Red Ink March Vol. 14 Ed. 3

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REDSʼ COMMITTED ATHLETES MAR. 11, 2022 Vol. 14 Ed. 3 114 Park Ave Eaton, CO 80615

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Poetry Out Loud state championship Naranjo represents Eaton at Lakewood Cultural Center

abigailvondy editorinchief The Poetry Out Loud competition reaches a form of normalcy after two years in a pandemic. Poetry Out Loud is an educational program designed to encourage and promote the reading and recitation of great poetry in the nation. After a local competition held on Feb. 9, Alejandra Naranjo (22) won herself a one way ticket to the state championship. The local competition was held at Coffeehouse Ten24 in Eaton, and Naranjo defeated two of her classmates with the recitation of her poem “Semi-Splendid”

by Tracy K. Smith.

The state competition was held on Mar. 2 at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood, Colorado. Naranjo traveled to the center with the school’s Poetry Out Loud advisor Jaryn Guerra, three of her classmates

who participated in the local competition, and University of Northern Colorado poetry professor Lisa Zimmerman.

Zimmerman has been coaching and encouraging Naranjo for months, preparing her for the moment she stood on stage in Lakewood.

Last year, after Naranjo won the local competition as a ju-

nior, she placed second in the virtual state competition. Her love for the program only grew, encouraging her to compete again in her senior year.

Competing against 11 high schoolers from schools all over Colorado, Naranjo memorized three poems. The championship began at 2 pm, which launched three separate rounds

Jaryn Guerra, Alejandra Naranjo (22), and Lisa Zimmerman pose after the second round.

of recitation. Both the first and second rounds had all 11 students competing and the third was made up of only the top three finalists. Unfortunately, Naranjo was only able to recite two poems, but appreciated the experience nonetheless.

Naranjo was the first on stage during the first round, reciting the same poem from her local competition by Smith. Her second recitation was “Weighing In” by Rina P. Espaillat, with Narajano going last. She said, “That was the best part. Being able to go last, and being able to see how much I needed to improve and being able to do it. It was really fun and exciting.” Narajano was the only student out of the other ten who took the microphone off the stand and walked around with it in her hands as she spoke Espaillat’s words.

Overall, Naranjo was thrilled by the day. “It went well, a

little nerve racking through.

The experience overall was really exhilarating. The best part is being able to see how other people do their poems. When you prepare for this, you know how you do it and how good you are; but for you to see other people do it, it’s a whole different experience,” she said.

Guerra has been involved in Poetry Out Loud since she started working at EHS four years ago. She was most excited about actually getting to witness Naranjo perform in front of a live audience rather than virtually. Guerra is proud of how much Naranjo has improved and enjoyed seeing young people involved in the art of poetry. “Poetry can be found in a lot of different places than people typically believe.

And if someone finds poetry that speaks to them then it can give them a great creative outlet,” she said.

The viral word guessing game Wordle’s popularity strategize its way to Eaton High School

blakehays staffreporter The new game called “Wordle” has taken the world and Eaton High School by storm as the game has reached 300,000 players daily. This is roughly the same number that top triple-A games like Overwatch reach daily as well.

Created in Oct. 2021 by Josh Wardle, Wordle gives players six chances to guess a random five-letter word selected straight from the English dictionary. If the right letter is the right spot, it shows up green.

A correct letter in the wrong spot shows up yellow. A letter that isn’t in the word at all shows up gray. The daily word

is the same for all of the players. Math teacher Derek Weigle said, “You can only play it once a day; only being able to play it once levels the playing field for competition.”

Even Google is celebrating the mass success of Wordle.

When “Wordle” is googled, Google has a moving icon in the top left corner of the browser.

Wordle is now owned by the New York Times, which paid an undisclosed sum in “the low seven figures” to acquire it. The purchase was announced on Jan. 31, 2022. Josh Wardle, its creator, sold the game a mere 3.5 months after he released it.

In the competitive spirit,

math teacher Abigail Duncan said, “I like the competition, and I am better than Weigle.”

The fun is that there is not only a challenge to the individual player, but the game can also become a competition among peers. The game is designed to be a challenge and make the player think. Wordle’s mass rise in popularity has caused players to challenge themselves and others to beat their scores.

Since every day is different, it gives the players a chance to beat their score from previous days.

The goal is to avoid making the game overplayed and bringing the players back for another round of Wordle.

Wikimedia Commons This is a player completing a Wordle in 4 tries

MARCH 11, 2022

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Eaton choirs dance the night away

Students perform at their spring concert ashlenlivingston staffreporter The spring choir concert of this quarter was accompanied by Women’s Choir, Men’s Choir, Bella Voce and Troubadours. The Women’s Choir was the first to perform while all wearing floor length, black dresses.

They sang three songs to kickstart the night which consisted of “Riversong” by Arr. Beck, “Sisi Sote (All of Us)” by Arr. Beck, and “Pure Imagination”

by Arr. J. Althouse. “Sisi Sote (All of Us)” is a song in Swahili which invites the audience to sing, dance, and celebrate.

The Women’s Choir had to practice long and hard to learn the lyrics to a song in a different language, as well as display the energy the song conveys.

The choir concert took place on Mar. 1, the beginning of Women’s History Month, and having the Women’s Choir perform first was an amazing tribute to every woman watch-

ing. The Men’s Choir followed up the amazing performance done by the Women’s Choir, in which they performed “Gone, Gone, Gone” by Arr. Beck, “Lo Yissa Goy (Hebrew Folk Song)” by Arr. Beck, “Sixteen Tons” by Arr. J. Funk, and “My Girl” by Arr. R. Emerson.

The Men’s Choir seemed to serenade the audience when performing “Gone, Gone, Gone,” which contained a solo from Mikey Salazar (23) and Kade Gentry (24). Salazar said, “This was the first time I have ever done a solo, but as the concert went on, all my nerves went away and it ended up being really fun.” Ethan Florez (22) was also granted a solo in “Sixteen Tons’’ and he got the chance to show off his baritone voice. Florez said, “It’s about coal miners and you just have to get into the mood; that was the whole point of the song. Originally I auditioned for “My Girl,” which was our last choreographed piece, but

I ended up getting the solo in “Sixteen Tons” and I really liked it in the end.” Women’s Choir closed the first half of the show with “Dynamite” by Arr. R. Emerson, containing solos from Amerie Valenciano (24), and McKenzie Geib (25).

After the ten minute intermission, Bella Voce took the stage.

There are many similarities between Women’s Choir and Bella Voce, except auditions need to be held to be accepted into Bella Voce.

Once on stage, their bright red dresses caught the eye of the audience, and with their attention, they began performing “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” by M. Huff, followed by “Je Le Vous Dirai! (Do I Dare Say It)” by J. Leavitt, and “Lineage” by A. Ramesy. Teagan Joseph (23) and Addie Burke (22) had solos in “Wishing You Were Somehow Still Here,” which took the audience’s breath away.

Similar to Bella Voce, Trou-

Katie Gomez The Women’s choir dances to “Dynamite” by Arr. R. Emerson.

badours is an audition-only choir which is made up of four boys and eight girls. The Troubadours performed “Hear That Fiddle Play” by J. Purifoy, “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by E. Lojeski, “The Last Words of David” by R. Thompson, and “Singin’ In The Rain” by M. Hayes.

