800 News: The Wildcat Roar - Thanksgiving 2020

NOVEMBER 2020

How To Celebrate Thanksgiving Safely Page 8

Westminster Christian Academy

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800 NEWS

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STUDENTS SERVING STUDENTS

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF MAGGIE LINDSTROM, JUNIOR

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF EMMA HARRIS, JUNIOR

CO-EDITOR OF 800SPORTING MARTYBRINER, SENIOR

CO-EDITOR OF 800SPORTING BROOKE HIGHMARK, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

COLIN RING, SENIOR

EMMA SMITH, SENIOR

2 STAFF

NOLAN JONES, JUNIOR

CJ FRANCOIS, FRESHMAN

TAFF

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

MOOREA ATKINS, SENIOR

KAITLYN BUTLER, JUNIOR

SAM VESTAL, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER BEN KNISLEY , SOPHOMORE

HOPE LINAM, JUNIOR

ELLIE JOHNSON, JUNIOR

ANAGI PIERIS, SOPHOMORE

STAFF WRITER GUS DUDA, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

EVAN KOHN, JUNIOR

ELLIE JONES, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER

ANDREW CAHILL, FRESHMAN

STAFF WRITER LAUREN BORCHELT, JUNIOR

STAFF 3

CONTENTS

FEATURE

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BLACK FRIDAY PG. 6 HOW TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING SAFELY PG. 8 THANKSGIVING QUIZ PG. 9

4 CONTENTS

OPINION

THERE’S MORE TO THANKSGIVING THAN JUST A NICE MEAL PG. 7 WHEN SHOULD YOU START CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS?

NEWS “WE’RE NOT LEAVING!” PG. 11

SPORTS

BOYS BASKETBALL PREVIEW PG. 13 GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEW PG. 14 POWDERPUFF PHOTO GALLERY PG. 15-16 STARTING 5’S PG. 17 HOCKEY PREVIEW PG. 18 WRESTLING REVIEW PG. 19 BOYS SWIM RECAP PG. 20 GIRLS SWIM AND DIVE PG. 21 JUNIOR STRONG PG. 22 SIGNING DAY PG. 23 SOCCER RECAP PG. 24

CONTENTS

STAFF ED

STAFF ED

Colossians 2:6-7— “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to thank our wonderful staff for all of their hard work and dedicated time these last couple of weeks. We know these times are different and it is difficult to be motivated. Putting issues out and helping with publishing on the wildcat roar is not super easy, so we thank them profusely!

We would also like to thank those who have followed these editions as they come out. We appriciate all of you for taking time out of your day to read what we write.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Emma Harris and Maggie Lindstrom, Co-Editors-In-Cheif

STAFF EDITORIAL 5

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BLACK FRIDAY MOOREA ATKINS Staff Writer

On a cold morning Friday morning every year, shoppers wait anxiously. The doors are opening soon. Lines form, with the most dedicated shoppers camping outside to be the first inside. Black Friday is about to start, and the madness has just begun.

Black Friday is a time honored tradition for many super savers. With discounts as good as Thanksgiving turkey, who can resist the $5 toaster? As headlines make the news cycle every year of manic shoppers buying out stores in minutes, let’s examine the roots of this seemingly hectic tradition.

Contrary to popular belief, Black Friday was never about shopping. The term was originally used by Philadelphia police in the 60’s to describe congested and crowded streets the day after Thanksgiving. Fans of the Army-Navy football game swarmed the streets, leaving shoplifters open to strike. They would often nab high price items like electronics and toys - strangely enough some of the most sought after items on Black Friday today.

Back when society didn’t have fancy calculators and computers to calculate profits, shopkeepers calculated their profits by hand. Red ink indicated a loss, and black ink indicated a gain or profit in sales. Sometime in the 80’s, retailers ran with this idea and decided to transform Black Friday into a more positive connotation. By slashing prices and offering enticing extra

discounts, the origins of our modern day hay day began.

Nowadays, as I’m sure you all are familiar with, Black Friday conjures up congested malls, frantic shoppers, and too good to be true deals. Some stores also open up at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Thursday and are open until midnight. The average American will spend about $400 on Black Friday deals alone, feeding into the American culture of consumerism.

On top of that, many retailers have also expanded Black Friday deals to last the entire month of November. The day after Thanksgiving is still the best day to get the most popular items, but savings start as soon as November 1st and sometimes last through the new year. However, if you’re into getting the most out of your money, you’ll already be aware of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. These two iterations of Black Friday fall shortly after the infamous Friday, and are designed to promote small businesses and online shopping.

Black Friday has always been the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season. I know I’ve been awake at 6 AM for doorbuster deals. It sounds crazy to anyone who hasn’t tried it themselves, but millions of Americans do it every year. Some may say this spending is excessive and wasteful, others fun and a great way to pass the time. One thing that can be said for certain however is that Black Friday may be a recent tradition, but one that’s here to stay.

