"The Stinger is a student-run newspaper designed to give voice to the Marion Center
Junior/Senior High School student body. The staff aims to demonstrate the value of free speech
and a free press through creating an informative and responsible newspaper that focuses on
issues and events important to the school community."
Junior/Senior High School student body. The staff aims to demonstrate the value of free speech
and a free press through creating an informative and responsible newspaper that focuses on
issues and events important to the school community."
Sports
Preview: Winter Sports
By: Mackenzie Walker
December 6, 2017
As the month of December and the holiday countdown begins, winter sports gain momentum as they start conditioning, training, and competing throughout the winter months.
Swimming is in full swing as they begin competition, they will compete in their first meet of the season this Monday, December 10th. “Our goal this season is to have more people qualify for districts,” senior swimmer and school record holder Lauren Krecota says. “We have a lot more freshmen this year coming out for swimming which is different,” she says. “…and we also have Mrs. DeHaven as a coach this year.”
The wrestlers are also preparing for competition with LOTS of conditioning. Led by coaches Jeff Lyons and Chris Stewart they head into their 2017 season. “We want to do our best and send as many people to states as we can,” senior wrestler Tyler Cover says of their 2017 goals. “We have less people this year but we are working just as hard.”
On the court we have both the girls and boys basketball players conditioning for the big games. The boys team goal is “…to make it to playoffs” senior Paul McClure says. “We condition after practice.” The girls team has a similar goal. “We want to make it to KCAC and then championships,” junior Ariah Alabran states confidently. “We have been doing a lot more conditioning this year.” “We are changing it up this year, we have more focus” sophomore Laney Monroe says of the team.
The only team who practices out in the snowy weather is winter track. Coached by Chris Peters, Luke Sitosky, Nicole Dann, and Desiree Fuqua, the team includes all track athletes from throwers to jumpers to sprinters to runners in grades 9-12. The team travels to Edinboro University to compete at an indoor facility. “Our goal in winter track is to prepare for spring track,” junior and foreign exchange student, Maitane Anton says. The team competes in their first meet on January 20th.
The winter sports at MC are training hard and conditioning for the big moments that come later in the season. Preparation now leads to success in the future. Good luck winter sports and good luck to what will become a great season!
By: Mackenzie Walker
December 6, 2017
As the month of December and the holiday countdown begins, winter sports gain momentum as they start conditioning, training, and competing throughout the winter months.
Swimming is in full swing as they begin competition, they will compete in their first meet of the season this Monday, December 10th. “Our goal this season is to have more people qualify for districts,” senior swimmer and school record holder Lauren Krecota says. “We have a lot more freshmen this year coming out for swimming which is different,” she says. “…and we also have Mrs. DeHaven as a coach this year.”
The wrestlers are also preparing for competition with LOTS of conditioning. Led by coaches Jeff Lyons and Chris Stewart they head into their 2017 season. “We want to do our best and send as many people to states as we can,” senior wrestler Tyler Cover says of their 2017 goals. “We have less people this year but we are working just as hard.”
On the court we have both the girls and boys basketball players conditioning for the big games. The boys team goal is “…to make it to playoffs” senior Paul McClure says. “We condition after practice.” The girls team has a similar goal. “We want to make it to KCAC and then championships,” junior Ariah Alabran states confidently. “We have been doing a lot more conditioning this year.” “We are changing it up this year, we have more focus” sophomore Laney Monroe says of the team.
The only team who practices out in the snowy weather is winter track. Coached by Chris Peters, Luke Sitosky, Nicole Dann, and Desiree Fuqua, the team includes all track athletes from throwers to jumpers to sprinters to runners in grades 9-12. The team travels to Edinboro University to compete at an indoor facility. “Our goal in winter track is to prepare for spring track,” junior and foreign exchange student, Maitane Anton says. The team competes in their first meet on January 20th.
The winter sports at MC are training hard and conditioning for the big moments that come later in the season. Preparation now leads to success in the future. Good luck winter sports and good luck to what will become a great season!
Fall Sports
By: Mackenzie Walker
November 9, 2017
With the completion of October and the beginning of November also comes the completion of fall sports at MC. This includes football, volleyball, and cross country.
The Marion Center football team finished up their season with two victories. This is an improvement from their one victory over North Star in the Westpac/Heritage Conference crossover game last season. They hope to continue improving for next year’s season.
The girls’ volleyball team completed their season with two victories as well.. Their main goal however was becoming closer with each other as a family which they managed to accomplish this last season more than ever.
The cross country teams finished up a successful season with a good showing at the PIAA State Meet in Hershey, PA. Both teams went undefeated in the dual meet season and are both the 2017 Heritage Conference team champions. The girls also brought home a win from the Indiana County meet where the boys also placed well at second place behind Indiana. Both the girls and boys teams qualified for the state meet at the District 6 championships by placing 2nd in the Class A division. The girls placed 4th in the state with the boys close behind with a 13th place finish.
By: Mackenzie Walker
November 9, 2017
With the completion of October and the beginning of November also comes the completion of fall sports at MC. This includes football, volleyball, and cross country.
The Marion Center football team finished up their season with two victories. This is an improvement from their one victory over North Star in the Westpac/Heritage Conference crossover game last season. They hope to continue improving for next year’s season.
The girls’ volleyball team completed their season with two victories as well.. Their main goal however was becoming closer with each other as a family which they managed to accomplish this last season more than ever.
The cross country teams finished up a successful season with a good showing at the PIAA State Meet in Hershey, PA. Both teams went undefeated in the dual meet season and are both the 2017 Heritage Conference team champions. The girls also brought home a win from the Indiana County meet where the boys also placed well at second place behind Indiana. Both the girls and boys teams qualified for the state meet at the District 6 championships by placing 2nd in the Class A division. The girls placed 4th in the state with the boys close behind with a 13th place finish.
MC Football Crossover Game: Westpac Vs Heritage Conference
By: Cherise Schultz
October 24, 2017
This year, Marion Center Highschool has the privilege of hosting the cross-over football game (also known as the non-conference game.) This game is played between a team from the Heritage Conference, and a team from the Westpac. Most people don’t know why this game came to be, as it doesn’t do much for the team other than just adding a game. That is exactly the purpose, to have an even 10 games for the end of the season. Also, from the perspective of the players, this game is in some ways for “bragging rights” between the conferences. Although there is not too much reasoning behind this game, there is a bit more that went into putting the game together itself.
