Big Red Spring 2013 Edition

BIG RED Harvard-Westlake School • APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 8 • NO.3 • SPRING EDITION

The highly ranked Wolverine baseball team has new additions to its program, including an announcer and walk-up songs

p. 13-17

BOYS’ SOCCER: Players who choose the Academy route p. 20-21 CIF RULES: A new CIF rule regarding athlete transfers p. 22-23

BIG RED April 2013 • VOLUME 8 • NO. 3

thePlaybook BASEBALL

TRANSFERS

13-17 OFF THE FIELD

22-23 CIF RULING

The Wolverine baseball team has new additions to its program this season, fresh with new lineup songs, buzz cuts and a new student PA announcer.

Members of CIF approved controversial rule changes on transfer eligibility, lifting the one-year varsity suspension on athletes who switch schools.

BY MICHAEL ARONSON, LUCY PUTNAM AND LIZZY THOMAS

BY LUKE HOLTHOUSE

BOYS’ SOCCER

RECRUITING

20-21 A DIFFERENT ROUTE 24-27 THE PROCESS A number of boys’ soccer stars must choose between suiting up for the Wolverines and joining academy soccer teams. Players cannot play for both.

A look at various Wolverine athletes who have gone through the college recruiting process as they hope to play their respective sports at the next level.

BY PATRICK RYAN

BY LUKE HOLTHOUSE

theStaff

editors-in-chief Michael Aronson, Luke Holthouse managing editors Robbie Loeb, Grant Nussbaum, Patrick Ryan

2 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

JACK GOLDFISHER/BIG RED

WEATHERING A STORM Midfielder Jack Temko ’14 looks down field in a rainy game against Oak Park, in which the Wolverines lost 13-11 on March 8.

staff Elijah Akhtarzad, Mila Barzdukas, Jack Goldfisher, Claire Goldsmith, Tyler Graham, Rebecca Katz, Eric Loeb, Aaron Lyons, Lucy Putnam, Michael Rothberg, Sam Sachs, Camille Shooshani, Lauren Sonnenberg, Lizzy Thomas, Elana Zeltser adviser Kathleen Neumeyer

4-9 PHOTO GALLERY 10-12 ROUNDTABLE Big Red staffers give their two cents on all things Wolverine.

18 FANATIC FUN?

LUKE HOLTHOUSE/BIG RED

Fresh Cut Austin Schoff ’13 speaks to the baseball team after players shaved their heads to honor Chris Robinson ’13, who died after his battle with leukemia.

Staff writer Eric Loeb gives his take on the Fanatics’ behavior, the administration’s reaction to fans’ chants and bringing flags to Wolverine sports events.

19 JUNIOR VAR-STARS Junior varsity players feel they don’t get the recognition they deserve, although they devote ample time to their sport.

Page 16-17 »

BIG RED is a student publication of the Harvard-Westlake Chronicle, the upper school newspaper at Harvard-Westlake School, 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. The school has 1,500 students in grades 9-12.

For any inquiries, to purchase a subscription or to advertise, please contact us at chronicle@hw.com or at (818) 487-6512. BIG RED is distributed free on campus and is mailed by subscription at $15 per year. Letters to the editor can be sent to editors-in-chief Michael Aronson and Luke Holthouse, at maronson1@hwemail.com or lholthouse1@hwemail.com. BIG RED is a general interest magazine about team and individual athletic pursuits of Harvard-Westlake students and faculty, as well as health and fitness topics.

For seasonal coverage, see The Chronicle or visit www.hwchronicle.com.

On the Cover: Conor Cuse ’13 unleashes a pitch during a game against the Loyola Cubs. The Wolverines lost the game 6-3 on March 15.

Cover Photo by Sam Sachs

NEW TO THE POOL

First-year Head Coach Jonathan Carroll has big goals for his Wolverine swimming program, which he hopes can become a Mission League force.

BY GRANT NUSSBAUM

His origins in aquatics were founded on a medical condition, but new swimming head coach Jonathan Carroll developed his passion for swimming in his first year of life and has continued that passion, but now as a coach.

“I was diagnosed with asthma at a young age, so it was the doctor’s recommendation that our parents get us, my siblings and me, involved in swimming,” Carroll said. “I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember. As far as I can remember I think my parents had me and my siblings in the water from the time we were almost a year old, and I haven’t stopped since. Here I am, still involved with the water.”

Carroll swam throughout elementary, middle and high school.

The Philadelphia native competed in any and all swimming events and thereby called himself the “jack of all trades” in swimming. Carroll swam in college at the University of Pennsylvania up to his senior year, before dropping the sport to give more attention to other parts of his college experience.

“I got to the point where I wasn’t really doing well anymore in terms of improving,” Carroll said.

“Academics kind of kept me around it, but I also then got involved in fraternity life and campus politics,

so that stuff began to take more of my attention away from the pool, so I found it easier to walk away.”

Despite his decision to leave, Carroll couldn’t stay away from the water for long. Carroll gave swimming lessons during his time in college, and would quickly transition from swimmer to coach. Carroll worked as a teacher in Philadelphia schools during his time as a pre-medical student, and would assist in swimming practice at the schools.

After moving to California with his wife in 2004, Carroll began coaching at Santa Monica Swim Club. Carroll finished his stint at SMSC in 2010 and sought to move to a high school setting.

“As a club swim coach, you’re going 48 weeks out of the year,” Carroll said. “Holidays are not times spent with family. Christmas time was never really a time where I could go home to Philadelphia. The high school position fit my life way better than a club one would. Being on a school campus was something I always loved, as I had also taught previously as well as being a club coach.”

The veteran coach joined the Wolverine coaching staff in September 2012. Carroll likes what he’s seen from the swim team in the

past, but says there’s always room for improvement.

“I really want us to be more competitive in the Mission League and CIF overall. In years past we were sending 15 or 20 kids to CIF,” Carroll said. “In the last couple years it’s been closer to 10 or less.

I feel like we have an opportunity, now with the pool and the kind of partnership we have with Los Angeles Swim Club, to be more competitive in Mission League and ultimately start winning it again.

I think that competitiveness will manifest itself in the number of top eight swimmers we have in CIF.” Carroll emphasizes his energet-

“

YOU COULD SAY I’M AN ENERGETIC TEACHER, BUT I VIEW MYSELF AS A COACH,” CARROLL SAID.

ic, positive coaching style in order to reach that level. “I’ve always tried to be energetic and upbeat and think positive,” Carroll said. “I’ve tried to make sure I come from a teaching standpoint, so I want kids to know and be able to execute skills to the best of their capabilities before I worry about speed and endurance.

In contrast to that, there are coaches that believe the more you tack on, the better you’ll be, whereas I believe you could tack on all those strengths, but if your kids don’t do the strokes right, they’re only going to be so efficient. I guess you could say I’m an energetic teacher, but I view myself as a coach.”

NATHANSON’S

Jonathan Carroll

popCULTURE Wolverine Athlete BAKARI BOLDEN ’14 Golf

ALIXX LUCAS ’13 Basketball

AUDREY WILSON ’15 Track and Cross Country

HANS HANSEN ’13 Baseball

NBA Finals Champion?

