JOHNS CREEK CAPTAINS

CREEK CAPTAINS: JUSTIN VEXLER, staff writer

The gladiators swim team aimed to add to their trophy case yet again this season. They first acquired some hardware at the Fulton County Championships on January 9, 2020. The boys won first place and the girls captured the second spot tallying up to an overall first place for the Johns Creek swim team. The boys aspired to repeat as state champions and the girls targeted to come back stronger and more determined to improve from their state finish last year. The gladiator swim team as a whole looks stronger than ever with senior captains Chris Bodea, Garrett Halak and Jason Swim: Six Varsity Seniors Steel leading the boys, and Zoe Oliphant, Amy Hitzel and Charlotte Lowe leading the girls. Senior captain Chris Bodea said that swimming is not only physically demanding but mentally as well. “To have a successful meet we need to have an amazing week of practice. We need to get in the right amount of yards, focus on our technique, and mentally prepare ourselves. Swimming is a physical sport but for most of us it comes down to our mentality at the meet. We need to prove to ourselves that we are ready,” said Bodea expressing the team’s emphasis on preparation. When asked about the key to being successful at a meet Bodea said, “We practice for each other. We cheer for each other. We race for each other. It might come down to one swim or one dive but in the end we are one team.” One thing is for certain, the Johns Creek swim team always makes a splash.

Wrestling: Joseph Hunter T he Johns Creek wrestling team after last year’s exceptional season aspired to carry the momentum into this year. Junior wrestler Joseph Hunter accentuated the importance of a positive attitude when wrestling. “The key to having success in a match is all mental, a positive attitude and remembering the moves will bring you success. Even the best wrestlers can lose if they aren’t thinking positive,” said Hunter in regard to a crucial part of wrestling. Led by Coach Richau and Coach Sweatt they partake in strenuous conditioning during practice to prepare for their matches. “A typical day of practice is usually started off with a run around the school and a couple stadiums, and then we go directly to drilling different moves to see how we can improve” said Hunter. The Johns Creek wrestling team works hard every practice to make sure they leave it all out on the floor when the match starts.

Winter Sports

It is a new year and the Johns Creek winter sports looked to bring home some new hardware for the trophy case. Johns Creek had a great winter season consisting of hard-earned victories, learning from the tough losses and growing as individuals and as a team through every practice and game. Some winter sports include both boys and girls basketball, coed swimming, and boys wrestling.

Boys’ Basketball: Chase McKey and Nick Willis T he Johns Creek Varsity boys basketball team looked to improve from an underperforming season last year finishing 12-15 overall. Led by senior captains Chase McKey and Nick Willis, Johns Creek earned wins against some of our stronger adversaries including Northview and Alpharetta. After losing some notable seniors from last year they aimed to lead Johns Creek up the rankings and prove that the gladiators will not be defined by one disappointing season. The boys managed to make it to the first round of state playoffs, and despite losing by two points against Tri-Cities High School, they had a successful season altogether. Head Varsity basketball coach, Coach Temple said that the team’s length and scoring proficiency led them to be one of the region’s best teams. “Our success this year is based off of our ability to score and our length. We are one of the highest scoring teams in the region. We have five guys that can score twenty points on any given night. We are the longest team in this area. Our length causes other teams problems,” said Temple regarding the team’s strengths. When asked about their practice, Coach Temple said that they prioritize basic fundamentals along with intensity on both the offensive and defensive ends. “We start with stretching then work on basic basketball fundamentals. We will finish practice with offensive and defensive sessions. Practices are very competitive” said Temple concerning the team’s practice routine.

Girls’ Basketball: Ahmia Childs T he girls’ varsity basketball team attempted to use the momentum from last year’s trip to the state tournament to have a great start to the 2019-2020 season. And indeed they did, winning four of their first six games including a blowout win against Lambert and an overtime thriller beating Oconee County over thanksgiving break. Later on in the season they hit a small rough patch losing three straight but combating that with a strong stretch at the end of the season winning their last three conference games in a row heading into the region playoffs, and eventually into the Elite 8. The girls had a strong season, and most definitely a memorable one. Both the girls and boys team aim to start a perennial powerhouse not only in their region but the state as a whole as well.