at the United States Military Academy (West Point) Nicholas Bull ’24 took home the win in the match, scoring 187 out of 200 in the integer format. Ranek was a close second to his former teammate, scoring 182 out of 200. These two were former teammates, so of course there was a little competition in that match. With regionals on the horizon, the SLUH Rifle Team has one goal: focusing on the process. Whether it’s Blue staying on top, White gunning for the lead, or Silver climbing the ranks, they all just want to keep getting better, and this means paying attention to the details to get the desired results.
photo | Will Bramlett
Ryan Hill, Noel Dorn, and Jack Hoehn celebrate a goal against CBC.
Basketball
12/13 De Smet Jesuit 48-79 Loss
12/18 Ft. Zumwalt West 62-48 Win
12/21 Gateway STEM 79-54 Win
12/27 John Burroughs 45-66 Loss
12/28 Pattonville 67-64 Win
1/14 Chaminade 38-69 Loss
Hockey
12/13 Chaminade 3-7 Loss
12/20 CBC 3-1 Win
12/21 St. John Vianney 2-2 Tie
12/27 De Smet Jesuit 2-2 Tie
12/30 St. John Vianney 1-0 Win
1/1 Marquette 2-1 Loss
1/3 Chaminade 5-0 Win
1/4 Kirkwood 1-3 Loss
1/13 Kirkwood 3-0 Win
Wrestling
12/14 Herculaneum 3rd Place
1/11 St. John Vianney 6th Place
1/14 Def. De Smet Jesuit, FZW 1/16 Def. Parkway South
Racquetball
1/13 Kirkwood B 5-2 Win
SLUH meets the middle road, goes 3-3 over extended Winter Break
BY Theo Agniel, Jake Fitzpatrick and Lincoln Shorley Sports Editor, Core Staff
The St. Louis U. High basketball team (5-4) stayed busy over the extended Christmas break, playing in six games and going 3-3 in that span, beating Fort Zumwalt West, Gateway STEM, and Pattonville and falling to Chaminade, De Smet, and John Burroughs.
De Smet
On Dec. 13, the Jr. Bills traveled to the home of their fellow Jesuit brothers, the De Smet Jesuit Spartans. After marching in with confidence, the Jr. Bills got off to a slow start, with the defense getting exposed and the offense unable to gain any momentum. Star De Smet guard Jordan Boyd pummeled the SLUH defense with 21 points and a 100 percenet field goal percentage. Although SLUH struggled to gain momentum, junior power forward Keenan Harris dropped 12 points and senior center Landon Pace picked up 10 defensive rebounds. The game ended with a final score of 78-47 in favor of De Smet.
Fort Zumwalt West
After beating Whitfield, 71-69, and losing to Orchard Farm, 4945, the Jr. Bills ended the Lutheran St. Charles Tournament on a high note with a decisive 62-48 victory against the Fort Zumwalt West Jaguars.
On average, the Jr. Bills offense put up 59.9 points per game mak ing the team’s defense a critical factor for getting wins. Thankfully, SLUH’s defense has shined brightly so far this year, limiting opponents to 55.1 points per game leading up to the Fort Zumwalt West game. Against the Jaguars, the Jr. Bills were able to improve on their of fensive trend to capture the win.
Pace opened the scoring for the Jr. Bills, receiving a pass inside the paint and weaving in to make the game 2-0, a phenomenal bucket to start the game given the fact that Fort Zumwalt was playing a zone that was focused on keeping the Jr. Bills out of the paint. As the Jaguars adjusted to the Jr. Bills’ of fense, SLUH started to try their luck from the three point line. Unfortunately, the three-ball was not the strategy for SLUH, as the team went 4 of 16 from behind the arc.
“It’s just about getting hot,” said junior center and dual sport athlete Sebastian Tate. “When we miss a bunch in a row it’s tough for us to find momentum, but the op posite happens when a few drop.”
With strong defense, the Jr. Bills weren’t afraid to put up a lot of shots. If the Jr. Bills first shot attempt didn’t hit, Pace and Harris were there to dig the slow shoot ing out of a hole. Pace and Harris both racked up 9 rebounds each, contributing to the collective 35 rebounds the team had.
