winter sports 15-16

sports // 6

GIRLS
HOCKEY

CALLIE ZINGAS 16 // Staff Writer

After winning the state championship last year, the
girls hockey team is ready to start another successful
season, Emma Frame 16 said.
Frame 16 said shes excited to see how the team will
do.
We lost four seniors last year that were really
good, Frame said. This season well try to get to the
same skill level. There are a lot of new sophomores
and freshmen- a few that Ive never played with before- so itll be interesting to see how they impact the
team.
As far as their goals for the season, Frame and
Grace Moody 16 agree the team hopes to make it to
states again.
Ultimatewly our goal is to win states, Moody said.
Hopefully well get that far again, but we are going to
have to work hard. I think our team this year will have
depth.
Frame is also confident in the teams abilities.
I think we have the potential to do it, Frame said.
We want to be the best team we can be.
As far as the team off the ice, Moody said that she
also enjoys the social aspect of the sport and its fun
team events.
We have Secret Santa at Christmas time and our
big trip to Chicago every year, Moody said. I started
playing freshman year, and I love it.
The team has its first game on Nov. 21 at 5:30
against Country Day.

SYNCHRONIZED
SWIM

LINSDEY CLARK 16 // Staff Writer

The Blue Dolphins synchronized
swimming team is preparing for its upcoming season, with
the hopes of winning states this year and becoming closer as a
team, coach Lauren Martin said.
My ultimate goal is for us to take first place at states, Martin said. Im really hopeful and excited. I know the girls are
going to be great.
The season, which consists of both a figure season and a
routine season, begins Nov. 9 and ends in May.
Martin said she hopes to have 15 girls on the team this year.
I am excited to get to meet the new girls, Martin said. We
are going to have a great team this year.
Martin will coach the combined North and South team with
Jessie Sutton, who is also a South and Blue Dolphins alumni.
The team will split its practices between the two schools.
Team member Brooke Martin 17, said she enjoys having a
combined team with North because of the friendships.
It is awesome, Brooke said. You get to meet a lot more
people. It is cool to have that sense of togetherness.
The team will compete against Ann Arbor Huron, Ann
Arbor Pioneer and Troy High School, the only other schools in
the state with synchronized swim teams.
Brooke said she is optimistic about the new season and the
teams chances.
Im really excited for the season to start, Brooke said. Im
just excited to see how everyone works together and figures it
all out.

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015

WRESTLING
BLAIR SHORTAL 16 // Staff Writer
For the wrestling team, fresh off of a season in which they won districts, anything short of a state championship would be a bust, co-captain John Gough 16 said.
Wrestlers like Gough and co-captain Joseph Kurta 16 say the team
has what it takes to compete.
My expectations are for everyone to perform well again, Gough
said. We also hope to beat North in team districts and hopefully win
regionals, because we definitely can.
During the offseason, Kurta trained hard in hopes of achieving his

PHOTO COURTESY OF DDS PHOTOGRAPHY

GIRLS BASKETBALL

PHOTO COURTESY OF GENNIE MARTIN 16

GYMNASTICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENNA BROMWELL 16

said. It gave the new gymnasts a good feel for what to

expect this season.
During her first week on
the team, Emma Scott 19 said
she had a lot of fun and improved throughout the week.
I think we will go far this
year, Scott said. The freshmen team, in my opinion,
brings a lot to the team, and
Im very excited to compete
with compete with everyone.
Also, Dugan said with hard
work and determination, she
thinks the team can accomplish their goals.
Every year, our main team
goal is to qualify for the state
meet, Hamidi said. I think
that we definitely have the talent and ability to do that again
this year, and we also hope to
qualify as many girls as we can
for both the regional meet and
the state championship.
Their first competition is
Dec. 7 against the Birmingham United Team.

Despite losing players from last year, Sarah

Simmet 17 has high hopes for this season.
We lost a lot of seniors, but everyone is ready
to work hard at practice just like we did all summer to make this a great year, Simmet said. Im
looking forward to seeing what the team can
bring to the table, and seeing everyone step up...
Tryouts begin this week, and practices will
start next week.
I think that this season everyone will play a
major role on the court, Carmody said.

BOYS SWIM & DIVE

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACOB MONTAGUE 16

OLIVIA FREDERICKSON 16
// Staff Writer
On Nov. 3, the girls gymnastics season kicked off with
the first practice last Tuesday,
coach Courtney Hamidi said.
I think we will still have
a really strong team, Hamidi said. We did lose a couple
of experienced seniors from
our line-up, but were also
returning a lot of our strong
gymnasts, and we have several
freshman who will be able to
compete because they have a
lot of experience.
Having almost a perfect
season last year, their toughest
competition was the Farmington High School Team, Hamidi said. The girls gymnastics
team also qualified for the regional meet, and placing 3rd;
further qualifying them for
the state finals where they finished 7th overall.
I think our first practice
was a good way to start the
season, Sydney Dugan 18

OLIVIA SHEFFER 17 // Staff Writer

After being district champions in the MAC
red division and coming off of a 18-5 record, the
girls varsity basketball team looks forward to another successful season, captain Anna Carmody
16 said.
The team will have its first game Nov. 30 at
Chandler Park, Richards said.
After tryouts, the team will practice, lift and
play six days a week, coach Kevin Richards said.
Carmody said her hope is for the season to be
fun and exciting.
Im really looking forward to the chemistry
that the team will have, Carmody said.

