2018 Homecoming Gauger

WHERE THE White We are

White Oak. We are

Roughnecks.

Hailey Narvaez Editor-in-Chief

W

e are Coach Noll’s mornng prayers and Hutchin’s checkthe-blog scares. We are Monday nights on the black top and two-a-days that seem to never stop. We are names on Barnes’ wall and Mrs. Walker’s southern drawl.

We are enrichment prorastination that carries us to graduation. We are dripping ceiling tiles and early release smiles. We are White Oak and we are Rougnecks and we are everything that comes with that.

Oak THINGS ARE

stay

October 5, 2018

what’s

Adviser Editor-in-Chief Asst. Editor Staff Writer Copy Editor Photo Editor Business Manager Copy Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Copy Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

Karen Cook Hailey Narvaez Payton Palmer Lauren Hinch Garrett Cook Sidney Anderson Leigha Valandingham Nate Hearron Addie Miller Shae Orms Lisa Potichko Haley Spencer Savannah Wilkinson Ryan Zimmerman Skyla O’Brien Ashlyn Eynon Karson Lott Lillian Scalia Abby Quesenberry Baird McDaniel

Views expressed in The Gauger are those of the writers and do not represent the views of the school district.

connected

2

news inside... feature

FRIDAY 10.05.18

3-4

The Official Newspaper of

Gauger

WHITE OAK HIGH SCHOOL

Volume 26 Issue 1

opinion

ROUGHNECK

RETWEETS

homecoming

@andyj2019 - One day I will look back and remember coming up to paint for homecoming & sneaking around the school to see hutchins’ door early. High school’s flying by so fast :’(

alumni entertainment

Member of: University Interscholastic League Press Conference Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Quill & Scroll

sports

Student Population : 407

200 S. White Oak Rd. White Oak, TX 75693

kids

@womojoes - Shoutout to @leighaval2 no matter what you are number 1 in our hearts

Go, Necks Go.

Advertising Rates: 1/8 page-$40.00 1/4 page-$75.00

All high school students receive the Gauger free of charge and copies are also available for community use in each of the campus offices and the administration building. In addition, all businesses that purchase ads receive a complementary copy of the paper. *Denotes that volume numbers were reset at the time the paper converted to newsprint in 1995.

The Gauger actually dates back to 1938-39.

@womojoes - not only is it hoco week, it’s red river rivalry week too!!! #BOOMERSOONER

@womojoes - HUGE CONGRATS TO THE VOLLEYBALL GIRLS. 3-2 win over Harmony!!!

Volume 26* Issue 1 October 5, 2018

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor or send us a guest article, e-mail the staff at hnarvaez@wostudent.net

200 S. White Oak Rd. White Oak, TX 75693 (903) 291-2027

COMING UP

NEXT

Oct 6

Homecoming Dance

Oct 16

ACT here

Oct 19 Oct 31 1/2 day, Halloween Student Holiday

twitter: @wohsjournalism facebook: @wohsjournalism snapchat: @wohsjournalism instagram: @wohsjournalism

Fieldhouse Frenzy Lisa Potichko Staff Writer

Brand new and standing tall, after months of construction with some minor setbacks and a few finishing touches, the fieldhouse is completed and is the football team’s new holy grail for the fall.

The fieldhouse is used by the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity football players, along with all coaches and football trainers.

The facility will also be used in the spring for track season.

“The construction was originally supposed to be done August 1,” athletic director Kris Iske said.

“But it got pushed back because of all the rain we had last spring.”

Although there was a delay, the players and coaches are settling in and enjoying the new layout with no problem.

“If you’re not on varsity, you can’t go into the varsity locker room,” freshman Gavin Bzdil said. “But I like that the freshman and JV locker rooms are connected because we are the ones that practice together.”

The facility also comes with adaptation for the new routines and rules in order to upkeep the quality.

“Before we walk in we have to take off our cleats,” junior Micah Gibson said. “We also can’t step on the the white oil derrick in the locker room.”

The newly renovated fieldhouse not only improves the look of the football field, but it creates a positive atmosphere for the players.

“We keep it clean, clean, clean,” Richard Burks said, “The fieldhouse affects the team through positive attitude due to a great environment.”

NEWS Football team receives new million plus dollar locker room

Buckets Spread the WORD for Belle Alumni teach morning worship service

Bring Spare Change to help cover the expenses of third grader’s heart transplant. Bucket set up at game tonight. All proceeds go to family.

Ryan Banks Contributing Writer

White Oak Roughneck Devotional (WORD), led

by Levi Yancy and Kristin Koonce, meets weekly on Fridays at 6:45 AM at the Nehemiah Family Center to give students breakfast, an opportunity for fellowship, and a lesson about spiritual gifts.

“It️’s cool to see how they’re explaining how every person has a spiritual gift, and how it can be used for the purpose of God,” junior James Langley said. “[Kristen and Levi] were students who went through the exact same school we go through, and so it’s interesting to be able to see their outlook on it now that they’ve moved

3

FCA FUN Student athletes meet weekly for bible study Haley Spencer Copy Editor

photo by haley spencer

October 5, 2018

on to a further part in life.”

Students from different backgrounds with different interests attend WORD to listen to Levi Yancy and Kristin Koonce while they eat breakfast.

“Being able to hang out with people there [is the most fun].” Langley said. “That’s how you make connections , you hang out with each other.”

Students from different churches, backgrounds, interests and grades all get to come together as one on these mornings to worship in fellowship.

“The opportunity for interaction between students is definitely my favorite part,” Levi said. “Different students

get to connect with each other that normally wouldn’t get to.”

Some White Oak moms, in hopes of breathing life back into morning church programs similar to feed and see, reached out to Koonce and Yancy about speaking on Fridays, who, following this proposal started WORD. “[I’m hoping] to see a generation begin to take ownership of their faith and pursue to be intentional followers of Jesus,” Yancy said. “If you’re looking for something different and want to play ping pong, knockout, or an old school game of 4 square, come hang out with us Fridays at 6:45 AM and just be themselves in a social setting.”

To kick off the week the right way, many students participate in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or FCA, at 7 every Sunday night at the high school gym.

“It is always a good start to my week,” junior Riley Edmondson said. “Getting to be with several of my friends talking about Jesus is so refreshing and fun.”

The group begins their meeting with a game, followed by a student giving their testimony and another giving a lesson to help the students guide their way through the school year.

“I moved here from Pine Tree this year and I have participated in FCA at both schools,” junior Micah Gibson said. “It is something I always want to be a part of. At Pine Tree it was more of a hang out, but here at White Oak you can tell the athletes really want to be there worshipping God.” While all of the students are there to learn about God, fostering new relationships is a big part of the program. It brings together students involved in different sports and unites them with the same purpose -- playing their sport for God. “One of the best parts of FCA is all the new friends I have made,” junior Colee White said. “I have became close with so many people I never thought I would just by messing around with them on Sunday nights. It is also nice because these relationships are good because they all have God at the center. There isn’t another way I’d rather spend my Sunday nights.”

FEATURE

Fishing Team Reels in Win

Haley’s

photo courtesy of caden cowser

Karson Lott Staff Writer

Baird Mcdaniel Staff Writer

The bass fishing team placed first at their first tournament of the year last Saturday at Lake of the Pines. Participants were allowed to keep their five largest fish for weigh in at the end of the tournament. Several of the seniors placed in the top 20 of the tournament.

Future over Football Anna Dusek Staff Writer

Being a senior in sports is extremely bittersweet because while you are enjoying the game you love with your friends, there are many unavoidable “lasts”.

From playing your last first game, last home game, or competing against your school rival for the final time, senior season flies by incredibly fast, which is why most try to soak it in as much as they can before it’s over for forever.

However, life doesn’t always go as planned and the time to play is sometimes cut short.

Senior Grant Tornberg reinjured his torn labrum muscle during the New Diana game three weeks ago. He will have a three and a half hour surgery October 12 to repair the tear. The homecoming game will be his final high school football game.

“I’m upset that I don’t get to finish my season but I think it’s worth it because my future plans are at stake,” Tornberg said. “I have to get the surgery as quick as I can so that I can go into the military.”

Grant tore his labrum, which is is a piece of fibrocartilage attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that helps keep the ball of the joint in place.

“Basically the doctor is going to have to go in four different spots in my shoulder with a scope and repair the muscle,” Grant said.

Tornberg had planned to go into the military before his injury became serious and in order to still pursue this path, he must have surgery as soon as possible to be accepted.

“If I don’t have the surgery now, they won’t pass me. I want to go into the Marines and they said the quicker I get the surgery done, the more it shows that I want to go.”

In addition to missing the rest of his senior football season, he will also

Senior makes difficult decision after injury

forgo his last season of baseball.

Despite the difficult decision, his mom, English III teacher Samantha Sims supports his decision to consider his future first.

“Athletes never realize how much they’ll miss practices, games, and every part of the sport that makes up the season, until it’s gone,” Sims said. “However, tough decisions are a part of not only sports, but also life. Making choices that are best for your future isn’t always easy, but it helps to have friends, family, and coaches supporting you.”

The recovery time for the surgery is expected to be six months, then Grant will begin transitioning from civilian life to military duty.

“This was probably the hardest decision of my life,” Grant said. “Ending something I’ve been playing for years for what I want to do in the future is difficult, but it’s worth it.”

4

Handlettering Student’s business thrives

I’m sure we’ve all been in a class where all we want to do is go to sleep -- the teacher’s dragging voice, the plain white walls of the classroom sending you even further into boredom, every ounce in your body pleading for the bell to ring. Senior Haley Spencer has helped eliminate some of that problem with her handwritten , colorful messages adorning the walls of several classrooms.

What started as simple lettering Haley’s freshman year after spinal fusion surgery has now flourished into a business with her portfolio covering everything from bathroom walls to actual calligraphy classes.

“After my surgery, I wanted to write the people who got me cards and gifts thank you notes,” Spencer said. “For a long time, I couldn’t get out of bed or walk, so instead of just watching tv, I practiced and copied alphabets off of Pinterest. I kind of had a kick start because I wasn’t doing anything for about six weeks, but I still wasn’t confident enough to sell my stuff until about a year and a half after I started.”

Haley started a career with this by selling her things on Facebook and Etsy under the name a Blushed Letter. She taught her

first class last Saturday at Abide.

“I think that this will 100 percent help me in my career choice,” she said. “I’m not exactly sure what I want to do, but I know that I want to continue doing this on the side. It’s good money, it’s easy for me, and I really like doing it. No matter what I do, I’m still going to keep doing this.”