The women in the choir wore silver, sparkly dresses while the men wore all black.

As the Troubadours took to the stage, they began with a playful dance, skipping around in a circle with their chosen

partner. Bella Voce performed “It’s The Hard-Knock Life” before the finale, in which all choirs joined the stage and sang “Wade In The Water” by R. Elaine Schram. “Wade In The Water” was originally a phrase used by Harriet Tubman to tell escaping slaves to jump into the water in order to throw off their scent being tracked by dogs slave catchers.

The participants of this year’s choir concert were thrilled with the outcome and are excited for upcoming performances where they can showcase their talent.

Band keeps the rhythm flowing

Preparations for upcoming performances continue after concerts

katiegomez staffreporter

Both jazz bands had their concert on March 8 and concert and symphonic bands had their concert on March 10. On March 2, the concert band competed in the Northern Regional in Fort Collins, which is a huge accomplishment because normally only the symphonic band gets to go.

Band director Logan Doddridge said, “This is the first time ever that a concert band has qualified to play in the regional. Usually we only take the symphonic band, so it’s a big

honor that we’re going to take both groups this year.”

The students that attended Northern Regional got to learn and obtain knowledge that will help them in the future. They got to do a clinic and were conducted by band directors while they were there.

Not only did the bands have a substantial number of students go to Northern Regional, but they also had a plethora of students get into Honor Bands. 19 students made the Patriot League Honor Band. Nine students made the Combined League Honor Band, and six stu-

Charlotte Reynolds Jazz combo prepares for concert on Mar. 8

dents made the All-State Band. Each year the bands have goals that they pursue.

For this year, Doddridge said the goal is “always to be better than we were every

single day.”

As long as the bands continue to improve their already amazing skills, they will have that goal beat.

Along with the goals they set together, many of the musicians have goals of their own, especially for concerts. Trumpet player Feliz Martinez (22) said, “I have a trumpet solo in “Dream Variants,” so I am really hoping I don’t screw it up.”

As the semester continues, the bands will continue to show their determination and effort through accomplishments and crushed goals.

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5th place finish at Beijing Winter Olympics US finishes this years olympics with 25 medals, 8 of them gold

patrickpreston staffreporter dakotabraucher newseditor

The Winter Olympics were back and better than ever in Beijieng, China, this year. After a different look at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics due to COVID-19, it was nice to get back to a normal schedule in 2022.

Starting on Feb. 4, and going through the 20th, this winter Olympics occurred only six months after competition in Tokyo. The opening and closing ceremonies were held in Beijing, along with the ice events, while the alpine skiing and the sliding events were held in Yanqing. The Olympic Village is also located in Yanqing. Other than Alpine Skiing, most of the ski and snowboarding events were held in Zhangjiakou, approximately 100 miles north of Beijing.

There were a total of 109 medaled events across 15 different sports. These sports include alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, hockey, luge, nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboarding, and speed skating. There were also a few new events added this year, including the women’s

win can be very inspiring.

Sophomore Alyssa Koeltzow said that her favorite moment was “watching Erin Jackson take gold in 500 meter speed skating because of her incredible story.” Jackson began her career playing roller derby and later transitioned to speed

skating. Shortly after she transitioned to ice, she made the 2018 Olympic team, and she won her first world cup.

With the 2020 summer Olympics being postponed due to Covid, it was a miracle that the Winter Olympics occured on schedule with

Andriy Mandziy competing at the olympics

monobob, men’s and women’s big air (freestyle skiing), mixed team snowboard cross, mixed team aerials, mixed team short track relay, and mixed team ski jumping.

The United States finished fourth in the medal count at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and were expected to finish similarly this year. The U.S. finished with 23 medals, nine of them being gold, during the 2018 season. With the competition being a little more steep, the United States stepped it up and earned 25 medals, eight of them being gold, to finish in fifth this year.

Eight individuals claimed their gold medals at the 2022 Olympics, with only one of them doing it for a second time for the United States.

Chloe Kim defended her title and became the first woman

2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony

to win the gold medal twice in the women’s halfpipe.

There were a couple American teams that got the gold, which included the mixed-team snowboard cross team, consisting of Nick Baumgartner and Lindsey Jacobellis, and the mixed-team aerials freestyle skiing team, consisting of Ashley Caldwell, Christopher Lillis, and Justin Schoenefeld. Including Kim, six individuals brought home the gold medal. These individuals consisted of figure skater Nathan Chen, freestyle skier Alex Hall, bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, speedskater Erin Jackson, and snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis.

Being the top of the field in anything is more than impressive, but winning a gold medal is something special. People will work their whole lives and not get the chance to do so, so every athlete should be proud of how hard they have worked. In an interview with NBC Sports Chen said, “All the [training] that we did was worth it because we were able to make it here and I was able to have this experience.”

Winning gold isn’t just a victory for athletes and coaches. It’s also a proud moment for Americans. Seeing an American compete against the world’s best athletes and

Mixed Relay at the 2022 olympics

RedInk Staff Editor-in-Chief..……...........................…abigailvondy Managing Editor……........………...…charlottereynolds News Editor…….............….............……emilyhogsett Sports Editor..........…............……......……jadenstone Entertainment Editor…..................…….gabeholguin Feature Editor........................................ryleemartin Staff Reporter..........................................blakehays Staff Reporter......................................maddiefisher Staff Reporter....................................patrickpreston Staff Reporter.......................................aubreyledall Staff Reporter.......................................logangullett Staff Reporter.........................................lucasstone Staff Reporter..................................dakotabraucher Staff Reporter.................................ashlenlivingston Staff Reporter................................huntertomlinson Staff Reporter.......................................kaitiegomez Adviser………..........………......................jarynguerra The Red Ink is a public forum,School-sponsored and student generated, which encourages the free exchange of ideas and information.

All opinions made in the exercise of freedom of speech or press are the sole opinions of the writers and are in no way to be considered the opinions of Eaton High School, administration, Board of Education, or Eaton School District. The Red Ink strictly adheres to School Board Policy JCEA and Colorado Revised Statute 12-1120.

The Red Ink and eatonredink.com are members of the Colorado School Media Association, Journalism Education Association, and Quill and Scroll.

The Red Ink encourages reader feedback. All letters to the the editor can be submitted to eatonredink@gmail.com

MARCH 11, 2022

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War rages in Northern Hemisphere Russia continues to invade Ukraine without remorse abigailvondy editorinchief

After years of tensions between neighboring countries Russia and Ukraine, a full-blown war is currently raging in the northern hemisphere. The long-standing tensions intensified swiftly when Ukraine began to make moves to join NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). According to BBC news, on Feb. 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia could no longer feel “safe to develop and exist” with Ukraine as a close proximity threat. For months, Russian troops had massed around the Ukraine on three sides, but action did not occur until Thursday, Feb. 24 with missile attacks spreading throughout the nation of Ukraine. According to CNN, early the next morning, the country’s capital, Kyiv, was under attack.

Ukrainian citizens took shelter or fled the country in an attempt to avoid the horrors of war. Unfortunately, the attacks

continued through the following weekend. On Feb. 26, Russian forces continued to approach Kyiv.