On the scoring end, sophomore John Hawkins had his best game of the year offensively, putting up 21 points against the Jaguars and going 8 of 13 from the field.
“Honestly, I’ve just been trying to find my role. It’s a lot different than what I did last year obviously being on JV,” said Hawkins. “But it all comes from my teammates who have given me some open shots which helps me get into a rhythm.”
tally. Alongside his 12 points and aforementioned rebounds, Harris nabbed 4 steals and assists to cap off a splendid performance from both sides of the court.
“It’s a weird team that we have this year,” said head coach Erwin Claggett. “We have so much youth on the team, and we’ve got some
Mense and Pace both found a rhythm from deep as SLUH plundered the Pirates early in the midrange and from beyond the arc, something the Jr. Bills haven’t been able to do consistently all season.
“Mense’s been big for us,” said Harris. “We didn’t really get to see him till after that De Smet game,
pull up game, the James-Wadeesque duo propelled to the Jr. Bills to a favorable 46-28 third quarter lead.
“Everything for us revolves around Landon and Dylan,” said Claggett. “Landon’s our defensive anchor who can rebound and bring a demanding presence down low
of 14, and Pace also tallied on 14 himself.
Chaminade Last Tuesday, the Jr. Bills fell 6939 to the No. 1 ranked team in the St. Louis area, the Chaminade Red Devils. Lack of size against the towering Red Devils and field
but he can shoot and get big in the post and is a good skill set for us.”
Playing with an unmatched tenacity, the Jr. Bills ability to hit from downtown (four threes in
and most of all he brings a lot of energy. Much like Landon, Dylan sets the table. He’s the head of the snake and has continued to show how quick and how much of a
Fellow sophomore Lucas Mense also had a breakout performance, adding 14 points to the end
experienced guys, but mostly it’s just a lot of inexperienced players. Even though guys like Mense, Hawkins and Harris are young, they bring a lot of energy. It’s been off on fire against the Pirates of Pattonville. Humphrey got the scoring going for the Jr. Bills by shifting his way through the defense en route to an early layup, followed shortly after by a corner three from Pace to force a Pattonville timeout after a 9-0 run to start the game.
of the Jr. Bills shutting down any and all of Pattonville’s fast break opportunities. Looking to keep the same intensity coming out of half, the dynamic duo of Pace and Humphrey traded baskets from everywhere. Whether it be in transition or the
“It gave us a big boost of confidence,” said Tate. “We know how fast and physical we can play, and that just proved it.”
Offensively, the Jr. Bills scoring was well spread out as Harris dropped 12 points, Hawkins added 15, Mense picked up a season high
goal percentage plagued SLUH, as the team saw two thirds of its shots miss the hoop. Despite poor shooting across the board, Humphrey put up a team high 11 points, followed in suit by Pace who put up 8 points. Errant passes and turnovers haunted the Jr. Bills early, just as they had against Pattonville, and ultimately led to an early hole, down 17-9 as the first quarter concluded.
“All the turnovers have come from a lack of poise on the court,” said Miller. “Sometimes we get rushed, whether it be a big, imposing defense or a big team with a reputation and we lose focus on what we know we can do. That’s what happened against Chaminade. We handed them free buckets and that’s what led to them going up so much in the first half.”
The team’s strongest facet of the season, defense, struggled as Chaminade connected on the three ball all night, with the Jr. Bills only collecting two steals and seven defensive rebounds on the night. Despite the statistics showing a poor performance, the team got good game experience against arguably the best competition they will face all year and reassess on how they will better prepare for top tier competition.
Looking Ahead
Within the next week, the Jr. Bills face off against the 7-5 CBC Cadets, a team powered by good ball handlers and two burly centers. Three days later, the Jr. Bills take on the 7-3 Hazelwood Central Hawks. Vital to win in both of these games, the Jr. Bills will need to flip the script in terms of defense and turnovers.
“I think that the most important thing comes from a defensive standpoint going into this CBC game,” said Claggett. “I think that the things that we work on in practice need to be able to translate to games and if that happens, I think that our defense will be able to get back to how it was earlier in the year. If we can find just a little momentum, it’s just a matter of time before we find our groove.”