While walking down the halls you may see some of the work that Haley’s done and think ‘I’ll never be able to do that.’ Maybe you’ve witnessed her and her writing first hand and thought ‘That’s literally impossible. How does she do that so easily?’ Well, according to Spencer, it all comes at a cost.

“The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to start lettering is to practice,” she said. “It may seem like you’ve written the word ten thousand times, but just keep writing it. It’s all about muscle memory and getting used to when you need to push down your pen for certain things, so the more you write a letter, the easier it will flow.

You also have to work on connecting the letters because every letter pairing is different. It’s easy to get in a rut and feel like you’re never going to get any better, but you will if you just keep practicing and don’t give up on yourself.”

photo by haley spencer

October 5, 2018

October 5, 2018

Too Cool to Juul

Students should not use e-cigarettes Nate Hearron Copy Editor

More and more high school students are becoming addicted to vape. Twenty percent of students surveyed admitted to vaping according to the Centers for Disease Control.

High school students should not use e-cigarettes.

Although e-cigarettes are meant as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, most of the high school students who use them have never smoked a cigarette.

The use of e-cigarettes as an alternative to cigarettes is great, but using e-cigarettes just for the fun of it is not. E-cigarettes are meant to wean smokers out of the habit, not bring new people into it.

The use of e-cigarettes is a healthier alternative to the use of cigarettes, but it is not a healthy habit. A growing body of research indicates that e-cigarettes are not safe, and that they lead it many negative health consequences.

Damage to the brain, heart

and lungs is most common, but cancerous tumors have been known to occur as a result as well. There is nothing appealing enough about breathing in juice in the form of gas that makes vaping worth the known health risks that come along with it.

Juuling is one of the most popular forms of vaping, and one of the most hazardous. The Food and Drug Association, a group that actively works on the behalf of the public health, gave Juul and four other major vape companies were given an ultimatum of two months to get their products out of the hands of high schoolers. The fact that the FDA saw fit to force the powerhouse vape companies to keep their products from high schoolers should open the eyes of their customers. If the FDA has to get involved to ban a product, it would make sense to not use that product.

Students should not use any form of vape and should instead value the long-term wellness of their lives rather than a moment of joy.

OPINION

Anti-vac is wack

Nate Hearron Copy Editor

It seems the age of fearing measles and mumps have passed and has been replaced with an ignorant comfort that, despite being provided by a era of progressed medical treatments, places disbelief and even condemnation on those very advancements. One would think that this topic would never have been contested, but with the Age of Information comes the Age of Altercation, thus offering the argument as to whether or not vaccinations are for the better.

With the preservation and betterment of life in mind, all people should receive vaccinations.

Vaccinations have eradicated, and will continue to work toward eradication of, major diseases such as smallpox and polio.

The United States has not seen a smallpox case since 1948.

Likewise, polio has not originated from the U.S. since 1979. This is a steep and spirit-rising contrast from the twentieth century’s nearly half a million combined deaths attributed to these diseases. By 2012 both diseases decreased by an astounding 99 percent.

Everyone able should be vaccinated

This statistic should be praised, not persecuted. To remain this way, however, United States citizens must continue to vaccinate preventable diseases as such lifethreatening viruses still exist in other parts of the world and are no more than a plane-ride away.

Noone should be able to sleep soundly at night while actively letting preventable diseases take lifes.

The conservation of human life is the utmost goal in society and vaccines are there to conserve just that, protecting generations to come. This extends, not only to carrying mothers whose vaccination could prevent birth defects and death, but also to those relying on herd immunity. Those unable to receive vaccinations due to age,or who are immunocompromised or undergoing chemotherapy must rely on a ‘critical portion’ of others vaccinations to avoid contraction of a contagious disease.

The opposition claim that vaccines are harmful and offer potentially fatal side effects.

The basis of argument for those who believe it is harmful, if they are knowledgeable about the subject at all and not simply aboard the “alternative medicine

School Bus Safety Addie Miller Staff Writer

After years and years of school transportation vehicles, there still remains an argument over whether or not school buses are considered safe for the students and passengers.

School buses’ value of safety is upheld by it’s reinforced design and enforced laws aiming to protect students on and off the bus.

Student’s riding the school bus are proven to be 70 times more likely to arrive at school safely. wSchool buses were created and designed for the safety of the passengers. Their iconic bright yellow color was not chosen without reason, but rather

5

train” (but that’s another story), is that vaccines contain harmful ingredients such as thimerosal, formaldehyde, and aluminum which some physicians believe can cause autism, neurological harm, and cardiac impairment, respectively. It is true that in large doses these ingredients can be harmful. Vaccines, however, contain such small quantities that children are more likely to be exposed to aluminum in infant formula and are at higher risk of bacteria, toxins and equally harmful substances in their everyday life than there are in a vaccine. It is widely believed that vaccines cause autism despite the only smidgen of evidence being linked to the ingredient thimerosal which has been removed from all child vaccinations save one inactivated flu vaccine. Ten plus years of FDA mandated testing happens before any licensed distribution to the public where it is then monitored by the FDA and CDC. Do not deny others and yourself from being at peak health because of faulty claims thats credibility lies only in Facebook posts, and instead always receive vaccinations in a timely and continual manner.

Laws and regulations that ensure transported students are safe

intended to increase visibility.

Additionally, they are designed with safety precautions such as stop-sign arms, cross view mirrors and flashing red lights. These precautions were put into place for the protection of the students and brings a safety feature that normal cars do not possess.

Students are also protected by laws that are in place for the safety of the passengers. This law states that you must remain stopped behind or across from a bus if the red lights flash or the stop arm is out. This law brings a type of protection that normal vehicles do not. This law keeps the students safe when they are boarding or getting off the bus.

Some people argue that because not all school buses contain seat belts, they are considered not safe. However, school buses were designed with the types of protective seating and high crush standards for the prevention of injuries. The size of these buses allows them to distribute crash forces more efficiently. The National Highway Safety Administration created a concept called compartmentalism that requires the interior of the bus to protect children without seatbelts by designing them with compact, energy-absorbing seats.

Ultimately, school buses prove more safe than the standard vehicle and parents and students alike can rest assured.

October 5, 2018

OPINION

Fat or Fiction

6

Payton Palmer Assistant Editor

Eating disorders around the world are becoming more prevalent

Eating disorders around the world are becoming more prevalent within society.

What was once rarely heard of, today affects millions of people ranging from the rich and famous to the kid next door.

Society pressures people to believe they need to reach impractical expectations by idolizing an unreachable perfection and glamorizing the lives of celebrities. Through edited photos, society has invited eating disorders into the daily lives of many. The pressure to fit within someone else’s definition of beauty has, as of July 2017, resulted in 30 million men and women worldwide to struggle with eating disorders.

Youth today are bombarded from all directions with a false perception of reality. Magazines, movies, and advertisements all portray body images of people that are often impossible to obtain.

When a young person constantly sees these images of young, successful, beautiful people, they find themselves and their lives lacking in comparison. They begin to feel that if they were only thinner or more attractive, their lives might be more rewarding.

Flipping through Instagram, sliding through Snapchat, or watching Youtube videos are all ways society has pushed the vision of the perfect image.

As people scroll through these pictures, they are shown perfectly edited photos, with perfect hair, perfect teeth, and perfect bodies. Most do not realize the long hours of retakes and edits that have taken place before the images are posted. Comparing themselves to these unrealistic expectations leaves people feeling overweight and unattractive which leads many to struggle with eating disorders.

Advertisers would argue they are encouraging people to live more healthy lives. This is untrue because what they are showing is not real. By showing these unrealistic expectations of outward beauty over and over, many people are being negatively impacted resulting in the major rise in eating disorders.

A more proactive approach to help reduce the amount of people with eating disorders would be to start focusing on people’s inner beauty rather than glorifying only their outward, physical appearances.

Instead of editing all the models in advertisements and magazines, companies should leave them looking more natural and relatable. Doing this would prevent otherwise healthy people from making unhealthy choices and feeling the need to change their lifestyle.

While being thin and attractive in the eyes of others seems important, it is far more important for one’s future to have a healthy lifestyle.

Getcha head Out of the game Football injuries can cause development issues in children Abby Quesenberry Staff Writer

Football can be very dangerous, especially for growing children.

Studies have shown that adults who started playing football at a young age struggle more in memory and mental flexibility tests than those that did not play football.

Parents should not allow their children to play football during their growing years. The sport can potentially cause injuries detrimental to a child’s development. Football is a very aggressive sport, and although helmets and padding are used as precautionary safety equipment, it doesn’t completely stop serious injuries from occurring.

Brain and head injuries are some of the most serious types of injuries among football players. One of these injuries is concussions, which are caused by a sudden hit to the head causing the brain to bounce around. Concussions aren’t life threatening, but the results can be very serious.

Some of the long term effects include memory issues, trouble concentrating, sleep disturbances, and sensitivity to light. Concussions can be caused by head to head contact or players hitting the ground when they fall.

Other injuries caused from playing football are hamstrings tears, muscle strains and neck, back, or shoulder problems. Recovery from mild muscle or ligament

strains can range from three to six weeks, while more severe strains can take several months to heal.

Back, shoulder, and neck injuries can be caused by the athlete being overworked or hard hits causing them to fall. Football puts wear and tear on joints that can cause arthritis as the player gets older.

While helmets and pads might help in lessening the impact, that doesn’t guarantee major injuries still do not happen. There have been attempts to make safer helmets for athletes, but nothing has been proven to eliminate the risk of injury. On the other hand, without padding and helmets, injuries would be much more serious and life threatening. Not having any protection at all could cause skull fractures and brain bleeding. But if a player is hit hard enough, there is a possibility this could happen even with protective gear.

In order to reduce these types of major injuries, athletes should thoroughly stretch out their muscles before and after practices and make sure the helmet fits properly and all the necessary equipment is on.

Although the excitement and adrenaline rush of playing football sounds fun, young children should be extremely cautious while playing, if at all, because of the possible injuries that can occur.

October 5, 2018

HOMECOMING

7

Andy Griffin: The man under the Stetson

Q: I understand you coached here two different times, correct?

A: Yes, in 1968-1974 and 1986-1995.

Q: Were there any differences when you were here the first time and when you came back?

A: There were quite a few differences. When I was here the first time, I was fortunate enough to have some great, great athletes. Some that went on to play in the NFL, Sam Hunt and Byron Hunt and Mike Barber. The second time, we had some good athletes, but nothing in that category. The thing I remember the most about these youngsters is that they gave a great effort and always tried their very best, even against overwhelming odds at times.

Q: Looking at your record, I see you coached for over 350 games, even achieving your 200th win here at White Oak. When you first started, did you ever think you would coach that many games?