Song playing on my iPod

Talent I wish I had

Favorite spring sport to watch?

LAKERS

“STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM” -DRAKE

PLAYING THE PIANO

GOLF

CLIPPERS

“POETIC JUSTICE” -KENDRICK LAMAR

ACROBATICS

TENNIS

LAKERS

“STAY” -RIHANNA

DANCING

TRACK

HEAT

“SPITEFUL CHANT” - KENDRICK LAMAR

MAKING A GOOD MARCH MADNESS BRACKET

BASEBALL

LUKE HOLTHOUSE/BIG RED

At bat Hans Hansen ’13 waits for the pitch in the varsity baseball team’s win over West Torrance.

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 3

PLAYING DIRTY Outfielder Michael Vokulich ’14 is showered with dirt as he safely slides headfirst into third base in the previously undefeated Wolverines’ 6-3 loss against rival Loyola.

Photograph by SAM SACHS

SITTING IN THE RAIN Midfielder Andrew Corlin ’15 loses his balance in the rain in the Wolverines’ 13-11 loss on March 8 to Oak Park.

Photograph by JACK GOLDFISHER

SPRING IS IN THE AIR All of the spring sports’ seasons are in full swing. The baseball team is currently ranked second in the state a year removed from having two players drafted into the MLB, and looks to win its third straight Mission League title. David Manahan ’14 will attempt to defend his CIF championship in the 800m come May and June.

Softball tries to repeat its Mission League title, behind pitching from Chloe Pendergast ’13, who logged a no-hitter earlier in the season. Boys’ volleyball got off to its best start since Adam Black became head coach.

Boys’ tennis will try to capitalize on its early-season success going into the second half of the season. Boys’ golf was undefeated through Spring Break.

The swimming and diving teams honored Justin Carr ’14 during their first meet of the season. Lacrosse was 6-1 heading into Spring Break.

Photographs by JACK GOLDFISHER, SAM SACHS, LUKE HOLTHOUSE AND GRANT NUSSBAUM

the roundtable

Members of the Big Red staff sound off on key issues in Wolverine sports.

Q: Which spring team will go farthest in CIF playoffs?

Holthouse: The team may not have as many future draft picks as

the baseball team, but the softball team may be able to go just as far in playoffs. With an 8-2 record in games before the start of their league schedule, the Wolverines have shown that they can both hit and pitch.

Chloe Pendergast ’13 leads the pitching rotation, and her no-hitter earlier this season shows that she can dominate any lineup the team will face in playoffs. With a lineup that includes sluggers Jessica Johnston ’14, Tate Castro ’13, Maddy Kaplan ’14 and Pendergast amongst other players, the Wolverines also have enough pop in their bat to keep pace on offense.

The team won league for the first time last year and should win again this year, putting itself in good position come playoff seedings.

Loeb: I think that the baseball team has a very good chance to advance far in CIF. The team definitely has enough talent to achieve its goal of winning the tournament, and I believe that it can do it. Jack Flaherty ’14, Arden Pabst ’13 and Joe Corrigan ’13 all have the ability to play in the majors, and the team also has solid role players like Michael Vokulich ’14 and Ezra Steinberg ’15 backing them up. Despite having to play a long season against strong Mission League opponents, the Wolverines have both enough pitching and hitting talent to be the team that goes furthest in CIF this year.

Aronson: As a member of the team, I may be a bit biased here, but

the Wolverine boys’ golf team has one of the deepest squads the program has seen in years. The team hasn’t lost a match yet and the team’s head coach, Tony Kewalramani, is one of the most knowledgeable short game and putting coaches in the country. Bakari Bolden ’14 has only shot one round over par this year, and the team’s underclassmen have been incredibly consistent. Wins against Loyola late in the season would leave me to believe that the team could make a run at a CIF title.

Q: What was the highlight of the 20122013 winter season?

Nussbaum: After being swept in the 2011-2012 season rivalry

series with Loyola, the boys’ basketball team bounced back in the 20122013 campaign, splitting the season series 2-2 with the Cubs. The team’s performance against its long-standing rivals marked the highlight of this past winter season for me. The Wolverines lost 80-61 in the first meeting of the season but got one right back in the second, defeating the Cubs 82-72. The Wolverines were also able to squeak by the Cubs in the teams’ first league competition matchup of the season, even with the absence of leading scorer Derick Newton ’14, who had gone down with a shoulder injury two weeks prior. The most impressive of all four games to me, however, came in the final matchup of the season, which resulted in a 56-52 loss for the Wolverines. Despite the outcome, the shorthanded Wolverines put up an impressively valiant effort. Missing Newton once more along with Clinton Hooks ’13, the team rode the heroics of a hobbled Mike Sheng ’14 and Dave Winfield ’13 to force double overtime.

The team’s drive and enhanced level of play against its arch-rival and its “never say die” attitude separates the basketball team from the rest and stands out as the high point of the season.

Lyons: Although the varsity girls’ soccer team lost in the semifinals of

LICKETY SPLIT Pitcher Hans Hansen ’13 sticks his tongue out at a Loyola batter in the baseball team’s 6-3 loss.

SAM SACHS/BIG RED

10 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

CIF to Chaminade, the girls’ final match was the highlight of the season, as it had many positive takeaways. First and foremost, the Wolverines maintained possession for the majority of the game. When they did give up possession, the defense was able to halt almost all efforts by Chaminade’s offense. The biggest takeaway from the game was the cumulative improvement of Jackie Ridgley ’14 throughout the season. At the end of regulation and overtime, the game was tied with a goal apiece for each team. The team definitely had Ridgley to thank for this. While Chaminade only had a few shots on goal, almost all of the shots were on target and often very close to going in. Earlier in the season, she made a few mistakes in goal, but in this big match, Ridgley was able to step up her game and make several big saves in front of the net, even saving two of the five penalties from Chaminade. Her performance in the final game showed a massive improvement on her part from the start of the season.

Grant Nussbaum Aaron Lyons

Luke Holthouse Patrick Ryan

Eric Loeb

Michael Aronson

Sam Sachs

Lucy Putnam

Q: Who is the athlete to watch this spring season?

Ryan: Golfer Bakari Bolden ’14 is the spring athlete to watch this year.

He won the Mission League Championship as a sophomore. So far this year, he has only shot one round over par. He has already begun to fill the void left by former team captain Charlie Benell ’12, who is playing at Texas A&M this year. I expect that he will continue to lead the team this year as the Wolverines are undefeated so far in the season. His consistent play has been key to the Wolverines’ record thus far.

Putnam: While there are numerous standouts on the girls’ softball

team, the player to watch is Jessica Johnston ’14. Amidst a talented team with notable players such as Chloe Pendergast ’13 and Maddie Kaplan ’14, Johnston shines. The UCSB commit is not only a strong centerfielder but also a dangerous batter, averaging .441 at the plate with two home runs and 10 RBIs in the first 10 games of the season. Johnston has had several outstanding games this season, including a 5-5 at bat performance in a 12-3 win against Kennedy on March 5.

