The Northmen’s Log September 2014
Volume 50, Issue 1
Cool Down in Iceland page 9
Homecoming Through the page 6-7 Ages
Letter from the Editor I am happy to bring to you the 50th volume of the newspaper. This year’s newspaper will look very similar to last year’s, but with a few changes as in fonts and colors. Every issue will contain the same categories: news, recreation, feature, people, opinion, photo essay and sports. We are proud to bring you this issue on Homecoming weekend. This issue will take you back through the ages of Homecoming here, new changes around our school, adventures
over the summer, and lots more. We hope to entertain you and inform you of things happening around here. With seven more issues still to come, we would love to hear your feedback on the newspaper. Please stop by to give us your feedback at E134 with your letters to the editor, see below for instructions. Have a wonderful year, and remember to pick up your copy of the newspaper every month.
Our Staff and Our Policies “The Northmen’s Log” will publish eight times during the school year. “Log” staff strongly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. Therefore, “Log” encourages readers to participate in the discussion by submitting Letters to the Editor
in room E134, by email to christina. geabhart@nkcschools.org. Letters cannot exceed 350 words and must be signed. “Log” will not run letters that are libelous, obscene or that may cause a verifiable disruption of the education process of Oak Park. Advertisers may contact the business manager at christina.geabhart@nkcschools.org.
Olivia Eissler editor-in-chief; cover, contents, feature, opinion, sports editor; writer and photographer Maddie Russell managing editor; news, recreation,people, photo essay editor; writer and photographer Nathan Roppa writer and photographer
staff & policies
Subscriptions are available, $20 for a mailed copy, $10 for a emailed pdf version, or $25 for both. Opinions expressed in “Log” do not reflect student, staff or school district endorsements of that opinion, product, or service. “Log” is a member of NSPA, MIPA and Quill and Scroll. “Log” is affiliated with JEA and JEMKC.
Mabrey Wathen writer and photographer Tessa McGinnis cartoonist Connor Annan writer Effy Minnick writer Joseph Haas photographer Cody Green writer and photographer Christina Geabhart adviser September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
NEWS
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#OP UNITED New Attendance Policy Academic Resource Time
Recreation
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Favorite Thing About School Starting StuCo Prepares for Homecoming Favorite Subject Senior Emily Cunningham spends her summer singing at Worlds of Fun. Photo credit to Nichole Tolle
Feature
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Homecoming Through The Ages Homecoming Schedule
People
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50th Graduating Class Cunningham’s Star Job Adventure to Iceland
Opinion
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Attendance Change Sizing Down
Photo Essay Candy Hover is escorted by her father, as the Homecoming queen at the 1965 game. Photo credit to 1965 Cambia yearbook
On the Cover:
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First Football Game
Sports
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The new Northman Football Jamboree mascot, a gift from the class of 2013, points at Fall Sports Calendar the Friday Aug. 22 football game against WinThe Coach People Love netonka.
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contents 1
Academic Resource Starts Students Study, Ask for Assistance, Socialize Olivia Eissler Editor in Chief “It started the semester before I became principal,” said Principal Mark Maus. “There was a committee of teachers and parents. [Assistant principal Chris] Sartain and I talked with everyone. Having built-in time is important and having structure is important.” This year, students now have academic resource time, or advisory every Monday and Friday for 40 minutes. Junior and seniors who don’t have any Fs in any classes may resort to designated areas where they can play games, do homework, or just hang out with their friends. Freshmen and sophomores are assigned a teacher they are with for the year. On Fridays, when freshmen and sophomores have a pass from a teacher, they may travel and get help from other teachers. “Giving juniors and seniors time teaches younger students to manage their time,” Maus said. “Students can decompress for 40 minutes, see teachers and study.” Every two weeks, juniors and seniors will have to report to their advisory teacher for grade checks, and freshmen and sophomores have grade checks every week. “It’s new, and [we are going] to learn,” Maus said. “Things are going to happen we hadn’t thought about, but we will figure it out our best. We are going to have to be flexible with changes and adjusting.” Many people like the new academic resource. Senior Kaley Breault said it was nice to have a break from the school day and to use the time for whatever you want. “I like not being assigned anywhere, but I don’t like how we can’t travel to any other places to do chores,” Breault said. Breault said it is fair for juniors and seniors to be able to move, but not freshmen and sophomores, because the upperclassmen are more likely to be responsible and to utilize their time smarter.