A: I loved coaching. I probably would have done it a little bit longer, but my wife’s health was not top notch at that time, so she asked me to get out. So I did, because she followed me all over the state.

Q: What’s the farthest you ever got in the playoffs?

A: In 2004, [Troup] we went to the finals and lost to Crawford, 28-14. Our best team here at WO was in 1970. In those days they didn’t have turf and we have to play Mart in Athens. It was flooding that night. They were big and we were fast. Of course on a muddy field, we weren’t as fast. We lost 12-7. Mike Barber was on that team. He was our middle linebacker. John Griffin was our quarterback. We had a good mix of athletes and they gave a heck of an effort.

Q: So if you had the choice between a kid that has a lot of heart or a kid that has great athletic ability, which would you rather have?

A: That’s a tough question. I’ve always been able to relate to kids and they might not have been an A1 citizen, but in our program, the way we approached things they always conformed.

Q: Did you have a certain routine on game days that you followed?

A: Yes. The kids might not have liked it. But game day dress was always shirt and tie.

The reason I did that was because when you get complimented on how you look, you feel better. They received compliments about how nice they looked and I feel like we benefited a great deal from that. They felt better about themselves.

Q: I know that you didn’t conform to normal coaching attire is that correct?

A: Yes, I never went into a classroom as a teacher or never into game day as a coach.

I always wore a shirt and tie. And my Stetson hat on game night.

Q: I’m sure that the style of game changed while you were coaching, correct?

A: The spread offense is popular nowdays, but when we had the talent, I remember one year, little Pruitt [Rashad] he could throw, he could run. And we ran no huddle, we ran a spread offense because he could do it. But he’s the only one I’ve had over the years that could do it. He had all the tools to do it.

Q: You’ve probably seen multiple offenses and defensive schemes in your time.

Do you have a favorite? photo courtesy of gina dehoyos A: My favorite is the Wing T because you can split people out and so called spread type look or you can be in tight. There were years we were not as talented as the people we played, so we focused weren’t with the kids. The challenge and encouraging kids to do on taking care of the football. We always focused on that. I’m proud that we didn’t have a lot of their best was what I wanted. I loved it. I remember I had a coach, turnovers because that beats you real quick. In those years we ran the ball a lot, to run the clock so Rocky Mulliken. He went to work at Eastman and was miserable that the other team didn’t have the ball as much. That was our approach to try to beat Gladewater. out there. I always enjoyed going to work. I never resented or didn’t want to go to work. I loved every day of it.

It was impossible.

Q: You have grandchildren. Do they keep you busy?

Q: Did you ever have a desire to coach beyond the high school level?

A: I had opportunities, but the travel and being away from family and being on the road, didn’t appeal A: Yes, especially the little ones. I have three that are grown: Cody, to me, recruiting. I was already away from my family. You’re just on the road all the time. You’re never Dustin and Samantha. She’s my oldest. I’ve got Griffin and Petra, home because If you don’t get the athletes, then you’re not going to win. Truly being a head coach in high school was what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be a straight athletic director because you

“I feel

like that’s what God called me to do. He had to bang me on the head a

few times

so I could teach.”

October 5, 2018

HOMECOMING

they are Gina’s two. I pick them up from school and spend a lot of time with them.

Q: What’s your grandpa name?

A: Coach. Even my grandkids call me coach.

Q: You were inducted into the East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Fame and your college’s Hall of Fame at the University of Corpus. What position did you play in college?

A: Quarterback. I limped around the last couple of years. I had a hurt knee, but I loved it. I loved playing and coaching football. White Oak is a different place. There’s a lot of tradition that is kept alive here. Probably more so than any school I”ve been at. The kids, the expectations of the kids are high and that helps.

Q: You never wanted to be an administrator?

A: No, I was never interested in that. That’s where the money is in the school business. I just didn’t want to do that. I guess at White Oak, I think there’s a feeling that they are a little bit better than others. That can be misconstrued at times and everybody had their best game when they played WO. They didn’t like us. They loved to beat us.

Q: I feel like the rivalry with Spring Hill was a big deal when you were here. How were you successful against them?

A: You have to learn, all of our teams, you have to learn how not to lose before you can win. You lose games by turning the ball over, penalties, fumbling, not being aware of field position, taking chances on your own end of the field. If they backfire, you’re going to lose the game. Not giving the effort to block down field, doing the little things that help you inw. If you don’t turn the ball over, you have a chance. Teams, even in the NFL, Tampa Bay turned the ball over three times.

Q: Would you say you were a conservative play caller?

A: We always had special plays. You have to set them up and use them at the right time. They have a chance at succeeding. I would say with the better athletes, I took more chances. But with just average athletes, I was more conservative because I didn’t want to beat ourselves with stupid stuff.

It amazes me sometimes when I watch games, even college coaches, do stupid things.

Q: You had a stint in the military?

A: Yes, the Marine Corp. I went to college two and half years. The little college I played for was everybody’s whipping boy. We weren’t very good. We played at team in Louisiana at Lafayette.

Coach Ivey, at Louisiana Tech, saw the film. He called me and offered me a scholarship. I was going to transfer up there. They do that a lot now, but in those days if the team you were leaving protested, then you couldn’t do it. And my team portested. So I went in the Marine Corp. Everybody had to serve two years. You either had to serve eight years in the reserves or two in active, so I went ahead and got my service out of the way. Then I came back and played at the same college I was at. When I got out of the marines, I went to Mississippi Southern and went through spring training. I sat down with the coach, I had two years of eligibility left at Corpus, but he said I only had one there. So I went back to Corpus and finished. I wanted my education paid for.

Q: Anything else you want to add?

A: I was fortunate to have a wife that was a coaches wife because it takes that. If you’re going to be a head coach, you’re going to move around. People are going to get unhappy with you regardless you win or not or if you discipline the wrong kid. I always prided myself in treating all kids the same whether they were black or white or brown no matter who their parents were. The rules apply to everybody. When you come down on the wrong person, you make somebody mad and they get it in for you, especially if they are on the school board. It makes it tough.

Q: Have you been to the new field house? What do you think?

A: Yes, I went through it about two weeks aog. They’ve needed it for a long time. I guess that old one was from the early 50s or late 40s. It had been added on to. But that things was rough. Somebody would need to research it, but I bet that thing was 70 years old. It’s nice and they needed it real bad.

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN 2:30 pm Pep Rally October 5 Roughneck Stadium 8:30 am-noon Roughneck Fieldhouse 6:45 pm Queen Coronation Ceremony Will be open to tour with coffee & Donuts Roughneck Stadium 8:00 am-1:00 pm Registration of Exes 7:30 pm White Oak vs. Winnsboro Main hallway of WOHS North Endzone is “Meet & Visit” area 9:00 am-noon Meet & Greet Brunch for coaches and ex-students HS Library

Schedule of Events

8

Coach Griffin’s favorite memory

“The most gratifying moment was my second time here. We were playing Tatum down here. Larry Latham was a senior. They had these phenomenal players. We had played an outstanding game. They scored late and there was like 20 or 30 seconds left in the game.

For some reason, they kicked off deep. Larry was our best athlete. He ran straight up the middle and that thing parted like the Red Sea. He scored and we ended up beating Tatum.”

A.G.’s Accolades

• Record: 224-121-6 • Texas High School Coaches Associate Director-1992-1995 • Top 10 Winningest Coaches in Texas • Southeast Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor-2002 • Texas High School Coaches Association Tom Landry award winner-2004 • Texas A&M Corpus Christi Athletic Hall of Honor-2006 • East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor-2015

October 6

8:00 am Roughneck Run 5K 10:00 am Homecoming Parade White Oak Road 10:00 am- 3:00 pm Roughneck Days Arts & Crafts Show 2:00 pm WO Ladyneck Volleyball game

New Middle School gym 7:00 pm-11:00 pm WO Exes Celebration Dove Hollow, White Oak 8:00 pm-12:00 pm WOHS Homecoming Dance WOHS Cafeteria Tickets sold at door $20

October 5, 2018

HOMECOMING

9

all photos by shae orms

Queen Nominees:

Court Duchesses:

Senior Sophomore Freshman Senior Junior Junior Freshman Sophomore Lexi Baker Payton Palmer Riley Edmondson Savannah Wilkinson Destiny Morgan Meredith Smith Macy Weeks Taylor Gage

Homecoming Court

“I thought I was getting called “I only get to experience “We are all about tradition and “I hope to get closer with the girls to the office because of dress homecoming once in high the story behind only having on the court, make memories code,” nominee Lexi Baker said. school so it makes it that much homecoming every three years and just have a good time,” “I was surprised, but I’m excited more special,” nominee Payton is so nice,” nominee Riley nominee Savannah Wilkinson to be representing my class.”

Palmer said. “I’m excited to have Edmondson said. said. “I never imagined I’d “I’m excited about getting the chance to represent where “I’m excited to be in the parade get the chance to participate dressed up,” duchess Taylor I’m from while I’m in school.” because I think it’ll be fun to be a so I’m looking forward to the Gage said. “I also like that it’s duchess Macy Weeks said. part of something I’m usually not experience,” duchess Destiny only every three years because it involved in,” duchess Meredith Morgan said. makes it that more special.”

Smith said.

HOMECOMING

October 5, 2018

Hocoveralls

13 Year Roughnecks What it’s like to be White Oak’s finest

photo by savannah wilkinson

There are a certain group of people who have White Oak tucked deep in their hearts, those who have been here from kindergarten until their senior year. Being a thirteen year Roughneck to some people is an honor and to others it is looked at as not a very big deal; however, the tradition still continues.

“Being a thirteen year Roughneck is a huge deal to me,” senior Anna Dusek said. “Knowing that before I graduate, when we do the senior walk through the halls of every campus, i will have made many memories in every single hallway that will last a lifetime.”

While some people are the only ones in their families that have been thirteen year Roughnecks, others see it as a family tradition. So honestly, they don’t see themselves being anywhere different.

“Being a thirteen year Roughneck is a big accomplishment for me,” senior Emma Wayt said. “ It runs in my family, I have many people in my family who have this title, so for me it is a very big deal.”

A thirteen year Roughneck seems to be a major deal in the valley of the Roughnecks for multiple reasons.

Only a small percentage of people are able to experience this.

“While being a thirteen year Roughneck could have been cool, I am not really upset about

not being one,”senior Addison Miller said. “The only thing I’m sad about is that I don’t get the present for being one.”

Even when not graduating as a thirteen year Roughneck, many former students continue finding their way back to our small town.

“It has never bothered me that I wasn’t a thirteen year Roughneck, until I came back to teach here 20 years later and Coach Noll called me a communist,” journalism teacher Mrs.Cook said.