Nussbaum: After throwing a no-hitter last month, baseball pitcher

Jack Flaherty ’14 has to be the player to watch this season. Flaherty committed to the University of North Carolina early in the year and has thrown multiple shutouts, allowing him to stay undefeated in his starts up to spring break. The junior’s performance in the Easton Tournament last month, which included his no-hitter, led the baseball team to win the tournament and won him tournament MVP. Flaherty’s performance has made his presence as a key player known and his dominance has made him a must-see player this season.

BUMP AND RUN Bakari Bolden ’14 chips onto the green during the golf team’s win in a match over St. Francis this season.

LUKE HOLTHOUSE/BIG RED

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 11

Q: Which spring team is the most underrated?

Sachs: Led by Bakari Bolden ’14, the boys’ golf team is off to a stellar

start for its spring season. Bolden, the lowest scorer on the undefeated Wolverines squad, has received big contributions from the team’s underclassmen. Tyler Graham ’15, Adrian Berger ’15 and Jeffrey Aronson ’15 have all proved their worth and made big contributions to keep the team undefeated at 8-0. The Wolverines have both of their matchups against rival Loyola left on their schedule, and with only five league games left, the team is in prime position to make a run at its first Mission League championship since the 2009 season. Their aspirations shouldn’t stop there as this year’s team has a chance to be the first Wolverines golf team to make it to a State Championship. The junior leader and the depth behind him makes the golf team a viable contender and the most underrated spring team.

Holthouse: The boys’ volleyball team gets my vote for most

IN TRANSITION Guard Mike Sheng ’14 runs a fast break in the boys’ basketball team’s win over Laguna Beach in CIF playoffs.

JACK GOLDFISHER/BIG RED

Q: Who is the MVP of the winter season?

underrated team. Undefeated through its first five league games, the boys volleyball team looks to me like it is well on its way to achieving its goal for the season. Though the team fell to Loyola to snap the five game winning streak in league, the team knew going into the season that it was shooting for second place in league standings behind the powerhouse Cubs program. After going through every other league team the first run through, the Wolverines will need to match the performance to guarantee that they’ll keep the second spot in league standings come playoffs.

The Wolverines are on pace to earn a fantastic seed come playoffs, setting themselves up nicely for a deep playoff run. The Wolverines may not be able to go all the way and win a CIF championship like baseball, but I think they have it in them to go past the first round unlike last year. Led

by Chase Klein ’13 as a dominating force on the outside, the team has proven that it has enough depth and versatility at the other positions to block, set and pass for Klein. Eric Dritley ’13, Brad Comisar ’15 and Beau McGinley ’13 have all been perfect examples of guys that have bounced around different positions due to various injuries and different formations the team is running. But with Klein on the outside, the team has a steady force it can count on every game, and I think he and his teammates deserve more attention as they keep on winning.

Aronson: It seems like Mike Sheng ’14 took a page out of Lakers

superstar Kobe Bryant’s basketball handbook. Sheng, who fought through a hamstring injury at the tail end of the season, led the team in assists with 4.8 per game and was the second leading scorer with 12.9 points per game. The third year varsity player stepped up and helped carry the Wolverines after leading scorer Derick Newton ’14 went down with a shoulder injury, especially against Loyola. Sheng put up a season high 27 points and 8 assists to lift the Wolverines to a two-point victory on Jan. 16. An injured Sheng shone again in the rivals’ last game on Feb. 4, assisting Dave Winfield ’13 twice to send the team to both overtime and double overtime. This past season Sheng established himself as a leader and reminded everyone just how good he is on the court, making him the winter MVP.

Lyons: In his final year at Harvard-Westlake, Henry Schlossberg ’13

achieved a number of milestones for Harvard-Westlake wrestlers. Not only is he only the third Harvard-Westlake wrestler to ever make it to the State Championships for wrestling, but he is also only the second wrestler to ever win a match at state. This would be impressive for any athlete; however, Schlossberg is a two-sport athlete. He has excelled at his main sport, football, and is committed to play football at Princeton University.

At the State Championships, Schlossberg finished in the Top 16 for the heavyweight class. It is very uncommon for an athlete to do so well in two sports, yet this has not stopped Schlossberg from succeeding in football and wrestling.

12 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

UP AND OVER: The focal point of the volleyball team’s offense, outside hitter Chase Klein ‘13 tips over a Notre Dame blocker in his team’s five-game win.

LUKE HOLTHOUSE/BIG RED

ATTENTION ALL WOLVERINES Bradley Schlesinger ’13 announces the baseball team’s game against Oaks Christian.

SAM SACHS/BIG RED

Calling the Shots

With a microphone in one hand and a roster in the other, Bradley Schlesinger ’13 signs on as varsity baseball’s new announcer.

BY LUCY PUTNAM

W

hen Bradley Schlesinger ’13 arrived as a new junior from Wisconsin in September 2011, he was eager to become an active member in his new school community.

Now in his senior year, he’s found the perfect way to connect with fellow students, and enjoy the baseball season at the same time, as the announcer for the boys’ baseball team.

Head of Athletics Terry Barnum formerly held this role but stepped down because of his new administrative duties. It is now being placed in the hands of students with Schlesinger as the inaugural student announcer.

Before this season, Schlesinger had never attended a HarvardWestlake baseball game, although he was familiar with the sport as a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers.

He heard about the position from friends. After interviewing with Athletic Director Vince Orlando, where he relayed his interest in broadcasting, he was offered the position.

“I was looking for two things,” Orlando said. “Someone responsible who could commit to the game schedule and a student with pas-

sion for baseball. After the interview I knew Bradley was the guy.”

Schlesinger began the role without knowing anyone on the team well.

“I had a class or two with some of the players, and others I knew because of family friends,” he said.

“But I hadn’t talked with most of the players before I became the announcer.”

Schlesinger confessed he was worried at the beginning about incorrectly pronouncing the players’ names.

“I think I have the hang of most of the Harvard-Westlake players’ names now although I have to slow a little bit to make sure I pronounce Michael Vokulich’s [’14] name correctly. I’ll inevitably mess up a name or two on the visiting team, but by the end of the game I hopefully won’t be making any mistakes.”

The job has its basic requirements. He introduces both teams and announces their line-ups at the start of the game, then announces each player by name, number and position when he comes to the plate. Between innings, Schlesinger also plays music over the loudspeakers. He has plans to develop

his repertoire as the season progresses, explaining, “Hopefully soon I will be able to play walk-up at bat songs for the players as well.”

In addition to his work on the microphone, he is also responsible for controlling the scoreboard, which requires keeping close track of the game.

“I have to stay focused otherwise I might miss a pitch,” he said.

He believes it’s a lot of work for one person to do, and suggested there may be additional announcer staff added.

After the first game earlier this year, Schlesinger said he had been “fighting a bit of a cold but I don’t

“

think it impacted my announcing that much. It really was a great day for baseball, sunny but not too hot.

I was a little nervous at first but by the end I felt pretty comfortable.