With deals like 50-90% off, who can resist Black Friday shopping? Illustrated by Moorea Atkins

6 FEATURES

THERE’S MORE TO THANKSGIVING THAN A NICE MEAL

LAUREN BORCHELT Staff Writer

As the holiday season begins, Thanksgiving arises. The popular mashed potatoes, stuffing, carrots, turkey, and more are all associated with Thanksgiving when November rolls around. Many people first think of food when they hear Thanksgiving, but there is much more to this annual holiday than the typical feast. Thanksgiving Day is believed to have begun in 1621 when the Mayflower left England. Colonists started to settle when the Mayflower landed in Cape Cod. The Pilgrims and Native Americans planned a feast to celebrate their first harvest.

The Indians and Plymouth colonists shared this feast, now known as Thanksgiving dinner. While the holiday is thought to have begun in 1621, it was not made an actual holiday until 1863, when President Lincoln declared it as one. This famous holiday reaches back early into the US history itself, and is still celebrated to this day. Many people nowadays celebrate with a Thanksgiving dinner consisting of turkey, carrots, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and more, also including the dessert with pumpkin pie, apple pie, and more. Over the years, the views of this holiday have almost changed, in a way, as many people think that this celebration is all about the food, and less about the actual holiday and history itself.

don’t even spend it with their loved ones, but continue to celebrate the season and spend Thanksgiving well.

Some people, for example, work or volunteer to run a kitchen for those in need on Thanksgiving while staying humble and thankful for what they have, spending this time helping others- said volunteers can appreciate the holiday even though they are working/volunteering for others. It is not all about the food for everyone- and even without the food the holiday can be celebrated to its fullest because of how others spend it.They have a good attitude and appreciate the time they get to spend with others even if they aren’t family. The season of being together, working together, and being there for others is, in my opinion, much more important than the actual holiday season or traditions themselves. Not everyone has a family or a community to lean on for support or celebrating during these seasons, and people should not take that for granted as they might not have it forever.

Other than the food, Thanksgiving has many important traditions or aspects to it. A few things my family and friends have done for Thanksgiving is overall being together and being thankful. Being together with loved ones or friends is important, and to spend time with them is a gift. We should use this holiday time wisely and do things we enjoy. Many people also say what they are thankful for before dinner or after dinner, as a way of showing their thanks for the history and overall our life today. Many things can happen in an instant that can change someone’s life, so we should be thankful for what we have and how we are able to spend our time while we have it.

There are many people that take the holiday of Thanksgiving for granted, which is disappointing. It is an important time and we should celebrate it with our friends and family each year possible. Some people

Friends and family gather together.

Illustration by Emma Harris

OPINION 7

8 FEATURES

ARE YOU MORE OF A BLACK FRIDAY FAN OR THANKSGIVING FAN?

IN-DEPTH 9

CHRISTMAS- WHEN TO START CELEBRATING?

LAUREN BORCHELT Staff Writer

As the holiday season approaches and many begin to prepare for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, there are arguments concerning the timing in which we celebrate certain holidays. The most prevalent and most commonly brought up, however, is the highly controversial question about Christmas: should Christmas come before or after Thanksgiving? Many people wonder about this question- and a lot of people have a very strong opinion towards one or the other. Should Christmas only be celebrated after Thanksgiving? Should we celebrate both of them at the same time? Is it okay to celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving? Both holidays have important meanings and we should celebrate bothbut when?

Let’s start with Thanksgiving. The history of Thanksgiving consists of celebrating the Pilgrims first harvest after the Mayflower landed. This holiday represents the start When should christmas be celebrated? Illustrated by: of history in this country and is important for people to Emma Smith. give thanks for the history that happened and gave us the life we have today. This holiday is a popular celebration and we typically celebrate with a feast, certain fam- Christmas would be more important, not everyone is Christian, therefore not as many people celebrate Christily traditions, getting together with friends and family, and overall being together with others and giving thanks. mas because they don’t believe in it. This would make those people celebrate Thanksgiving much more than Now for the long awaited holiday-Christmas. Christmas they would celebrate Christmas, because Thanksgiving is more important to them. is the celebration of Jesus being born- God’s only son.

This is usually celebrated longer than Thanksgiving, and some people start celebrating as early as the first of No- On the other hand, Christmas is very important to vember. Some people strongly believe Christmas should Christians so should be celebrated as early as we feel it be celebrated this early, but others believe it should be fit to, because it celebrates Jesus, who died on the sins celebrated closer to the actual holiday. Both sides have to save our cross, birth. In this case, there is no wrong important views and thoughts on this discussion but the time to celebrate Christmas because that would be celebrating Jesus and his birth. Starbucks starts selling question arises- when do we celebrate it?