While most students are one sided about this topic, others have mixed feelings about it.

“I have mixed emotions about being a thirteen year Roughneck,” senior Harrison Orms said.

“I think it is cool that I have gone to the same school for thirteen years, but then again it’s not really that big of a deal.”

Not many people spend their adolescent years in the same town. Traveling for parents’ jobs and other reasons keep kids from being able to have the opportunity of being a thirteen year Roughneck.

“For me, a thirteen year Roughneck is a big deal,” Dylan Dodson said. “Not very many people get to experience what it means and what it is like to be a thirteen year Roughneck, so I am very lucky to be granted the opportunity.”

Students, teachers personalize denim

Smiling with spirit, journalism teacher Karen Cook shows off her newly finished overalls with students on maroon and white day. Cook was one of the few teachers who made overalls and wore them on Friday. “I’m normally not very a crafty person but this helped me step outside my comfort zone,” Cook said. “And it was fun to do.”

photo by karen cook

Savannah Wilkinson Staff Writer

With a blank canvas, senior Breanna Bly plans out and gathers material for her spirit overalls. Bly made hers with the student council officers and their advisor, Mrs. Taylor. “I felt overwhelmed because I had no idea what I was doing,” Bly said. “But with the help of the officers, I was able to get them finished.”

10 Lisa Potichko Staff Writer

White Oak students are taking a creative twist on spirit days with overalls. As a start of what could be a new tradition, students and faculty are enjoying the new take on maroon and white.

“Even though we cut out most themed weeks, I think our overalls make us look more spirited,” senior Savannah Miller said. “It’s something we all look forward to wearing, and we bonded making them”.

This year, White Oak changed their spirit days on away games to strictly maroon and white, giving students no excuse but to deck out in their school colors.

“Having maroon and white as a theme for most Fridays will definitely encourage people to participate in making overalls,” junior Katlyn Barham said. “We’ve gotten lots of compliments on them, and more and more people are making them.”

Students aren’t the only ones enjoying the new festivities; teachers are participating too.

“I’m going to keep my overalls and wear them for each year,” student council sponsor and art teacher Kim Taylor said. “I enjoyed making them with my student council officers over the weekend.”

For the first year, some White Oak High school students have participated in making spirit overalls for homecoming.

“I think White Oak will end up doing this every year,” senior Addison Miller said. “I think it will help bring more spirit to the theme days on Fridays.”

Gillhunters Tackle & Supply Co. welcomes back all Roughnecks

gillhunters.net

Stacie Barham

stacibarham@sbcglobal.net rodanandfields.com

903 736-3539

HOMECOMING

October 5, 2018

11

Nate Hearron Copy Editor

A step-by-step on how to hoco propose

Are you looking to make some memories? Do you have a special someone? Are you a freshman who isn’t allowed to go to prom for a reason you had nothing to do with but still want to participate in an awkward boy-girl dance this year? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider going to homecoming, and should probably ask someone to be your date, too. After all, homecoming happens once every three years, which is normal, right?

courtesy photo

Popping the Question Bryce Paine and Stormy Riley: “When Bryce walked up to me with the sign I started busting out laughing, junior Stormy Riley said. “It really caught me off guard, I was very surprised.”

Not sure how to secure a date? Here’s how, from a pro: Decide whether having a homecoming date is for you. Ask yourself these questions: Do I have someone in mind? Am I close enough friends with anyone to ask? Is having a homecoming date something I want? If the answer to any of these was yes, you should definitely go for it. If not, that’s okay. Not everyone has to have a homecoming date to have fun.

After deciding that having a date is what you want, you have to decide who you want to ask.

Try to pick someone you’re really close with, or maybe already in a relationship with.

Whoever it is, make sure they don’t already have a date, and, if you can, that they want to go to homecoming.

If you don’t know your prospective date very well, the next step requires a bit of snooping.

If your date has a social media, use this to your advantage. Now that you’ve set your eyes on a date, it’s time to find out everything about your date. This is key to the most important part, which we’ll get to in the next step. Find out what your date is into, such as what sports they play, what activities they’re involved in, what hobbies they have, or maybe even their favorite restaurant, Netflix show, etc. An inside joke works, too. Once you’ve found their key interest, the thing that brings them the most joy, the big kahuna, you can stop stalking their posts from 82 weeks ago and move onto step four.

The one many of you have been seeking. The one many of you, after seeing some attempts, are not very skilled at. To your benefit, I’m here to help. After finding the perfect date and knowing what makes her smile reach both ears, it has come time to plan your homecoming proposal. First things first, every homecoming proposal, or hocoprosal, needs a poster. What you put on this poster depends on your creativity. A pretty poster is good for pictures, so that’s a definite yes, but the level of individuality that goes into the content on the board is what it’s all about. A clever poster isn’t as difficult as it may seem; all you need is two lines, and one of these is probably going to read ‘go to HOCO with me?’ All that’s left is a pun that links the date’s interests to homecoming.

Now that you’ve come up with your hocoprosal, you need to figure out the perfect time to ask. Some good times include right after an event that they’re part of (if it’s a competition of some sort, it’s probably best to make sure they win,) during or after the two of you hang out, or even invite them someplace cute so it’s a little extra special. The location and time aren’t too difficult, just make sure they’re in a good mood before you ask.

Step six is the moment you’ve been preparing for. The time to put words into action. The time your hours of planning will be performed. The time to execute Order 66. Now that you’re absolutely certain that you want to go to homecoming with a date, and you’ve picked a date, found something that interests them, come up with a hocoprosal, and know when to hocoprose, you’re ready to ask them out for real. Chances are, it won’t take one of the hundreds of wrong turns you’ve imagined in your head, but even if it does, it’s not that big of a deal. You can always ask someone else, or just go on your own. Either way, it’s time to shoot your shot.

If you’ve made it this far, then congratulations. Your hocoprosal wasn’t a complete failure, but it was probably cringey enough to get you laughed at. Regardless, all that’s left is to coordinate your homecoming dance outfits, and have a ball, you know, at the ball.

1

3

4

courtesy photo

2

Carson Bower and Bailey Owens: “I wasn’t very surprised when Carson asked me to homecoming,” sophomore Bailey Owens said. “One of my friends already told me what he was planning on doing and he made it really obvious, but it was cute.”

6

7

photo by karen cook

5

Garrett Cook and Abby Quesenberry: “On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the most scared, I was about a 9,” freshman Garrett Cook said. “I was really just afraid of her saying no, but she said yes so I’m excited to go to homecoming with her.”

October 5, 2018

“I thought steampunk was futuristic in a sense,” freshman Reese Saccoccio said. “Steampunk is an idea of what the future could be like. It’s a fictional idea. It’s used in books that I like to read. Instead of electticity, they use steam power.

Instead of light fixtures, they use lamps. It’s really a cool concept.

Every peice of my outfit I already had because it was my Halloween costume from last year.”

HOMECOMING

12

Monday’s dress up day had great participation as students threw together their tacky tourist costumes.“It’s not required for student council members to dress up, but it is recommended,” senior Macaela Alexander said.

“Most of the things I already had in my closet. I did go thrift shopping for my Hawaiian shirt for tacky tourist day.”

Cheerleaders gather to send a picture to their cheer sponsor, Ms. Hall prving they dressed up for the specific spirit day.“I chose to dress up from the 70s because I didn’t know what else to do and Lisa said she had this outfit I could borrow,” senior Savannah Miller said. “The cheerleaders are required to dress up or we will get demerits. I think it’s good that our sponsors require us to dress up because if we can’t set a good example as spirit leaders, we can’t expect other people to show spirit either.”

photo by karen cook

photo by payton palmer

Spirit Days

photo by shae orms

Students might have stretched the rules on the meme/vine dress up day. Many students were seen wearing onesie pajamas or even a chicken costume. “You know that chicken meme,” senior Ryan Zimmerman. “No, I don’t really think there is one but I just wanted to have a reason to dress up in my chicken costume. Except for it’s all warm and cozy in here, so I’ve been sleepy in all my classes.”

photo by lisa potichko

Cheerleaders gather to send a picture to their sponsor, Ms. Hall proving they dressed up for the specific spirit day.“I chose to dress up from the 70s because I didn’t know what else to do and Lisa said she had this outfit I could borrow,” senior Savannah Miller said. “The cheerleaders are required to dress up or we will get demerits. I think it’s good that our sponsors require us to dress up because if we can’t set a good example as spirit leaders, we can’t expect other people to show spirit either.”

ALUMNI

October 5, 2018

Water Towers and White Oak Tales Former editor reflects on time in small town Cade Palmer 2016 Alumni

I’m from

White Oak, Texas.

Five words that mean absolutely nothing more than a large tree to any person further than an hour away in any direction. To people who know the school though, they mean a heck of a lot more than any graduate degree.

For Coach Noll, they meant a cut above. Not just a cut above in sports, but in all aspects. Your grades must be a cut above. Your attitude, a cut above. Your effort, a cut above. And lest we forget, your hair, cut above the ear and collar.

For Coach Boyett, those words mean belief. Belief in yourself, in each other and in your savior.

Belief that you would make it through practice even if you had already puked twice and once on your drill partner. Belief a bunch of rural skinny-boys could go to Austin and return with the crown — twice.

For my Uncle Dave Carr, it meant effort. That there are no freebies in life, and the difference between winning and losing is so small, you can’t even measure it. Where despite being his nephew, I was benched in my first ever football game. In Lil Necks. In the fourth grade.

For Coach Iske and the rest of the football staff, it meant pride.

Pride in your work, pride in the program, in our lives and in the field. When the band dug ruts in the centerfield logo, we nearly nearly went to war. Football had a way of making us feel like men when we were yet boys.

Over the years, White Oak taught me things through my peers. From Conner Weeks I learned not to cross Mrs. Tralisa Sheridan — or she will spank you herself. From Nick McFarland I learned to watch what I tweet.

From Jeremy Patak I learned not to write op-eds about the band.

But obviously I didn’t learn enough. Here I am, Twitter feed a mess, wondering why the band is still military and having failed to give Mrs. Tralisa a hug since

getting home. May God help me.

Homecoming is weird. It’s a time when most alumni return to the place that when they were young, they were dying to leave.

We’ve all moved on and made new friends. Some of us have married.

Some of us still sleep until noon.

To my new friends up North, rural Texas might as well be a foreign country — and sometimes we agree that it is (yee haw 1832).

When I showed up to college for the first time, my RA had taken the liberty of hanging our names on our door along with a picture of the city we’re from. One of my suitemates was from Atlanta and his picture featured the beautiful skyline speckled with towers.