According to the New York Times, an intense street fight occurred across from the capital and massive bombings shook the city. By the end of Saturday night, Russian forces had killed at least 198 people and wounded 1,115.

Sunday, Feb. 27, Russian forces invaded the secondlargest city, Kharkiv. Ukrainians continue to fight diligently, resulting in Russia’s inability to capture major cities. According to CNN, Russia is suffering more losses than originally anticipated, with more than 3,500 Russians killed as of Feb. 26.

Monday, Feb. 28, Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a conversation in Belarus.

The initial talk was not extremely hopeful considering the state of the Ukrainian nation. According to the New York Times, the conversation concluded with renewed bombings

in Kharkiv. As of Mar. 1, the talk had no immediate outcomes.

Tuesday, Mar. 1, Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, has been under attack with rockets and massive explosions. The Russian president is currently being accused of war crimes after targeting civilian infrastructure. It is predicted that a new wave of Russian forces will be entering Ukraine soon.

The world is watching the conflict with worried and testful eyes. Oresund Bridge in Denmark, the Empire State Building in New York, Brandenburg gate in Berlin, the Eiffel tower in Paris, and many more throughout the world lit up with blue and yellow lights in support of Ukraine. Anti-war protests have also been consistent in Russia.

According to The Guardian, thousands of Russians fled to the streets, risking their lives to show their anger and sorrow towards the actions of their president. There have been 1,800 Russian civilians and count-

ing arrested in the country.

As of Mar. 1, President Joe Biden has sent deployments of troops and fighter jets to allied NATO countries such as Poland and Romania, according to NBC News. President Joe Biden is also preparing to help the Ukraine against cyberattacks if necessary. According to CNN, Biden has made it extremely clear that no US troops will be sent to Ukraine as of right now. He said, “Our forces are not going to Eu-

rope to fight in Ukraine but to defend our NATO allies and reassure those allies in the east.”

The Russia Ukraine crisis continues, impacting the lives of millions. In a generation where the war can be viewed from all corners of the world, the deaths and horrors in the Ukraine are more raw and real. The Red Ink encourages its readers to continue to stay updated on the news regarding this crisis.

Outside the Embassy of Russia.

EHS classes: The new and the old The 2022-2023 school year will offer students with new classes. logangullett staffreporter

With the addition of the new school, there are also some new classes coming to EHS. Although some of the classes are still pending board approval, their complete course descriptions can be found on the EHS 2022-2023 course description book on the counseling tab of the EHS website.

In the past, EHS has offered a variety of dual enrollment classes, by partnering with AIMS and UNC. Next year, EHS will only be offering AIMS dual enrollment classes. All previous UNC classes will still be offered, but they will be under the AIMS curriculum. By moving the classes to AIMS, the hope is that those credits will transfer to more colleges.

Career Academy classes will be offered as well. These classes are intended to help stu-

dents further their education in specific career fields, and they will be taught at the AIMS campus in Greeley. The classes being offered will be Audio and Radio Production, Welding, Fire Academy, Med Prep, CNA, Automotive Service Technology, Automotive Collision Repair, EMT, Aviation, and Health/Exercise. Aaron Lampe (23) said, “I’m excited to take the aviation class. I think it’s great that we have these opportunities.”

The Agricultural Education section is getting two new semester long classes that will be intertwined. Greenhouse Production and Horticulture Science A will be courses covering garden cultivation and business management. In order to take Horticulture Science A, Greenhouse Production must be taken in the first semester. Students planning on graduating with an honors diploma won’t be able to count these courses as science credits.

The Business/Technology department will be removing Introduction to Entrepreneurship and replacing it with Introduction to Business. School Based Enterprise will be a brand new course which will deal with writing a business plan, conducting interviews, and other aspects of operation management. This class can be taken as a full year course, or just a semester; however, the full year course will be considered an honors class (weighted on a 4.5 scale).

There will be one new English class offered through AIMS - Introduction to Literature. It will be a semester-long course, and it will focus on teaching students the fundamentals of analyzing literature at the collegiate level.

A plethora of new and exciting Fine Arts classes will be added to EHS. Ceramics will be renamed Sculpture, but besides

the change of names, nothing else will be altered in that class.

Students interested in film videography will be able to take Introduction to Video and Film Production and, later on, Video and Film Production. In previous years Yearbook has only included one class, but next year there will be an Introduction to Yearbook course.

EHS will receive one new math class and an alteration of a current one. For the first time ever, Honors Geometry will now be offered for EHS students. Precalculus, in the past, has been an EHS honors class. However, next year, it will be taught through the AIMS math curriculum. It will be a year-long combination of college algebra (first semester) and college trigonometry (second semester).

Perhaps one of the biggest changes is within the Social Studies classes. For several years, Civics has been a required class for the freshmen of Eaton High

School. It has been a one semester class, with World Geography as the second semester social studies class for freshmen. Starting next year, Civics will be a required semester long class for seniors, as opposed to freshmen. Instead of taking Civics, freshmen will take World Geography for the whole year.

The EHS STEM curriculum is receiving a restructure in terms of how students can progress through computer coding. Instead of having a Computer Science 1 and 2 class, there will be Computer Programming I, II, III, IV. Each of these classes will be a year long course, allowing for a more in-depth understanding of computer science. Once these courses have been completed, students will have the opportunity to register for a Technology Intern class, where students can obtain real world experience in the technology industry.

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The history of St. Patrick’s Day Looking over the traditions and customs of St. Patty’s Day lucasstone staffreporter

St. Patrick’s Day is most known for green, four leaf clovers, and leprechauns. Each of these represent something different about the history of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day. Since 1737 symbols have been used to celebrate this holiday.

There are many reasons and events behind these, leading up to St Patrick’s Day that the world knows now.

The holiday originally started in Ireland where people would have religious services and feasts to honor St. Patrick. St. Patrick is a patron saint who is responsible for bringing Chris-

tianity to different parts of Ireland. Before he brought Ireland Christianity, the religion there was Pagan where they believed in gods and goddesses.

The many traditions that the world has during St. Patrick’s day went through many things to be the way they are today.

According to some different sources, blue was the first color associated with the day rather than green. For the past 40 years, though, green has been the official color of St. Patrick’s day.

Green is one of the colors in Ireland’s tri-color flag, and it has been used in the flags of several Irish revolutionary

groups throughout history.

Ireland is the “Emerald Isle,” because of the green landscape that it has. Green is also the color of spring, the shamrock, and the Chicago River, which the Midwestern city has dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t forget to wear green when Mar. 17 rolls around. If a person doesn’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, they might get pinched, but why pinch if they aren’t wearing green.

Getting pinched represents the myth that leprechauns and other fairies will sneak up on someone and pinch them if they aren’t wearing any green.

It is known by some people

that green makes people invisible to different types of fairies.

Taylor Ross (25) said, “I always somehow find a way to prove I’m wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, just so that I don’t get pinched.”

St. Patrick’s day is full of many traditions that have deeper meaning to celebrate a patron saint, Maewyn Succat.

Having feasts, wearing green, and trying to catch leprechauns are all ways to celebrate St. Patrick bringing Christianity from other parts of the world to Ireland.

Teacher Abigail Duncan responded when asked if she has always participated in some of

the traditions we have in America. She said, “Growing up we had a St. Patrick’s Day dinner, of corn beef and cabbage and also we had something called colcannon soup because my mom was mostly Irish.”