Watching Harvard-Westlake get the victory was definitely the best part.”

He said the team found its rhythm after a tricky first inning, with strong pitching from Conor Cuse ’13 and Hans Hansen ’13 as well as strong hitting and plate discipline from the entire squad leading to the victory.

“The team looks really good and hopefully that can translate into a great season.”

I THINK I HAVE THE HANG OF MOST OF THE HARVARDWESTLAKE PLAYERS’ NAMES NOW, ” SCHLESINGER SAID.

NATHANSON’S

Bradley Schlesinger ’13

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 13

PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC Walk-up songs have been a baseball tradition for over 30 years. The Wolverine baseball team has now adopted them to hype up players before their at-bats.

BY MICHAEL ARONSON

A

s Jacob Pardo ’14 walks to the plate for an at-bat at O’Malley Field, he hears Robert Plant, lead singer of the well-known rock band Led Zeppelin, singing “When the Levee Breaks.”

It took varsity baseball’s first baseman weeks to finally choose a Led Zeppelin track to be his “walkup” song before stepping up to the plate.

“It gets me fired up,” Pardo said. “my walk-up songs gets me in the right mood for my at-bat. It’s a great mojo song” Walk-up songs in baseball originated in professional baseball in the 1970s when Yankees relief pitcher Sparky Lyle marched out to the mound while the composition

“Pomp and Circumstance March,”

by Sir Edward Elgar roared from the loudspeakers at Yankee Stadium.

Thirty years later, the Wolverines have adopted baseball’s widespread tradition to energize both fans and players before they walk to home plate for an at-bat.

“Today, walk-up music is as much a part of baseball as spitting,” Chicago Magazine writer and baseball blogger Jeff Ruby wrote. “Players’ intro songs generally fall into one of two predictable camps: Opponent Intimidators (“Hells Bells,” Trevor Hoffman; “Iron Man,” Mike Lowell) and Crowd PumperUppers (“Welcome to the Jungle,” Eric Gagne; “Thunderstruck,” Cole Hamels).”

The Wolverines started to use walk-up songs when Head of Athletics Terry Barnum approached them two seasons ago.

“Barnum thought that because we were playing as well as a high caliber team, we should have walkup songs to make us look even more official,” Daniel Davila ’14 said. “Barnum wanted us to have walk-up songs, so we just got walkup songs.”

The Wolverines expanded their repetoir of walk-up songs to include “walk-out songs” for pitchers including Connor Cuse ’13, Hans Hansen ’13 and Jack Flaherty ’14.

“As a team, we’re all about good vibes, and the music helps us bring those good vibes to not only us but the fans,” Cuse said.

“

MY WALK-UP SONGS GETS ME IN THE RIGHT MOOD FOR MY AT-BAT. IT’S A GREAT MOJO SONG,” PARDO SAID.

14 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

MUSIC TO MY EARS Jack Flaherty ’14 listens to his walk-up song, “Ignition” by R. Kelly, as he steps up to the plate against Loyola.

PHOTOS BY SAM SACHS/BIG RED

PLAYLIST JOE CORRIGAN ’13

“WORK”

HANS HANSEN ’13

“DON’T TOUCH ME”

—Gang Starr —Busta Rhymes

ALEX HOROWITZ ’13

“OPPOSITE OF ADULTS” —Chiddy Bang

TREVEN GOLDSMITH ’13

“BAD TO THE BONE”

ARDEN PABST ’13

“HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN”

CASEY ROSENFELD ’13

“GODZILLA”

AUSTIN SCHOFF ’13

“EL ANIMAL”

JACK FLAHERTY ’14

“IGNITION”

LOGAN SIMON ’14

“WELCOME TO JAMROCK”

—George Thorogood —The Animals

—Blue Oyster Cult —Gente de Zona —R. Kelly —Damian Marley

DANIEL DAVILA ’14

“GASOLINA” —Daddy Yankee

JACOB PARDO ’14

“WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS” —Led Zeppelin

BRIAN GINSBERG ’14

“WHO ARE YOU” —The Who

TYLER URBACH ’14

“DIRT ROAD ANTHEM” —Jason Aldean

MATT KARO ’14

“HARDER THAN YOU THINK” —Public Enemy

EZRA STEINBERG ’15

“I’M SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON” —Dropkick Murphys

JACKSON GRAYSON ’15

“CRAZY TRAIN”

MATT BEYER ’15

“RIGHT NOW”

—Ozzy Ozbourne —Van Halen

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 15

FRESH CUT

BY LIZZY THOMAS

Every member of the varsity baseball team agreed to shave his head before the start of the team’s 2013 season. It wasn’t a simple fashion statement, but rather a tribute to a late teammate.

W

hile there was relatively little roster turnover from last year, the varsity baseball team entered this season looking decidedly different – bald, or at least nearly.

The lack of hair served as a reminder of something else missing: second baseman Chris Robinson ’13, stricken with leukemia in his freshman year before he ever got to play a game for the Wolverines.

16 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

After a two-year battle with the disease, Robinson died in November 2011.

The new look was thanks to a team-wide haircut on Feb. 16, as part of an ongoing fund raiser for pediatric cancer research in honor of Robinson that has raised over $12,000, more than doubling an earlier goal of $5,000.

The team hoped that the bald heads would act as visible remind-

ers to members of the school community to donate to the cause and also show support for kids like Robinson that had to deal with baldness as a result of chemotherapy.

With Robinson’s family looking on, all of the varsity players, Head Coach Matt LaCour and third base coach P.C. Shaw had their heads shaved between scrimmages in the parking lot of O’Malley Field.

The Wolverines beat Rocklin that morning before the head shaving then defeated West Torrance after the fundraiser.

Quincy Robinson, Chris’ father, spoke before the group of players and family members in attendance at the event thanking the team for keeping his late son’s memory alive The buzz cuts had been in the works for a while. It was LaCour

who initially floated the buzz cut idea to Austin Schoff ’13 back in September. And while Schoff, who met and befriended Robinson during baseball training before their freshman year, was immediately on board with the plan, others on the team were not.

“There was a pretty big fight not to do it. Eventually everyone came over to my side,” Schoff said.

Daniel Davila ’14, for one, was less than enthused about the idea initially.

“Originally, I was not down to do it,” Davila said. “I had a Johnny Bravo haircut going on, too.”

And yet, Davila emerged from the day with one of the shortest haircuts on the team.

“There was a hairstylist that came to the field, so I got the hairstylist to shave my head. But she just gave me a normal haircut, and it wasn’t different at all,” Davila said. “So I was like, if I’m going to do this once in my life, I might as well go really hard right now.”

And while getting over the initial haircut hurdle may have been hard, Davila and his teammates had to deal with their near-baldness in the weeks to come.

“In my opinion it doesn’t look bad, it’s just freezing all the time. You can feel the breeze going through your head, and it’s just so cold,” Davila said. “Then you’re

like, ‘I wanna wear a beanie,’ but you can’t wear a beanie because then it looks like you’re trying to cover up your hair.”