My roommate from New York, more towers. My roommate from Connecticut’s displayed a posh neighborhood on the lake. Me? Mine was a grainy Google Earth picture of the White Oak water tower.

People in my classes always ask me if we ride our horses to school. I laugh and say of course not. But then some people do.

They ask me if it’s really hot

and I say of course. I’ll tell them about the one time in the middle of two-a-days-that-weren’t-reallytwo-a-days-but-just-one-longpractice that Dax Davis passed out and fell on top of me. Being the good friend I was, I moved out of the way and let him land head first in the dirt, so he would not play some practical joke on me.

I’ll tell them about how we have more churches than stoplights.

About Fourth of July with coyotes.

About bonfires. About how we made things to do. About the many nights spent after midnight on the school tennis courts — sometimes playing, sometimes talking, sometimes hitting tennis balls we had lit on fire.

As a kid, I always wondered why people moved to this small town, a little community in northeast Texas. Why my dad had driven the two-and-a-half hour commute to and from Dallas for over 20 years.

My mom once told me it was for the school so I naturally assumed White Oak was one of the best academic schools in the nation. Then my friends at

Longview were taking international baccalaureate and I didn’t even know what that those were words.

I came to realize that White Oak is coveted because of the people.

People like Mrs. Kim Taylor who was instrumental in organizing the Color for Camryn run. Like the Sheridan’s who ran a Bible study for several years out of their living room. Like the Goll’s who subjected their house to several dozen teenagers on a regular basis.

There’s definitely a lot more out there than White Oak. But these truths I know: cafeteria food is bad everywhere; I actually do have an accent; and White Oak is a good school.

Above my desk sits framed that picture of the White Oak water tower hung on my door freshman year. Not to remind me from where I’ve escaped, but to remind me who I am.

After all, I’m from

White Oak, Texas.

13 Cade Gilbreath 2017 Alumni

As much as I enjoy being able to go to the bathroom without raising my hand, I miss high school. The sense of security that came with living at home and not having to pay for much combined with the ridiculous things I used to run around this town doing with my friends made for a good time to say the least. I signed up for journalism my junior year, and was on staff by the next semester.

The journalism room was the one room in the entirety of White Oak High School that I felt completely comfortable in. Mainly because it was the only place where you didn’t have to follow stupid rules.

We could be on our phones and speak loudly and eat. In other parts of the school, these were widely considered unforgivable sins. One time a teacher at the middle school scolded us for being on our phones because she couldn’t understand that we used them to record interviews. This was the kind of thing journalism was entirely free of. We were free to do what we needed to do, and that was what I loved so much.

In hindsight, it was really a good preview of college. No stupid rules, or at least, not as many, and plenty of responsibilities. I don’t regret making the trade.

So, since this is most likely the last time I’ll ever get to write for our beloved Gauger, and because I don’t have much else to say about myself, I’m going to end with the a final installments of a series I used to do: Signs of the Coming Apocalypse.

1. Colorado Bowling Alley Owner Dies After Getting Stuck in Pin Setter The news story that accompanied this outrageous headline was only about five sentences long and didn’t say much other than “Emergency responders determined he had died” and “The death is believed to be an accident.” Doesn’t it seem like there are some more questions to be asked here? Like how exactly a 65 year old man got inside a pin setting machine?

The local police insist there was no foul play. Sounds like an episode of The Sopranos to me.

ALUMNI

October 5, 2018

Bad Word Bobby Give a Thank You to Coach Noll, Stat Bobby Hawthorne 1971 Alumni

Gauger writer finds career after rejection Olin Buchanan 1980 Alumni

The road to success sometimes starts with a detour. Or even a road block.

It was November of 1979.

I was a senior on the White Oak football team. Our season had just concluded with a 24-7 victory over Mineola.

What to do next?

Join the Roughnecks basketball team, perhaps.

I was tall, had a decent vertical jump and had not been aware that I wasn’t as athletically gifted as Bubba Acuff, Daniel Carr, Danny Henderson, Tim Harris, Kevin Sutton or several other guys who eventually made that team so difficult to beat.

There was also the appeal of playing on Dan Noll’s first team at White Oak.Coach Noll was a funny, energetic, red-headed bear of a man, who also served as my Government teacher. He made Government class fun, so playing basketball for him figured to be a blast.He’d also introduced a new catch phrase — “I believe” — which inspired confidence that I could help his basketball team.

However, I was also sports editor of The Gauger, planned to pursue a career as a sports writer and was thinking about approaching well-known Longview Morning Journal Sports Editor John Inman for a part time job.

On Monday after the last football game I was sitting in government class talking with my friend Malcolm Christian.

Our conversation was interrupted by Coach Noll’s booming voice beckoning me to his desk. I figured he’d scold me for talking. Instead, he said: “Buck, I like the way you do things. You’re a winner. I want you on my team.”

But just before my swelling ego exploded, he added: “Would you be interested in being our statistician?”

My ego promptly deflated.

That conversation made my next move a lay-up.

I met with Mr. Inman the next day. Soon afterward, I began my newspaper career by taking telephone call-ins from basketball games around East Texas. Eventually, Mr. Inman had me write summaries of the basketball reports that were phoned in. Next, he actually sent me out to cover games.

A few months later, he offered me a job as a staff writer.

Over the next 25 years I worked at newspapers in Longview, Tyler, College Station and Austin. When the internet began threatening newspapers, I accepted a job offer to be a national college writer for rivals.com, which required a move to Nashville.

Six years later, I returned to College Station to write for TexAgs.com, a web site that covers Texas A&M sports.

During my career I’ve interviewed legendary figures like Tom Landry, Shaquille O’Neal, Drew Brees and Troy Aikman.

I’ve covered great high school teams, the Dallas Cowboys, NFL, NBA and Major League baseball playoffs, college football national championship games, the Final Four and the College World Series.

I’ve been fortunate to do all the things I’d hoped when planning my career.

Last August I received a Facebook message from Coach Noll. He said he was proud of me.

I thanked him for believing in me.

None of it might have happened if he hadn’t thought I’d make a good statistician.

In my two years on the Gauger staff, I wrote some pretty horrible stuff. I wrote a football pre-game story that infuriated New London almost as much as the 1937 gas explosion, so my story was plastered all over West Rusk High when we went over there to play them.

The lead went like this: “Have you ever opened a closet door and had a pile of old clothes and toys fall in your face; things that you used to play with but no longer have any use for?”

Somehow, West Rusk took umbrage at being compared to rags and rag dolls and played like it.

We were lucky to escape with a 22-19 win, otherwise, I would have been tarred and feathered and marched up Main Street and down Tuttle Road in hand-irons.

Afterwards, head coach Andy Griffin pulled me aside and said something along the lines of, “Let’s not have any more of that.”

So, we didn’t. I did, however, continue to lead most of my Gauger stories with, “Have you ever…,” as in

“Have you ever blurted a curse word while reading the morning announcements?”

Well, of course, you haven’t, but I did. It’s true. I had just taken the reins as student council president from John Griffin, and I was nervously stumbling through the morning announcements when I caught myself in a mistake and muttered, just loud enough to be heard, “Oh...”

Rhymes with “sit.”

The word had barely slipped my lips when a cannonade of laughter barreled down the halls, almost drowning out the clopping of Principal Robert Proctor’s shoes as he raced toward me in horror. I tried to play innocent, but I knew I was busted. Second graders, seventh graders, seniors, secretaries, cafeteria workers, librarians, bus drivers, even Su-

14

Alumni recalls high school mishaps

perintendent E.B. Carrington began their day by hearing me blurt, “Oh...”

Rhymes with “sit.”

Mr. Proctor glared at me, grabbed the microphone and waved me away. I walked out into the halls and could still hear giggling, then slunk into Coach Tommy Atkins’ health/science class to the whoop-whooping of my classmates. Coach Atkins was leaning back in his chair, one foot propped on his desk, the biggest grin on his face, trying to suppress a laugh.

“What?” I protested. “I didn’t....”

He stopped me right there.

“Hawthorne,” he said in his Cajun drawl, and then he shook his head. “My God.” That’s all he needed to say. In that instance, I was immortalized for all the right and all the wrong reasons, depending on your point of view.

This is a true story. You can ask Marcus Oliver or Ronnie Peery or Danny Denton or Clay Kutch.

They were there. They remember.

I wish I had written about this for the Gauger or the Roughneck, but it was a different era. The U.S. was waist deep in Vietnam. Nixon was in the White House. Airliners were being hijacked right and left by Palestinian terrorists, and, worst of all, the Beatles had just broken up, so there was more than enough actual news to write about, but we didn’t. We wrote about football and basketball and track. We wrote about band magazine sales, student council food drives, Future Homemakers of America banquets and various beauty pageants.

We wrote about the importance of good study habits and the responsibilities concomitant with the new dress code, which would allow girls to wear pant suits. Kay Smith and I wrote about the shenanigans of make-believe characters named Mortimer and Hortense.

That’s how it was back then.

The Gauger was safe, bland and borderline goofy, and I doubt many of our peers bothered to read it except to search for their names. It was not world-class journalism, but you know what?

It doesn’t matter. It didn’t matter then. It doesn’t matter now.

Here’s what matters: We had a blast. Mrs. Vera Porter was then and remains to this day my favorite teacher of all time, and we hung out in the Journalism lab — Room 222, I believe it was — as long as they’d let us. Her classes were fun.

Deadlines were fun. Trips to Kilgore for UIL regionals or to Austin for UIL State were mind-blowing.

Literally. My junior year, I qualified for State in feature writing, which was held on the same weekend as the massive protests nationwide against the Vietnam War in general and the illegal bombings of Cambodia in particular.

It was my first opportunity to see for myself what all the noise was about and who was making it.

I decided immediately that I wasn’t going to SFA or SMU. I was headed to Austin.

Five years later, I graduated from UT. I would never bothered to apply to Texas had it not been for that weekend in May of 1970. It changed my life.

At the end of my senior year, I received the school’s “Outstanding Journalism Award.” It’s a 1-inchlong bronze medal in the shape of a narrow gravestone, and I didn’t think I would receive it because it traditionally goes to an editor, and, we had two excellent editors in Carol Duty and Marsha Herron. I figured one of them would win it.

When my name was announced, I almost cried.

Let me put it this way: I loved football. I loved running track for Coach Atkins and playing baseball for Coach Crossland. I enjoyed Student Council. But of all the awards and assorted bric-a-brac I received my senior year, the one I cherish most is that medal. I will sell or burn my letter jacket before I surrender it.

So, let me close with one final “Have you ever” lead.

Have you ever had the time of your life working on a high school newspaper like the Gauger? Well, I did.

