Bandsman of the Week

The Bandsman of the Week Spotlight is on Kayley Laubhan of the color guard.

Question: How does the color guard work? Is that a part of the band? Do you play instruments also?

Answer: We are still a part of the band so on Friday nights, the entire time, we are in the stands playing our instruments with the stand tunes, but during halftime is when we go ahead and participate in the color guard part and after marching season is over, we play our instruments for concert season.

Question: What does the color guard do?

Answer: Color guard is really amazing because we interpret the music through movements and really show how it all comes together with the way we move our flags. This year we have a lot of cool props and we’re doing flips in the air and sometimes we get to have rifles, so it just brings it all together.

Question: The show this year is “Crazy Train.” What’s the coolest thing about that?

Answer: We just started doing Crazy Train, so we don’t have that much done yet, but we have a lot of small movements that go to the exact beat and Ethan (Strunc) is going to have a really cool, creepy part in it.

Question: What else are you involved with at Howe High School?

Answer: I’m in a few sports. I’m

Kayley Laubhan

in volleyball and powerlifting. I’m also a part of One-Act as well as Wingterguard.

Question: You’ve had a lot of success in One-Act over the past several years.

Answer: We have had many hours dedicated to One-Act. We spent some much time coming together and getting to know each other. Being quarantined sometimes can be hard, but we just all tried to come together as one and focus on what we can do to progress as the year comes.

Question: What’s the difference between Color guard and Winterguard?

Answer: Winterguard—pretty much anyone can join, and we don’t have the band playing. It’s just a soundtrack and you go to different schools and compete on a floor of the mat and it’s just one movement to one song.

Fifth and sixth grade Lady Bulldogs are tournament champs

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Howe ISD Spotlight: Melynne Noble

Howe Intermediate School teacher Melynne Noble is this week’s Howe ISD Spotlight.

Question: You were Intermediate School Teacher of the Year last year. How big of an honor was that for you?

Answer: That was a huge honor especially with all the great teachers that I work with every day here at Howe Intermediate. I was shocked and honored to get that. All the mentors I’ve had throughout all my time teaching—I just owe it to them for all the things I’ve learned.

Question: How long have you been in the district?

Answer: This is my third year in Howe. I love it so much. The families here and the students here and my co-workers, my administrators are amazing. I don’t think that I could ever leave.

Question: Where did you grow up?

Answer: Cypress, Texas right outside of Houston.

Question: What made you decide to get into the field of education?

Answer: Actually, I didn’t go to college to be a teacher. I always had it in the back of my mind. When I graduated and I got into that desk 9-to-5 job, I decided it wasn’t for me to sit behind a desk. So, I got into teaching, and I haven’t looked back since.

Question: Where was your first teaching job?

Answer: It was in Aldean ISD just outside of Houston ISD.

Question: What is it about Howe ISD that makes you never want to leave?

Answer: The small town, parents, people. I love that I’m here on campus with my three kids. So, I just love every single thing about it—going to my students’ games.

Question: Is there a story that stands out about one of your students?

Answer: When I had my kids, I took six years off from teaching and slowly got into working part time at a pre-school as a pre-k teacher. We were having circle time one day (at a private church school) about how Jesus is in your heart. One of the cutest little boys starts touching his heart and says, ‘I don’t feel Him.’ I just love that story.

Question: You have triplets, and you were on TV because of it… Answer: Right after I had them, the hospital was excited that triplets were born on New Year’s Day at 12:03, 12:04, and 12:05 so they were some of the first babies in Plano to be born. They came in and asked me questions and it was pretty embarrassing. I’ve tried to find the video now and it’s gone. It was eight years ago. It was fun and an interesting and exciting time.

Ryan Hough has caught three touchdowns in the last two games. Photo by Alexa Brunner.

(Continued from page 1)

The game began as many anticipated with a 66-yard pass and run from Austin Haley to Cooper Jones to the Lions’ 12 yard line. However, a holding call on the left tackle brought it back which was a good representation of how the night would end. Howe had yet another penalty on the right tackle before the drive ended on a punt.

Howe’s continued theme during the losing streak has been the inability to stop opposing offenses as Howe has allowed over 400 yards of offense in 12 of the 14 games played (Mount Vernon was a forfeit). On Thursday night, Howe allowed WCS 428 yards of which 377 came on the ground. 50 of that came on the first possession where slot back Ezra Jackson raced 50 yards for the first points of the game. The Lions led 7-0 with 8:51 left in the first.

Howe’s offense is the true bright spot of the team as they topped 300 yards of offense in each of the first three games, a feat they never achieved in any game a year ago. Haley and company moved the ball to pay-dirt on seven plays and 75 yards, scoring on a Haley to Kaleb McNutt 4-yard pass in the south endzone. The Daniel Del Angel PAT tied the game, 7-7, with 5:42 remaining in the first.

Howe seemed to begin to have complete control of the game quickly after capitalizing on a Lion fumbled snap between center Boston Cox and quarterback Hunter McCoy. The Dogs took advantage of the short field at the Lions’ 47 yard line and took eight plays and 4:21 off the clock to score. Haley found Ryan Hough in the right side of the south endzone for a 6-yard strike. Howe led, 14-7, with 1:21 left in the first quarter.

The defense created a turnover on the first play of the Lions’ next possession as linebacker Bryce Crosby blitzed through the middle forcing McCoy to make a hurried throw that ended in the lap of Haley. Howe capitalized again with a 7-play, 57-yard drive that ended on Antwone Rattler’s first touchdown as a Bulldog with a 5-yard run. Del Angel’s PAT sailed wide to the left and Howe’s lead was 20-7 with 8:57 left in the second quarter.

The Lion’s Zane O’Donnell returned the kickoff to the Howe 48 yard line where they began a 7play scoring drive that ended on an 18-yard run by McCoy that cut the Howe lead to 20-14 with 5:27 left before the half.

The Bulldogs’ next drive lasted seven plays but was stopped at midfield when a muffed centerquarterback exchange caused Howe to turn the ball over on downs with 2:37 left before halftime. The Dogs defense, however, was able to keep the Lions from scoring and taking the lead before the half.

When play resumed, Howe found themselves on the ugly end of an 11-play, 48-yard drive that resulted in a perfectly executed bootleg by McCoy for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 21-20 lead with 5:17 left in the third.

To make things worse, Howe’s offense became stagnant after two penalties on the first possession of the half which resulted in a punt. (Continued on page 8)

Summit Hill Elementary Staff of the Month

My name is Patricia Garcia and I work at Summit Hill Elementary. I have been with the district for five years. I love helping all our students, especially Juliana, my granddaughter and a student at our campus. I support the Bulldogs and the Cowboys and look forward to the day the Texas Longhorns meet up with Notre Dame for the national championship in football.