EVAN SKAFF 18 // Staff Writer

After placing eighth in the state last year, the boys swim and dive
team, led by last years state meet swimmer of the year Jacob Montague
16, looks to build on last years success.
I have been trying to improve in the off season, so I can try to win
two events at states and break some more records, Montague said.
Montague won two events with record breaking times last year.
Some of the team has been training before the season, but we start
before Thanksgiving, and we should be able to get back into shape

quickly, Montague said. We are lo

returning guys and some new guys
good.
Although they are excited abou
will be without assistant coach Jo
coach this season. Fodell, also cal
hard to replace, Matthew Koueiter
There have been some change
said. Fo leaving is a big deal to th

PHOTO COURTESY OF JON THEROS 16

PHOTO COURTESY OF JJOSEPH KURTA 16

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015

sports // 7

BOYS HOCKEY
goals for the season.
For the team, I want to get into the state tournament and make a
run for the title, Kurta said. I have trained my a-- off with the team
this offseason because many of us have aspirations and have the talent
to become state champions.
Kurta, who has wrestled all four years of his high school career, has
yet to win a state championship and hopes to go out with a bang for
his final season.
This is the best team that South has ever had Kurta said. We
know we can be a powerhouse in the state.

BLAIR SHORTAL 16 // Staff Writer

South hockey skates into a new season with new players and
new expectations, Will Poplawski 16 said. With a good mix of
seniors and juniors, the team feels it is more ready than ever to
make a run.
This years goal remains exactly the same: to win a state championship, Poplawski said. In regards to talent, we have picked up
some great additions this year which will have a positive impact.
Marshall Vyletel 16 is one of these new faces. Vyletel is excited
to get on the ice and make a championship run.

BOYS BASKETBALL

PHOTO COURTESY OF DDS PHOTOGRAPHY

I look forward to being in a locker room with the great group of

kids I grew up with, Vyletel said. I think our roster is an incredible
one. Everyone is super passionate and we have the talent to back
up our work ethic.
A year after making the State Semifinals, anything short of at
least an appearance in the state championship would be considered
a bust, Vyletel said.
The chemistry is the best of any team Ive ever been on, Vyletel
said. Everyone really wants to see their teammates succeed and
everyone brings a different competitive edge to the game.

FIGURE SKATING
GENNIE MARTIN 16 // Staff Writer
With the season starting, the girls figure skating team looks
to send its C team to states again this year, Caitlin Miller 17
said.
As of now, we lost a few skaters last year from A team, Celeste Franke-Joyce 16 said. And this year the girls look alright,
but the C team will probably be the strongest.
The team is split into different levels where you have to test
out to get into a higher tier, Julia Barnes 16 said. The skaters
on A team do the hardest elements and those on the C team do
the most basic.
Thanks to the support from coach Claire LaDue, Franke-Joyce believes everybody on the team benefits.
Shes really good with everyone, and shes good at coming
in for extra help for girls who need it, Franke-Joyce said. Shes
always there, and shes really supportive.
Franke-Joyce said also that West Bloomfield, a newly-added
team to their district, is a team that might be a potential rival.
I think C team has the ability to go to states for sure, but
with the addition of the West Bloomfield team into our district,
there will probably be some good skaters on there for A, Franke-Joyce said. But hopefully well pull through.
In addition to their hopes of sending more than just the C
team to states, both Franke-Joyce and Barnes look forward to
being being seniors and leaders on the team.
Im excited to finish my four years strong by hopefully
going to states, Barnes said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GENNIE MARTIN 16

COMPETITIVE
CHEER

ooking pretty good. We have some

s coming in. We are looking pretty

ut new players coming in, the team

ohn Fodell, who isnt returning to
lled Fo, was well-liked and will be
18 said.
es to the coaching staff, Koueiter
he team, and I dont know how this

He said they are playing more as a unit this

year than last year and hopes to see improvement in the team sharing the ball.
The team has also received praise from a college coach, Glasser said.
We actually had a college coach come in to
see the kids from University of Detroit Mercy
and his first comment was your kids like each
other a lot, Glasser said.
Glasser is excited to have returning senior
Jack Maher and junior Brennen Buszka.
Starters Jack Maher and and Brennen Buszka both played a critical role in the program last
year, Glasser said.

will affect the team.

However, Tom Mulhern will return as the South diving coach.
We have two returning juniors and maybe one returning sophomore, Mulhern said. Losing Eric Romer 15 is a big loss, but having
these guys back is going to be good.
The diving team only has two returning divers and are looking for
new divers, no matter what the skill, Mulhern said.
The team is trying to return to the top ten in the state, Montague
16 said.

PHOTO BY ARIANNA PAGENETTE 18

JD STANDISH 18 // Staff Writer

This years boys basketball team is looking
to improve their team chemistry to give them a
chance at the conference title.
We are more together than last year (because) we actually like each other this year, Michael Calcaterra 16 said. Last year there were
some conflicts within the team.
Head coach Troy Glasser is excited about the
new chemistry and said the team is a lot of fun.
The team has been playing in off season tournaments and camps until practice, Glasser said.
The kids have spent a lot of time in the
weight room this year in the fall, Glasser said.

OLIVIA SHEFFER 17 // Staff Writer

After finishing last season in third place overall
in the Macomb Area Conference (MAC), tryouts
for the girls varsity cheer team start this week.
Practices will take place on Tuesday through Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 in the field gym during the
season. The team competes on either Wednesdays
or Saturdays.
The first competition will take place on Dec. 9 at
Cousino High School.
This is a MAC crossover, so its a bunch of teams
from different MAC color titles and divisions,
Claire Duncan 17 said.
Duncan said she enjoys different things about
each of her cheer seasons, but likes competition because of the time and effort put into the routines
and the feeling she receives from winning.
Our team this year gets along incredibly, and
we have the potential to do very well this season,
Duncan said.
Second year coach Ashley Gerbi said her goal for
the season is to raise the bar by incorporating new
and higher-level gymnastics along with a wider variety of stunts and visuals.
We are going in with the mindset and the goal
of working to raise our scores every competition,
Gerbi said.