Christmas drinks the first week of November and many As Christmas takes place on the 25th of December and stores start selling Christmas merchandise or seasonal items the day after Halloween which makes it normal to Thanksgiving takes place mid-late November, it would be logical to celebrate Thanksgiving first, and Christmas celebrate early, right? after Thanksgiving. Where this would seem logical, So, what’s the answer? Do we celebrate before Thanksmany people start celebrating Christmas the first of giving, during, or after?

November- when Halloween is over. Countless people think that once Halloween is over, it is time to celebrate Christmas. There is a typical saying that November and December are dedicated to Christmas, besides the 2 days in November meant for celebrating Thanksgiving. This can be seen as good or bad. While many people believe

10 OPINION

“WE’RE NOT LEAVING!”

SHORTLY AFTER ST. LOUIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAM PAGE RELEASES MONTH-LONG RESTRICTIONS, SOME RESTAURANTS HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND ARE

ELLIE JONES Staff Writer

Friday, November 13th, Sam Page made a public announcement stating that all St. Louis County restaurants are being mandated to close their dining rooms for the next 4 weeks. He did not even say that the dining rooms would re-open in 4 weeks, but the situation would be “revisited.” Which leads to speculation that the closure will last much longer than a month. This only applies to indoor dining, however, all patios can remain open while serving at 25% capacity only, decreasing from a previous capacity of 50%. Other facilities such as gyms, churches and non-essential businesses are only allowed at 25% capacity as well.

is just unbearable for restaurant owners all across St. Louis County.

Restaurants like Bartolino’s, who are remaining open, have threatened to file a lawsuit against Page and his new restrictions. According to St. Louis Magazine, more than 40 restaurants along with the Missouri Restaurant Association, have planned to file a lawsuit in order to stay open and continue to serve their customers through the holiday season. Page lacks consideration towards employees who will be out of a job after his announcement, while he’s receiving his full salary for being county executive.

All surrounding counties such as Jefferson, St. Charles, and the city, are not under the same restrictions. In these counties, restaurants are able to remain operating under their usual 50% capacity. What Page obviously did not think through was the fact that people in St. Louis County who want to eat out will go to these bordering counties to dine-in, making them more crowded, which defeats Page’s purpose in the first place. It is completely understood if people do not want to put Some restaurants are not only furious, but are completethemselves in positions to receive the virus if they are ly standing their ground and staying open amid Page’s at high-risk, but it is not Page’s job to dictate people’s mandate. Bartolino’s South, a St. Louis County italian personal decision to dine-in at a restaurant, that derestaurant located on Lindbergh Boulevard, is one of Sam Page announcing cision should be made by each those on this list. Bartolino’s made it known on social individual themselves. new restrictions. media that they were not following in the herd of sheep, Photo courtesy of: Dabut were taking a stand. vid Kovaluk, St. Louis Closing dining rooms again may not be an option for some businesses, where most of their money is generated through dining-in. Some businesses cannot survive solely on carryout, and eating outside when it is 20 below is not an option either. Nobody wins in this case.

Many think Sam Page is killing all of St. Louis County businesses with all of his superfluous restrictions.

“Sam Page’s overreach with the arbitrary closure of indoor dining for county restaurants and bars is irresponsible. The final weeks of the year are consistently one of the most important times of the year for restaurant employees. Our employees are family, and Sam Page took a direct uppercut towards their livelihood,” said Bartolino’s Facebook post.

For many eating establishments, November and December, which is the holiday season, collects the bulk of the year’s finances. Most restaurants are not able to survive being closed a month during the busiest time of the year.

On top of that, with the way Page worded his speech, there is no guarantee that those establishments will reopen in a month’s time. The unknown of what will come

Public Radio

Along with the devastation that there will be no income for many restaurant employees, there are also no extra options for unemployment as there were during the spring shutdown. This leaves many people stranded during the holiday season, which should be one of the happiest times of the year, but for some the saddest in the year of 2020. However, to those restaurants who have had enough and are taking a stand, more power to you!

NEWS 11

Westminster Christian Academy

12 800 SPORTING

JUNIOR STRONG

The boys basketball team looks to build on successful season despite loss of valuable players.

goals a reality.

“I think some strengths we have are athleticism, depth, and basketball IQ. I think we will be able to wear a lot of teams down,” said Lawrence.

BROOKE HIGHMARK Co-Editor Of Sporting

Last year, the boys basketball teamwon the district championship, tied their conference, beat St. Mary’s in the first round of state playoffs, and ended the season with an impressive record of 24 and five. However, these accomplishments were largely credited to star post player and senior, Brennan Orf. Orf averaged 15.6 points per game including 8.3 rebounds, was named conference player of the year, first team all district, entered the 1,000 points club, and more. This year’s team will surely need to step up in the scoring and rebounding aspects of the game to make up for this significant loss.

The team also lost Lane Davis, Bennie Anderson, Zack Benes, and Matthew George, seniors.