Junior Alexander Pekarsky and his friends enjoy their Academic Resource time in the cafeteria. Academic Resource is like a flex time on Mondays and Fridays for freshmen and sophomores to get their work done, and juniors and seniors to do whatever they want in an Unassigned Time location, as long as their grades and attendance are kept up. Olivia Eissler Editor in Chief “It is a time for me to do homework and get stuff done,” said freshman Madlin Tutu. Tutu likes academic resource, because in class she doesn’t get free time like we do for advisory. “I like getting all my homework done before the weekend,” Tutu said.
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September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
Blue on Blue, Through and Through. Most of the cheerleaders are at the fence supporting the varsity football team at the Jamboree, Friday, Aug. 15. They were awaiting eagerly for the scrimmage against Staley’s varsity to begin. “The
Jamboree was really exciting, and it was fun to see friends from other schools that I haven’t seen in awhile,” said sophomore Ashlyn Penland.
#OPUnited Joe Haas photographer
Hash Tag of the Year Unites Olivia Eissler
Editor in Chief
“We talked about it as a staff,” said athletic director Casey Vokolek. “We were trying to come up with something different, and when we heard OPbluenight, we didn’t like it.” For this year, the school Twitter hash tag is #OPUnited. Vokolek said students and faculty can use this hash tag when are recognizing students for success in fine arts or athletics or any area. “Since this is the 50th year, we are doing a lot to unite the past students now and to promote a family atmosphere by bringing students closer,” Vokolek said.
The first time senior Rebecca Saari heard of #OPUnited was at freshmen orientation. For helping out directing a group and making sure they got to know the school better, she received a shirt with #OPUnited on the back. Also all of the freshmen who attended freshman orientation received the same shirt. “It is okay,” said Saari. “It is not very creative.” On the other side was junior Ali Ishkuntana. “It is liked by everyone and is popular,” Ishkuntana said. Ishkuntana said the hash tag is not
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just for soccer or softball to use, it is for everyone in the school to use to show support for people who represent the school, and it shows great school spirit. “I see it on Twitter a lot and think that it will probably be in the yearbook,” Ishkuntana said. Ishkuntana said this hash tag will promote everyone to go and support others athletes events, concerts and plays. “It unites us as a school; a whole,” Ishkuntana said.
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Stuco Prepares for Homecoming
Olivia Eissler Editor in Chief “The theme for this year’s Homecoming is Fall Festival,” said junior Taylor Dorrel. “It was the theme and name of the first dance here.” Dorrel’s committee in leadership, has prepared for the dance. They found old pictures from back in the days to scatter across the gym during the dance. Also they prepared the decorations for the gym and the courtyard. For the first Homecoming here, students in 1965 used the courtyard for the dance. They had a pond and a bridge for couples to walk over. “The 50th year affects the whole entire Homecoming,” Dorrel said. To incorporate the 50th into the dance, alumni were invited back for
the parade on Friday, Sept. 19, and the school plans to host on alumni games on the Saturday, Sept. 20, morning of Homecoming. “We have to get ready for the parade, make schedules for the floats to go through the streets, get the floats organized, find a route for the parade, and promote the parade,” said junior Ryan Rogowski. Rogowski’s committee in leadership worked on getting every grade to have their own float and for all of the clubs to either make a float, or walk in the parade. He said they incorporated the 50th year into Homecoming by having a parade. The first Homecoming here had a parade, so they are trying to bring
What is your favorite thing about school starting?
There are more stories and content online at www. NorthmenNews. com!