The holiday is so important because it is not only celebrated by the Irish people, but the whole world has developed new traditions for St. Patty’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday celebrated around the world, through many traditions and customs devoloped over the years. This holiday is looked forward to every year by many.

Gabe Holguin

March 11, 2022

redview

Art is Essential charlottereynolds managingeditor Student involvement and extracurricular activities are a crucial part of success in high school.

Arguably the most influential outlet for self expression is art. The arts are essential to adolescent development and success.

Aside from academics and athletics, Eaton High School offers theater, art, band, choir, poetry, creative writing, yearbook, and newspaper.

When an individual creates art, they create a sense of emotional realism for themselves.

According to Edutopia, “Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill.

Art learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.”

Band Director Logan Doddridge said, “Any student who is involved in the arts in any way is a well-rounded human being because they are forced to think differently. They are required to reflect on themselves and how they experience the world.

That skill helps a young person to become accepting of

Charlotte Reynolds

EHS artists contribute to school culture

Haley Beall

different views, cultures, and people. Art provides humans with an outlet.

Rather than bottling up emotions, artistic outlets give people a chance to express themselves. Aside from being well rounded and accepting, student artists are mentally healthier and self-aware.”

Whether it’s playing an instrument, pottery, or photography, creativity within a high school positively impacts its culture.

Art is displayed in the halls throughout the school and music can be heard from the band early in the morning.

These small glimpses of artistry give insight to the passion Eaton High School’s students

have.

“As a musician, you are required to work with others. It is not just you, it’s a group effort.

Music allows students to create and be a part of something bigger than themselves,” said Doddridge. Through performance and practice, a cathartic experience is shared amongst student artists.

Art teacher Chandler Herbst said, “I think art gives students the opportunity to not only connect with others but connect with themselves.

It is relieving to take a step back from papers and assignments to just create, which is necessary for cognitive development.

Creating and consuming art is very beneficial to the culture of a high school.”

Mental health conversations are more commonly held with Gen Z than ever before.

According to the American Art Therapy Association, students involved in the arts experience less anxiety and feelings of anger and depression than those who are not.

Artist Haley Beall (24) said, “Art gives me something to excel at other than academics. Art has no boundaries and does not demand perfection. It alleviates my stress and anticipation levels.”

Creativity allows a person to regulate and control their emotions.

Art in any form encourages imagination in both children and adults, which is very important for teenagers. As the world changes around them, an artist controls their expression.

Percussionist Abby Whitaker (22) said, “Being involved in the arts in high school, makes

Kennedy Roberts

school not just about academics.

It also gives me a place to pursue my passion and better myself. Working towards a goal also helps me push myself to grow as a musician.”

The theater, band, choir, and art rooms at Eaton High School are so valuable, because within them lies passionate students and staff members. Bassist Ashlyn Crowder (22) said, “The arts create more diversity within our school because it allows students with different passions to connect with each other.

It gives me a greater sense of belonging when I come to school and create music with my peers.”

Eaton High School is greatly impacted by the arts, it’s dedicated teachers, and passionate students. Their contribution makes their school and community a better place.

Art is a beautiful way to showcase one’s perception of the world and unique human experience.

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8 redspotlight

REDSʼ COMMITTE Many student-athletes here at Eaton High School hope to continue competing and demonstrating their talent and love for their sport at the collegiate level. While

not every student-athlete gets the opportunity to do so, there are a select few who have put in countless hours on the court, mat, or field, and have demonstrated

Nina Lewis

Nina Lewis

all the boxes.” “The relationship I built with the coaching staff was amazing,” said Martin. He’s always loved baseball and being on the diamond and is excited to continue at a collegiate level. “When I am playing baseball it clears my mind and brings me to a good place mentally,” said Martin.

Walker Martin

Walker Martin (23) plans to attend University of Arkansas to further his academic and athletic career. Martin will be playing baseball at Arkansas and plans to study business. He chose Arkansas because it “checked off

OT Sports Check

Rylee Martin

Rylee Martin (23) plans to attend South Dakota State University to further her athletic and academic career. She committed to SDSU because of the school’s amazing culture. “It reminds me so much of Eaton and it felt like home right when I stepped on campus,” said Martin. Martin will play vol-

leyball at SDSU and plans to study either early childhood education or exercise science. She loves volleyball and decided to play at a collegiate level because “volleyball is my safe space and it allows me to express my competitive nature and I love to compete with amazing athletes.”

Sydney Mills

Sydney Mills (22) committed to Oklahoma Panhandle State University to further her academic and volleyball career after graduation. The sport has taught Mills many important skills and attributes, especially communication with teammates and opponents in a positive manner. She has also learned that “at the end of the day it all comes down to how much

Megan St. Jean

Megan St. Jean (22) committed to West Chester University in Pennsylvania. She decided to commit to the university because of the course offerings, school culture, large student population, and of course, the opportunity to continue her volleyball career.

Volleyball has been a major part of St. Jean’s life. She said, “Volleyball has brought me my closest friends and favorite memories. At my club I was able to learn a lot

talent and gri where they ar Duncan (22), (22), Sydney Rylee and Wa (23), Ben Ric

I love the sport and if I want to keep working. My hard work and dedication has paid off, and deciding to continue to play has me so excited,” she said. Mills looks forward to the new experience while also meeting new people. She plans on becoming a neonatal nurse. She said, “It’s going to be a challenge for me, but worth it in the long run. I’m so excited to start.”

about who I am as a leader and my worth off of the court.” St. Jean decided to pursue her academic career as a committed athlete because the sport means so much to her. “I couldn’t imagine never lacing up again. The reason I am playing in college is to build those memories and continue doing the thing I love the most.” St. Jean plans to study pre-med biological sciences to eventually become a fetal surgeon. She hopes to lead a new field of medicine to help women and children.

ED ATHLETES

it to get them re today. Dirk ), Ryan Dirksen y Mills (22), Walker Martin chter (22),

Tate Smith (23), Megan St. Jean (22), and Jaden Stone (22) all plan on furthering their academic and athletic career at colleges around the country.

Nina Lewis

Tate Smith

Tate Smith (23) is planning to attend Oklahoma State University to continue his academic and baseball career. Baseball has always been something Smith has enjoyed. Smith said, “baseball has always been my favorite sport. It has provided an escape for me no matter what is happening in my life” so committing to play baseball in college was an obvious choice. Picking the right school

Kris Richter

Ben Richter

Ben Richter (22) committed to Augustana College in Rock Island Illinois to continue his academic and baseball career. He said, “The reason I decided to commit there was the atmosphere and I loved the coaching staff. It felt like home.” Richter also plans to study business as he dives into his secondary education, but he also is interested in marketing. He hopes to pursue a career in sports

March 11, 2022

Page layout and story by Abigail Vondy and Aubrey Ledall

is a big decision in a student athlete’s life and Smith chose OSU because of the relationship he built with the coaching staff. “I felt like they could develop me the most and get me to where I want to be.”

After meeting the coaches and seeing OSU’s facilities, Smith said choosing OSU “was an easy decision.” While furthering his baseball career in hopes of making it to the MLB, Smith will also study finance.