No Sit.

ALUMNI

October 5, 2018

Returning Deep Thoughts

with Cookie

15 - So why do you call him Scroon?

-We don’t know -- just do it. *continues for eternity*

Brandon Cook 2017 Alumni

No other community knows the local alma mater like White Oak does

You either die disliking Ms. Sparks or live long enough to see yourself love her.

Is Winnsboro going to beat White Oak? Hale Noll!

Mrs. Taylor as the ability to make your nightmare of public humiliation become reality by calling your name to dance at the pep rally.

Nostaligic Necks Chris Anderson 1999 Alumni

Memories can be a funny thing.

I can’t remember what I ate for dinner Monday night, and I couldn’t tell you who my English 203 professor was at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Today almost all of my high school days are a blur. The moments that shine the brightest, however, almost all surround a field, a court or a diamond.

I’ll never forget the night we beat Spring Hill in football our senior year, and I’ll never forget how loud E.B. Carrington Gymnasium became during the fourth quarter when we beat a state-ranked Tatum team for the district title (teams couldn’t overcome that homecourt advantage back then either).

Twenty years later and 1,300 miles away (I live in Harrisburg, Pa.), I still check in on how the Roughnecks are faring. When White Oak went to (and won!) the state

Alumni expresses lasting love for Roughnecks

basketball titles, I rearranged my days to stream those tournament games. I even watched one while attending a friends’ wedding.

I wasn’t an athlete. I wrote for the Gauger, edited the yearbook, and was a trainer for football and basketball. The hours and hours spent in the journalism lab shaped me into the person I have become -- a journalist and graphic designer. But being around White Oak sports is a part of my soul.

Even today when I read White Oak beat Spring Hill, won a tournament, clinched a playoff spot, I get excited.

On the field or in the stands, being a Roughneck never truly leaves your body, no matter how far removed you become of White Oak. That spirit and bond you build – whether on the field as an athlete, in the stands as a member of the band, as a cheerleader, twirler or just part of the crowd – is hard to

describe but easy to understand.

Here in Pennsylvania, things are different. Communities aren’t built around the school; it’s just not part of the school culture. When someone realizes I was raised in Texas, the first question I get asked is about football. Not cacti. Not TexMex. Not Austin’s music scene.

It’s about high school football.

I try to explain the community involvement, from moms’ clubs to band boosters, but it falls on deaf ears. I try to explain the fandom, but they can’t relate when many stadiums here only have a small set of bleachers on one side of the field.

That’s when it hits me: Being a Roughneck is unique and

most outside of the region will never understand it.

Don’t let those memories you’re building pass by without enjoying the experience.

If you don’t pronounce White Oak like “Wide Oak”, you’re not from White Oak.

Long ago, even before time itself, there was nothing... except frantic students checking Hutchins’ blog.

If I had a dollar for everytime an opposing team asked what a Roughneck was, I’d buy uniforms that had the definition on the jersey.

BEST PIZZA IN TOWN

Moe’s Pizza OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

903-297-3000 DINE-IN, CARRY OUT & DELIVERY

Welcome back, Roughnecks

ENTERTAINMENT

October 5, 2018

Untold Stories of Banders Garrett Cook Copy Editor

What happens in the band hall doesn’t always stay there

I know I’m not the only one who tells their family that half of our high school is in the band.

True or not, we’re known to be big. Along with an army-sized band comes tons of insider stories and memories. You’re about to learn about a few rooms and a few stories that happen within our band hall.

The Tuba Room

The tubas are notorious for being, let’s just say, the section that’s a little different. The tubas have an area they don’t actually put their tubas in, but instead have random questionable items. I won’t go into complete detail because the tuba room is not the most newspaper-friendly room in the band hall. But I will say, there’s everything from stop signs to pianos to brown, half-eaten apples.

The Twirler/Flagger Room

Mr. Steele’s Office

The carpet is filled with tears and mouse droppings.

This is the place you have to overcome your fear of shyness and pass-off your music. It may not sound like much, but imagine missing a note with a lineup of seniors behind you holding in their laughter.

I’m not totally sure what goes on in there because unless you’re a flag or a twirler, you’re not allowed even close to their rooms. But from the short glimpse I’ve seen inside this space, it’s basically a beauty salon. There’s mirrors and makeup bags everywhere, but that’s expected. I’ve seen sweaty girls walk in there after a blazing hot day of marching and come out with a full makeover.

It’s also the spot where the gossiping takes place.

The last thing you want is all the majorettes giving you the look after coming out of their caves.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard another band say their band director starts the school song by shooting an invisible rocket launcher or that their tubas build towers out of stands and chairs and hangs the WO band logo upside down, chanting “White Oak Panthers.”

All in all, our band is filled with countless stories. We have our motto of “Together We Stand Taller” and what I consider our secondonary motto, “Our goal at half time is to get the other team’s fans to rip their clothes, throw their children, and run onto the field” after we perform. It’s fine, only banders would understand.

BAND STEREOTYPES

Garrett Cook Copy Editor

Tubas - many things that should not be said, so we’ll go with… wild Baritones/Euphoniums - unless you play this instrument, no one knows the difference

between the two.

Percussion - beat the drum as loud as possible or don’t play at all; there’s no in between.

Flutes/Clarinets - majority of them are majorettes who are forced to play an instrument.

Trombone - dancing and farting.

Saxophone - their reeds are always broken but they never care because Careless Whisper played through an old, disgusting reed is still Careless Whisper.

French Horn- they hate marching and always seem irritated or angry.

Trumpet - enough ego for the entire school.

Oboe - they look like a clarinet except they play 7 octaves higher.

Bass Clarinet - they sound like spongebob’s alarm clock.

Piccolo - tiny but feisty.

Lies All Parents Tell

16

The little half-truths and white lies used to keep kids in check Lillian Scalia Staff Writer

Throughout the years of our childhood, parents constantly tell us that lying is wrong and that we should always tell the truth. I guess you could say I always knew lying was wrong even at a young age, otherwise I wouldn’t have felt the need to hide my uneaten vegetables in a wadded up napkin in my lap during dinner-time.

Even though I knew I was lying, I knew my mother’s advice of “you better eat your vegetables or you’ll stunt your growth” was also a lie because there I was growing like a weed and almost as tall as her.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that parents are the biggest liars of them all. For years I thought my mother really had eyes in the back of her head.

I swear she would catch me in even the sneakiest of acts. After giving my brother a well-deserved frog in the leg in the back seat of her car, she would holler out my name even before he would flinch at the punch. I would think to myself, “How did she know?”

Sometimes I was even brave enough to ask her how she caught me doing things, and she would only smile and say, “I have eyes in the back of my head.” Through my younger years I would try and catch glimpses of these secret eyes she supposedly had.

It’s funny to sit back and think about all the lies we’ve been told as children, but it’s even funnier to think that we actually believed them. I mean come on, did we really believe that if we crossed our eyes for too long that they would get stuck like that forever? Sad to say, yes I did. I mean, why wouldn’t I believe

my parents? So as a child, any time I would see someone with crossed eyes or even a lazy eye, I would think to myself, “They should’ve listened to their mother.”

I’m sure every parent has lied to their kids at least a few hundred times. So, when we start growing up and begin questioning their fibs, I believe parents feel the need to come up with more believable lies. To this day, I know people who believe that if they swallow their chewing gum, it’ll take seven years for their body to digest it. I understand parents only want us putting healthy things into our bodies, but let’s not scare us into it.

For the longest time I thought I had a giant wad of gum accumulating inside of my stomach.

Sometimes I think parents lie to kids just for their own entertainment. Parents constantly are doing things for us, so I guess they deserve a good laugh at our expense every once in awhile. Still today, my mom tells me and brother that our eyeballs will pop out if we sneeze with our eyes open. Now obviously, we know this is a lie, yet we both refuse to prove her wrong.

I know parents have their reasons why they told us these little white lies here and there.

Most of them, I’m sure, were to protect our feelings. My parents would’ve never told me that the burnt cake I made them was terrible, they would both eat it with a smile and ask for seconds. I can imagine being a parent is a hard job and they just want what’s best for their kids. While they know that teaching us that honesty is the best policy, sometimes it’s just easier on everyone to bend the truth a little.

Don’t let those memories you’re building pass by without enjoying the experience.

October 5, 2018

Fall in Texas

ENTERTAINMENT Leigha Valandingham Business Manager

A letter to Mother Nature discussing frustrations, lack of fall weather Dear

Mother Nature,

I am writing to you today concerning the morality of your current choices. You see, September 22 marked the official first day of fall. Indeed, the calendar says “fall” but your behavior does not. In case you have not noticed, Texans become very agitated when the heat and humidity is prolonged. When the fall season rolls around we all fall victim to “fake fall syndrome” while you sit back and laugh. How is your hair not stuck to the back of your neck? Are you enjoying this, Mothwer Nature?

When fall finally comes around after a long, hot, sticky summer, we all drive our happy selves to Starbucks to buy an overpriced, steamy pumpkin spice latte. We all run to our neighborhood grocery and purchase pumpkin spice coffee creamer, alongside some pumpkin spice flavored muffins to eat for breakfast. Let us be extra. Bless us with Fall weather. Everybody wakes up when fall rolls around and expects the air to be crisp as the dead leaves crunch euponiously underneath the soles of our boots.

Fall is meant to be pumpkin spice and everything nice. Instead all that you’ve given us is pumpkin sweat while everything is wet.

This act is deplorable and you are heinous for tricking us into thinking we would actually have some autumn-like weather. It’s time for chilly football games, and crisp fall mornings. It’s time for beanies and scarves. It’s supposed to be chunky sweater and bootie season for us Texan girls. The guys would like to wear their jeans and boots without creating rings of sweat in their denim.

My hair is stuck to my forehead, my back is stuck to my stadium seat, my hair is getting frizzy and there is humidity in the air. Texans are requesting your help and cooperation immediately. I mean, this is pretty serious. Girls are actually dying their hair to match the seasons and their fall attire. Do you understand the intensity of that, Mother Nature? No? Okay.

That is exactly what I thought. You enjoy watching people ready to jump off the deep end in this 101 degree “fall” weather. You trick us all into thinking there’s a “cold front” coming; however 80 degrees is not a cold front just because it’s cooler than high 90s. We need 65 and below. ASAP please and thank you.

You don’t understand the type of stress that us Texans feel when you behave in such a manner as you have. Our biscuits are not buttered, and our boats are not floating.

Please get it together. Preferably sooner, rather than later.

Sincerely, very concerned, agitated, and sweaty citizen of Texas.