Basketball team joins together before Chaminade game.
photo | Logan LaVear
BY Jake Fitzpatrick and Lincoln Shorley Core Staff
This week’s Athlete of the Week is junior forward Aiden Hasek. Hasek has 12 points through 15 games this season, and plays a vital role in the team’s offense. Hasek is second for the Jr. Bills in both goals (7) and assists (5). Hasek recently scored a late goal against the Vianney Griffins to propel SLUH to a massive victory as well as netting a goal and 2 assists on Senior Night vs. Chaminade.
Lincoln Shorley: When did you first start playing hockey and what sparked your love for the game that you have today?
Aiden Hasek: I started when I was about six, and I loved it because my dad took me to a bunch of stick and pucks. He taught me how to skate on figure skates, and my love was sparked. I remember lifting the puck for the first time, and I was really excited. I just kept it going.
Jake Fitzpatrick: What was it like when you found you’d be first line on Varsity this year? Was that a goal for you from the get-go?
AH: I expected it a little bit last year, but I wasn’t sure. I thought I’d maybe be second line, but I knew I’d be up there. I was excited to know I’d be
Athlete of the Week: Aiden Hasek
playing with people like Kai Duncan and Gavin Simon. I knew that I could fit in well with them, and that we’d be a good pair together.
LS: How has the loss of a teammate and friend, Colin Brown, affected you both on and off the ice?
AH: It’s been hard overall, but the first couple weeks were especially hard. My club team and I, and all my friends, learned to use it as motivation to keep loving each other. We just want to keep it going, to not quit, and to let it motivate us.
JF: What was the Pack The Barn for
Colin Brown night like?
AH: It was emotional for me and my club teammates that were on the other team, but we knew what we were getting into. It was definitely still emotional overall.
JF: Who would you say has been your role model in hockey throughout your life? (NHL or someone that you know on a personal level).
AH: I really look up to Matthew Tkachuk because he’s a hard-working player, and back when he used to live in St Louis as a kid, our parents were friends. When we went to
their house, he’d include me with his friends. So I use that as motivation to keep going and work hard like he does.
LS: What do you think was your breakout game this year that you are most proud of? How have you built off that game deeper in the season?
AH: The first game of the year when we played Chaminade and beat them 3-2 was very motivational. I scored one time and they didn’t count it, and then I went back and scored another one. I knew at the start of the year if I could score, it would be good for me for the rest of the sea-
NFL Divisional Playoff Predictions
BY Matteo Abbate and Neil O’Connor Staff, reporter
(4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs (KC -8) (O/U 42)
Matteo Abbate: 34-20 CHIEFS. The Chiefs have been dominant all year, even securing the one seed in 16 games. Although Mahomes hasn’t had the greatest season in terms of stats, he still will ball out in the playoffs. It’s just what he does. The last time these two teams met was in Week 16 where Kansas City secured a 27-19 win. Mahomes threw for 260 yards and a touchdown while running for another, meaning he had a solid game. The Texans will have to be perfect to win this game, and Stroud was not perfect last week, despite winning against the Chargers.
Neil O’Connor: 24-21 CHIEFS. The Chiefs have had a subpar year even with a 15-2 record. The Chiefs have gotten lucky with many of their victories, and many of these victories have been one score games. For instance, the Chiefs only beat the Broncos, Raiders, and the Chargers by 2 points in the second half of the season. Not to mention that they only beat the Panthers by 3 points in Week 12. I believe in the term “rust not rest,” and with an already struggling Chiefs team and the fact that most of the starters will not have played for over two weeks, this team could have an underwhelming first half. While I believe the Chiefs will probably win, I can easily see an upset if the Texans play at an elite level on Saturday.
(6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions (Det -9.5) (O/U 55.5) MA: 37-17 LIONS. The Lions are just too dominant for the Commanders to overcome. With the best O-line in the league paired with the one of the best RB duos in Gibbs and Montgomery, while also having the Goff and AmonRa St. Brown connection, the Lions will likely be scoring on almost every drive. The Commanders rushing defense is awful, currently ranked 30th
in the league where they give up 137.1 rushing yards per game. On the other hand, the Lions have a great rushing defense, but a weak passing defense. The rookie Jayden Daniels will have to rely on Terry McLaurin for most of his offense, and it just doesn’t seem plausible that the Commanders could keep up with the Lions, despite them having a weak passing defense.