The idea of a non-conference football game came from the Appalachian Bowl, as told by Mr. Dehaven, Marion Center’s varsity football coach. No matter what a team scores throughout the season, they are matched with a team from the opposite conference who shares a very close, if not the same, number of wins and losses from the current season. Every team from the conferences are matched up with another, however, they are not required to play because it is a game out of the conference. Most teams will play this game since, as stated earlier, it is partly played for the bragging rights.
The team that Marion Center will be playing this year is North Star; the same team that Marion Center played during the non-conference game last season. The North Star team this year is ranked 468th in the state, compared to Marion Center’s 452nd rank. The teams seem like very similar matches based on their success this season, and it will be very interesting to see how the game plays out on Friday, October 27.
By: Cherise Schultz
October 24, 2017
This year, Marion Center Highschool has the privilege of hosting the cross-over football game (also known as the non-conference game.) This game is played between a team from the Heritage Conference, and a team from the Westpac. Most people don’t know why this game came to be, as it doesn’t do much for the team other than just adding a game. That is exactly the purpose, to have an even 10 games for the end of the season. Also, from the perspective of the players, this game is in some ways for “bragging rights” between the conferences. Although there is not too much reasoning behind this game, there is a bit more that went into putting the game together itself.
The idea of a non-conference football game came from the Appalachian Bowl, as told by Mr. Dehaven, Marion Center’s varsity football coach. No matter what a team scores throughout the season, they are matched with a team from the opposite conference who shares a very close, if not the same, number of wins and losses from the current season. Every team from the conferences are matched up with another, however, they are not required to play because it is a game out of the conference. Most teams will play this game since, as stated earlier, it is partly played for the bragging rights.
The team that Marion Center will be playing this year is North Star; the same team that Marion Center played during the non-conference game last season. The North Star team this year is ranked 468th in the state, compared to Marion Center’s 452nd rank. The teams seem like very similar matches based on their success this season, and it will be very interesting to see how the game plays out on Friday, October 27.
Heritage Conference Cross Country Championships
By: Seth White
October 24, 2017
On Thursday, October 19, the Heritage Conference Cross-Country Championships took place at the Marion Center Community Park. The Marion Center Stingers raced for both conference championship titles (Girls and Boys).
The Girls race started with an early lead by Marion Center’s own Mackenzie Walker. Walker ran a 20:14:17, 27.3 seconds ahead of the second place finisher Addaleia Beer from Purchase line. The MC girls kept up the pressure with Emily Risinger, Micaylee DeHaven, and Mackenzie Lucas placing third, fourth, and fifth. Blairsville’s Jillian Barger took sixth.
Coach Nicole Dann, when asked how she felt after the Girl’s race, said “I’m really happy with the performance, it’s really exciting. We’re really striving to do the best.” I asked her what the team has to thank for its winning streak, and Dann said that “Winning creates a culture.” She said it instills values in the athletes to put in the work to be able to win. Coach Dann is not only the team’s coach, but is a registered dietician/nutritionist at IUP. When asked if she thought if having a nutritionist on board is especially helpful for MC, Dann said “Access to a nutritionist can be vital, and there are so many facets that come along with this.”
On the Boys’ end, MC’s Hunter Armstrong took first with an impressive 16:47:8, 2.6 seconds behind Alex Woodrow’s meet record set in 2009. United’s Alex Ringler placed second, Sam Cunkelman third, Micha Kurka fourth, with United’s Alex Boring rounding out the top 5. This was the First Heritage Conference Championship title won by the MC Boy’s since 2014. Purchase line finished a close second, with only 3 points difference.
Coach Darryl Walker was equally pleased with the turnout of the race. Walker said “I love being a coach here, It’s like a machine where every individual brings a different dynamic.” Coach Walker has been a competitive runner for 30+ years and his experience has certainly shown in the performance and motivation of the team.
“It’s obviously a lot of work to win, but it’s great for the community, the school, and the team.” MC Super Intendant Clint Weimer said. “I’m very happy and excited with the turnout.”
By: Seth White
October 24, 2017
On Thursday, October 19, the Heritage Conference Cross-Country Championships took place at the Marion Center Community Park. The Marion Center Stingers raced for both conference championship titles (Girls and Boys).
The Girls race started with an early lead by Marion Center’s own Mackenzie Walker. Walker ran a 20:14:17, 27.3 seconds ahead of the second place finisher Addaleia Beer from Purchase line. The MC girls kept up the pressure with Emily Risinger, Micaylee DeHaven, and Mackenzie Lucas placing third, fourth, and fifth. Blairsville’s Jillian Barger took sixth.
Coach Nicole Dann, when asked how she felt after the Girl’s race, said “I’m really happy with the performance, it’s really exciting. We’re really striving to do the best.” I asked her what the team has to thank for its winning streak, and Dann said that “Winning creates a culture.” She said it instills values in the athletes to put in the work to be able to win. Coach Dann is not only the team’s coach, but is a registered dietician/nutritionist at IUP. When asked if she thought if having a nutritionist on board is especially helpful for MC, Dann said “Access to a nutritionist can be vital, and there are so many facets that come along with this.”
On the Boys’ end, MC’s Hunter Armstrong took first with an impressive 16:47:8, 2.6 seconds behind Alex Woodrow’s meet record set in 2009. United’s Alex Ringler placed second, Sam Cunkelman third, Micha Kurka fourth, with United’s Alex Boring rounding out the top 5. This was the First Heritage Conference Championship title won by the MC Boy’s since 2014. Purchase line finished a close second, with only 3 points difference.
Coach Darryl Walker was equally pleased with the turnout of the race. Walker said “I love being a coach here, It’s like a machine where every individual brings a different dynamic.” Coach Walker has been a competitive runner for 30+ years and his experience has certainly shown in the performance and motivation of the team.
“It’s obviously a lot of work to win, but it’s great for the community, the school, and the team.” MC Super Intendant Clint Weimer said. “I’m very happy and excited with the turnout.”
MC Alumni World Record Holder
By: Mackenzie Walker
April 12, 2017
Ever wonder what happens after graduation? What are MC alumni doing now? High school graduation marks the beginning of a new chapter in life with colleges, jobs, traveling, new friends, and new hobbies. For one MC graduate, this journey led to another big accomplishment: a world record.
Jameson Franey, a 2012 graduate from Marion Center High School and current student at IUP, holds the world record for most weight bench pressed under the age of 23. At the 2017 IPA Pennsylvania State Championships Franey benched an impressive 350 lbs., setting a new world record. “This was the first meet that I found locally. I just wanted to see how I did and when I found out what the record weight was, I knew I could do it,” Franey stated.