Update: On Thursday, September 27, Mother Nature provided 65 degree weather. We are thankful and praying for a continuation of this true fall weather. Please don’t be playing with our hearts, Mother Nature. You know as soon as the temperature drops below 70 degrees we will all look Antarctica-bound, swaddled in 4 scarves, mittens, and every long-sleeve in our closet.

Odd Occupations Skyla O’Brien Staff Writer

all photos by skyla o’brien

17 Teachers who had weird jobs before education

“I was a clown for birthday parties when I was 18,” english II teacher Stacy Shellhorse said. “My name was Buffy the Clown and I had to dress up and wear my hair in pigtails. I played Red Rover and made animal balloons for about a year and made 20 dollars an hour.”

“I started out raising pigs,” education and training teacher Nikki Faircloth said. “I did this when I was nine until I was sixteen, and I had enough money to pay for college. I had to buy the pigs, tame them, walk them everyday, make sure they were fed, and then I would show them in livestock shows and sell them at the auction.”

“Before I was in education I worked at a roofing manufacturing plant for 18 months when I was 19 and 20,” assistant principal Marcus Camp said. “We made shingles from scratch, and it sure did make me want to go back to college and get my degree.”

“My uncle invented magnetic tools and I had to put magnets on them,” coach Dion Simmons said. “I would do about a thousand a day and would have to hammer magnets onto them. It was called a magnetic time saver and was used for socket stuff. I only did it for a summer when I was 20 years old. I got paid good money, it was about ten cents a piece and everyone would race to see who could do more”

Fear Factor Payton Palmer Assistant Editor

We live in a society where fears surround us left and right. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Although, he didn’t live in the age of nuclear bombs, supposed global warming, cooling, or whatever they’re saying at the moment, and closer to home, the fear of not being asked to the Homecoming Dance, being asked to the dance by someone you don’t want to go with, or even worse, not being allowed to go to the dance at all.

How does one overcome these great fears? Take the advice of some of the greatest leaders of our time who say to overcome your fears you have to face them.

Afraid of nuclear bombs? Cook more things in the microwave… radiated food tastes good.

How to overcome the fears you never thought you could

Afraid of global warming?

Try the ice bucket challenge.

Global cooling? Tanning beds are nice, and forgoing the mini eye goggles, will once again, bring you face to face with the effects of a nuclear bomb by the bright, radiating light surrounding your face.

Afraid of not being asked to the Homecoming Dance?

When someone is bringing out their Homecoming Proposal for your friend, trip them, smile excitedly, and say yes.

Afraid of someone asking you but not wanting to go with them? Trip and push your friend in front of you.

Not allowed to go to the dance at all? Watch the videos that your siblings have secretly recorded of yourself attempting to dance to dance over the years. You will realize that your parents saved you from another great fear of becoming a viral laughing-stock because of

your freakishly, awkward moves.

Experts also say to overcome your fears you must build your confidence. To do this you should start off each morning by going to the mirror. As you look at your dreadful Medusa-styled-bed-head through your reddened, puffy eyes and notice a newly formed pimple radiating like a siren on the center of your forehead, say what Meghan Trainor often does, ‘Who’s that pretty thang I see over there? That’s me, standin’ in the mirror.’ It’s kind of like my parents frequently say of the Democrats, “If you repeat a lie often enough, people start to believe it.”

Another thing to help boost your confidence, is to buy clothes a size or two too large. This way you will always feel like you’ve just lost that ten pounds you never could. Then go out for ice cream to celebrate.

ENTERTAINMENT

October 5, 2018

Dating Debacle Haley Spencer Copy Editor

18

How to survive LDRs

I am not good at a long distance relationships, but unfortunately I am in one.

I’m not saying I don’t like my boyfriend. He’s great. But I am an emotional and clingy mess who is constantly in need of attention, so this life really isn’t for me.

Let me begin this by saying I am by no means a long distance relationship expert. Ask my boyfriend; I am sure he’d love to tell you about it. Some nights I can be pretty chill. Those are the nights he is in his apartment by himself studying and snapchatting me every 30 seconds.

But then some nights his phone dies and he doesn’t get home until midnight because he was at the game and those are the not fun nights.

Here are a few tips that work for me in my long distance relationship and some things that don’t.And remember, I have told y’all that this is not my thing so I will NOT take responsibility for your collapsing relationship if you try these out.

1. Don’t change what you are comfortable with.

Face Behind Finsta Leigha Valandingham Business Manager

In a world of finstas and secret Snapchat stories, teenagers are constantly searching for an outlet to act out and be contradictory to their true personalities.

People’s actions and identities on social media may not be the same as their normal character.

Not only are teens finding ways to act out through fake and hidden social media profiles, but even the comments section of real profiles are filled with false compliments from distant acquaintances and hopeless “we should hang out soon, girl”’s from the same person who just had a trash-talk session about you. The difference between true identity and social media

If My Baird McDaniel Staff Writer

identity in today’s social media generation is the act of asking for attention or even trying to avoid it.

It’s stereotypical to think that social media users are anti-social and silent, but once taking a peek into their world of social networking, it’s likely clear to see that they are far from being silent. Being involved makes teenagers feel valuable and important, especially in a world where teenagers are constantly ridiculed and discriminated against. Whether it be actively involved via commenting and liking or being passively involved via posting pictures just to show off rather than starving for likes and comments, teens just want to be involved in social media which oftentimes blurs the line between reality and false identity. The same

Dog Could Talk

Man’s best friend’s perspective on life

The dog. Man’s best friend and loyal sidekick since before written history. Us humans have created such an unbreakable bond with these animals over the last 15,000 years, but how? Dogs can’t relate to the day-to-day hullabaloo that

humans concern themselves with. They can’t even speak.

But what if they could?

If my dog could talk she would stay silent when my alarm has already worn itself out on its futile mission to wake me up. If my dog could talk she

People are not the same in real life and online person who comments, likes, and retweets your posts, may not even make eye contact with you in person or ever say a word to you.

This goes to show the difference between people on social media versus their real life. Being social and connected plays a vital role in the crazy life of a teenager, and portraying themselves one way, while being a completely different way. Teens are constantly hiding behind the screen, too afraid to be themselves in a social setting.

In a world where we can be anything, we are often too afraid to be ourselves. We should refrain from allowing media to be our outlet to be someone other than who we are. In a world where we can be anything, we should just be ourselves.

would beg me to stay home as I was slipping my socks on when I was about to leave for school.

She would remind me to not forget my college government book that is slowly collecting dust on my dresser. She would help me devise a plan for how I could finish all of my work that is due that day in the 8 periods that I have to work with. She would talk about school drama with me and provide her expert opinion. If my dog could talk she

One of the hardest things for me has been finding the line of letting him go and have fun in college, but also trying to be a controlling girlfriend at the same time. And we are all controlling so don’t even act like that’s a bad thing. I’m just admitting it way too openly. But for real, if you are okay with you boyfriend going out and doing whatever, then go you. But if you aren’t, don’t settle for it. It is not fair for your boyfriend/girlfriend to be out having fun while you are worried.

2. You have to be willing to sacrifice things.

You have to realize your boyfriend is going to have friends in college.

And some of them are probably going to be girls. And some of them are probably going to be super sweet and have long blonde wavy hair.

The hardest thing for me is understanding that even though he has friends and even though he likes having fun with them, I am his girlfriend and he likes me more. If you can’t say that then it may be time to step back and make sure this relationship is something worth fighting for.

3. Don’t let it ruin your fun.

You are still allowed to have fun even though your significant other isn’t with you! Don’t let your high school years not be fun because you are sitting around waiting on a Snapchat or a FaceTime call. Make friends. Go out and do fun things. It’s not fair for either one of you to not do anything or have a life just so your relationship stays in a safe bubble. If your relationship can’t stand a girls night then that may say something about it.

Now that you have made it through my tips you probably think, “man she really has it together.” If I’m going to be completely honest with you, I actually don’t follow any of these, but I wish I could. This is compiled of tips created off of sad long distance relationship quotes from Pinterest. So if your relationship falls apart blame Pinterest, not me.

would badger me until I said yes to playing a game of chase or tug-of-war. She would thank me every time I fed her, and she would be forever grateful for our daily walk abouts outside. She would effectively convince me to let her outside to go to the bathroom, and then come back in after 10 minutes of doing everything except taking care of her business. If my dog could talk she would tell me that she loved me with every swift stroke

I laid upon her patiently waiting head, and if my dog could talk she would stay silently, yet confidently, comforting me as I experienced heartache or loss. She would explain how to love others the way she does, and how to be as all knowing as her. If my dog could talk she would tell me why she has to leave so much earlier than us, and say goodbye to our wonderful and loving journey as best friends forever.

October 5, 2018

KIDS

19

Go, Necks Go.

SPORTS

October 5, 2018

Don’t Get It Crossed Checkup on cross country season Abby Quesenberry Staff Writer

Last Saturday the high school and middle school cross country teams traveled to Gilmer to compete in the Buckeye Invitational. Success was seen across the board as many of the runners won medals. The cross country teams will run in the Gladewater Invitational October 6, -- the high school runners last meet before they head off to district.

The varsity girls placed third overall as a team; Olivia Sipes placing 7th, Cece Hernandez placing 8th, and Morgan Benge placing 9th. Baylee Lyke placed 18th and Abby Quesenberry placing in 23rd place.

“I think the meet went really well this week,” Benge said.

“We all stayed together which really helped us place higher as a team. The weather was also really nice, which helped us keep pushing to finish.”

For the varsity boys, Nathan Green placed 34th, John Langley 37th, and Dylan Miller 46th.

20

Skyla O’Brien Staff Writer

“The Gilmer meet was one of my best races so far,” Langley said. “I always have a fun time running and going to meets, and doing well is always a plus.”

The junior high girls placed 7th as a team; Alyssa Jones placed 10th and Addie Young 14th.

Addison Clinkscales placed 38th, Raylee Gajewsky 49th, and Kinsey Watkins 95th.

“It was easier than the last meet and I was a lot more confident in myself,” Watkins said. “The course was flat and smooth so it wasn’t as hard and I wasn’t as nervous as I was last week.”

The junior high boys placed 11th as a team, Aidan Kennar placed 19th and Tristan Blair 27th. Jake Yarbrough placed 47th, Kohl Adams in 87th, Kanaan Moore in 117th, and Blaine Vaughn in 119th place.

“I think the meet went really well,” Coach Hutchins Boyett said.

“Everyone is running where they should at this point in the season. The upcoming meet will be a good course and a nice tuneup for district.”