NO: 34-20 LIONS. Even with many injuries such as Hutchinson, Zeitler, McNeill, and Davis III, this team is still regarded as one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL. Getting David Montgomery back will be huge too. With help from a ferocious home crowd and a talented defense, I believe Jayden Daniels will be overwhelmed. No one will be mad at his success this year even if he loses this weekend. In the end, experience is important and Daniels lacks that this year.
(3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills (Bal -1) (O/U 51.5)
MA: 31-28 RAVENS. The two-headed monster in Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is going to lead the way in a Ravens victory. This dual threat dominated the Steelers defense last week in a 28-14 win. Lamar made 16 completions for 175 yards with 2 touchdowns and Henry rushed for 186 yards on 26 carries for 2 touchdowns. They also were able to confuse the Steelers defense because they never knew what Lamar might do. Also, earlier in the season, the Ravens steamrolled the Bills in a 35-10 win which could be a good indicator of this game’s outcome. NO: 35-21 RAVENS. Super Bowl caliber teams have not only depth, but a mix of veterans and young stars. These teams need to have a “backbone,” both on offense and defense. Many of these characteristics that a successful team needs, the Bills do not possess. The Bills have a franchise quarterback and a dominant running back, but they lack identity in their receiving room. Rookie Keon Coleman hasn’t really found his stride yet in the NFL, and receiver
Khalil Shakir is reliable but overall is a poor WR1. I will say that this Bills defense has a strong veteran presence with guys such as Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, Matt Milano, and even Von Miller. However, this team failed to fix their struggling secondary. If Lamar stays composed and doesn’t hesitate to run it himself sometimes, the Ravens should take this game with ease.
(4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles (Phi -6) (O/U 43.5) MA: 27-17 EAGLES. Whenever these two teams met in Week 12, it was a beat down for the Rams. Saquon Barkley went off, rushing for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns. AJ Brown also had a game, putting up 109 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions. This time should be a matchup between the Eagles strong O-line and the Rams young defensive line. While the Rams defensive line has many solid players, they will not be ready for that No. 1-ranked Eagles offensive line, which will open up the door to a plenty of time for Hurts in the pocket and Saquon under center. The Eagles are also currently number one in the league in total defense. They showed this last week, holding Jordan Love and the Packers to just 10 points. This is going to be too hard to overcome for the Rams head coach Sean McVay. NO: 21-20 RAMS. I chose the Rams due to being a fan, but I also believe this game could be closer than you think. Dan Orlovsky recently made an excellent point about the Rams and how dangerous they are: “The only quarterback and coach to win a Super Bowl that are left in the NFC are the Rams. Stafford is 5-1 in the playoffs as well as throwing 18 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.” He also stated how Kyren Williams is a touchdown machine. I realize that the Rams got cooked in Week 12, but the Rams were also 5-6 after week 12. This Rams team has risen to the occasion, and I believe they will shock fans with a win this weekend.
son. And so it kept me motivated.
JF: What makes this group different from any other team in the St. Louis region?
AH: We’re a pesky team, we’re small, we don’t hit a lot, but we’re fast. We keep working hard and have kind of been the underdog team the whole year which helped us. People have blown us off, but we’ve shown them that we’re still a competitor.
LS: What’s going to be the most important part about finishing the year strong as you gear up for the playoffs?
AH: Without a core leader like Gavin who is in Taiwan, I think we just need to finish strong, and keep playing how we play. Playing fast and forward, checking hard, and keeping the other team on their toes.
JF: Lastly, what has gone into you breaking so many sticks over the year?
AH: I don’t know. It just kind of just happens. Most of them were by accident. One of them was over a post and one against the boards against Marquette. My dad’s not very happy with me because of it. He hasn’t bought me a new stick since the game against Marquette, so he’s kind of shown me that I need to work with what I have.
Varsity Racquetball takes dominant win over Kirkwood B heading into Doubles Tournament
BY Drew Hawley reporter
The St. Louis U. High racquetball team had its first match of 2025 after last week’s match against Lindbergh was postponed because of the snow. Varsity took on Kirkwood B and came away with a 5-2 victory. With this win, they improve to 4-2 on the season and currently place third in the league behind Lafayette and Kirkwood A.