Casen Lawrence, junior starter, passes the ball in a drill.

Photo by: Ben Knisley

In addition to skill and commitment, the team has a unique sense of camaraderie.

“The friendships that we all have with each other allow “There will definitely be a learning curve for all of us as us to play well as a team when we are on the court as we all take on bigger roles this year, but I think we have well as have fun off the court. These relationships have been built up since middle school for many of us,” said the potential to be really good,” said Casen Lawrence, Vestal. junior.

The team has a large number of talented returners, such as team leaders Casen Lawrence and EJ Williams, juniors, who have been playing at the varsity level since freshman year.

No matter how talented players are, every successful team needs a good coach to guide them. For the Westminster boys, this vital role has been filled by Coach Dale Ribble for many years.

“Casen and EJ are both great leaders that create a good attitude in practice that will hopefully transfer over to our season.” said Sam Vestal, junior.

“Coach Ribble has built a culture for the program around hard work and loving each other daily. The senior leadership that was present during my freshman and sophomore year was terrific, and those guys also all played a huge role in building the culture here. It is our job now to continue that culture and to pass it on for the next group that comes,” said Lawrence.

The basketball team certainly has high expectations for themselves, setting several challenging yet realistic goals.

“Last year we wanted to win the conference, district, and reach the final four. We did the first two and made it to the elite 8. Our goals are still the same this year, and the expectation is that we meet them.” said Lawrence.

Fortunately, the team is stacked with talented, hardworking players who are dedicated to making these

Due to COVID-19, the certainty of the season may be worrisome, but the boys basketball team is remaining optimistic and continues to prepare every day.

“The COVID-19 regulations will definitely make our season much different than past seasons, but at the end of the day, we simply try to play ball and let everything else take care of itself,” said Vestal.

800 SPORTING 13

GIRLS BASKETBALL LOOKS TO MAKE A BIG RUN SAM VESTAL Staff Writer

“The ultimate goal is a state championship, and this year that goal is not too far out of reach. We have so much potential, so I hope that through hard work and dedication, we can accomplish big things,” said Marty Briner, senior.

Last year the team had several great leaders that allowed the team to play as one cohesive unit and accomplish their goals. With some new players on the team this year, the team hopes to build their chemistry as the season continues.

“Even though we have players spanning from freshman to senior, and several new additions, we are confident that their team chemistry will grow as the season progresses,” said Reilly Brophy, junior.

Girls team gathers in prayer to start practice.

Photo by: Ben Kinsley

This year’s girls basketball team has a high set of expectations. After coming in second at the district tournament last year, many of the girls are determined to push themselves in order to make a run for state this year.

With three out five starters returning for this upcoming season, the girls are excited and hopeful for their future.

Several of the returning players, including Brooke highmark and Carlie Vick, have received many college offers.

While their playing styles are very different, the offers in which both of them have received have been surprisingly similar. Both athletes have fielded offers from Tulsa, Lipscomb, and SLU. As the basketball season begins, it will be very interesting to see how both players go about their future college career.

This year, with much combined team talent, the girls are hoping to set, and reach, many of their season goals.

Even though COVID-19 is constantly changing the way the season moves, the girls basketball team is determined to work through adversity in order to attain their goals.

14 FEATURES

Reilly Brophy and Carlie Vick, juniors, wait to enter a drill.

Photo by: Ben Kinsley

Overall, the future of the girls basketball team looks bright for this upcoming season. With strong upperclassmen leadership and new assistant coach, Hannah Smiles, the team is ready to take on whatever the season brings.

STARTING 5’S

HOPE LINAM Staff Writer

Marty Briner, senior.

Photo By; Reilly Brophy Marty Briner, more commonly known as “Mart Mart” by her teammates, has been with the girls basketball program for four years and is one of the three captains this year. Marty brings a unique spiritual and emotional sense of leadership to the team. This is her second year on varsity and her first year starting. Marty is exceptionally well at knocking down a mid-range jump shot, attacking the boards, and constantly encouraging her teammates on and off the floor. She is looking forward to having a winning season and enjoying her last basketball games as a Wildcat. As a three sport athlete, she is not only a dedicated basketball player but also played softball in the fall and plans to play lacrosse in the spring.

Brooke Highmark, junior.

Photo By; Marty Briner Brooke has been on varsity since freshman year and is a second-year captain.

Brooke is fielding many offers from various colleges and plays club basketball in the off-season. One of the many great things about Brooke is her competitiveness and drive to win. She plays hard until the end, and her work ethic shows great leadership qualities that the rest of the girls basketball program looks up to. Some of Brooke’s strengths include attacking the rim, shooting the three, handling the ball, and playing disruptive defense. Along with Marty, Brooke is expecting great things for the team this season. She has achieved many accomplishments thus far in her basketball career. Last year, she was first team all-district, first team all-conference, and on the all-state team. She is also hoping to achieve 1,000 points this season, having scored 452 in last season alone and 282 during her freshman year.