Jacob Pardo ’14 said that the cuts drew a lot of buzz around school as all his friends wanted to feel his bald head.

“I kind of go buzz anyway, but for the first week or so it was kind of weird. People couldn’t stop feeling it, I couldn’t stop feeling it. It was a weird experience but a good experience,” Jacob Pardo ’14 said.

But with the baseball team poised to advance deep into CIF playoffs in what would have been Robinson’s senior season, the team ultimately found the experience worth it – cold heads and all. After winning the Easton Tournament at the beginning of the season and receiving an invitation to the prestigious National High School Invitational in North Carolina over Spring Break, the team may have the talent to win a CIF championship in honor of Robinson.

“It was a cause for someone who had a big impact on all of us, and I think overall it was really cool that the team got together to do it,” Davila said.

“It’s something we all felt we had a responsibility to do, in some way, because this would have been his senior year and we feel the loss,” Pardo said.

SHAVING IT OFF Opposite page: Clockwise from top, inset: Arden Pabst ’13, Michael Vokulich ’14 and Hans Hansen ’13 get their heads shaved Feb. 16; Behind: Hansen and Pabst sweep up after the team haircut.

This page: Top: Chris Robinson’s 13 father, Quincy Robinson, speaks to the group of players and family members gathered at event. Alongside his wife, Cherie, he thanked the team for raising so much money in honor of his son and for keeping his memory alive; Middle: Austin Schoff ’13, who helped to organize the event, hugs Cherie Robinson; Left: Baseball players pose after shaving their heads in honor of former Wolverine baseball player Robinson, who died of leukemia in 2011.

ALL PHOTOS BY LUKE HOLTHOUSE/BIG RED

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 17

U-S-A! U-S-A!

Head Fanatic Correy King ’13 waves an American flag at a girls’ soccer game.

AARON LYONS/BIG RED

Team USA?

Instead of challenging each other, the administration and the Fanatics can reach a compromise.

BY ERIC LOEB

H

aving attended many sporting events this year, I can say with confidence that the Head Fanatics were successful in doing what they signed up for. They did a decent job of informing students of upcoming games and results using their Facebook page and not once did I attend an event in which there was not a Head Fanatic present, including multiple girls’ basketball games. Correy King ’13, Justin Berman ’13, Mike Hart ’13, Thomas Oser ’13 and Henry Neale ’13 all led cheers during each event, solidifying a “home field advantage” which, in my opinion, swayed many games in the Wolverines’ favor.

However, the apparent feud between our Fanatics and the administration has become too evident to ignore. While it is evident when a student crosses the line and says something completely inappropriate while attending a game and undeniable that the administration should take action toward

18 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

making sure the school is projecting a good image, a newfound gray is the root to the issues.

The issues became evident during the boys’ basketball team’s CIF run, first in a home game against Laguna Hills, and later against Bishop Montgomery. When instructed by the administration that they needed to tone down their chants towards officials and players of the opposing teams, the Head Fanatics led students in cheers of “Sportsmanship” and “Everyone wins”, along with other cheesy chants which indirectly sent a message of disapproval to those who had tried to censor them. The Fanatics then started to sing, “Feliz Navidad” and eventually began to chat what has become their primary chant, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” It was at this point that, in my opinion, that the gray area began to take form. In talking with both the administration and the Fanatics, very different takes on the chants lie on each side of the divide. From

talking to multiple Head Fanatics, their reason for the chants was to rally up our student section, arguing that the chants were simple and as a result, very popular among the students at the game. The chants were a great success compared to some of the other chants the Fanatics start, gathering a much larger response. However, from the administration’s perspective, the chants were intended to harass multiple Latino players on the Laguna Hills team, and multiple Russian-American players on Bishop Montgomery.

As a result, the administration began to throw multiple students out of games and keep a much keener eye on Fanatic behavior.

The Head Fanatics were disgusted.

Having attended both games, I can say for sure that both the Fanatics and the administration handled the situation poorly. Some Fanatics, whether their leaders will admit it or not, chanted and laughed at the racial undertones

of what they were saying. At the same time, in my opinion, the administration cracked down much too harshly on students. Many of us, including myself, were not chanting with intentions to hurt participants, but to support the Fanatics in raising team morale, and increasing the team’s chances to win. By silencing the student section and throwing people out, it only increased the Fanatics desire to fight back. In the future, I think both the Fanatics and the administration have things to learn from the events that transpired. If the chants were only chosen because of their popularity among the students, finding different chants that are equally popular should not be too great of a task. At the same time, the administration should learn from the fact that their response did not work as intended.

Their attempts to censor the Fanatics are not working, because the Fanatics refuse to back down. A compromise can be reached.

WHERE IS THE LOVE? Despite long hours of tedious practice, many JV teams lack the respect and attention of faculty, students and the Athletic Department.

BY ELIJAH AKHTARZAD AND REBECCA KATZ

A

s the members of the junior varsity boys’ basketball team arrived at Taper Gymnasium equipped for their scheduled practice, they once again encountered a conflict, as the space was occupied by a nonHarvard-Westlake affiliated club volleyball practice. This situation is all too familiar for many junior varsity athletes. Despite hard work and hours of tedious practice, many JV teams feel that their programs lack organization, respect and attention from the athletic department, the student body and the faculty.

JV boys’ basketball, JV cheerleaders and JV boys’ volleyball all dealt with scheduling conflicts, cancelled practices and unorganization throughout their seasons.

“It’s definitely something we need to balance. Conflicts happen on a weekly basis,” Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said. “We are constantly monitoring those and trying to do what’s best.”

Many JV athletes say that despite efforts to change the programs, the JV teams are not taken

the STATS

as seriously as the varsity programs are by coaches and fans — or even by other members of the team.

“Overall I had a great experience on both JV football and JV basketball because I loved to hang out with my friends,” two-sport athlete Jon Glover ’15 said. “But, JV is just not that serious of a program.”

Many serious athletes attempting to prepare to move to a higher level feel that they are being overlooked due to the rest of the team’s lack of dedication and commitment.

“The problem was it wasn’t a very serious experience, a lot of kids were on the team just because they wanted to play basketball, but they didn’t want to play extremely competitively,” JV basketball player Spencer Perryman ’15 said.

The JV cheer squad began with 12 cheerleaders, but was cut in half by the end of the season. Many people on the squad felt embarrassed because the crowds were so small at the JV games they cheered for that they really had no motive

UNAPPRECIATED

The stands are usually near empty at most junior varsity affairs.

JACK GOLDFISHER/BIG RED

or incentive.

“People automatically associate us with being bad because of the label, ‘JV’,” JV cheerleader Marisa Hattler ’16 said.

Each sport is overseen by a program head, usually a varsity coach, whose responsibility is to assure that the athletes in their program prepare adequately for varsity and have a positive experience. Al-

though JV is supposed to act as a stepping stone for athletes, players say it simply does not have the recognition varsity sports do.

“We don’t expect to have a big support because people usually just care about varsity,” JV basketball player Noah Gains ’15 said.

Additional reporting by Miles Harleston, Carly Berger and Jeremy Tepper.