Franey started seriously training his sophomore year of high school and just recently began participating in meets about a year ago. He plans to compete in the National meet in November.
“I train five to six days, 3 of those days being focus days on specific groups like squat, bench, and dead lift.” Franey responds when asked about his training. His words of advice to anyone looking into weight training are “Just do it, don’t overthink or overcomplicate things, it’s the only way to find out your strengths.”
Franey plans to finish his studies at IUP for physical therapy and continue on to earn his graduate degree and eventually, his PhD.
-Good luck Jameson and way to make MC proud!-
By: Mackenzie Walker
April 12, 2017
Ever wonder what happens after graduation? What are MC alumni doing now? High school graduation marks the beginning of a new chapter in life with colleges, jobs, traveling, new friends, and new hobbies. For one MC graduate, this journey led to another big accomplishment: a world record.
Jameson Franey, a 2012 graduate from Marion Center High School and current student at IUP, holds the world record for most weight bench pressed under the age of 23. At the 2017 IPA Pennsylvania State Championships Franey benched an impressive 350 lbs., setting a new world record. “This was the first meet that I found locally. I just wanted to see how I did and when I found out what the record weight was, I knew I could do it,” Franey stated.
Franey started seriously training his sophomore year of high school and just recently began participating in meets about a year ago. He plans to compete in the National meet in November.
“I train five to six days, 3 of those days being focus days on specific groups like squat, bench, and dead lift.” Franey responds when asked about his training. His words of advice to anyone looking into weight training are “Just do it, don’t overthink or overcomplicate things, it’s the only way to find out your strengths.”
Franey plans to finish his studies at IUP for physical therapy and continue on to earn his graduate degree and eventually, his PhD.
-Good luck Jameson and way to make MC proud!-
Behind the Scenes, MC Track and Field
By: Mackenzie Walker
April 4, 2017
With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of the spring sports season and in particular, the beginning of the 2017 spring track season at MC. This year MC track and field is welcoming some new faces to the team, and not just new athletes, but new coaches.
Mr. Mark Magolis resigned as head track and field coach and will be filling the position of junior high head coach, a position previously held by Mr. Chris Peters, who will now be serving as the new head track and field coach.
Mr. Peters needs no introduction seeing as he has been coaching teams at MC for 14 years, including cross country and winter track. “We want to build a program that provides our students an opportunity to get better every day. A program where everyone expects to give their best to become their best,” says Peters after being asked about his goals for the team. “Marion Center Track and Field will eventually be seen for what it has been for years; the best opportunity for a serious athlete to become a better athlete. Of course if we do all that we will win and I always expect to win.”
Helping Mr. Peters in his quest to better the MC Track and Field team is assistant head coach Nicole Dann. Coach Dann has also been a long time member of the coaching staff at MC, coaching cross country and track for 9 years. “I want to foster an environment that is positive but also pushes athletes to challenge themselves, learn about themselves and builds on their self-efficacy. My goal is to encourage athletes to become lifelong runners in order to support overall health and wellness,” says Coach Dann. She is also certified by USATF as a level 1 track and field coach and works to help the team through her role as a Registered Dietician Nutritionist.
Also helping MC track and field reach their goals are Mrs. Desiree Fuqua, Mr. Brad Smith, and Mr. Darryl Walker.
Coach Fuqua, new to MCTF though no stranger to track and field, has been coaching for 6 years prior to coming to MC. “My goals for this year are for our athletes to improve upon their personal bests, for them to grow as an athlete, and develop character through competition and athletics. I hope to help our athletes contend for team victories in championship meets and qualify individual athletes for district and state meet,” Coach Fuqua explains how she hopes to contribute to the program.
Coach Smith, a longtime coach at MC, will be assisting the junior high program as well as the throws.
A volunteer, Coach Walker will be assisting the team in a variety of areas, primarily in his strongest event: distance. Coach Walker has been a lifelong runner, running anywhere from 100 meters to 100 miles. He hopes to help every athlete become the best they can be and to help them realize their strengths.
- Welcome to what will be a great season! -
By: Mackenzie Walker
April 4, 2017
With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of the spring sports season and in particular, the beginning of the 2017 spring track season at MC. This year MC track and field is welcoming some new faces to the team, and not just new athletes, but new coaches.
Mr. Mark Magolis resigned as head track and field coach and will be filling the position of junior high head coach, a position previously held by Mr. Chris Peters, who will now be serving as the new head track and field coach.
Mr. Peters needs no introduction seeing as he has been coaching teams at MC for 14 years, including cross country and winter track. “We want to build a program that provides our students an opportunity to get better every day. A program where everyone expects to give their best to become their best,” says Peters after being asked about his goals for the team. “Marion Center Track and Field will eventually be seen for what it has been for years; the best opportunity for a serious athlete to become a better athlete. Of course if we do all that we will win and I always expect to win.”
Helping Mr. Peters in his quest to better the MC Track and Field team is assistant head coach Nicole Dann. Coach Dann has also been a long time member of the coaching staff at MC, coaching cross country and track for 9 years. “I want to foster an environment that is positive but also pushes athletes to challenge themselves, learn about themselves and builds on their self-efficacy. My goal is to encourage athletes to become lifelong runners in order to support overall health and wellness,” says Coach Dann. She is also certified by USATF as a level 1 track and field coach and works to help the team through her role as a Registered Dietician Nutritionist.
Also helping MC track and field reach their goals are Mrs. Desiree Fuqua, Mr. Brad Smith, and Mr. Darryl Walker.
Coach Fuqua, new to MCTF though no stranger to track and field, has been coaching for 6 years prior to coming to MC. “My goals for this year are for our athletes to improve upon their personal bests, for them to grow as an athlete, and develop character through competition and athletics. I hope to help our athletes contend for team victories in championship meets and qualify individual athletes for district and state meet,” Coach Fuqua explains how she hopes to contribute to the program.
Coach Smith, a longtime coach at MC, will be assisting the junior high program as well as the throws.
A volunteer, Coach Walker will be assisting the team in a variety of areas, primarily in his strongest event: distance. Coach Walker has been a lifelong runner, running anywhere from 100 meters to 100 miles. He hopes to help every athlete become the best they can be and to help them realize their strengths.