Seeing friends: 61% Going to your new classes: 10%
Starting before/afterschool activites:16%
Making new friends: 13% Poll taken from 100 students Mabrey Wathen and Joseph Haas
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it back from when it died out a few years ago. “For queens, we made banners, decorated the trophy case and picked out crowns,” said senior Lauren Fabac. Fabac’s committee was in charge of making sure all the queens know what is happening. They helped them get their pictures taken for the display case, made sure they have convertibles for the parade, had an escort and banner holders, and made sure they all have sequined dresses for the assembly. “I think students should come to Homecoming definitely because it’s going to be the most spectacular ones to come,” Dorrel said.
Check online often for breaking news, photos, videos and more.
September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
What is your favorite core subject? What is your favorite subject?
history 25%
science 25%
Math 31%
Math English science history
English 19%
Poll taken from 100 students Cody Green
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recreation 5
Homecoming Olivia Eissler Editor-in-Chief
Connie Clemons was the 1969 Homecoming Queen.
Science teacher Bethany Hoff as a senior in 1994.
Have you ever wondered what Homecoming was like over the past 50 years here? It wasn’t as different as you think. The very first Homecoming here was in 1965. The theme for the dance was Fall Festival, just as our theme is this year, and the very first Homecoming Queen was Candy Hover. A few years later, science teacher Alan Parks celebrated his senior Homecoming. “I went with Kyle Adams, who was up for Homecoming Queen,” Parks said. Parks was a senior here in 1972 and played football and baseball. For his Homecoming dance, the theme was Fall Fantasy. Parks’ Homecoming game was against the Truman Patriots on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Social studies teacher Matthew Reynolds as a senior in 1995.
The Homecoming candidates in 1965: Candy, Lynda, Donna, Chris, Alice, Debbie and Linda.
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“After Homecoming we went on a boat cruise on the river,” Park said. All of the girls who were up for Homecoming queen where all very involved here, said Parks. When you walked into the main gym, the side where all the seniors sit was filled with all the lettermen, and where the juniors sit, was packed with Pep Club members. Pep Club back then mostly consisted of girls who cheered on the athletes at their games. Today, we have a fan section that is similar to the Pep Club. We pack the stands and cheer on our athletes to victory. Two decades later, science teacher Bethany Hoff had her senior courtwarming in the fall of 1993, before graduating in 1994. “The Homecoming Queens were the seven most popular girls,” Hoff said.
The 1965 half time at the Homecoming game, when the band made a huge leaf to represent the dance theme, Fall Festival. Whenever a candidates’ name would be called, the leaf with their name on it would fall to the ground.
September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
Through the Ages photos courtesy of Cambia yearbook For her Homecoming, which was on a Saturday night ,the theme of the dance was “A Night in Emerald City.” For decorations, they had a yellow brick road laying on the gym floor, and they had green lights to make it really feel like Emerald City. For her assembly, Hoff was the emcee for it. Also for their Homecoming game played at Northtown, she read off the biography for the queens. Some of the queens that year were some of Hoff’s closest friends. “I was a cheerleader,” Hoff said. “It didn’t automatically make you popular.” When Hoff went here, she said the school was very big. This was because Staley students still went here. A year later, another teacher made memories. “The dance was in the gym,” said social studies teacher Matthew
Reynolds, who was a senior in 1995. “We got all dressed up and went down to the Plaza as a group.” The Homecoming game was at the Northtown District Stadium, and OP won 20-9 against the Truman Patriots. After the dance, which was themed “Cast a Spell,” Reynolds and his friends went to various haunted houses. He said that his favorite part of Homecoming was seeing all of his friends, and his least favorite part was that his date was not very nice. When Reynolds went here, he played football and baseball. It doesn’t matter what year it is, Homecoming has always been a time of getting dressed up for the dance and showing support for the football team at the Homecoming game.
Science teacher Alan Parks as a senior in 1972.
The 1965 Homecoming Queen, Candy Hover. Bethany Hoff, front center, when she was a varsity cheerleader.
Homecoming Schedule Mabrey Wathen Writer Friday, Sept. 19: 12:30 p.m. Hall of Fame Assembly 1 p.m. Parade 1:45 p.m. Pep Rally 4 p.m. Powder Puff Game
Alan Parks blocks for Mike Skeith against Truman.