Nina Lewis

Dirk Duncan

redspotlight 9 campus, I felt comfortable and I really connected with the coaching staff.” Baseball has been a major part of Duncan’s life and his passion for the game is very real. He said, “I love the outcome of every game. It is a team sport but it also comes down to how mentally and physically ready you are as an individual.”

Dirk Duncan (22) committed to Rockhurst University to further his academic and athletic career. Going to the university in Kansas City, Kansas, Duncan will be joining the baseball team while also studying business. After Duncan visited the school, he said, “The moment I stepped on

Nina Lewis

lege because “I’m good at wrestling and want to be the toughest version of myself I can be; wrestling is one of the most demanding sports in college.” During his time at Western, Dirksen plans to study business and major in finance and marketing.

Ryan Dirksen

marketing. As he finishes his senior year, Richter said he “is most excited about traveling and meeting the new people that are in the program. It gives me a chance to show my talents at the next level.

Another thing I am excited about is proving that even if you’re small, it can be possible by working hard.

It’s amazing to represent my community and the town at the next level.”

Ryan Dirksen (22) is planning to attend Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado. He loves the outdoors and the programs the school provides and will continue his academic and wrestling career there. While Dirksen plays football and wrestles here at EHS, he chose to wrestle in col-

Nina Lewis

Jaden Stone

Jaden Stone (22) will be attending Hastings College in Nebraska to continue his academic and baseball career. Stone decided to commit there because the coach made him feel at home and the baseball program looks very promising.

He said, “Baseball has been my

life since the first time I picked up a ball. It has been a sport I can turn to even when times are rough.

I chose to keep playing because the game has already done so much for me and when I got the opportunity, I jumped on it.” Stone is most excited to be able to play the sport he loves for the next four years.

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MARCH 11, 2022

Vondy’s View

Student leadership

abigailvondy editorinchief

American involvement in Russia Ukraine War Social media the last week has been swarmed with news, opinions, and jokes regarding the Russia Ukraine crisis. But a serious question has been circling my mind since the morning of Feb. 24: how much should Americans care?

Of course, there have been wars, conflicts, and disagreements among countries for years, and it has been proven that it takes a lot to get America to interfere. But at this moment, watching the horrors unfold from images on my phone, my answer is: Americans should care a lot.

Ukraine was making moves to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was created after World War II, when Russia felt threatened and decided to invade. America and 29 other countries in NATO agreed to promote democratic values of trust, peaceful resolutions, preventing conflicts, and protecting each other.

Considering that NATO countries dominate the area around Ukraine, the potential of America’s involvement occurring is a possibility. If Russian forces are to invade Ukraine’s neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania, America and all members of NATO will join the fight. But until that moment, America and the 29 other countries are staying out of the war militarily.

As of Mar. 2, Russia is under immense economic pressure, considering nations across the world are imposing sanctions on the economy. According to CNN, Switzerland imposed similar sanctions on Russia, dismantling their years-long neutrality policy. As of Mar. 3, the Russian dollar, the Rubul, was worth 0.0090 US dollars.

Economically, the United States and other countries are

damaging Russia, but the military continues to wreak havoc on the Ukrainian people. Destroying the economy is not enough to stop the guns, explosions, and horrors of war.

I believe that President Joe Biden is currently making the right decision by keeping American troops out of Ukraine.

It is not necessary yet for America to fight a war they are not a part of. My personal fear resides in the idea of never getting involved. Ukraine is a democratic country, possessing a number of mirroring values to the United States.

At what point of invasion will we step in? If Russia succeeds in taking over Ukraine, a much larger issue is on the horizon for countries throughout the world.

As of right now, it does not appear that Russia is going to make moves against a NATO country.

So if Russia prevails during this conflict, I feel that it is on NATO countries for not helping to prevent the loss of a democratic country.

According to CNN, Ukrainians are fighting Russian forces effectively and have thus far prevented the capturing of major cities. If the fight continues like this, America has no reason to interfere militarily.

If Russia begins to prosper on Ukrainian soil, America and NATO should join the fight to save the country.

Russia’s socialist government and ideology go against the exact values NATO promotes, and standing by and allowing it to grow in such a horrific manner goes against everything NATO stands for.

So, at what point will America step in to save a democratic country from dissolving? Will our country allow it to continue as long as it does not directly affect us or our allies?

Staff Editoral Leadership is essential for success in any working environment, but especially in a high school. There are few other places with such an abundance of impressionable teenagers.

Strong school leadership creates successful and productive young adults, as it provides students with purpose, motivation, and clarity. It is of the utmost importance that high schoolers are exposed to good leaders.

Otherwise, they won’t be able to reach their full potential.

Eaton High School has many opportunities that involve leadership, including LINK, National Honor Society, and Student Council; however, motivating students to take command of their peers has proven to be a difficult task at EHS. Even with the plethora of student leadership programs, the student motivation of these organizations seems to die off as the year progresses.

Being a member of these organizations is more than just a label—it is a responsibility. Individuals who sign up for these positions put upon themselves a duty they are expected to complete. Qualities of an effective leader include being self aware, dependable, and purposeful. Without these traits, the title of “leader” loses value.

The school has given students a wide window of opportunity to lead, so it is in the student body’s best interest to take advantage of these opportunities. Although imperfection will always be inevitable, change is most definitely possible. It is ultimately in the students’ hands to take the initiative to lead their school.

If there is no motivation to take charge, there will be no direction for students to follow.

Effective leadership

requires people that are willing to lead, and people that are willing to follow. Trenton Salberg (23) said, “We have the possibility to have good representatives, but nobody wants to take that initiative...To be a good leader you have to have good followers as well.” Seeing that student council presidents are elected by the student body, it is the responsibility of the students to elect leaders whom they see fit to carry out the leadership duties.

The students within the school also have to have the motivation and the willingness to follow a leader. Many LINK leaders had trouble getting some of the freshmen out of their shell, and the students had trouble cooperating with leadership at their student night, which was held at the beginning of the year. This is the job of the LINK leaders, but that doesn’t mean that they have an easy time doing so. More often than not, freshmen have trouble adapting to the high school environment, and that makes it harder for everybody to function as they should. This made it difficult for the LINK leaders to lead, because the students that were supposed to follow them wouldn’t do their part.

Another LINK leader, Maddie Robson (23), said, “I think a lot of people have noticed and talked about a lack of leadership. I think students need to have good role models so that they can step into leadership roles of their own.” The solution lies equally between both staff members and students.

A possible solution lies within the students that make up the student body’s leadership organizations. They are elected by each grade at the end of the year for the next year to take control of the student body. In order to get communication and leadership through the school, the student body needs to be in touch with each other, and able to get information to one another. This can start with the utilization of the school newspaper, student body meetings and assemblies, or announcements.

Although Eaton seems to lack student leadership in some areas, it doesn’t always have to be this way. There are multiple solutions to the problem, and it all depends on someone taking the initiative. Whether that be a student, a staff member, or a combination of both, there needs to be a motivation to create stronger leadership within the school.

Gabe Holguin

MARCH 11, 2022

Jurassic

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The First Wresting Champions at EHS

Ink Back row: R.Carlson, R. Buxman, R.Wolf, T. Kerbs, R. Shonerman, R. Danielson, O.Aleman.