- Welcome to what will be a great season! -
Winter Track Competes at Edinboro University
By: Mackenzie Walker
January 30, 2017
On Saturday, January 28 the Marion Center indoor track team competed in its first meet of the season. The meet was held in the Mike S. Zafirovski sports complex at Edinboro University. MC competed in the 4x800, 60m dash, 400, 800, Mile, 200, 3000, 4x200, DMR, long jump, and shot put. This meet is used by the team as preparation and practice for the outdoor track season. The main goal of the indoor track team is to make athletes stronger and condition them for outdoor track.
This year, the indoor track team welcomed sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, and throwers in addition to its distance team. This is the first year that indoor track was opened to track athletes who did not participate in cross country. This led to the growth of the team to 16 members. Due to these changes, MC was able to compete in different events such as jumping, throwing where as it had previously focused primarily on distance events. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday during the winter sports season and is actually the only winter sport that practices outdoors despite having the name “indoor track”.
By: Mackenzie Walker
January 30, 2017
On Saturday, January 28 the Marion Center indoor track team competed in its first meet of the season. The meet was held in the Mike S. Zafirovski sports complex at Edinboro University. MC competed in the 4x800, 60m dash, 400, 800, Mile, 200, 3000, 4x200, DMR, long jump, and shot put. This meet is used by the team as preparation and practice for the outdoor track season. The main goal of the indoor track team is to make athletes stronger and condition them for outdoor track.
This year, the indoor track team welcomed sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, and throwers in addition to its distance team. This is the first year that indoor track was opened to track athletes who did not participate in cross country. This led to the growth of the team to 16 members. Due to these changes, MC was able to compete in different events such as jumping, throwing where as it had previously focused primarily on distance events. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday during the winter sports season and is actually the only winter sport that practices outdoors despite having the name “indoor track”.
The Stingrays
By: Sydney Edwards
January 19, 2017
The school year is halfway over and along with that comes the competition of winter sports. Swimming has started, and dedicated athletes are on their road to success. With the dedication of the Stingrays, there is no doubt that great things are coming. They have motivation from their coaches, Rick Adkins and Shannon Zimmerman, which will help them strive to be the best they can be. Good things are expected from the swim team this year.
The season has already started and the athletes are already showing what they are made of. Multiple athletes have already made qualifying times for Districts, including Lauren Krecota, Robin Schultz, Cherise Schultz, Cage Hankinson, and Edward Clark.
“So far the swim team is doing alright. We have gone up against quite a few larger teams, so we do not have many team wins yet. We do have a good number of people going to Districts this year, so I’d say the swim team is on a good track,” says Edward Clark.
A big thing that motivates the swimmers to do their absolute best is the prospect of possibly beating bigger teams, going up against them, and trying to beat records that have been made. The goals of the swimmers, individual and team, also play a huge part in motivation. The goals of the swim team are to win as many meets as possible, or score as high as possible, and to send as many people to Districts as they can. Individual goals also have a big impact as well, that plays a large part in the background.
The Stingrays still have a lot of meets to go and a lot of potential to reach. They will work their hardest to reach this potential at exactly the right time, when everything is on the line. Good luck to the Stingrays in their upcoming meets!
By: Sydney Edwards
January 19, 2017
The school year is halfway over and along with that comes the competition of winter sports. Swimming has started, and dedicated athletes are on their road to success. With the dedication of the Stingrays, there is no doubt that great things are coming. They have motivation from their coaches, Rick Adkins and Shannon Zimmerman, which will help them strive to be the best they can be. Good things are expected from the swim team this year.
The season has already started and the athletes are already showing what they are made of. Multiple athletes have already made qualifying times for Districts, including Lauren Krecota, Robin Schultz, Cherise Schultz, Cage Hankinson, and Edward Clark.
“So far the swim team is doing alright. We have gone up against quite a few larger teams, so we do not have many team wins yet. We do have a good number of people going to Districts this year, so I’d say the swim team is on a good track,” says Edward Clark.
A big thing that motivates the swimmers to do their absolute best is the prospect of possibly beating bigger teams, going up against them, and trying to beat records that have been made. The goals of the swimmers, individual and team, also play a huge part in motivation. The goals of the swim team are to win as many meets as possible, or score as high as possible, and to send as many people to Districts as they can. Individual goals also have a big impact as well, that plays a large part in the background.
The Stingrays still have a lot of meets to go and a lot of potential to reach. They will work their hardest to reach this potential at exactly the right time, when everything is on the line. Good luck to the Stingrays in their upcoming meets!
A New Season: Volleyball
By: Sydney Edwards
September 18, 2016
School has started and that means fall sports are coming into play. Volleyball season has begun and it looks to be a successful one for the girls.
Junior, Madison Vincent, says, “This year as a team, we are focusing on playing as a family. Volleyball is a very team oriented sport and communication is key. We will work to improve by continuing to give it our best and taking it one point at a time.”
Both Varsity and JV girls are starting out strong. To make this year better than the last they will have to persevere and reach to achieve their goals.
Trinity Ashbaugh, volleyball veteran, states, “This season, I think that each individual player has set big goals and has high expectations. As a team our goals would be to have a winning season, make it to playoffs, and to become an even closer family.”
With guidance from head coach Jenna Straw and assistant coach Billy Hines there is no doubt that the Lady Stingers will have everything they need in order to succeed. Good luck to both Varsity and JV Lady Stingers!
By: Sydney Edwards
September 18, 2016
School has started and that means fall sports are coming into play. Volleyball season has begun and it looks to be a successful one for the girls.
Junior, Madison Vincent, says, “This year as a team, we are focusing on playing as a family. Volleyball is a very team oriented sport and communication is key. We will work to improve by continuing to give it our best and taking it one point at a time.”
Both Varsity and JV girls are starting out strong. To make this year better than the last they will have to persevere and reach to achieve their goals.
Trinity Ashbaugh, volleyball veteran, states, “This season, I think that each individual player has set big goals and has high expectations. As a team our goals would be to have a winning season, make it to playoffs, and to become an even closer family.”
With guidance from head coach Jenna Straw and assistant coach Billy Hines there is no doubt that the Lady Stingers will have everything they need in order to succeed. Good luck to both Varsity and JV Lady Stingers!
Lydick Takes Part in Indiana Lacrosse
By: Chaise Stiteler
April 21, 2016
By: Chaise Stiteler
April 21, 2016
The final sport’s season of the school year has begun. At Marion Center High School, this calls for the assembly of three sports teams: baseball, softball, and track and field. However, high school students are not limited to these three athletic activities. Senior Cassidy Lydick is one of few students who participates in not only MC sports, but also sports programs at other schools in the area. She is a member and captain of Indiana High School’s lacrosse team, and has played on both travel and scholastic teams for seven years.