Reilly Brophy, junior.

Photo By; Marty Briner

Similar to Brooke, Reilly has also been on varsity since freshman year, and this is her second year as a captain as well. The energy that Reilly brings to the atmosphere is very influential to the success of the team. Reilly has been known to work extremely hard regardless of anything that may seem to hold her back, such as her foot injury freshman year. Her strengths are certainly her high basketball IQ, smooth three point shot, and tight ball handling skills.

As a starter again this year, Reilly can’t wait to start playing games and hopefully bring home a state championship. She never fails to build up her teammates and deliver on the court. Reilly was one of the leaders in three pointers in the St. Louis area, shooting 37% and contributing 94 total assists as well. She was also an all-conference and all-district player, which were both well-deserved awards.

Carly Vick, junior.

Photo By; Marty Briner Carlie, standing at 6’2 is arguably the best post player in the area, and on top of that, she can knock it down from the three-point line, which comes in clutch when the regular shooters are struggling. Carlie also has received multiple offers, and regardless of where she ends up, there is no doubt that she will succeed. What makes Carlie extremely valuable to colleges and Westminster is her versatility on the floor. She has a high basketball IQ, knows how to read the floor well, blocks every shot in view, is a consistent shooter, and can run the floor with ease. Carlie was also an all-conference player and is hoping to achieve that once again this year along with other awards. Carlie was a leader in blocked shots, blocking 75 total shots (roughly three per game).

Julia Coleman, sophmore.

Photo By; Reilly Brophy Julia, known as “Ju Ju” to her teammates, will be playing her second year on varsity and her first year as a starter. Julia’s skill level has increased greatly since last season, and she is looking forward to having a great season both personally and with the team. She never fails to make the rest of the team laugh and bring the spirits up. Since COVID, Julia took advantage of the off-season time and worked with multiple trainers almost everyday to develop her skills and raw talent. Julia is a matchup nightmare. Her size, at 5 ‘11, versatility, speed, aggressiveness, and never-tiring engine allows her to play at any spot on the floor. She has worked extremely hard, and it has clearly paid off, as she will be starting as a sophomore. Julia is also looking to dominate the floor with rebounds, steals, and drives to the basket.

FEATURES 15

IN CASE YOU MISSED POWDERPUFF! ELLIE JONES Staff Writer

the field all the way to the fifty yard line. Unfortunately, This past Halloween afternoon, October 31st, Westminster some miscommunication in the back field led to a fumble. hosted their annual powderpuff game. The senior class of 2021 and the juniors of 2022 engaged in a high intensity bat- With just fifteen minutes left in regulation, the seniors tle until the final seconds on the turf. marched down the field after a great run by Grace Clement to set up great field position. The junior defense was tired, as The seniors began the game with the ball on their own twen- the team had made nearly no substitutions throughout the ty yard line. They started off hot by charging right down the entirety of the game. Another touchdown was scored and a field against the junior defense for a touchdown. Zoe Lintner, controversial two point conversion was called good. senior running back, cashed in the (mandatory) two point conversion to put the seniors in the lead with a score of eight This two point conversion was crucial for the seniors, as it to zero. became a two score game. The juniors had to change the game plan and utilize the air. Brooke Highmark, junior, The juniors gained possession of the ball with lots of time left showed off her arm strength; she heavily utilized basketball on the clock in the first quarter. After a short run to the right, teammate and wide receiver Carlie Vick. Scoring a touchdown the juniors were in search of a big play. They went for a deep and handing the ball off to Avery Surber for the two point shot down the field but were picked off. conversion, the juniors now trailed only 24-22.

The seniors had another statement-making drive in their next possession led by Arista Hampton, quarterback. Hannah Skrobonja, senior, punched in a short run to score a touchdown, putting the seniors up sixteen to zero.

With only five minutes remaining in the game, most expected the seniors to simply run the clock out. However, after two run plays, they went for a deep shot down field. The ball deflected off of multiple players and luckily fell into the hands of Lintner. She rushed down the field and scored a touchWith approximately fifteen minutes and thirty-one seconds down with over a minute left on the clock. This two point to go in the first half, the juniors once again received the ball. conversion would be the most crucial play of the game up to Junior coaches Ben Broadhurst and LJ Minner knew that it this point. The seniors went for a sweep to the right to Clemwas time to make an adjustment and establish the running ent, but Linam snatched her flag before the line was crossed. game. A couple of solid runs set up the juniors in the senior’s The score was 30-22, and the juniors had a chance. territory. Avery Surber, junior running back, had her first breakout play of the game, receiving a handoff by Brooke The team had one minute and thirteen seconds remaining on Highmark, quarterback, and sprinting past the senior defense the clock with three timeouts. They attempted to break away into the open field for a forty yard touchdown. Madison on a long run twice, but neither of these made a large gain.