Front row: S. Hankel, D. Stroberg, T. Becker, D. Sullivan, D. Leffler, A. Antuna, D. Helzer, D.J. Schwab. The varsity wrestling team pictured in 1972, included juniors and state champions Rick Danielson (back row, second from right) and Terry Becker (third from left).

Rick Danielson was one of the first state champions for wrestling at EHS. He won state in 1972 during his junior year.

Danielson then went on to win another state title his senior year in 1973.

Terry Becker was also one of the first state champions at EHS. Becker won alongside his teammate, Danielson, in the wrestling state championships in 1972. Becker was also a junior when he became a state champion.

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MARCH 11, 2022

Batman returns to theatres Robert Pattinson takes on Gotham

gabeholguin staffreporter

Gabe Holguin

The Batman, which is in the slew of so many Batman films may seem like another lame superhero movie, might instead end up being the best yet. The movie, which debuts on Mar. 4, stars award-winning actor Robert Pattinson. When talking about Batman there is no one more important of which to talk about than the dark knight himself.

Pattinson is known for his previous roles in the Twilight series, Tenet, and The Lighthouse. The casting director, Matt Reeves, has hinted that the role was written for Pattinson.

Reeves has made films such as Cloverfield and the rebooted Planet of the Apes films, so he is well-versed with larger-thanlife characters and ideas. Critics might be surprised to find the new vigilante film to be a bit different than the other films. The portrayals’ are set to be more mature and ambitious with a noir approach from the trailers and interviews. This movie, at face value, will be a refreshing remake from the overwhelming same Batman story that has been told time and time again. This new movie will focus more on the detective side of the Batman behind

the mask. But not all is as black and white as it seems.

Skeptical fans of the movie had a rocky start with the original actor and director, Ben Affleck, resulting with him leaving the film and batsuit entirely. The movie’s original release date in June of 2020 has been pushed to 2021 due to the pandemic. Batman fans will finally be able to go back to the theaters to see the bat again on the big screen.

Alongside the caped crusader, fans can be excited to see familiar faces played by new actors such as Catwoman, played by Zoe Kravitz, and the main an-

tagonist The Riddler played by the smart Paul Dano. This film is also set in its own universe, not to be connected to the vast DC extended universe of movies like Aquaman 2 and The Flash. The reason for the disconnect is because the director didn’t want to be connected to the larger extended DC movie universe. Along with the many promotions expected like trailers and teasers, notably, Little Caesars made a bat-shaped calzone/pizza called “bat pizza.” It’s like the Bat says in the other Batman films before, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”Batman, Batman Begins.

Eaton introduces two new coffee shops Ziggi’s and Scooter’s coffee are being opened for business in the spring

huntertomlinson staffreporter To most of the town’s surprise, Eaton has decided to build two new drive-thru coffee shops less than a half-mile from each other. The first one is called Ziggi’s Coffee, residing on the corner of Colorado Parkway and Elm Street, which is near the Circle K and the Dollar General.

The second shop is called Scooter’s Coffee, which is located just east of the Heritage Market parking lot. Both of these coffee shops have the same premise: they are both drive-thrus only, serve coffee and blended drinks, and make light meals. Considering Eaton’s growing size every year, the addition of these two coffee shops might be beneficial for the community. Both are being constructed currently and should be done around the same time in the Spring.

Ziggi’s coffee started as a small coffee shop in Long-

mont, Colorado, in 2004 and has since grown and expanded across the U.S. The construction company Epic West Construction is the one responsible for building Ziggi’s Coffee.

Chad Matthews, the president of Epic West Construction says, “We started construction on December 15th and plan to finish at the end of March.

Supply chain issues with the energy company have set us back but other than that working in Eaton has been a good experience.” Building an establishment in such a small town can have its ups and downs.

On the other hand, Scooter’s Coffee found its success in Bellevue, Nebraska, and has over 250 locations in 14 different states. After having a couple of locations in Colorado, Scooter’s Coffee decided to add a location in Eaton, Colorado, as well.

Other than these two businesses coming to town, Eaton currently has a local coffee shop

called Coffeehouse Ten24, which is well-known by the community and has been open for about three years. Recently, they have hosted the 2022 Poetry Out Loud competition as well as other events such as baby showers, Christmas parties, fundraisers, and other events for the community. The history of this local business is very unique and special.

Doris Meeker, the owner of Coffeehouse Ten24 said, “The coffeehouse was born out of a desire to show the love of Jesus to the people in Eaton and the surrounding area. I wanted it to be a gathering place for the community where we could come together to encourage each other and do good things for the community.” Meeker took her own interests and wanted to share them with the community through this coffeehouse.

The name of the coffeehouse comes from Hebrews 10:24 in the Bible that says, “Let us consider how to stir

up one another to love good deeds.” Meeker and four other people were able to come together and build this business from the ground up, which makes it that much more special.

When asked about her opinion on the new coffee shops coming to town in the interview, Meeker men-

tions, “We welcome the new drive-thru coffee places. New businesses are good for Eaton.”

It is very important to support similar businesses, especially in a town of Eaton’s size.

The community is very excited about these new coffee shops coming to town and they should be a great addition to the town.

Hunter Tomlinson Scooters continues construction

MARCH 11, 2022

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The Lady Reds made a splash in 2021-2022 season Eaton girls swim team ends the season with six at state maddiefisher opinioneditor The 2021-2022 season went great for the Lady Reds with six girls that went to state. The first meet of the season was hosted in Estes Park on Dec. 4, 2021, against Thompson Valley, Estes Park, and Skyline High School. Eaton placed second overall with 223 points and close finishes. In the 50 Free Lexi Bruntz (22) placed third, Dharma Perkins (25) placed fourth, and Caitlin Morgan (23) placed fifth. C. Morgan said, “The season was super fun and I already miss it.

As a team, we did much better than we ever have and I’m so proud of everyone.”

After the first meet, the girls competed in their second meet in their home pool against Frederick High School. Eaton collected a big win with 113 points, leaving Frederick with 67 points. In the 50 Free Perkins placed first, Aedy Barclay (24) placed fifth, and Avril Rodriguez (23) placed seventh.

In the 100 Free, Bruntz placed first and not far behind, Barclay placed sixth. In the 100 Breast, C. Morgan took first and Kaiya Sinkler (23) took fourth. On Dec. 9, in the home pool of Eaton, the girls crushed the tri-competition of

Estes Park, Holyoke, and Valley High School. The girls won with a total of 87 points and Estes Park in second with only 47 points.

In the 50 Free, Perkins placed second and Sinkler placed third. Bruntz placed first in the 100 Free and in the 200 Free. C. Morgan placed first in the 100 Breast and in the 100 Back. Sophie Morgan (25) also placed first in the 200 Individual Medley.

The next meet was the Patriot League Relays in Fort Collins, which ended with Eaton in second place with 402 points. In the 200 Free Relay, Eaton placed first and in the 400 Free Relay, Eaton placed second. Eaton’s 200 Medley Relay placed fourth out of the 10 teams.

The following meet, the Keith Weideman Invitational, was a bit more challenging as it was a multi-team meet, which ended in Eaton placing fifth with 244 points. The meet was held in Greeley and consisted of nine teams. In the 100 Free, Bruntz placed third, and in the 100 Breast, C. Morgan placed third. C. Morgan also placed fifth in the 200 Individual Medley out of 15 girls.