Saturday, Sept. 20: 9 a.m. Alumni coed Soccer 9 a.m. Alumni Flag Football Game 9 a.m. School is open for Alumni Tours 9:30 a.m. Alumni Volleyball
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9:30 a.m. Basketball games in Main and Auxiliary gyms 10:30 a.m. Alumni Tailgate opens in the OP Parking Lot 11:30 a.m. Alumni Recognitions before the football game 12:00 p.m. Kickoff: Belton Pirates vs. Northmen @ OPHS Halftime: Homecoming Queen and other recognitions 2-4 p.m. School is open for Alumni Tours 6 p.m. All OP reunion at Brass Rail 7 p.m. Homecoming Dance
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Senior Takes the Stage Maddie Russell Managing Editor If you went to Worlds of Fun this summer you might have seen a familiar face, but you probably didn’t expect her to be performing on stage. Senior Emily Cunningham was a live entertainment performer at this year’s summer country show: “Made in America.” “My mom told me that when I turned 16 I needed to get a job,” Cunningham said. “She’s like “you need to figure out where you wanna work.” And when I was about 11 or 12, I always went out to Worlds of Fun and I watched shows out there with my mom, and I actually remember some of my co-workers performing when I was a little kid, and I told my mom I want to do this, and I auditioned and I was thankful to get the job.” Cunningham had to go through many different processes throughout the audition to be able to get her part in the show. “For the audition process, I had to sing an upbeat song and a ballad, and then it went into a callback session, then you’d do a dance audition, so you’d learn a dance and then you’d have to perform it with four other people,” Cunningham said. “Then I had to sing another song; and after that I got measured and everything and I had to give them my shoe sizes just so they had it on file.” After Cunningham got her role in the show, it came down to preparing
Emily Cunningham performs on stage throughout her career at Worlds Of Fun.
for the first performance. “We start with vocals on a whole entire three-day weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and I wanna say it takes about two weeks to get all ready with costumes and everything until we open up our show. For dancing it probably takes about two or three or four rehearsals; and we learn section by section each dance number,” Cunningham said. “Then this year we had to run stuff with the band because my stage had a live band. We just practiced everything, we went and got measured for costumes, and we had to have dress rehearsals before our show actually open, and we have a family and friends night where all of our friends and family come support us, and then we open up the next day.” Every show, Cunningham got into the same routine to prepare herself for the stage. “I have to do both my makeup and hair and usually I show up to work with my makeup done and then I do my hair in our dressing room. Then I have to put on tights and my Spanx and everything and I have to make sure my costumes are in my dressing room and not with all the other costumes. I put on my lipstick to look all perdy and then I’m ready for the show.” Cunningham enjoys her job very much and especially enjoys the at-
Senior Emily Cunningham tention from the crowd. “I love making little kids smile. It’s my favorite part because whenever I’m performing I think of little kids being like me, like “Oh I want to do that one day when I’m older and I want to be that person up there, “and that’s how I was and I want other kids to look at me like that.”
Photo Credits to Nicole Tolle
8 people
September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
Iceland
Cool Down in Mabrey Wathen
Writer
What did you do this summer? You probably lounged by the pool, rode rides at Worlds of Fun, or maybe went on a little road trip. Did you travel outside the U.S.? Well, senior Samantha Belcourt vacationed in Iceland for 10 days. Belcourt and her family chose to go to Iceland because, “In Iceland we had no idea what to do and that was kind of the entire point, was just exploration and have no set places to go and just explore, and plus we knew it would be cooler than ninety degrees.” The landscape, the mountains and the wild life were unlike anything she’d seen in Missouri. While in Iceland, Belcourt and her family stayed in two cities: Dalvík and Reykjavík. “While we were there, we basically got to know the locals and explore the architecture and the landscape.” Belcourt did some pretty cool stuff during her stay, “One of the things we did there, was we went to a local restaurant that they try to keep a secret from the tourists and tried Hákarl (rotten shark).” Surprisingly, she liked it more than she thought she would. “It’s like sunny there 12 hours a day, so that was something to get used to,” Belcourt said. Belcourt thought the time difference was weird at first, but turned out to be kind of nice. “You’re not as tired and you see people walking around
Senior Samantha Belcourt visited many places during her stay in Iceland, like the Gooafoss Waterfall. The Gooafoss Waterfall was located in Reykjavik, Iceland. “I felt free,” Belcourt said. at like two o’clock in the morning, getting coffee, shopping,” Belcourt said. “I would go back in a heartbeat,” Belcourt said. Belcourt and her family tried many new things, saw a lot of churches and landscape, and got to interact with some amazing people. “I just think that kindness [that the people showed] is really rare in the world, to be that close to something like that, it’s really important.”