Marion Center has a co-op with Indiana, meaning if there is a sport available at Indiana and not Marion Center, our student athletes still have the opportunity to participate in that sport through the other school. Lacrosse is not a well-known sport in Marion Center, but it is one of Indiana’s popular spring sports. “I love the fluidity of [the game] and learning every day new things I can do to help the team,” Lydick says. However, lacrosse is still fairly new to Indiana as well. She adds: “[lacrosse is a] new program in the WPIAL … so we aren’t the best in our section.”
Lydick has been the varsity team captain for three years now and always encourages the younger girls to be their best on the team. “We do have a lot of athletic girls who just jumped into the game three years ago and every year after, and I really like getting to know [and help] them,” she comments.
Lydick wishes more athletes would take advantage of the co-op with Indiana, saying: “I want more Marion Center girls to know that we have that opportunity to play on Indiana’s team … the pros outweigh the cons by far.” She believes that one of the best reasons to take on this opportunity is because it is a great way to meet new people. When participating in a sport, in general, a team must have a sense of unity. When going to a separate school to perform a sport, it requires the students to meet and develop relationships with a new population. “It’s interesting… because I don’t go there, but I still form strong bonds with the girls and it’s been a neat growing experience.”
Marion Center has a co-op with Indiana, meaning if there is a sport available at Indiana and not Marion Center, our student athletes still have the opportunity to participate in that sport through the other school. Lacrosse is not a well-known sport in Marion Center, but it is one of Indiana’s popular spring sports. “I love the fluidity of [the game] and learning every day new things I can do to help the team,” Lydick says. However, lacrosse is still fairly new to Indiana as well. She adds: “[lacrosse is a] new program in the WPIAL … so we aren’t the best in our section.”
Lydick has been the varsity team captain for three years now and always encourages the younger girls to be their best on the team. “We do have a lot of athletic girls who just jumped into the game three years ago and every year after, and I really like getting to know [and help] them,” she comments.
Lydick wishes more athletes would take advantage of the co-op with Indiana, saying: “I want more Marion Center girls to know that we have that opportunity to play on Indiana’s team … the pros outweigh the cons by far.” She believes that one of the best reasons to take on this opportunity is because it is a great way to meet new people. When participating in a sport, in general, a team must have a sense of unity. When going to a separate school to perform a sport, it requires the students to meet and develop relationships with a new population. “It’s interesting… because I don’t go there, but I still form strong bonds with the girls and it’s been a neat growing experience.”
College Signings for Senior Athletes
By: Chaise Stiteler
April 21, 2016
By: Chaise Stiteler
April 21, 2016
As the school year comes to an end, the class of 2016 must make a major decision-- what to do next, whether it includes going into college, the military, or the workforce. Marion Center has two exceptional athletes who will not only pursue their educations, but also their athletic careers. Marion Center is proud to have the two seniors, Hanna Beer and David Wiles, two dedicated student athletes who will showcase their talents at a collegiate level.
Hanna Beer is to attend Division I Bucknell University in the fall, with a major in Biology. She is pursuing her athletic career as a track and field athlete. Beer started throwing javelin her sophomore year and first attended the PIAA state competition as a junior. “Sports have always been a big part of my life… By being involved in collegiate sports, I get to prolong my athletic career and continue doing the things I love,” states Beer. She signed her National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, April 13th, committing herself to the University and the sport.
David Wiles will participate in the Exercise Science 3+3 Physical Therapy program at Division II Slippery Rock University, while also running on the school’s Cross Country and Track teams. He has been involved in both cross country and track at Marion Center since tenth grade. Wiles made it to the state competition for cross country in both his junior and senior years. “[I’m excited to] be a part of a new team, a team full of people my talent level and higher. I know I’ll develop more in college, so that adds excitement,” he explains.
These two athletes have excelled tremendously in their high school athletic careers. They are both anticipated to improve, push, and better themselves at the collegiate level. Wiles says, “I am excited to push myself, and get new and really fast times. I just want to improve and become the best athlete I could ever be. [I want] to pursue my talents by taking a step to the next level to find where I really stand.” Beer expresses excitement about “[being able] to compete against amazing athletes and push myself to do my best against them.”
The Marion Center school and community is proud to have such outstanding athletes that will show what good the school has to offer, and wishes both Beer and Wiles the best of luck.
Hanna Beer is to attend Division I Bucknell University in the fall, with a major in Biology. She is pursuing her athletic career as a track and field athlete. Beer started throwing javelin her sophomore year and first attended the PIAA state competition as a junior. “Sports have always been a big part of my life… By being involved in collegiate sports, I get to prolong my athletic career and continue doing the things I love,” states Beer. She signed her National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, April 13th, committing herself to the University and the sport.
David Wiles will participate in the Exercise Science 3+3 Physical Therapy program at Division II Slippery Rock University, while also running on the school’s Cross Country and Track teams. He has been involved in both cross country and track at Marion Center since tenth grade. Wiles made it to the state competition for cross country in both his junior and senior years. “[I’m excited to] be a part of a new team, a team full of people my talent level and higher. I know I’ll develop more in college, so that adds excitement,” he explains.
These two athletes have excelled tremendously in their high school athletic careers. They are both anticipated to improve, push, and better themselves at the collegiate level. Wiles says, “I am excited to push myself, and get new and really fast times. I just want to improve and become the best athlete I could ever be. [I want] to pursue my talents by taking a step to the next level to find where I really stand.” Beer expresses excitement about “[being able] to compete against amazing athletes and push myself to do my best against them.”
The Marion Center school and community is proud to have such outstanding athletes that will show what good the school has to offer, and wishes both Beer and Wiles the best of luck.
Donkey Basketball
By: Chaise Stiteler
December 3, 2015
By: Chaise Stiteler
December 3, 2015
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The gym was packed on Thursday from the Marion Center Cheerleaders’ first annual Donkey Basketball tournament. The tournament consisted of teams from Marion Center’s Volunteer Fire Department, Plumville’s Volunteer Fire Department, the State Police Fire Department, and MCHS faculty.
Around seven o’clock Thursday, the donkeys arrived in the gymnasium, bringing laughter from the crowd. The first game was between the two fire departments. Plumville’s firefighters pulled out a win against Marion Center’s. This lead the group of volunteer firefighters into the championship game with the winner of the second game between the Marion Center High School’s faculty and the State Policemen. The faculty overpowered the state troopers, emerging with a win and a chance for victory in the championship round. |
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Right before the big championship game, there was a game of “musical donkey”. Five donkeys were circled up and six volunteers were chosen to participate. This kept going on until there was only one winner left.