The number of girls that placed was excellent, as the 50

Free event had 67 girls competing. Three days later, the Lady Reds had a much more calm meet in their home pool, crushing Skyline High School.

The score was 111 to 68 points, with Perkins in first and Sinkler in second for the 50 Free. C. Morgan placed first in the 100 Free and Bruntz in first for the 100 Back.

In the 100 Fly, Perkins was in first and S. Morgan followed in second. The iconic sister duo, C. Morgan and S. Morgan, won first and second in the 100 Breast as well. Bruntz also took a win in the 200 Free and all three of Eaton’s relay teams took first too. A week later, at Berthoud High School, the Lady Reds took a small loss, only 13 points behind. In the 50 Free, Perkins took second place and in the 100 Free Bruntz took first. In the 100 Breast, C. Morgan took first and S. Morgan took second.

C. Morgan also took first in the 200 Individual Medley with S. Morgan in second. The next meet was a multi-team meet, but it was at home. Eaton took first with 93 points against Mountain View and Valley High School. Perkins took second again in the 50 Free and Bruntz also took second in the 100 Free. C. Mor-

Maddie Fisher Sophie Morgan (25) during the 100 Fly

Maddie Fisher Lexi Bruntz (22) prepares to step up on the block

gan took first in the 100 Back and the 200 Free.

Perkins took first in the 100 Fly and Bruntz also took first in the 100 Breast. This meet was overflowing with first places

by Eaton, which was the road to their victory. The following meet, Eaton took second to Liberty Commons at another multi-team competition in Estes Park. In the 100 Fly, S. Morgan took first, and following her was Perkins in second.

In the 100 Breast, C. Morgan took second and S. Morgan took third. S. Morgan said, “I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better season coming in as a freshman.

The upperclassmen made it so fun. The season itself was successful with all of our dual wins, conference placing, and going to state.” Eaton again took second at their following meet, the Patriot League Championship Finals. Bruntz took second place in the 100 Free and S. Morgan took fifth in the 100 Fly. C. Morgan took first in the 100 Breast and S. Morgan followed her in second. At this meet, Bruntz, C.

Morgan, S. Morgan, Sinkler, Perkins, and Maddux Chapman (25) qualified for state championships.

State followed, with Eaton totaling 93 points in 14th place out of 32 teams. C. Morgan placed eighth in the finals of the Women’s 100 Yard Breaststroke and 14th in the Women’s 200 Yard Individual Medley. Eaton’s Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team consisted of Perkins, Bruntz, C. Morgan, and S. Morgan tied with Berthoud High School in eighth place. In the 100 Free, Bruntz received 15th place and in the 50 Free, she was in 13th place.

She said, “State was so much fun this year and all of us went out there giving it our all.” Overall, state was a hard and strong competition, but the Lady Reds went out there and did their best. The small team accomplished so much, even with a majority of new freshmen. In the end, the 2021-2022 season was quite a success with how many freshmen went to state, which leaves next year to look forward to.

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MARCH 11, 2022

Lady Reds prepare for state Girls Basketball looks toward making a state title run

jadenstone sportseditor As girls basketball prepares for state, the 19-3 Reds enter the tournament as the nine seed. Due to them not being in the top eight, the Reds will have to travel to the host site of Lamar High School to play round one and two of the 2022 state tournament. Junior guard on the team Blayke Duncan (23) said, “Our mindset going into the tournament is that we have to play like we have something to prove, and play together to the best of our abilities against any opponent we face.”

The Reds took third place in the Patriot League Tournament with their win over the Resurrection Christain Cougars.

The third and fourth place game occurred at Budweiser Event Center on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The matchup was back and forth throughout the game, but the Reds came out victorious with a final score of 51-45.

Ahana Leffler (22) had another outstanding game. She scored 27 points, which easily led both teams.

Leffler took control of the game and also led the team in rebounds, pulling down nine

boards, as well as collecting three steals, which was a team high in the game.

Taking a look back on their season, the Reds were very successful. Leffler was the Reds leading scorer averaging 15.5 points per game. She also led the team in assists per game where she averaged three per game.

Emily Maske (23) crashed the boards throughout the season and grabbed an average of 5.7 rebounds per game.

Duncan’s defense was incredible throughout the season and it’s proven with her leading the team in steals with three per game. She said, “Defense is a key component to our team because defending and rebounding is what keeps us in games and allows us to be put in a position where we can win the game.”

Leffler’s impact on defense was also very strong, she followed Duncan closely with 2.9 steals per game.

Looking towards their next game, the Reds are now entering the 3A State Tournament, which will determine when their season will come to an end.

Leffler said, “I’m very confident going into regionals. I will stay positive and be a lead-

Ahana Leffler (22) prepares to throw in the ball during the Senior Night game.

er for my teammates on the court, knowing that many of my teammates look up to me for guidance.”

In the one and done format tournament, it is all about “survive and advance” something that is said from the high school level all the way through the college March Madness.

Their matchup in Lamar is against the North Fork Miners, who enter the game with a record of 14-8 and are the 24 seed.

If the Reds win that game, they will then play the winner of the eight seeded Lamar Savages and 25 seed Denver West Cowboys. Duncan said, “We need to believe that we can achieve something that no one else thinks we can, which should be our motivation going into the tournament.”

The tournament begins with the 32 total teams, but only one can gain the title of State Champion on Mar. 12.

“We just need to play as hard as we can no matter what and leave everything on the court,” Leffler said.

Blayke Duncan (23) dribbles the ball up the court to set up the Reds offense.

The Girls Basketball team huddles up in preperation for the match up ahead of them.

MARCH 11, 2022

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Boys basketball heads back to Sterling The Reds plan to make a run at the State Tournament

ryleemartin mediaeditor Eaton Reds boys basketball has just entered into the post season and currently their record is 15-8 overall on the year.

Playing in the district tournament, the boys had to face the Estes Bobcats and ended up rolling over the Cats 67-48 at home on Feb. 17. The next day, the Reds faced the Sterling Tigers after just playing them a few days prior. On Feb. 18, the boys turned around and made the hefty road trip to the northeastern plains of Colorado to get another poke at the Tigers after losing 49-62 the first time. After a tough battle, the boys ended up losing 4265. The Reds started off slow in the first quarter, which made it difficult to make a comeback.

Progressing onto the next week, the boys faced rival Platte Valley on Feb. 23 and ended up victorious on the away match up against the Broncos. The final score was 63-46. Some standout players for the Reds have been Walker Martin (23) and Mitch Haythorn (24). Martin has averaged 15.4 points a game on the season for the team and

8.6 rebounds per game. Staying aggressive has been a common factor throughout this 2021-22 season and Haythorn has continuously shown his athleticism from a shooting perspective with an average of 14 points per game. These are just a few of the outstanding athletes that Head Coach Dean Grable has underneath his belt.

To determine final placements in the Patriot league, Budweiser Event center hosted the final games on Saturday, Feb. 26.

After defeating the Platte Valley Broncos earlier that week, the Reds ended up having a rematch with the Brush Beatdiggers. During the regular season the boys fell short to the Beatdiggers in overtime at home, so they were excited to get another shot at Brush. Tip off started at 1:30 in the afternoon so it left a good amount of time for the Reds to mentally prepare for the tough matchup that they had ahead.