Schofield, junior running back, capitalized on the two point They finally went for a passing play as Highmark hurled the conversion, and the score became sixteen to eight. ball into the air to Kate Dempsey for a large gain. The juniors had about 15 yards to go for the touchdown. They placed the Neither team scored any points in the remainder of the ball in the hands of their most explosive player, Surber, and second half. Carlie Vick, Lexi Vick, and Hope Linam, juniors, she got to the outside, leaping into the endzone. Touchdown were big forces on the defensive end with some of the best juniors! flag-pulling that Westminster powderpuff has ever seen. In addition, Lintner, showed off her speed by being a part of Moving the ball two yards up the field had never looked more nearly every senior “tackle.” daunting. This is the play that would make or break the juniors. They went with a delayed handoff right up the middle The juniors received the ball at the beginning of the second to Yost, tailback. Her flag was pulled short of the endzone half. They had a long, methodical drive carefully crafted by by senior sister, Grace Yost. The junior’s hearts sank. The the junior coaches. Emma Yost, junior, scored on a short seniors received the ball back and ran out the clock. sweep to the left. The two point attempt was no good, but Marty Briner, senior, made a brutal goal line stand to block Final score: 30-28, seniors. out the juniors, keeping the score 16-14 seniors.

Making the seniors go three and out in regards to downs, the juniors saw their time to shine. They made their way down

16 OPINION

(Left to right) Carlie Vick, Tatum Osmon, and Lexie Vick on the junior sidelines.

Photo by: Ellie Jones

Grace Clement, senior, runs the ball as Emma Yost, junior, tries to steal.

Photo by: Ellie Jones

After a extremely close score of 3028, the seniors took the coveted win in the 2020 Powderpuff Game on October 31st. The juniors were very disappointed in the results.

The senior girls gather in a huddle shortly before the Avery Surber, junior, running with the ball with the seniors followgame. ing close behind trying gto retreive the ball.

Photo by: Ellie Jones Photo by: Ellie Jones

OPINION 17

The junior girls gather in a huddle excitedly after scoring a The juniors and seniors shufe to score as many touchdowns touchdown. hey can with just seconds on the clock.

“I’m really looking forward to competing against bigger and better competition,” said Swenson.

BOYS HOCKEY PREVIEW 2020-2021

GUS DUDA Staff Writer

The Cats on Ice are looking to build upon an average 119-1 regular season last year with notable wins over Edwardsville, Fort Zumwalt East, and Seckman. However, the team had a lackluster performance in the playoffs, getting swept by Oakville in the semifinals.

The team lost four seniors this year, three of whom joined together for one of the highest scoring lines in midstates. The four seniors this year, Collin Mccarthy, Brandon Swenson, Matthew Burgess, and Jack Freeman, will have to step up and fill their roles.

“We need to step up as leaders for our younger guys and make sure the team is communicating and staying on pace with our goals for this season” said Freeman.

Although the offense has taken a big hit with the loss of several seniors, the defense is standing strong with each defenseman returning. The defense will be led by “The Enforcer” himself, Zackary Kilgore, junior, and Collin Mccarthy, senior.

“Our defense looks to be a really strong part of our team this year. Our main guys have a lot of varsity experience. Good defense will hopefully help out our young offense and create good opportunities” said Kilgore.

Both of the team’s goalies will be returning. Tommy Le, junior, and Emily Griege, sophomore, will both look to improve on last year’s solid performance. Most likely, the two goalies will evenly split time for the regular season.

“With a shortened season this year, goal differential matters a lot more than normal, so even if we are winning or losing by a lot, every shot matters” said Griege.

The team will play in a modified sixteen game regular In addition, there is a strong presence of young and season this year due to COVID protocols. This means promising freshmen, including Joey Morici, Logan Swenthat they will play every team in their eight team conferson, and John Schweppe.

Jack Wooldridge, Caleb Bross, Harry Ottsen, juniors, and Matthew Burgess, senior after strength and conditioning, in preparation for the season.

Photo by: Gus Duda

18 OPINION

WRESTLING AGAINST THE ODDS

the plan is to wrestle scrambles, which is when a team meets against two or three other teams.

Right now, competing at all for the highest frequency

Despite the many restrictions due to COVIC-19, the wrestling team contiues to prepare for the season under new leadership.

NOLAN JONES Staff Writer Three years ago, the wrestling program faced a major shift in leadership as Tim Muehleisen, the founder of the program, stepped down. He then passed the torch on to a former assistant of his, Coach Wadley. Coach Wadley ran with it for two years, but unfortunately had to step down last year. This year, Coach Tobaben, a former assistant coach for four years, will be taking over duties Brett. St. John and Kirk Briden, seniors, square off in as the head coach.