Seniors Express Feelings on 50th Graduating Class Q: Why is the being apart of the 50th graduating class significant to you?
Q: How does the senior class from 50 years ago compare to this year?
“Yeah it’s really significant to me because I’m in choir and we have so much to do this year. We have the 50th “Messiah” that [director] Bill Grace is doing, and we have just like a big year ahead of us. People remember the first year and the 25th year; and it’s just cool to witness the 50th.”
“Everyone looks older because in what we would think of now as old is what they dressed in back then. Everyone dressed up back then and looked really classy. All the guys are wearing ties and suits in the yearbook photos and now no one dresses up that nice anymore. If someone wore that now they’d be made fun of probably.”
Senior Samantha Sander
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Senior Kaleb Murray
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Tessa McGinnis Artist
Policy Makes School More Difficult Maddie Russell Managing Editor If you’re one of those people who have trouble keeping good attendance, then school just got a bit more challenging for you. The new policy is that if a student doesn’t have an approved doctor’s note or a pre-excused absence the day missed will count against them. If a student misses just a few days of school, this isn’t going to affect them very much, but if their attendance drops below 90 percent, that’s where the problems begin. Even if they keep up with the classwork their grade will slowly deteriorate. For me, this isn’t a terribly big issue because I’m at school almost every single day, but sometimes we can’t help missing a few days here and there. You can’t control if Aunt Edna passes away during EOCs and you have to
unexpectedly fly out to California for her funeral. Or how could you have known that your parents planned a surprise vacation the week before spring break and you have to miss an entire week of school? Sometimes I think the district forgets more goes on in students’ lives than school. Not everyone can be at school every day for multiple reasons, and if they at least keep up with the schoolwork it shouldn’t be counted against them. This new policy completely stresses me out because now I have to keep track of how many days I can or can’t miss or else “bye bye grades.” I like the idea, but looking at it through a student’s eyes, it’s just one more thing that makes school even more nerve-racking.
Student Disagrees with Lunchroom Cody Green
Writer
There are a lot of negative reviews surrounding school lunches. Ever since the dawn of school lunch there have been people who love it and people who hate it. Then there’s always that group who doesn’t care.
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My opinion towards this school’s lunch is less on the taste and more on the portions. The cookies have been cut to two, and if you want more than three hot wings, you better break out your wallet because that’s going to
cost you extra. Don’t get me wrong, I like the school lunch. But I definitely would not choose it over going out to eat. So as far as the school lunch; it is great for me.
September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
Football Spices up Season
Oak Park and Tonka Football take stance before the next play on Friday, Aug. 22. Maddie Russell Managing Editor Fans gather outside of locker room to form a fan tunnel on Friday, Aug. 22. Head coach Kevin Keeton asked fans to support the team in new ways this season. Olivia Eissler Editor in Chief
The Oak Park Pommies entertain during half time for the awaiting crowd on Friday, Aug. 22. Olivia Eissler Editor in Chief Juniors Winnie Adenic and Taylor Terrell observe the game on Friday, Aug. 22. The cheer squads added a third level this season to accomodate all the cheerleaders. Maddie Russell Managing Editor
S eptemb e r 2014 | The Nor t h me n’s L og
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Loved
Peoples’ Coach Opens Season
Nathan Roppa Writer
As you may of seen or heard, Oak Park has a new head football coach, Kevin Keeton. People are very excited. Keeton has been at OP for four years; and in those years his non-coaching jobs have included a physics teacher and strength and conditioning coach. His coaching positions have included offensive line coach and now head coach. “Oak Park football is going to continue to grow and be known as a can-do thing for any boy in the school to be part of and we want our program to be well respected in the suburban conference.” Before Keeton came to OP, he was coaching for Belton High School. Coaching positions at Belton included special teams coach, offensive line coach, offensive coordinator and three years as head coach. Keeton has been coaching for 16 years. “Our expectation as a team and football staff are very high, we believe in everything we’re doing and the kids that are doing it.” People were excited about Keeton being the new head coach. “I feel more comfortable and relaxed. His person and character is awesome; and it’s awesome to have a guy like that as head coach,” said senior Kur Bak. “Team means something to him and he gives the best pep talks,” said junior Devin Canovi. “He’s a cool guy had him freshmen year, always finding
Head coach Kevin Keeton and coach Jeff Rooney plan out the next set of plays on Friday, Aug. 22 at the first football game against Winnetonka. Maddie Russell managing editor ways to make you understand things,” said senior Sophia Contreras. “He’s like a true father, a friend. He loves all of us, always making sure we set the bar high for ourselves,” said junior Thomas Long.