Number of students who took the poll: 369

What percentage of students attend JV games?

Do JV teams get enough attention?

Football Girls’ Basketball Boys’ Basketball Girls’ Soccer

70% No

Boys’ Soccer Girls’ Volleyball Boys’ Volleyball

30% Yes

Girls’ Water Polo* Boys’ Water Polo *Indicates mixed JV and varsity team

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 19

INSIDE ACADEMY SOCCER

BY PATRICK RYAN

Some varsity soccer players hand in their Wolverine uniforms to gain more recognition with college coaches by playing on academy teams.

I

t is 6:15 p.m. on a chilly Tuesday night in February when Jack Temko ’14 heads to soccer practice in his Honda Civic, with Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortus” playing in the background. He arrives at Oak Park High School, where he trains for two hours with a team full of Division I college soccer recruits on the under-18 Real So Cal academy soccer team, a member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The U.S. Soccer Development Academy is an elite level of club soccer that competes in two age divisions, under-16 and under-18. Every Major League Soccer team has an affiliate team and there are over 70 teams competing nation-wide.

However, to join the squad, Temko was forced to quit playing for the varsity boys’ soccer team at school.

“Overall it was a really good opportunity that I was offered by my coach,” Temko said. “He convinced me in an argument saying that most colleges are looking primarily for academy players, and it’s just going to open up my options a lot more.”

Temko said the higher level of play in the academy soccer played a factor and attracted him along with the travel.

He has competed in Florida, Washington, Texas and Arizona. Temko is not the only Wolverine player who will be playing academy soccer, as Matthew Gooden ’15 already made the decision to join an academy team and Nick Knight ’14 and Jadon Yariv ’16 may do the same.

Gooden said that the loss of Temko was a significant loss for the team. Temko started as one of the attacking midfielders last year. Gooden started at forward for the Wolverines this year.

“I think we lacked that extra bit of energy that [Temko] added to the team last year,” Gooden said. “That certain spark was needed given the fact that we had a poor start to the season. I think that was missed.”

Head Coach Lucas Bongarra said it is hard to compete with academy teams for players because the school season is much shorter compared to the yearround academy season.

20 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

“Any player that is looking to play academy next year would have a big impact playing for us,” Bongarra said. “It’s a big loss for us — we need those players to have a stronger team. I would love to have two or three more players to make the team stronger.”

Gooden said that he enjoys playing for the school team, but the decision to switch to academy soccer was in his best interests for his future.

“I feel really bad that I can’t play for the school,” he said. “I really enjoyed contributing as best as I could to helping the team. At the same time I have to look at where I want to go down the road. Do I want to play for a good college or play for an average college? I think that the decision that ultimately shapes my future will have to rule out me playing high school.”

Yariv is just a freshman, but he started on varsity as a midfielder last season.

He is interested in academy soccer sometime in the future, but still enjoys the benefits of playing high school soccer.

“I love representing Harvard-Westlake and if I were to play academy soccer I wouldn’t have that opportunity anymore,” Yariv said. “Harvard-Westlake is so prestigious and you are proud to play for Harvard-Westlake.”

Knight plays soccer for a premier team, a level of club soccer just below academy. He doesn’t intend to play academy, since he is getting recruiting atten-

“

tion from colleges through his current club. However, he acknowledges that he may not play for Harvard-Westlake because many of the top players are not playing for the school team.

“It’s very intense. It’s almost like a job,” Knight said. “The amount of traveling done by academy teams is more because the academy league doesn’t just regard Southern California, but the entire nation.”

Bongarra said he tries his best to convince his players to stay, but the lure of academy soccer and playing at the next level can be too strong. He does argue, however, that the soccer program at Harvard-Westlake is strong enough to prepare players to play Division I college soccer.

“All the boys this year that played on varsity team, I think they all have the potential to play college,” he said. “My idea is to do the same thing that the academy teams are doing. They can have the same possibility [of playing in college].”

Temko hopes he will be able to once again suit up for the Wolverines on the pitch as a senior, depending on his recruitment.

“I went to a lot of the games and sitting up there in the crowd wasn’t fun. It didn’t feel right,” he said. “I have hopes of getting an offer that I like and committing, and hopefully coming to play senior year.”

MOST COLLEGES ARE LOOKING PRIMARILY FOR ACADEMY PLAYERS, AND IT’S JUST GOING TO OPEN UP MY OPTIONS A LOT MORE,” TEMKO SAID. NATHANSON’S

Jack Temko ’14

JACK TEMKO ’14

MATTHEW GOODEN ’15

JADON YARIV ’16

NICK KNIGHT ’14

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 21

“

A LOT OF TEAMS LIKE CRESPI AND ALEMANY TAKE A LOT OF TRANSFERS. IT WILL PROBABLY INCREASE THE COMPETITION AROUND US MORE THAN IT WILL HELP US,” BASKETBALL GUARD FRANCIS HYDE ’13 SAID.

22 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

ROBBIE LOEB/BIG RED

TRANSFERMATION A CIF rule change drastically shortens the time athletes who transfer schools have to sit out from competition, and sparks controversy in the process.

BY LUKE HOLTHOUSE

L

ast April, the California Interscholastic Federation proposed a new rule regarding student-athlete transfers that has set off a major debate over the ethics of high school sports in California. This fall, the change was implemented in all 10 CIF sections, and the jury is still out on whether or not the new rule damages the dynamic of high school sports or simply lets more kids play.

The rule change revised the sitout period for student-athletes that transfer to a different high school midway or at the end of a season.

Previously, the sit-out period was

one year. Now, the sit-out period is only one month.

Critics of the new rule, like Los Angeles Times sportswriter Eric Sondheimer, feel that it will encourage student-athletes to switch to a different school for athletic reasons.

He added that the new rule greatly encourages high school recruiters to seek out athletes and try to draw stars together to create powerhouse programs.

“If a 30-day sit-out period is voted in, it will accelerate the trend of schools’ forming all-star teams,” Sondheimer wrote on his blog last April, “and that is sucking the life

out of those coaches who used to believe in building programs by getting players to show up as freshmen, teaching them fundamentals and seeing them blossom as seniors.”

However, Head of Athletics Terry Barnum is confident that fewer students will apply for hardship waivers when ruled ineligible for a period of time. This will allow CIF to redirect resources towards funding regional playoff tournaments rather than lawsuits over player eligibility.

He said that it was too early to see how the rules changed the dynamics of recruiting.

FROM TEAM TO TEAM

Former Wolverines pitcher Max Fried ’12, left, H-W basketball hopeful and track star Danilo Dragovic ’11, above, and Cathedral running back Kurt Scoby, right, transferred schools but faced different rulings on eligibility due to new CIF tranfers rules.

“I think it’s too early to decide whether they are successful or not,” Barnum said. “I know when the Southern Section passed it, the idea was that so much time was being spent on appeals.”

In football, the rule change had a noticeable effect on the competition the Wolverines faced, according to Head Coach Scot Ruggles.

Ruggles said that he does not recruit transfers, while many opponents in the Mission League do.