The team has also welcomed a new assistant coach, Aaron Clardy. Coach Clardy is an experienced wrestler who was a heavyweight state champion from Neosho and went on to play on the offensive line for the Missouri State Bears. Clardy’s wrestling knowledge brings immense value to the team.

Similar to other Westminster sports programs, the wrestling team has been fighting to find players for a while. The squad has struggled the last couple years to fill the line up since wrestling teams have to fill fourteen weight classes, starting at 106 going all the way to heavyweight at 285.

practice.

Photo By Nolan Jones

contact sport isn’t looking too promising. Nevertheless, the team is still training hard and trying their best to remain optimistic.

Brett St. John, senior, was the only one on the team to qualify for state last year. St. John has always been one of the most committed workers in the room, and it certainly showed last season. He took second in the district tournament and got his golden ticket to go to state. Although his record was one and two at the state tournament, he looks to build upon his success this year for his senior season.

Last year, the team filled eight varsity spots. This year, the team is hoping to fill about ten to eleven line up Nolan Jones, junior, and Kirk Briden, senior, almost spots with several new faces. qualified for state as well but fell just short in their bubble match. A bubble match is a match in the district The squad is anchored by four seniors: Mark Stump, tournament that ultimately gives the winner his ticket to Kirk Briden, Brett St. John, and Ben Van Zee, who have the state and sends the loser home. all been together since seventh grade.

The potential for this season is unmatched, so the team “We’ve got a stacked lineup this year led by a core is working hard and remaining hopeful for the chance to group of seniors, and I’m excited to see all our hard compete. work pay off,” said Kirk Briden, Senior.

The current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has discouraged some of the wrestlers, as all of their tournaments have already been cancelled. As of now, the wrestlers are going to have a significantly less number of matches, but the team still hopes to have a regular season. In an effort to make contact tracing easier,

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BOYS SWIM SEASON RECAP

Boys swim team makes waves state.

EVAN KOHN Staff Writer This year’s boys swim team made a solid run in state.

Despite some setbacks, they gave their best effort and overcame the adversity.

“We broke 4 school records and 7th in Medley Relay and 7th in 200 Free Relay. The coach was very impressed by how much we dropped time, and we were the first team to get relays into the top 8 in the state for Westminster,” said Will Richards, junior.

Although the Cats will be losing a few seniors, their young talent has high potential to fill in these roles and Specifically, at the beginning of the season, several of the players were forced to quarantine, and found it diffi- have a successful season next year. cult to catch up afterward.

“I will miss the seniors, and next year we need people to step up and swim fast times for next year so we can At the end of the season, the team knew that they make it to state,” said Richards. would need a very fast time to make it to state due to the limited number of swimmers allowed to qualify.

They got their best times against MICDS and Vianney and got all of their relays into state.

Despite having low expectations, the boys did exceptionally well in the state meet on November, 15th.

Boys swim team before the state meet.

Photo coutesy of Will Richards.

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GIRLS SWIM & DIVE PREVIEW The class of 2020 left big shoes to fill, but just like every year the preceding class will rise up.

MARTY BRINER Co-Editor

Margo O’Meara, senior, will be very influential in the success of the team. She is a three time state champion and will be diving division one at Duke next year.

Not only is she an elite diver, but she is a great leader in and out of the pool.

team loves. He is admired and appreciated by all team members due to his character and evident love for his team.

“Coach Kehr is one of the main reasons why I swim. He leads the team in such an honorable and respectful way.

He laughs with us and is our friend. But when it is time to swim, he pushes us to work hard” said Ashley Lytle, senior.

This year’s seniors are talented, but they will have to rely on swimmers and divers from all grades to have a winning season.

“Most of our good swimmers are underclassmen. A lot of Freshman came out this year which is great” said Ashley Lytle, senior Allie Lytle, sophmore, swims the 500 at practice.

Photo By; Marty Briner

“All the coaches are so intentional and relational, but they also push me to work hard,” said Caylin Doerhing, senior.

This culture Kehr and team leaders have created makes the team unique in their values.

“The swim team stands out because while swimming is about beating personal times and getting better throughout the season. It is also about building relationships and getting to know girls in other grades that I wouldn’t know without swim” said Ashley Lytle, senior.

Caylin Deohring, senior, swims the 500 at practice.

Photo By; Marty Briner

“The swim team allows girls to connect and build strong relationships because it is a bonding experience. Swim is not an easy sport, so being able to have close friends as teammates there to push you and relate to you makes swimming so much better” said Caylin Deorhing, senior.

With the coaching of Coach Kehr and the leadership of The swim team is competitive, but Head coach, Kent Ashley Lytle, Margo O’Meara and Caylin Deohring the Kehr, knows that success in the pool is not the most girls swim and dive team has a promising season ahead. important thing. He has played an instrumental role in creating an enjoyable culture and environment that the

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GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY COMPETES IN STATE MEET

After a successful season, the girls cross country team looks toward a bright future.