Kirkwood B
Senior Thomas Juergens began the match against Kirkwood B’s Jack Moylan. The two had competed against each other twice this season prior to the match, and Juergens had won both times. The match ended with a different result as Juergens lost 5-15 in the first game and again in a tight second game 12-15.
“I skipped a lot of my shots and tired myself out too quickly,” said Juergens. “I know I can beat Jack, I just have to play smarter.”
Senior Drew Hawley then faced off against Jack Strobach. Hawley’s serves were what allowed him to win the match, acing Strobach many times. The match ended 15-7, 15-11.
The closest match of the day was between freshman Ryan Safar and Kirkwood B’s Louis Strobach. The first game between them was tight as they traded points the whole game, but Strobach hung on to win the first game 15-13. Safar seemed to have figured out Strobach’s aggressive play style in the second game, pulling ahead with a 15-2 win. Safar was unable to complete the comeback in the tiebreaker, losing in a very close 9-11 game.
“It was a hard game and I didn’t
play my best. I’m glad I took it to the tiebreaker after the first loss,” said Safar.
Junior Charlie Kuhlman played Kirkwood B’s Wyatt Rapp and shot very well, winning many rallies. This propelled him to a 15-8, 15-10 victory.
For junior Peter Kramer, his match against Kirkwood B’s Griffin Harris was a battle of endurance. Kramer looked in control for the first game winning 15-9, but in the second game he began to get fatigued. But he battled through and sealed the game with a signature between-the-legs shot to win 15-11.
“It was a tough game that really tired me out, but it turned out okay,” said Kramer.
Sophomore Sam Kappel battled against Kirkwood B’s Cole Gianino. Clearly in discomfort, Gianino took multiple timeouts, but he still managed to keep the game close. Kappel won the game however 15-12, 15-10.
“I hit some nice shots and played my game. I’m proud of the way we all played,” said Kappel.
Doubles team senior Andrew Moritz and junior Joe Murphy competed against Adam Cohen and Adam Espinal. The doubles team has consistently proven themselves to be some of the smartest players on the SLUH team with their excellent shot placement and decision making. They won their game 15-9, 15-11.
Looking Ahead
Today kicks off the double tournament across all divisions. SLUH racquetball players will be teaming up with their doubles partners and competing tonight and all day Saturday. The Varsity team will also prepare for their league match next Friday against CBC.
Hasek warming up prior to the Jesuit Cup game.
photo | Will Bramlett
HAVE U SEEN THE JOKE?
PN Crossword: Goal Oriented
66. Back muscles, in brief
Morse code plea
D of FDR
47. *Work out
50. “_____ Bath Book” : waterproof Sesame Street volume
52. *Do community service
54. Latest craze
55. “Say _____ So” : Hall and Oates tune
56. Cabin component
58. Israeli gun
59. [Oh, well]
60. Added details
64. Aspirin target
65. New Year goal, like the asterisked
Prep News Credits
Volume 89, Issue 16 “What is your New Year’s Resolution?”
Editor in Chief
Micah “count to 100” Doherty
News Editors
Andrew “travel the world” Hunt
Lucas “keep winning” Hayden
Sports Editors
Theo “eat less” Agniel
Aiden “bend that corner” Erard
Features Editor
Leo “stay out of Hong Kong” Hahn
Visual Editor
Jesse “less vomit on me” Heater
Core Staff
Jens “keep up with the grind” Istvan
Thomas “racquet some ball” Juergens
Otto “live life to the fullest” Reitenbach
Kane “kiss a Billiken” Luchun
Daniel “follow word counts” Neuner
Jake“ND starting QB” Fitzpatrick
Lincoln “build a new cabin” Shorley
Max “mourn the wicked” Marnatti
Staff
Matteo “win the Super Bowl” Abbate
Tristan “run faster” Kujawa
Gavin “nip corners” Simon
Madhavan “go to college” Anbukumar
Owen “IRISH DUB” Williams
Staff Artists
Colin “get accepted to Hogwarts” Schuler
Reporters
Brendan “win the Game of Thrones” Kelly
Drew “become Spiderman” Hawley
Neil “Pilates” O’Connor
Griffin “100% accuracy”