“I think everybody we play takes transfers,” he said. “I don’t control that, so I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it.”

ALEX LEICHENGER/BIG RED

For example, Cathedral running back Kurt Scoby transferred to Cathedral after playing at St. Paul earlier this season. Scoby played for St. Paul in the Swordsmen 44-11 loss then transferred to Cathedral two weeks before they played Harvard-Westlake on Homecoming.

Scoby, who has transferred from three other schools before settling on Cathedral, was not ruled eligible in time for the Homecoming game.

Scoby has since transferred again from Cathedral to Alemany.

“I wasn’t worried,” Thomas Oser ’13 said about the possibility or having to defend Scoby twice in one

JACK GOLDFISHER/BIG RED

season. “This kid was transferring around so much he would have no chance of being eligible.”

Basketball player Francis Hyde ’13 agreed that many opponents in the Mission League may take advantage of the new rule.

“A lot of teams like Crespi and Alemany take a lot of transfers,” he said. “It will probably increase the competition around us more than it will help us.”

Two notable transfers had different experiences with the past rules. Baseball player Max Fried ’12 transferred to Harvard-Westlake for his senior year after the baseball

program at his old school was shut down. He was granted a hardship waiver by CIF and was eligible to play. Danillo Dragovic ’11, a basketball player, was not granted a hardship waiver when he transferred to Harvard-Westlake for his senior and was ineligible to play for the varsity basketball team. He was, however, allowed to join the track and field team.

Barnum says that the Athletic Department at Harvard-Westlake does not actively pursue transfers and that all student-athletes at the school must meet academic standards.

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 23

INSIDE RECRUITING

LUKE HOLTHOUSE/BIG RED

With a wide variety of athletes at the school and an even wider variety of universities to choose from, Wolverine athletes take different pathways to finding the perfect match in the college recruiting process.

BY LUKE HOLTHOUSE May Peterson ’13 and Martine Johannessen ’13 both found themselves off on their own as they went through the recruiting process for college admission.

Peterson, a fencer, and Johannessen, a rower, both competed strictly outside of Harvard-Westlake for their two sports and did not have a head coach at school vouching for them with college coaches. Nonetheless, both were able to market themselves well enough with college coaches and excel enough in their different arenas to earn nods from one of the most successful schools athletically of all-time, Stanford.

Peterson will fence for Stan-

24 • BIG RED SPRING 2013

ford co-head coaches Lisa Milgram, who has coached four National Collegiate Athletic Association individual fencing national champions in the last five years, and George Pogosov, who won an Olympic gold medal in sabre fencing in 1992 at Barcelona. Johannessen will row for Al Acosta, who has led the Stanford women’s lightweight crew team to three straight Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championships. But both Peterson and Johannessen had to work very hard to garner their coaches’ attention.

“Basically, you just e-mail all the coaches you want to be recruited by and then just hope that

they’ll be interested,” Johannessen said. “It’s all up to you to contact the coaches. People aren’t going to go find you. You have to go to them. It’s basically up to you to get recruited. You just have to persist until they want you.”

Both Johannessen and Peterson were looking at schools in the Ivy League, but chose Stanford partly because of the amount of interest they received from Stanford after initiating contact. While Johannessen applied via the normal Early Action process and had a letter of recommendation from the Stanford crew coach, Peterson applied with an “Early Read” application. The Early Read application

is a rolling application that coaches can offer to certain recruited athletes. Peterson learned of her acceptance in October while Johannessen didn’t hear back until the same time as standard Early Action applicants in November.

“I had to talk to the coach a lot to even get that application,” Peterson said. “With fencing, I had to email [coaches] a lot because they always forget about you and you have to be really persistent. But I’m happy with my choice.”

Neither consulted recruiting websites nor received much help from the coaches of their out-ofschool teams, who were apparently more concerned about the overall

COAST TO COAST

Natalie Florescu ’13, left, dribbles in the girls’ basketball team’s playoff game against Bishop Montgomery this season. She will continue her basketball career at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Correy King ’13, running in the football team’s game against Cathedral right, will play football in Goffstown, New Hampshire next year for Saint Anselm College. success of their clubs than the individual success of each athlete.

Peterson added that some of her foreign-born fencing coaches were unfamiliar with the recruiting process and lacked connections with American college coaches.

Varsity football player Correy King ‘13 had nearly the opposite experience. King, who played both running back and defensive back for the Wolverines this past year, will attend St. Anselm College in New Hampshire thanks in large part to work done by the football team’s Head Coach Scot Ruggles.

“Coach Ruggles is from Boston and knows coaches and schools out there so he got my film out there and really represented me and hyped me up to them,” King said.

King said that after Ruggles sent game film of King to St. Anselm, the St. Anselm coaches actually initiated contact with King and encouraged him to apply. After visiting the school and meeting with coaches, King committed to play for the Hawks and signed a national letter of intent to play at the school.

The Hawks compete in Divi-

sion II of the NCAA. King said the process for Division II football schools is very similar to the Division I process.

“It’s not much different than the D. I process except they wait for some of their recruiting class to come from kids who didn’t end up going D. I,” he said.

Girls’ basketball player Natalie Florescu ’13 felt that her pathway to college was a balance between time spent in Taper Gymnasium and time spent on the road with her club basketball team. Florescu, who committed to play basketball at Westmont, said she was initially noticed by Westmont coaches with her club team during the spring of her sophomore year. While she said the coaches from Westmont, located in Santa Barbara about two hours away from Studio City, occasionally came to watch her play at school, it was hard for them to consistently watch her play when she wasn’t at recruiting events with her club team.

“I had a couple of coaches that expressed interest in me early on,” Florescu said. “Westmont was one of those schools that saw me re-

ally early. They came to a couple of games this year at the beginning of the season. I think those were the only games they were really able to come to because they’re in season while we’re in season, so it’s kind of hard, especially with commuting two hours from Santa Barbara.”

While Westmont competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics instead of the NCAA, she still signed a national letter of intent to play at Westmont.

She verbally committed and signed just before her senior season.

“You verbal, you sign your let-

“

JACK GOLDFISHER/BIG RED

ter of intent, you apply early action and you get your acceptance from there,” she said. “The coaches are very transparent with you and they let you know how the entire process is going. It was a smooth ride for me.”

The signing of a letter of intent represents a big step in the process for most athletes. For some, signing with a school comes just before an acceptance letter from a top choice comes in the mail, while for others, athletes wait to sign a letter of intent until after they have been accepted. However, signing a letter of

PEOPLE AREN’T GOING TO GO FIND YOU, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THEM. IT’S BASICALLY UP TO YOU TO GET RECRUITED. YOU JUST HAVE TO PERSIST UNTIL THEY WANT YOU.” JOHANNESSEN SAID.

NATHANSON’S

Martine Johannessen’13

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 25

INSIDE RECRUITING intent does not necessarily set a recruit’s decision in stone.

For example, varsity quarterback and punter Chad Kanoff ’13 was accepted and had signed a letter of intent to play football at Vanderbilt. However, after signing with Vanderbilt in February, Kanoff decommitted on March 16 and announced that he was instead going to play at Princeton.

