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Sports
Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
S e p t e m b e r 14 , 2 012
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olleyball will compete in the Hersey Invite tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.
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enior Allie Mueller passes the ball as seniors Taylor Schill, Erica Hill, and Michelle Brown preapre for their opponent’s next move.
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ill hits the ball over the net during the match.
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Our season’s been good so far, and we’ve been playing a lot of good competition. We’ve all been working together to compete at a higher level. We want to show that we’re still a strong team and want to defend our title,” Hill said.
•FRANCESCA HERNANDEZ
On the road again... Athletes adjust to troubling travels Brian Loomis
Meeting at the back entrance by the Naked Man statue is a common activity for athletes. This meeting ground is the sendoff location for athletes venturing to another school to embark on a battle. Every sport has advantages when they play at home. “You get to relax before the game in your own comfort zone, and the fans come,” sophomore Courtney Stedman said. When a team lands on the opponent’s territory, there’s a new dynamic to the game. When teams are able to play at home, they have plenty of time to warm up and mentally prepare themselves for the competition. There is no time on a bus, but rather extra time to get loose. However, some think the time on the bus enables the athletes to clear their mind and relax.
“A player should be relaxed and not stressed out when riding to a game, champions will be ready when the whistle blows,” varsity soccer coach Darren Llewellyn said. The soccer team has had issues this year where a bus has arrived at school late, and by the time they arrived at their destination, they have only had 10-15 minutes until game time. “This sort of thing won’t matter as long as your mind is in the right place,” Llewellyn added, “you can complain, or play with passion.” While soccer may not be the most attended sport at the high school level, football has an extra challenge when they go on the road. That challenge is the other team’s fan section. However, some may argue that this isn’t an issue. “It’s so easy to deal with other fans when you have the Orange Crush,” senior quarterback Quinn Orlandi said. Other sports always have to travel when
TIMEOUT! Q:
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How has your training over the off season prepared you for this year?
All of the off-season shape for the season.
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Q:
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la ik
As I’m running my and that’s all any-
camps and 2-a-days got me in good
they compete because the school doesn’t have space for a cross country course or a golf course on campus. “It’s a bit of a hassle having to take a bus all the time, but the course that we use for meets is really nice,” senior cross country runner Natalie Finn said. Golf, on the other hand, does have a regular course where they train, but can have a difficult time when they have to go to an opposing team’s course. “It’s a course that we don’t see very often, so we aren’t as confident as home meets,” junior Kenny Mleko said. While all sports have different challenges when it comes to competition away from home, most think that the athletes’ mentality will affect the final score.
This week in sports
Football at Palatine- tonight
Coming off a 42-21 win against Elk Grove, the Pirates have a 2-1 record. The Pirates had 341 yards passing, but also five turnovers. “Palatine is a stepping stone game for momentum going from west to east.”- junior Grant Burke
How have the seniors helped prepare you for games? The seniors have been supportive, which helps not only me, but the team before games.
What goes through your mind when you’re making your run? routes, I’m just thinking on my assignment thing to help the team.
Swimming vs. Prospect Sep. 20 Swimming defeated Palatine on Sep. 6 and
at time of press, faced Maine South and Buffalo Grove. Today’s meet will be at Wheeling.. “It’s another competition against an MSL East school and winning would mean bringing us another step closer in our goal of winning the MSL East championship. ”- senior Sarah Zidek