Grabowski
Ryan “dance through life” Strohschein
Jack “defy gravity” Powers
Photographers
Kathy “rememorize the periodic table” Chott
Logan “get a grip” LaVear
Moderator
Steve “find Waldo” Missey
12. Squabbles
13. Tested, as ore
15. Caustic cleaners
22. College Park college (abbr.)
24. Diet label word
25. Scissors sound
27. Wedding headpiece
29. Nolan Ryan pitched 7 no-no’s and 12 of these
35. Comfort
37. Average guy?
38. Coffee variety from Hawaii
39. Second or third draft
40. Strange things
41. Gladden, although it sounds like a darkening
43. Scottish girl
45. Trivial detail
46. Take at an opportune time
48. RB stat
49. MSNBC competitor
51. Declined
53. Type of umpire coming to MLB
57. Au
61. Lion constellation
62. Feel bad about
63. Home of the Braves
Last Week’s Answers
1. “Act properly!”
2. Part of a staircase
3. No longer warring
4. Golden State traffic org.
5. With 42-Across, donkey’s bray
6. College-admission exams
7. Deep down, by one’s ticker
8. Greek letter used for density
9. “I don’t mind”
10. Kidnapper’s demand
11. Fourth most spoken language, without the tilde
Congratulations to Nate Pini for winning this week’s crossword competition. Keep crosswordling!
Wrestling dominates podium at Vianney, gets revenge against De Smet
BY Jack Powers and Ryan Strohschein Reporters
St. Louis U. High wrestling grappled its way to 8-4 on the season after a 6th place finish at Vianney and a 2nd place finish at the trimeet against De Smet Jesuit and Ft. Zumwalt North on Tuesday.
SLUH varsity wrestling faced a tough challenge at the Vianney tournament last Saturday and received results unlike the past. With three podium placers—junior Michael Williams (first place), junior Albert Reinberg (second), and freshman Anthony Busby (second)—they showed great improvement from their performance at the Vianney Tournament last year where they finished close to last place. Despite facing tough teams like Fox and Vianney, the Jr. Bills still came out with a few medals, demonstrating their offseason improvement.
“It’s great that the juniors are really starting to shine alongside everyone else. Everyone’s doing great in their matchups and all our young guys are buying into the program,” said head coach Espen Conley. “We’re competing at a high level and now people are starting to recognize our guys’ names which is great. The team is taking shape and is becoming more talented as the matches get competitive.”
“I have high hopes for our team and I think everybody on the team is a really hard worker. I’ve seen some really good improvements over the last couple months,” said sophomore Ayden Donsbach. “The future looks good and we’ll probably keep winning matchups, reiterating the belief that this team keeps getting better as they look to keep winning.”
After the tournament against Vianney, the Jr. Bills squad went upstate on Tuesday to take on Fort Zumwalt North and De Smet in a tri-meet with high hopes. They found success but also had their fair share of challenges. SLUH defeated De Smet but ended up falling to Ft. Zumwalt North, a very competitive team. Even with a loss, the team showed off newfound skills and resolve from all of the work that the wrestlers have been putting in since last season.
Victory over Jesuit rival De Smet was a large part of their focus for this meet, as there had been struggles against the Spartans in the past that the team wanted to overcome.
“Our ultimate goal was to go in and defeat De Smet which we did. All of our guys went out and really competed,” said Conley.
With all this focus on De Smet, the team was unable to overcome the challenges posed by the scrappy Ft. Zumwalt North team. Despite
the result, the performance was still one to look back on and be proud of, considering the team’s youth.
“I feel that our team is young with a lot of freshmen and will really grow,” said freshman Otto Martin.
Getting the players to believe in themselves is a large part of being able to create a contender that can have strong mental toughness as well as physical strength.
“Our young guys are believing in their abilities and becoming more and more confident,” said Conley.
He is establishing a firm belief in his team as one that is young, improving, and a future competitor against teams such as ones they faced in this meet.
The wrestlers must keep grinding and working to reach the point where they want to be. However, there is belief that the team will be able to do this and take that next step.
“I think it is just about training even harder so we can take that extra step and push ourselves to squeeze every last bit of our talent to be that extra bit better,” said Martin.
The varsity squad competes for a conference championship in an MCC dual tournament next Monday at CBC. They also compete against Webster Groves and Pattonville alongside the JV team next Thursday.