The championship game was played between the Plumville Fire Department and MCHS faculty. Although the game could’ve gone either way, the faculty won the championship game, becoming the first donkey basketball champions. Physics teacher, Mr. Justin Hill, took part in the game and is proud to call himself a donkey basketball champion. “It was actually a lot of fun,” Hill says. “I was nervous at first, but I got a good donkey so it was easier and not as nerve-wrecking.”
The tournament was a success and will hopefully become an annual event for the cheerleaders to host.
The championship game was played between the Plumville Fire Department and MCHS faculty. Although the game could’ve gone either way, the faculty won the championship game, becoming the first donkey basketball champions. Physics teacher, Mr. Justin Hill, took part in the game and is proud to call himself a donkey basketball champion. “It was actually a lot of fun,” Hill says. “I was nervous at first, but I got a good donkey so it was easier and not as nerve-wrecking.”
The tournament was a success and will hopefully become an annual event for the cheerleaders to host.
Winter Sports Preview
By: Chaise Stiteler
November 19, 2015
By: Chaise Stiteler
November 19, 2015
With the fall season closing and Thanksgiving just around the corner, winter sports have begun. This season has many events occurring where the community can be active to support their peers. Athletic Director and Trainer, Pam Anderson said: “There is always an event going on, which makes the winter busier [compared to the fall season].” Anderson believes that the winter sport season is a great opportunity for students to go watch the athletes compete.
This season’s sports include: girls and boys basketball, wrestling, and swimming.
The basketball teams have high hopes to make it back to playoffs this year, after just falling short last year. The girl’s team is being coached by Julie Horner, assisted by Justin Hill and with Denise Fetsko volunteering. The boys are being coached by Matt Reed and the assistant coach is Todd Fetsko. Both teams are expected to do well this season and would appreciate if they got fans to come out to support them. The girls will be hosting the annual Tip-Off Tournament at Marion Center High School on Friday night, December 4th continuing the following day, Saturday December 5th. This year, the boys will not be participating in the Tip-Off Tournament. Instead, the boys will be playing against Homer Center on Tuesday, December 8th for their first game. The boy’s team’s first home game is Thursday, December 10th against Ligonier Valley.
Wrestling is looking to have success in its sport as well. The sport always has athletes that excel to the next levels. The team is being coached by Chris Stewart and Jeff Lyons. Last year’s success hopefully will continue throughout their season, which will include a few major tournaments and meets. Their first meet will be wrestled away, against Brookville. They are hoping fans will come out and support the team, starting off on their first home meet against Portage on Tuesday, December 15th.
Swimming is eager to make a big splash in this upcoming season. Both the boys and girls teams hope to carry on the success from last year. The Stingrays will be coached by Rick Adkins. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of local teams to compete with, which means the teams travel a great distance to compete against larger school districts. Their first meet is at Altoona on December 7th, but you can come to support the Stingrays at their first home meet on Wednesday, December 9th.
The winter sports teams are looking to all have successful seasons with their outstanding athletes. The teams would appreciate if fans from the community would come out to support all the teams!
This season’s sports include: girls and boys basketball, wrestling, and swimming.
The basketball teams have high hopes to make it back to playoffs this year, after just falling short last year. The girl’s team is being coached by Julie Horner, assisted by Justin Hill and with Denise Fetsko volunteering. The boys are being coached by Matt Reed and the assistant coach is Todd Fetsko. Both teams are expected to do well this season and would appreciate if they got fans to come out to support them. The girls will be hosting the annual Tip-Off Tournament at Marion Center High School on Friday night, December 4th continuing the following day, Saturday December 5th. This year, the boys will not be participating in the Tip-Off Tournament. Instead, the boys will be playing against Homer Center on Tuesday, December 8th for their first game. The boy’s team’s first home game is Thursday, December 10th against Ligonier Valley.
Wrestling is looking to have success in its sport as well. The sport always has athletes that excel to the next levels. The team is being coached by Chris Stewart and Jeff Lyons. Last year’s success hopefully will continue throughout their season, which will include a few major tournaments and meets. Their first meet will be wrestled away, against Brookville. They are hoping fans will come out and support the team, starting off on their first home meet against Portage on Tuesday, December 15th.
Swimming is eager to make a big splash in this upcoming season. Both the boys and girls teams hope to carry on the success from last year. The Stingrays will be coached by Rick Adkins. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of local teams to compete with, which means the teams travel a great distance to compete against larger school districts. Their first meet is at Altoona on December 7th, but you can come to support the Stingrays at their first home meet on Wednesday, December 9th.
The winter sports teams are looking to all have successful seasons with their outstanding athletes. The teams would appreciate if fans from the community would come out to support all the teams!
Junior vs Seniors: Powder Puff Football
By: Chaise Stiteler
November 5, 2015
By: Chaise Stiteler
November 5, 2015
In a few short weeks, select junior and senior girls at Marion Center will face each other in a football game. This year, seniors Glenda Elliot and Madison Lazeration took on the role of organizing the Powder Puff football game. The money from the event will be donated to the Indiana County Community Action Program (ICCAP) charity. This program helps families in the county that are struggling with everyday needs.
In the past, the game was organized by a senior as a senior project. However, with the dismissal of senior projects, there was a major concern that Powder Puff would not happen. Elliot and Lazeration stepped up to make sure the event would occur. This task took a lot of time consuming work. Elliot discussed their responsibilities as coordinators: “[Having] to get sign-up sheets, [asking] for supervision from many teachers, [making] sure Mr. Jioio was okay with it, [making] sure the days we had practice the fields weren’t booked on the schedule, and also the game too. We had to figure out dates, times, and who was all involved.” Lazeration says, “The most challenging part has been trying to bring it all together and get everything done so that it can be a great game.”
Being in charge of this event is a big responsibility. Both Elliot and Lazeration participated in the Powder Puff game last year, giving them insight on how to run the event. “Playing last year was really fun,” Elliot said. “Being in control, I feel like [Madison and I] will make Powder Puff the best we can make sure we have everything we need.” Lazeration believes that it has taught her responsibility. “Now I know what it’s like to have to bring something together. Before, we just played and thought nothing of it. But now realize how much it really takes.” The two seniors have been making sure both teams are getting as much practice as needed to make sure this year’s game is the best one yet. The first practice was on October 14 practicing every Wednesday since then and will continue until the final game.
