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THE REMARKER • DECEMBER 14, 2018
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Return of the Spurs
Lions receiving national recruiting attention
THE LINEUP Juniors Will Mallick, Andrew Laczkowski, Henry Exall, Christian Duessel and Charlie Rose carry their flags down the field in preparation for the Lions’ game vs. the ESD Eagles. The Lions would go on to lose the game 12-14.
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own 14-6, the Lions need some momentum. Something to turn the tide. But then it happens. Senior Jonathon Taylor scampers into the endzone for a touchdown. All of the post-score celebrations ensue. The band plays and the crowd cheers. But something else happens too. For the first time in well over a year, six marksmen donned in jeans and a cowboy hats glide across the track with flags spelling L-I-O-N-S. The spurs are back. For junior Will Mallick, the Spurs have been a part of his life at Lions football “Ever since my first St. Mark’s football game, I’ve games since admired the Spurs. I was devastated when I heard he was they weren’t coming a first back.” grader. — junior WILL “Ever MALLICK since my first St. Mark’s football game, I’ve admired the Spurs. I was devastated when I heard they weren’t coming back about two years ago, so I started talking to teachers to try and get it started up again.” Mallick asked tenth grade spon-
sor Casey Gendason in late August if he could revive the Spurs for the 2018 football season. Gendason recommended that Mallick wait for the opportunity to arise by itself, or talk to Lynne Steckler, former Spurs sponsor. However, the parents of senior football players were thinking along the same lines as Mallick. “Luckily, the senior parents, along with Mrs. Urschel, reached out to my mom about getting a group of guys together to run at the ESD game. A week later, Andrew Laczkowski, Lincoln Dales, Charlie Rose, William Holtby, Henry Exall and I are running the game.” Mallick feels the Spurs provide a spark to the fan section and the team on the field. “Seeing the flags waving down the track really gets the people going,” Mallick said. “I know it means a lot to the players too; many of them came up to us after the game thankful that we were willing to do it for their last game.” Mallick’s not certain as to whether or not the Spurs are coming back — that’s a question for the administration to answer. However, he definitely hopes for their return
and thinks it’s a possibility for the 2019 season. “The ESD game was honestly the most fun I’ve ever had at a football game,” Mallick said. “All I know is that the class of 2020 definitely has more than enough people who want to participate, so if the team and administration wants us, we will show up.” Senior football captain Landon Wood believes the Spurs play a special role in energizing the student section. “That’s what makes you feel like it’s worth it, just having that sense of school spirit and school pride,” Wood said. “You’re on the football field, knowing that people are supporting you and giving up their time to do that, so you know that they care.” Based on the energy they brought for the final game of the 2018 season, Wood would like to see the Spurs make appearances for years to come. “Every game that [the spurs] could come to, I think the guys would really appreciate it next year,” Wood said. “It was really cool to have them for the rivalry game, but I think it would be even better if they were consistently a thing for each home game.”
STORY Aaron Thorne, Robert Pou PHOTO Will Rocchio
November 2, 2018 by Colin Campbell ’ve seen it happen quite a few times over the years. Seemingly out-of-place kickers thrust into the spotlight at the end of games, their teams down by one, two or three. Teams trusting its fate in the hands, or rather the foot, of a skinny kicker. And they miss. The coach throws his clipboard. The quarterback collapses to his knees in anger. Fans cry and boo. That kicker misses his opportunity to be the hero and instead becomes the scapegoat for the loss. Hate mail and death threats ensue. He gets cut or replaced by the next fresh-faced ex-soccer player with a Howitzer for a leg. Up until Nov. 2, 2018, I had avoided one of these situations. Fifteen games into my varsity football career, and not one decided by an errant kick of mine. I liked it that way, too.
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As a kicker, I’d be lying if I said the thought doesn’t creep into my head every now and then. I have confidence in my abilities, but that doesn’t stop the question from popping up into my head: What happens if I miss? On Nov. 2, 2018, I found out.
Colin Campbell Sports Editor
Hundreds of fans in Norma and Lamar Hunt Family Stadium watched as my 44-yard attempt sailed wide right with 6:13 left on the clock. We were down 14-12. We lost 14-12. As surprised as I was about the miss, I was even more surprised about what happened after. I had seen this show before, after all. I
knew what came next, or at least I thought I did. But there was no coach throwing his clipboard. No quarterback wanting nothing more than to rip my head off. Instead, there was head coach Bart Epperson, telling me that we would get the ball back and that I’d make a game winner. Instead, senior captain and quarterback Colin Neuhoff was there patting me on the back and telling me that my successful 33 and 31 yard field goals earlier in the game were the only reasons why we even had a chance to win. And the support didn’t stop there. Coaches, players, parents and fans alike. Not one blaming me for the loss. Not one pandering for me to be cut or replaced. After that game finished, people emerged from all corners of the school community, attempting to cheer me
up and ensure me the loss wasn’t my fault. What I learned on Nov. 2, 2018 is that my community has the ability to transcend trends common to other places. This is not a perennial 6A public school powerhouse. This is not a Division-1 football powerhouse. This is not an NFL organization. This is St. Mark’s, where a kicker can miss a potential game-winner and not feel an ounce of hate or blame. A place where I could never feel alone. A place full of people who recognized my pain and put whatever personal feelings they had aside and made me their priority. And because of that, I am so very thankful. And because of that, I owe it to this community to be the best football player I can be, no matter how skinny and out-of-place I may look on Friday Nights.
by Luke Nayfa or almost 13 years that head basketball oach Greg Guiler has been leading the school’s basketball program, the team has never received as much exposure from college recruiters and coaches as they have this year. With talent spread throughout all grades in the Upper School, the team is no longer competing just against private schools but also have proven successful against larger 6A public schools, such as DeSoto School, which has several thousand more students than our student body does. The team’s success has helped bring individual college recognition to freshman Noah Shelby, freshman Colin Smith, sophomore Harrison Ingram and junior Andrew Laczkowski. A significant part of the recruiting process is something Guiler describes as a snowball effect. “Once one coaching staff hears that a college made an offer to one of our players, a lot of times that will the pique the interests of many more colleges and coaching staffs,” Guiler said. Ingram, a five-star recruit, has been looked at by college level coaches and recruiters for nearly a year now, but when he officially received his first offer from Texas A&M University in early April, it was a change of mindset for him. “When I got my first scholarship, it was like ‘I made it,’”Ingram said. “Right then, all of the hard work I have put into this sport finally paid off.” Ingram has yet to decide where he plans on committing, which is normal for college potential athletes of his age, but he has piled up plenty of colleges to look at already. “A lot of coaches have come to visit either some of our practices or games from schools like Mississippi State, Purdue, Texas A&M, Kansas, TCU, Texas, Georgetown and more,” Ingram said. Ingram recognized that his work hasn’t gone unnoticed, but he understands the negative consequences that can come from not putting in all his effort from this point on. “I am very blessed to have such an opportunity where I can go to school for free and play the game I love because of how hard I work on a day to day basis, but I have no room to slack,” Ingram said. “As a matter of fact, I am at the point where I need to work harder than I ever have in order to compete with everyone else.”
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After a two year absence, Lions football team revives spirit group.