COLIN RING Staff Writer

The four girls who qualified out of the district meet on October 30th ran in the state meet on Thursday, November 5th.

“It definitely wasn’t easy trying to do two sports at the same time, but I’m so glad I stuck it out. I’ve made a ton of new friends and getting the chance to run at state was so cool. I really wish I would’ve joined cross country earlier, but I’m really grateful that I was able to get this last season in because it’s honestly been one of my favorite parts of high school so far,” said Shively.

Overall, it was a successful cross country season for both the girls and boys teams, and the runners were blessed to be able to compete amongst the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.

Annessa Shively, senior, finished 33rd, Kharis Perona, junior, finished 61st, Kate VanZee, freshman, finished 62nd, Sabrina Holohan, freshman, who had been battling an injury, finished 84th. The girls battled hard and Note from author: It has been a blast covering both cross did great on the unusually hot day in November, and country teams this season, and I’m excited to turn my they will use this meet as a learning experience going attention to winter sports! forward.

“We didn’t get to run that many large meets this season because of COVID and having a lot of participants made it very fun. The course was great too. This experience really motivates our young team to train a lot in the off-season so that next year we can qualify for state as a team,” said Perona.

For Shively, one of only two seniors on the team along with Emma Smith, her first high school cross country season was also her last. The Arkansas Razorbacks soccer commit was able to balance club soccer and cross country for the first time this year, and it was fun to watch her talents translate from the field to the cross country course.

“The last couple months have been so much fun and I’m so happy I decided to join the team. I never thought I’d say this at the beginning of the season, but I actually really looked forward to coming to practice every- The girls had a great time racing at one of the nicest courses in the Midwest. day because my teammates all make it so fun,” said Photo by: Nile Heefner Shively.

During the season, Annessa was usually only able to attend half of the cross country practices, as soccer took up a lot of her time. Although there were probably moments where it wasn’t fun doing both sports, such as when she had a meet and soccer games on the same day, her commitment to the team remained steadfast.

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BOYS SOCCER TEAM IN DISTRICT FINALS GAME

solid season, ending with a record of seven wins and six losses.

Some of the key goal-scorers this season were Laughlin, with seven total goals, Van Zee, with four goals, and The cats wrap up a competitive season but look to build onSmith, with four as well. As for assists, Collison ended with a total of six, Smith had four, and both Caleb young potential.

Legters, junior, and Laughlin ended with three.

BROOKE HIGHMARK Co-Editor

No matter what sport, every athlete has to experience losing at some point. However, how one handles this adversity is what can make or break their future. Some become discouraged, make excuses, or even quit, but the best competitors, like the Westminster boys soccer players, learn from these losses and use them to prepare for the future, building on their weaknesses to become better athletes and human beings.

Two of the most important yet commonly overlooked players who made an impact this season were goalies

The soccer team dominated the first round of districts on November 2nd, mercy-ruling St. Clair eight to zero. Goals were scored by Caden Collison, freshman, Ben Van Zee, senior, Jacob Park, junior, Andrew Smith, senior, Jack Lemp, junior, Tyler Hottm, sophomore, and Luke Laughlin, senior, who scored twice.

Luke Laughlin celabrates after a goal.

Graphic by: Evan Kohn

In the next and final round of districts, however, the Cats fell to MICDS, a team that they had beaten one to zero Lincoln Chimento, senior, and Riley Heironimus, junior. in the beginning of the season, in an intense battle to the Chimento ended with an impressive collection of 61 very last second. Westminster was up one to zero with saves, or 1.61 saves per game. Heironimus had 27 saves 35 seconds left in the game when an MICDS player shot, throughout the season, or 0.8 saves per game, ranking missed, and watched it fly out of bounds. However, the fourth in St. Louis in save percentage with 93%. referee claimed that there was a deflection from the Cats before it went out of bounds, allowing the Rams to re- The team was coached by Dan Legters, more commonly ceive a corner kick and score off of it, extending the gameknown as “Señor,” and Ben Collison. to overtime with a score of one to one.

“It was great to have my dad as a coach because we “We asked the ref who deflected it and he said that he know each other so well and I know what he expects didn’t know. We all knew that no one touched it,” said of me. Coach Collison was a new addition to the team, but he fit right in and we had fun with him too,” said Caden Brophy, freshman.

Legters.

The Cats then entered into a double overtime battle with Overall, the Cats left everything that they had out on the the Rams. field this season, and despite the disappointing loss, they “In overtime, we were feeling a little tired and angry, but look forward to the seasons to come with their relatively we still gave it all we had until the final whistle. We kept young roster. fighting throughout both halves of overtime until there was about a minute left in the second overtime and they “We fought hard, but it was a rough way to end, especially for the seniors. We had a special team this year scored,” said Legters. and I’ll never forget the leadership of the seniors and the Despite the controversial loss, the boys soccer team had amemories we made,” said Brophy.

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