This event allows students to interact with peers outside of their normal friend groups. Returning senior Nicole Sarnovsky says, “The most exciting part is getting to really work as a team with the other girls in my grade. When it was game time our junior year, I loved how naturally we all came together and worked hard for our team. We all supported and encouraged each other to do our best.”
Come to Marion Center on Saturday, November 21st at 7:00pm to watch as both the juniors and seniors work as a team to play a friendly game of football.
In the past, the game was organized by a senior as a senior project. However, with the dismissal of senior projects, there was a major concern that Powder Puff would not happen. Elliot and Lazeration stepped up to make sure the event would occur. This task took a lot of time consuming work. Elliot discussed their responsibilities as coordinators: “[Having] to get sign-up sheets, [asking] for supervision from many teachers, [making] sure Mr. Jioio was okay with it, [making] sure the days we had practice the fields weren’t booked on the schedule, and also the game too. We had to figure out dates, times, and who was all involved.” Lazeration says, “The most challenging part has been trying to bring it all together and get everything done so that it can be a great game.”
Being in charge of this event is a big responsibility. Both Elliot and Lazeration participated in the Powder Puff game last year, giving them insight on how to run the event. “Playing last year was really fun,” Elliot said. “Being in control, I feel like [Madison and I] will make Powder Puff the best we can make sure we have everything we need.” Lazeration believes that it has taught her responsibility. “Now I know what it’s like to have to bring something together. Before, we just played and thought nothing of it. But now realize how much it really takes.” The two seniors have been making sure both teams are getting as much practice as needed to make sure this year’s game is the best one yet. The first practice was on October 14 practicing every Wednesday since then and will continue until the final game.
This event allows students to interact with peers outside of their normal friend groups. Returning senior Nicole Sarnovsky says, “The most exciting part is getting to really work as a team with the other girls in my grade. When it was game time our junior year, I loved how naturally we all came together and worked hard for our team. We all supported and encouraged each other to do our best.”
Come to Marion Center on Saturday, November 21st at 7:00pm to watch as both the juniors and seniors work as a team to play a friendly game of football.
MCXC Girls Win Again; Boys Fall Just Short
By: Chaise Stiteler
October 23, 2015
By: Chaise Stiteler
October 23, 2015
Last night, MC’s cross country teams competed in the Heritage Conference Cross Country meet hosted at the Marion Center Park. The girls came out on top, while the boys just fell short of Purchase Line to finish second. The race included all of the teams in the Heritage Conference. Along with Marion Center, the teams consisted of Blairsville, Northern Cambria, Homer Center, Penns Manor, Ligonier Valley, Purchase Line, and United.
All sixteen Heritage Cross Country Championship have been held at the MCXC course in the park. In those sixteen races, the MCXC Girls have won fifteen titles and had six individuals win the championship. Mariah Sinan said winning these championships, “feels great!”
The boys have won more titles than any other boys’ team. They have won six titles with five individual first place finishers.
The MCXC course has a reputation of being a tough, slow course. The meet records are held by Angel Piccirillo from Homer Center in 2011 with a time of 19:04.2 for the girls and Alex Woodrow of Marion Center ran 16:45.2 in 2009 for the boys.
The boys have won more titles than any other boys’ team. They have won six titles with five individual first place finishers.
The MCXC course has a reputation of being a tough, slow course. The meet records are held by Angel Piccirillo from Homer Center in 2011 with a time of 19:04.2 for the girls and Alex Woodrow of Marion Center ran 16:45.2 in 2009 for the boys.
Taya Whitfield finished first overall to become the only MCXC girl to win back-to-back individual championships. She ran the race in 19:49. That’s the fastest any Stinger girl has ever completed the course. Though she had just accomplished a big individual achievement, helping her team was her priority. “It feels similar [to last year],” to win individually. She says, “to help the team win another (championship) feels amazing!”
The girls scored thirty points and defeated all the teams, with United following a distant second place. Maddie Betts says the team’s success comes because “[they] are all really hard workers and we build off of each other.”
The girls scored thirty points and defeated all the teams, with United following a distant second place. Maddie Betts says the team’s success comes because “[they] are all really hard workers and we build off of each other.”
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The MCXC Boys who scored fifty-six, were short seven points from Purchase Line (scoring forty-nine). David Wiles finished in second place with a time of 17:22, falling behind the Champion Sam Cunkleman of Homer Center who finished with a time of 16:54.
Next week is the most important race of the year. Both teams will be competing for the District 6 Championship on Saturday, October 31 at Forest Hills. MCXC junior, Bailey Cribbs, characterized the girls’ chances of winning being high because, “the team has a lot of heart and is willing to do their best.” |
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Congratulations to both teams and a big shout out to the MCXC Girls for their 15th Heritage Conference win!
Coming to a Close: Volleyball
By: Taylor Lecce
October 21, 2015
By: Taylor Lecce
October 21, 2015
"Me and Billy's intentions for the team were to teach the girls the fundamentals of volleyball and to improve on anything they wanted to learn,” says the new Head Coach of volleyball, Jenna Straw. This year, the lady Stingers welcomed coaches Straw and assistant coach Billy Hines. The volleyball team began the season coming on a consecutive losing streak.
Straw says "the girls gave us a goal to win more games than they did last year and we both know they can do it. With 2 more wins we will reach that goal. All 18 of these girls are extremely talented volleyball players and are capable of very competitive play. I am very happy that me, Billy, and the girls have become a family, that is what makes a good team along with all the hard work they put in. My future plans for the team is just to keep improving. Keep working hard, and keep pushing themselves to set new goals that we know they can accomplish. I want to wish the best of luck to our four seniors after high school because we were blessed to have 18 very bright girls on our team and the sky is the limit for those girls."
Junior Mia Oterson, the varsity setter, says that "the coaching styles are different this year. From a captain’s point of view, I think the attitude and vibe of the team is more energetic and enthusiastic. I definitely think, with returning varsity players, next year will be the turning point for Marion Center volleyball. This year has been crazy and new, so I think with a year of experience with our new coaches, next year will be a great season."
Carley Peterson, a senior this year, says that "the coaches are awesome this year, they care about each girl on the team individually and as a team they had complete confidence in us, which made us a better, family-like team. Next year, the girls will be able to go in with confidence in themselves and be able to fight for a winning season."
The volleyball team plays the Purchase Line Dragons at home on Thursday, October 22. Pictures courtesy of Maria Oterson.
The volleyball team plays the Purchase Line Dragons at home on Thursday, October 22. Pictures courtesy of Maria Oterson.