Home no traveling, less stress on everyone

exhaustive, but entertaining bus rides

home-field advantage

opportunity to play in different environments

more support Just feels ‘homey”

Flagrunner Superstitions Shae Orms Staff Writer

Laws & rules to live by

For a small town, winning a Friday night football game is just about equal to winning the Texas lottery. We care about our football team as much as we care about getting rain after a drought. That’s why my flag runners and I take our traditions of superstitions very seriously.

Rule #1- Never touch the flags.

It doesn’t matter if were three yards away -- you won’t catch us with a single finger touching any of the flags until the band is a good 3 seconds into the fight song.

Away

Rule # 3- Never talk about the outcome of the game.

If we’re feeling good, worried, confident or stressed, not a peep comes out of our mouths about how we think the game is going to end.

Rule #2- Never stand by the flags Rule #4- All shorts must be the too early. same color.

We know when to move and the 40 yard line isn’t If the football team has to match, we do, too. one of them.

Breaking any of these rules is asking for a death wish. You don’t want to see an angry Emma Wayt or you will be chewed out, even if it is followed by a hug. We do whatever is takes for our team to win and we believe following the rules exceptionally increases our chances. All rules aside, you can find us running our hearts out and supporting our boys on the sideline every Friday night.

photo by haley spencer

satisfaction of beating the other team at their stadium

October 5, 2018

See You in Court Lisa Potichko Staff Writer

SPORTS

21 Varsity District

Volleyball season summary

The Ladynecks will play their ninth district match at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon in the new middle school gym. The Ladynecks two losses and 6 wins in district and are competing for a spot in playoffs. So far this season, freshman Lexi Baker leads the Ladynecks with 249 kills and sophomore Alysa Hall follows with 191. Baker also has 25 blocks and senior Allison Patak with 33. Sophomore Macy Weeks has contributed 359 digs, junior Samantha McGrew 136, and senior Destiny Morgan 119. Senior setter Lisa Potichko also has 502 assists.

“We lost a lot of really good seniors from last year so I think people kind of had it in their minds that we weren’t going to be as good, Patak said. “But I think we’ve proven that we can be even better because we just have a good team connection and work really well together.”

Despite shutout losses to Harmony and Sabine at the first of district, the ladies have improved their record with a five game win streak.

“The Harmony and Sabine games really changed our mindset for the rest of district. We had to wake up and realize we had to be on our A-game at all time,” Senior Anna Dusek said.

“Everyone became more aware that we need a sense of urgency and to respect every team and beat them.”

Coach Nicole Thorn continues to push the Ladynecks to maintain their successful season and while she ultimately wants to win, she still has high expectations for the girls outside of the court.

“I expect my players to be classy, respectful young women on a daily basis, to never be outworked and continue to give God the glory through it all,” Thorn said. “Our players are all buying in and working extremely hard each and every day.”

Harmony Winona Sabine West Rusk Arp Troup Gladewater

The JV Ladynecks defeated Troup last Tuesday evening, but were handed a loss against the Harmony Lady Eagles, earning their second win in district this season. With victories against Gilmer, Hallsville, All Saints, Elysian Fields, Winona, and a first place win in the Pine Tree tournament, the girls started off with a strong season and an even stronger bond with their teammates.

“The best part of this season so far is just being on the court

with the people on the team and having the ability to play with girls I love,” sophomore Payton Palmer said. “Everyone is so sweet and we are all friends on and off the court. Being so close makes playing the game even more fun than it already is.”

Each athlete in the volleyball program focuses on performing to the best of their ability at their specific position, as well as being discipline, keeping control when playing out the ball, and being coachable.

Each spot on the court relies on other positions to score,

L W L W W W W

JV District

Going up for a hit, freshman Lexi baker kills the ball. “At first I was nervous to play with varsity,” Baker said. “I feel like when I make a mistake it’s all on me, but everyone makes mistakes and I have to remember that.”

Winona 25-4 25-5 West Rusk 25-12 16-25 24-26 Troup 25-4 25-12

W W W L L W W

courtesy photo

Unfinished Business Anna Dusek Staff Writer

3-1 3-0 3-1 3-0 3-1 3-2 3-0

Ladynecks go 2-1 in district action

which means that teamwork and cooperation are needed to earn wins in volleyball.

“My position is receiving the second contact and doing my best to set it up for someone to get a kill,” freshman Lyndsey Cubine said. “I like being a setter because I like the feeling when someone gets a good hit off my set.”

Before district, every team in the program is scheduled to play bigger and tougher teams in order to prepare for district.

Competing with larger schools not only provides practice and

experiences to the players, but also is a huge confidence boost when the games are played well.

“The biggest challenge this year has been playing teams that give us competition and are bigger than us, like Gilmer,” sophomore Brooklyn Schroeder said. “But my goal this year is to win the rest of our games this season.”

Practices and games can be exhausting and time consuming, and learning to be mentally tough isn’t the easiest. However, the effort is worth it when you truly have

a heart for the game and are willing to do whatever it takes to be the best you can be as a player and teammate.

“My goal as a volleyball player this year is to be one of the leaders on the court and set a good example for younger girls who want to have a passion for volleyball as they grow up and develop into better players,” freshman Kaylee Wilkinson said. “I want to work hard this year, so that I can have a chance to be on varsity next year. I want to do my best to accomplish my goals.”

October 5, 2018

Football Game Preview When: Friday, October 5, 7:30 pm Where: Roughneck Stadium Opponent: Winnsboro Raiders Preview: The two teams seemed to be pretty evenly matched. Both teams have a 2-3 overall record and are 0-1 in district.

The Raiders are successful on the road while the Roughnecks look to secure a homecoming victory for a packed stadium.

SPORTS

Players to Watch

QB Dalton Sumrow- Scoring touchdowns is what he does best.

Sumrow’s ability to use his arm is a huge advantage for the offensive success for the Roughnecks. Sumrow has completed 95 passes for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns.

WR Cade Wheat- Throughout the season, if there’s a tough catch that needs to be made, Wheat is your man. As Sumrow’s favorite target, Wheat has reeled in 37 receptions for 644 yards and seven touchdowns.

Outside Hitter Lexi Baker-Baker is known for being aggressive with her swing and likes to put the ball down.

She added 17 kills, three digs and four aces to her totals against the Lady Eagles Tuesday night.

RB Bo Reddic-The workhorse of the run game, Reddic carries defenders on his back and leads the team in rushing yards with 129 rushes for 615 yards. He also has seven touchdowns and zero fumbles.

Outside Hitter Alysa Hall-Hall led the way at the net vs. Harmony with 20 kills. She also chipped in two blocks and nine digs. She is a very reliable player, knowing exactly where to place the ball.

S Colton Cobb- The sophomore safety has stepped up to lead the team defensively with 18 solo tackles and 35 assists. He has one interception and five pass break ups. Look for Cobb to continue his defensive leadership against Winnsboro.

Setter Lisa Potichko-Potichko is aware of where her hitters need the ball set and also where to dump the ball if needed. She added 37 assists and four digs to her totals against Harmony.

Offseason Update Boys’ basketball team completes running portion Haley Spencer Copy Editor

Finishing up the running portion of the offseason program, the boys basketball team is fully prepared for a successful season on the court.

“I am pretty excited that I don’t have to run anymore,” junior Jacob Laughlin said.

“The hardest part was definitely all of the running and stuff like that. It was a lot.”

While the underclassmen are excited for the end, the seniors have a bit of a different perspective.

“It is very bittersweet,” senior Collin Bower said. “Even though I’m definitely glad it’s over, it is also sad that I am not going to be able to work alongside some of my best friends anymore.”

As offseason comes to an end, the players are excited for the season to come.

“It’s pretty exciting to be heading into our senior year,” senior Nate Hearron said.

“We have all been working so hard to get to this moment and now it is finally here and we get to show our work. I know we are all excited to see what happens this season.”

Defensive Specialist Samantha McGrew-The position McGrew plays lends itself to being a great passer and making plays. In the Ladyneck’s last outing vs. Harmony, McGrew led the defensive effort with 10 digs.

22

Volleyball Game Preview When: Saturday, October 6, 2:00 pm Where: New White Oak Middle School Gym Opponent: Winona Ladycats Preview: The Ladynecks are coming off of a big win, going five sets against Harmony.

Look for the Ladynecks to take care of the Ladycats quickly, so they can get ready for the homecoming dance.

photo by kiah coomes

Using her height to her advantage, eighth grader Anna Iske prepares to hit the ball toward her opponent.“It was my first game back after being in a cast so it felt really good to be back on the court,” Iske said. “It was a lot of fun getting to play with my team. We did win pretty big against West Rusk and we did well on our side of the court with bump, set, and hit.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL

photo by kahlen reed

October 5, 2018

23

Going in for the play, eighth grader Mitchell Carter takes the handoff and made his way to the outside, heading to the endzone.

“Unfortunately we got the penalty back at the line of scrimmage and the touchdown was called back. I was able to continue helping my team as we defeated the Wildcats 26-0.”

photo by lauren hinch

In the weekly student council game, eighth graders Lucy Phan and Drake Kneifl rush to be the first team finished. The teachers were waiting at halfcourt for the Saran wrapped kid to run toward them. “I wasn’t surprised when they called my name for the skit because they called my sixth grade brother too, so it ended up being a sibling competition of sorts,” Kneifl said. “It was really fun because I had never been a part of this kind of activity. My partner, Lucy and I won the competition.”

photo by lauren hinch

Middle School

Auxiliary line members smile at the crowd as they perform their routine. “I’ve been twirling since I was four years old and I’ve just always enjoyed it,” Katie Hinch said. “I like twirling for the school and it’s an honor to be drum major as a seventh grader. I also like making stronger friendships on the line and with the band members.”

HOMECOMING

October 5, 2018

What’s UPUp with White Oak All About Me, WOHS POV

Age -

A ripe 131 years, but doesn’t look a day over 100

Namesake -

photo by ryan zimmerman

“I love White Oak because it’s where I’ve been my whole life and I just love the teachers and students.”

- Austin Folke, 12

two large trees growing near the site of first school

Favorite Color -

maroon and white, representing valor and purity

Who Are You Three Words Biggest accomplishment -

Tradition, pride, loyalty

honored tradition of being a winner

“It’s home to me because basically my whole family went here, and to be here is special for me because I’m carrying on a legacy.”

- Rebekah Morton, 11

“The rush and excitement of football games really shows the school as one and makes team spirit flood the halls.”

- Breanne Beckham, 12

“I wear the same pair of shoes every football game because over the years, the boys superstiituions have rubbed off on me, so now I can’t not wear them.”

- Alyssa Evans, 12

“I love how small White Oak is and how everyone helps each other like the pink out shirts for big Adrian.”

- Savannah Miller, 12

24