“Vanderbilt is a great school, with a strong football program, and a terrific coaching staff, and I’m grateful for the opportunity that was offered to me,” Kanoff said in a statement released by the Athletic Department. “However, after thoroughly thinking it through, I believe that Princeton is the best fit for me as a student-athlete.”

Vanderbilt’s football team, a Division I-A program in the Southeastern Conference, offered Kanoff a full scholarship to play on the team. Although Kanoff signed a letter of intent indicating that he planned on taking up Vanderbilt’s offer, Athletic Director Vince Orlando says that Kanoff was not bound to use the scholarship after signing the letter of intent.

“I believe that Vanderbilt can release him from his scholarship if the kid makes the intention known that he won’t be coming,” Orlando said. “Obviously, Vanderbilt is going to want that scholarship back.

You could give it to a walk-on, or you could save it for the following year.”

Kanoff declined to comment beyond his initial statement after changing his commitment.

While the school targeted Kanoff early on in the recruiting process, Vanderbilt also offered a scholarship to another quarterback in the class of 2013 and Kanoff did not have a starting spot guaranteed at any point in his career at Vanderbilt. As a member of the SEC, widely regarded as the best conference in college football after winning seven of the last NCAA Division I-A national championships, the level of competition Vanderbilt would have exposed Kanoff to would have been the best in the country if he eventually earned playing time.

While he said he was not intimidated by the tough competition inside the SEC after signing,

Kanoff may have an easier time earning a starting spot at Princeton’s football team. As a Division I-AA program in the Ivy League, Princeton’s schedule features a lot fewer opponents who will play in the National Football League after college.

The school also offers superior academics as one of the best universities in the country according to US World and News Report, but Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships.

“Obviously, we want what’s best for Chad and I can’t really speculate on why he changed his mind, but he’s been a huge part of the football program, or really the face of the football program, for the past couple of years and we wish him all the best,” Orlando said.

Coach Ruggles concurred: “If he’s happy, I’m happy.”

Two other student-athletes on campus who have already committed to play their sport in college may not end up at the colleges where they committed. For baseball players Joe Corrigan ’13 and Arden Pabst ’13, the Major League Baseball first-year player draft in

June complicates the decisionmaking process each has to make for their baseball careers.

Pabst committed to play with Georgia Tech next year and Corrigan committed to play at USC next year. Georgia Tech is ranked as the 11th best college baseball team in the country by the USA Today and USC has the most NCAA national championships in baseball with 12.

Pabst was invited to last summer’s Area Code Games, an elite high school baseball showcase in front of college and MLB scouts.

Past Wolverine baseball players drafted out of high school who played at the Area Code Games include Austin Wilson ’10, Max Fried ’12 and Lucas Giolito ’12.

While Corrigan did not play at the Area Code Games, he and Pabst both verbally committed to top Division I programs before the start of their junior season..

Wilson committed to Stanford and honored that commitment, even after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Both Fried and Giolito had committed to play at UCLA, but ultimately decided to sign with

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

26 • BIG RED SPRING 2013 JACK GOLDFISHER/BIG RED

Chad Kanoff ’13, left, decommitted from Vanderbilt University in favor of attending Princeton University.

Arden Pabst ’13, right, committed to play baseball for Georgia Tech, but could forego college to enter the Major League Baseball draft in June.

DANIEL KIM/BIG RED

BIG RED

professional teams in the MLB after the draft. Giolito is in the Washington Nationals farm system, while Fried is in the San Diego Padres’ system.

Pabst said that Georgia Tech coaches contacted him after they watched him play with the junior national team in North Carolina over the summer between his sophomore and junior season.

“They saw me in North Carolina for the USA trials and I played strong there,” Pabst told the Chronicle after he committed.

“They really liked me so they got in touch with me. I talked to [Georgia Tech Head] Coach [Danny Hall] and he said, look, we really want you and we really like you. There was no hesitation on that and I really liked that.”

Like Pabst, Corrigan quickly committed to the first school to offer him a scholarship.

“When schools offer scholarships, they expect the athlete to give them an answer soon, so that they know if they will have that scholarship to give to someone else,” Corrigan told the Chronicle after committing. “Since USC was everything that I was looking for, there was no need to wait once the offer was out.”

While Georgia Tech and USC offered Pabst and Corrigan everything they wanted in a college program, a multi-million dollar signing bonus out of high school may attract the two to play in the pros before going to college. Developing in college may help the draft stock of the players, but the risk of injury or falling on the draft board makes the immediate guaranteed money out of high school worth considering. Neither Pabst nor Corrigan are projected to be drafted as high as Fried and Giolito were last year, but both could ascend to the top of draft boards with outstanding play down the stretch of their senior season.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Pabst said. “But hopefully I’ll get good enough to where that will be a decision that I am going to have to make.”

While most athletes will have a final destination picked by the time they graduate, Ty Gilhuly ’13

may not. The striker and one of the leading scorers for the boys’ soccer team the last two years may take a gap year and spend the summer at various soccer camps before enrolling into college in the fall of 2014.

“At this point, I’m considering taking a gap year and I might do some soccer things,” Gilhuly told the Chronicle earlier this year. “If I were to do something like that, I think that it could definitely increase the odds for recruitment.”

Gilhuly said he received interest from Division III schools, but wants to play at the Division I level.

He hopes another year of development might help coaches look past his small size and see his skill level.

“For a lot of the bigger schools, they couldn’t get past the physical side because I guess they like to see potential and then make you develop,” he said. “I’m kind of the opposite way, where maybe I don’t have that much potential athletically, but I think technically I’m better.”

The plan Gilhuly is attempting worked out well for basketball players Zena Edosomwan ’12 and Josh Hearlihy ’12. Both enrolled at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts last year for an additional year of college prep before playing basketball at top-ranked universities. The two helped the school win a prep school national championship tournament. Edosomwan, who had committed to Harvard before leaving HarvardWestlake but needed to become academically eligible, was admitted to the Harvard and will enroll with the class of 2017. Hearlihy is still determining where he will play next year.

Hearlihy committed and signed with Utah before the start of his senior season at HarvardWestlake. However, Utah asked Hearlihy for a release from its scholarship obligation to him after he was plagued by injuries his senior season. Hearlihy obliged, deciding that he did not want to play at a school where he was no longer wanted, but he was unable to find another scholarship offer at a Division I program as he had been committed to Utah into the spring of his senior year, so he joined his

teammate Edosomwan to extend his opportunity to be recruited.

Though some athletes not offered athletic scholarships nonetheless communicate with college coaches about the opportunity to walk-on if accepted to a given

school, spring acceptance letters offer an exciting opportunity for student-athletes who either learn or confirm where they will continue their athletic career after graduating.

Additional reporting by Robbie Loeb

NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET

Zena Edosomwan ’12, above, deferred a year of college to attend post-graduate school along with Josh Hearlihy ’12. Edosomwan will play basketball at Harvard next year.

CAMILLE SHOOSHANI/BIG RED

BIG RED SPRING 2013 • 27