Fall Sports Schedule Soccer
Golf
Volleyball
9/22 NKC-H 9/25 Belton/ St. Joseph Central-A 9/25 Staley-H 10/14 Raytown-H
Tennis
9/22 Lee’s Summit-H 9/23 Staley-A 9/25 Liberty North-H
Football
9/20 Belton-H 10/10 NKC-H 10/17 Staley-A
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10/2 Staley-H 10/7 Dig For the Cure-H 10/14 NKC-H
Swim
9/23 Blue Springs/ Park Hill/ Sedalia-A 10/7 Rockhurst/ Warrensburg-A 10/14 Kearney/ St. Pius (Senior Meet)-A
Softball
9/23 Fort Osage-H 9/25 Staley-H 9/30 William Chrisman-H
H- Home Game A- Away Game
Olivia Eissler
Editor-in-Chief
September 2014 | The Northmen’s Log
Kicking Off Madison Russell
Oak Park’s football team is ready to start the season with all four North Kansas City School District high schools at the football Jamboree. The Jamboree was for the football teams to see what to expect and what to work on this season. Joseph Haas photographer
Sophomores Nanomi Ironwing-Samm and Victoria Davis and freshman Kirsten Blackwell smile for a picture at the Jamboree. Students came to the Jamboree to support Oak Park. Joseph Haas photographer S eptemb e r 2014 | The Nor t h me n’s L og
Managing Editor
As the air begins to cool and the leaves begin to change, people realize that football season is just about to begin. At the start of the school year, the team started off with a brand new head coach and brand new objectives. “From last year the culture of the team has completely changed,” said quarterback senior Joey Scott. “We are a lot more motivated, we take things a lot more seriously and the team’s already gotten a lot better.” With a new head coach a whole different perspective was put into the minds of the players. “As opposed to just comparing ourselves from one year to the next, every year is different,” varsity football coach Kevin Keeton said. “Every year kids bring a unique team chemistry to the table, and let’s just say I like the direction we’re headed. I like this team’s chemistry, I like their work ethic and I like how they get along with each other.” A new season means new changes for how the team will work and play together. “He’s made a lot of changes and especially in how we practice and how we really try during games,” said defensive back senior Matt O’Neil. “For once we’re really playing together as a team and not just being selfish like we were in the past, and we’re actually getting more amped up before our games.” On Friday, Aug. 15, the Northmen kicked off their season at the 2014 Jamboree, learning more about the teams they’re up against and what they’ll have to work on in order to have a great season. “We need to improve all facets of our game, we need to tackle better and we need to be able to throw the ball and execute offensively in the passing game and those things will come,” Keeton said. “I have no doubt, the kids are working hard to get those things fixed.” Scott said he looked at the Jamboree as more of a learning experience. “I wasn’t too worried about whether we did really good or really bad, it was just more of an evaluation on ourselves rather than how we did against the other teams,” Scott said. Keeton said the main goal he had was to get the team to work together. “We want to live our core covenants everyday, that’s a goal. We want to see daily improvement, and winning will take care of itself.”
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