CHALK-FULL OF PRIDE. As school spirit is on full display at Echo Park Stadium under the Friday night lights, Cayde Olander, 12, takes a selfie of the chaos that is going down in the student section at the football season opening game versus rivals Legend High School on September 1st. Colorful chalk was launched up high over the white out crowd once the team took the lead even though permission was not given by administration. “People were nervous to see if we would get in trouble but if we all did it together and at once, it wouldn’t matter. It was a blast,” Olander said. The school was forced to pay a fine for clean up but no individual students were punished. It was the first win of the season, 31-21. Photo by Justin Hayes.
FLYING COLORS SOLO. Gracefully moving, twisting, and turning in an elegant dance across the band practice field, Aidan Clifton, 10, practices on a sweltering hot August day. Although the color guard team had measurably depleted in comparison to prior years, Clifton stood strong and tall as the lone member. “I choose to stay because the band kids are all so nice and I don’t want to let them down,” Clifton said. As a choir member and aspiring music teacher, Clifton appreciated the arts and continued to express that through color guard at band competitions and at football game halftime shows. Photo by Grace Davis.
“IT’S TIME TO KICK,” yell the supporting spectators as Scott Lopez, 12, sprints the last 100 meters of the Elizabeth Invitational meet. As he kicks into high gear through the shoot, the entire crowd screams and cheers him on. The entire week before the race, the team had to work on hill sprints, and although they were very difficult, Lopez agreed that they paid off. “It was definitely one of the toughest meets I’ve ran, but I did it and got an amazing time,” Lopez said. Lopez was able to finish the race with a sub 25 minute time, which showed his vast improvement since freshman year. Photo by Stormy Robertson.