MCHS Cheerleaders Take on Pittsburgh
By: Chaise Stiteler
October 5, 2015
By: Chaise Stiteler
October 5, 2015
Over this past weekend, the cheerleading squad competed at the Pennsylvania Home Run Championship. This competition was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. There were a total of 19 teams at the event, ranging from Junior High, Junior Varsity, Varsity and All-Star Cheerleaders and also Competitive Dance Teams. The grand champions got to go on the field at PNC Park where they were recognized for earning a paid bid to a national championship of their choice.
The team represented Marion Center by winning their division at the competition. Starting to prepare for this in June, co-captain Vanessa Papal added, “It’s taken a ton of hard work and dedication to make it possible to compete.” Although the team is rather large this year compared to others, the team has lost a few girls since the beginning of the season. They lost one girl last week, which made this competition extra hard with more pressure for the girls. The team knew that they had to work together and get the routine to be perfect, even if they were missing one. “We didn’t feel ready at first because of the recent loss of somebody from the team” Pappal said, “and were very surprised with how well we did.” Although they were nervous with how they were going to perform at the competition, they pulled through and brought back a win!
Although the competition may have been competitive, the competition itself was laid back. The team had an appropriate amount of time to go over the routine before they had to perform; which helped the team be calmer before performing. They had to wait until the award ceremony to find out they won their division. Then, in order to celebrate properly, the team all went out to eat then went back to PNC Park to watch the Pirates play baseball.
MCXC Girls' Five-Year Winning Streak
By: Chaise Stiteler
By: Chaise Stiteler
Marion Center’s Girls Cross Country team has a winning tradition. They currently hold a 41 dual meet win streak, meaning that for the last 41 dual meets our girls cross country team has run, not one team has beaten them. This streak has been going on several years; their last lost was in 2010. The girl’s team captain that year was a senior, Taylor Stiteler. Stiteler was captain for two years, graduated in 2011, and later went on to run with Slippery Rock University’s Cross Country team. When asked if she remembered the last loss, she recalled it being to Central Cambria. “Their team was always really good and they had the Seymor girls, (both went on to run Division 1 in college) who led them to a lot success so it was good competition for us.” Central Cambria went on to states and were the state champions that year in Hershey. “It’s pretty awesome to be part of a winning tradition and I am extremely proud to say that I am an alumni from Marion Center Cross Country because they continue to work hard for their success.” Taylor continued to say the coaches and the teams are a big part of the success the cross country team has. “They were very committed to help achieve any goal we were determined to accomplish. The team was willing to do anything to become successful which meant they always were putting in a lot of hard work.”
It’s been five years since the streak started. The new captains for the girls’ team are Hanna Beer and Taya Whitfield. This is Beer’s fourth year being a part of the MCXC team and she, as a senior, has never lost to a team in a dual meet. “The biggest challenge is injuries,” Beer says. With all the hard practice involved, injuries are common, but the team will come together to overcome the problem. “It’s hard when someone in the top seven gets hurt, the entire team then has to adapt,” Beer explains “But honestly every time somebody is asked to step up, they do, and that takes character.” Since this streak began before her freshman year, at first, she didn’t realize how big the MCXC legacy is. But as a captain three years later, she has a complete understanding of how important it is to continue the streak. “There is a lot of pressure to continue the legacy, but it’s something a captain and any MCXC runner has to overcome.”
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Marion Center’s Cross Country teams are Marion Center’s most successful teams, with both winning more Heritage Conference Championships than any other. Both teams will be competing for the Heritage Conference championship October 22 at 4:00 pm at the Marion Center Park.
Friday Night Lights: Mr. DeHaven's Debut
By: Taylor Lecce
By: Taylor Lecce
With school back in session, fall sports have also started back up. Along with new head and assistant volleyball
coaches, Marion Center also welcomed Mr. Paul DeHaven into a new role: head football coach. This isn’t his first time stepping onto the field, as he was formerly the assistant coach of the football team for twenty-six seasons and played at a Division II school in college. He is also the head baseball coach, where he has coached twenty-four seasons.
In regards to how he plans on transforming the program, DeHaven states that: “We’re trying to do a lot more things in the summer. We went to a team camp, which was a great start for us as a line, so that was a big change. We went for four days. We did a lot of things [during] the evenings, between lifting and doing Wednesday night workouts. So, just trying to get the guys involved a little more in summer conditioning and off season things… getting more of our athletes back out for football.”
This year’s season goals are “not really put on wins and losses on them, because that’s just really difficult to hold up to. My expectations for this year’s team is to just get better each day-- I know it’s kind of cliché… get the better of each game, perform better in week two than we did in week one. We just want to see a continuous progression… because we are a very young and inexperienced team, if we just see a continuous progression of getting better, that’s where we want to be.”
coaches, Marion Center also welcomed Mr. Paul DeHaven into a new role: head football coach. This isn’t his first time stepping onto the field, as he was formerly the assistant coach of the football team for twenty-six seasons and played at a Division II school in college. He is also the head baseball coach, where he has coached twenty-four seasons.
In regards to how he plans on transforming the program, DeHaven states that: “We’re trying to do a lot more things in the summer. We went to a team camp, which was a great start for us as a line, so that was a big change. We went for four days. We did a lot of things [during] the evenings, between lifting and doing Wednesday night workouts. So, just trying to get the guys involved a little more in summer conditioning and off season things… getting more of our athletes back out for football.”
This year’s season goals are “not really put on wins and losses on them, because that’s just really difficult to hold up to. My expectations for this year’s team is to just get better each day-- I know it’s kind of cliché… get the better of each game, perform better in week two than we did in week one. We just want to see a continuous progression… because we are a very young and inexperienced team, if we just see a continuous progression of getting better, that’s where we want to be.”
Students are overall positive as well. Craig Irvin says that DeHaven has “really instilled a winning feel to the program and [that] he really pushes us [the team] to never settle and to always expect more out of ourselves… I think that has really changed the program in a positive way and I hope the change reflects in our record this year compared to the last few seasons!”
Decosta Bobak also had positive feedback. “He basically just did more for the team, like team camps and practices on Wednesdays. He is also making us focus because focus is one of the most important things.”
DeHaven’s season started September 4th against the United Lions. Marion Center won 28-26, giving the team a good start into the season.
Decosta Bobak also had positive feedback. “He basically just did more for the team, like team camps and practices on Wednesdays. He is also making us focus because focus is one of the most important things.”
DeHaven’s season started September 4th against the United Lions. Marion Center won 28-26, giving the team a good start into the season.