Both teams had a hard time adjusting to the new arena setting that they were playing in, so early on shots were having a hard time falling. The Reds had a hard time rallying together as a team to pass the ball and stop

the Beat Diggers from a defensive standpoint. Trailing by just a few points at half time, the boys took that time to reset for the next two quarters. In the third quarter, the boys kept the game neck and neck, and both teams were matching each other’s points one at a time. Once the fourth quarter started, the Reds couldn’t get things rolling again. The boys fell short 51-72 on Saturday afternoon.

Luckily, the boys are still ranked high enough so they will advance into the state tournament.

Leadership will be key for the boys to make a deep run into the tournament. Jordan Sidwell (22) said, ``We are preparing for state by taking no days off and we need to band together and rely on each other through thick and thin.”

Sidwell has always been a team player for the Reds, which is key for a successful team. With three seniors preparing to play in their last run for the Reds, it has been a common theme that younger players have been stepping up to fill the gap that will be left. Haythorn has been one of those players that have been crucial for the Reds; he said, ``I

Rylee Martin Team huddles before the Brush game on Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Budweiser Event Center.

Rylee Martin Zac Grable (23) dunks during the Feb. 26 game at the Budweiser Event Center.

Rylee Martin

Mitch Haythorn (24) gets introduced during the Feb. 26 game at the Budweiser Event Center.

think we need to improve on the ball movement, rebounding, and believing in ourselves and each other.” Haythorn has also been a very steady player this season, and in basketball consistency is very important.

Haythorn said, ¨I think we are doing well with playing hard… take it one game at a time and give our full effort no matter what.” Coach Dean Grable said, ¨Our goal is to play the best basketball we can every single possession, we know we will not play mistake free… just go have fun and see what happens. We’ll watch some film and continue to get lots

of shots up in practice. Our players understand what we are trying to do on both ends of the floor - it’s just a matter of getting it done.” Coach Grable has high expectations for his boys as they will attempt to make a deep run through the tournament.

Next up for the Reds are the Colorado Springs Christian Lions who are 15-7 on the year. The game will be hosted at Sterling High School on Friday Mar. 4.

To stay updated on the upcoming games, tune into Eaton Red Ink for weekly updates and NFHS to watch the game live.

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MARCH 11, 2022

Reds take home 2022 state title

Ryan Dirksen and Alex Castaneda crowned individual champions

emilyhogsett featureeditor As the Reds secured the 2022 3A state title, they celebrated making history for Eaton wrestling. In 2020, Eaton tied with Valley for the title, making 2022 a redemption year for the Reds. Along with winning state as a team, Eaton seniors Ryan Dirksen (22) and Alex Castaneda (22) won their weight divisions, making them individual champions.

12 wrestlers represented Eaton in Denver for the state championship tournament on Feb. 17, 18, and 19. Along with Dirksen and Castaneda each

placing first, Gunnar Clary (25) placed sixth at 160lbs, Patrick Preston (24) placed fifth at 126lbs, Ryder True (23) placed third at 220lbs.

For the Reds, the wrestling season was packed with successes. They dualed Brush, University, Wiggins, Platte Valley, Highland, Bennett, Sterling, Weld Central, Delta, and Valley along with attending countless tournaments across the state. The state championship was no exception to the Reds’ success seen throughout the season.

After three packed days of wrestling, Eaton walked away

Emily Hogsett Eaton Wrestling celebrates their first ever solo state title together.

with 127.5 points, trailed unexpectedly by Gunnison with 105 points. Prior to the state tournament, the Reds were expecting to have tough competitions with Mullen and Jefferson according to ranking.

Both Dirksen and Castaneda wrestled Mullen opponents for their championship match.

Two years ago, the Reds took home the 3A state championship as a tie with Valley, and Dirksen was crowned the 3A 145lbs champion. Last year, Castaneda placed second in his weight in overtime of a tough battle. This year the two were able to take it all.

Castaneda said, “Losing that match made me a better wrestler. It made me really go back and work on fundamentals and little things that needed to be worked on. I pushed myself even harder. After winning and achieving my goal, it hasn’t even settled in yet, but it feels great.”

Since Dirksen and Castaneda have wrestled together since middle school, receiving state titles together was a memorable experience for both of them.

“Ryan and I were successful in eighth grade too - winning

the first MPLA championship in eighth grade. It was me and Ryan’s dream...I remember us talking about wanting to be state champions when we are in high school, and it was really cool to finish off our senior year as both state champions and with a team title.”

“I was overcome with a lot of joy just knowing how hard they have worked to get where they are. It was an awesome feeling,” Head Coach Tony Mustari said.

As a senior, Dirksen was able to spend his last high school wrestling season undefeated.

Along with being an undefeated wrestler, Dirksen played for the EHS football team, which also went undefeated. “I was very happy and relieved after I won. My emotions were very confident yet relieved knowing I’m the best in the state,” Dirksen said.

To win his match, Dirksen pinned his opponent Kaled Valdez Lemos at 4:47. After his win, Dirksen proceeded to do a backflip in the middle of the mat. Dirksen said, “I am most proud of the everyday grind in the wrestling room with all the hard work everyone put in ev-

eryday and to see all that pay off with a team state championship.”

Castaneda won his match by a 7-1 decision against Noah Linares who he had wrestled before in the regular season. With his final match in the books, Castaneda ended the season with a 56-6 record.

Dirksen has committed to Western State to wrestle, and Castaneda is looking into attending Mesa to wrestle. “Having the success in high school that I’ve had has made a large impact on me wanting to pursue my wrestling career,” Dirksen said.

As the Reds came home on Sunday, their family, friends, and community greeted them with a parade. “The environment was awesome. I didn’t come from a small town school so seeing how the community and everyone gets behind a team and a school like that is awesome,” Coach Mustari said.

As the wrestling season comes to an end, the wrestlers can proudly add another ring to their collections, another banner to the wall, and a first ever solo wrestling state title.

Lina Cruz earns a spot at state wrestling tournament With the expansion of girls wrestling in Colorado, Eaton’s Lina Cruz (23) was able to compete at the state wrestling tournament at the Ball Arena.

Since Eaton doesn’t offer girls wrestling, Cruz wrestled for Northridge High School along with Shelby Pribelsky (23).

Girls wrestling was recently CHSAA sanctioned and allows girls to compete against other girls, whereas before girls would wrestle in the boys division. Many tournaments, including regionals and state, offer female brackets. The 2022

state wrestling tournament was the first to have a division for girls wrestling.

To earn a spot at state, Cruz had to place in the top five of her weight class at the Region Two wrestling tournament.

This was Cruz’s first year wrestling. “I started wrestling because Shelby convinced me, but I also did it because of my little brother. He had wrestled and he said he would start doing it again if I did it,” Cruz said.

At regionals, Cruz won two of her matches by pin. She end-

ed the tournament in second place. At state, Cruz won one of her matches by pin but fell short in consolation. In her last match, Cruz worked through all three periods to fall short in points.

Cruz said she was most proud of “just trying something new.

It is definitely out of my comfort zone. I never would have thought I would have done something like that, but I went out there and I tried and ended up loving it. It was one of my best decisions.”

Paul Cruz

Lina Cruz (23) wrestles her opponent during the season.