With the 2014 - 2015 school year coming to a close Golden Valley seniors are readily awaiting their last day; May 22. In light of this I went around campus and spoke with many seniors to get a glimpse of their feelings as they are soon to venture into the great beyond, whether it be college or joining the working world.
One of the first seniors I spoke with, Emily Carpenter, will be attending Marymount Manhattan College in New York and majoring in theater arts. Life throws many challenges at us and some that Emily said she's expecting as she progresses in life are "maintaining friendships that I've made in high school and advancing in my major." Despite these challenges Carpenter still has high hopes saying "I want to love what I'm doing & be on Broadway."
Seniors have had four years to participate in a wide range of activities. Austin Cole, attending Grand Canyon University and majoring in digital arts, said "If I could do it over again I would do more theater classes and participate in spring and fall plays. And probably take an art class." Abby Talavera, attending Masters College and majoring in biology, commented with "I'd participate in theater production more."
Four years is a lot of time for someone to change. As we grow older things happen to create us into our adult forms that we grace the world with. Christina Chartier, still deciding on a college and planning to major in nursing, mentioned that "I've changed because I'm more mature and responsible and I'm capable of making decisions and learning from my mistakes." Kris Contreras, attending Pierce College and majoring in veterinary sciences, said "I've learned to set goals for myself and I've accomplished a lot academically."
High school gives us a lot of memories and things to look back on. Joe Barilla, attending community college and then FIDM, majoring in graphic design and fashion merchandising, said he will look back on high school and remember many things with a fondness. "I will always remember show choir because it was a major part of my high school year since freshman year. I'll also remember senior ditch day, first homecoming (freshman year), and show choir comps." Austin Cole will remember "... marching band. It was was a lot of fun and competitions and making friends were the best part."
With these seniors getting ready to leave there comes a whole new era of seniors. I caught up with these "soon to be" seniors and asked them if they had any words to say to the leaving seniors. Alex Herrera said "Good luck with everything you do." Star Austria gave a tad of advice saying "Enjoy life put out of high school but stay focused." Sebastian Sotello encouraged them with "Thanks for the memories and I hope you achieve whatever it is you hope to achieve." And Ronaldo Arista finished it off with "I'll see you all in ten years."
These four years have truly been a journey for seniors. Many changes are to come in their lives and you can only hope that we, those venturing out, are emotionally and mentally prepared for the challenges to come our way. I wish the best for all my fellow seniors and let's go out with a bang. Remember, class of 2015: "We'll make history!"
By Charisse B. Atherley (Class of 2015)
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Shrek: The Musical
This year, Golden Valley is going full out and for their spring play are presenting “Shrek: The Musical” directed by theater teacher and chair, Janie Prucha. Shrek is a movie many of us young people (and young at heart) know very well. It’s an unconventional love story between an ogre named Shrek and Princess Fiona.
Starring as the leading roles are Matthew Farrand as Shrek, Samantha Gebers as beautiful Princess Fiona, Ryan Watson as Lord Farquaad, and Eriel Brown as the well known and beloved “noble steed”, Donkey.
Each of these actors brings something special to their characters. When asked what they thought it was, Brown mentioned that she’s “outgoing and that helps with being Donkey.” Daniel Sotelo, playing Grumpy the Dwarf, said “I bring my wide range of voices and I’m a bit eccentric just like my character.”
Opening night was April 29. I spoke with many of the actors beforehand and got a feel for their anticipation for the play. Jaidah Sizer, starring as the Wicked Witch, summed up her feelings with “It’s going to be Shrektastic!” Sebastian Sotelo, playing the Big Bad Wolf, commented on opening night with “We’re gonna kick butt. I’m confident in our cast. We’re going to have fun. It’s about entertaining the masses.” Ms. Prucha exclaimed that she is “Excited for opening night. All you need is an audience.”, and boy did they get one.
The night began with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the seats quickly filling, the hum of anticipation filling as proud parents and fellow students filed in, reading their programs, commenting on things such as the lead roles and the vast musical numbers.
The play began promptly at 7 p.m. starting with opening number “Big, Bright, Beautiful World”. Right off the bat the actors stunned with their vocal prowess. As the play progressed laughter could be heard throughout the crowd, a sure sign of them being entertained.
The crowd seemed to especially enjoy the musical number “What’s Up, Duloc?” as laughter filled the auditorium in response to Lord Farquaad’s dance moves. Watson brought to life his character with great skill and just the right amount of humor.
Being one of the main characters, I caught up with Lord Farquaad and asked him how he felt his character added to the play. He responded with “My character adds the whole conflict. The story wouldn’t be the story without my character,” which is very true.
When the cast was asked how they felt about getting the opportunity to do Shrek, Jaidah said “Shrek is a good choice because it’s filled with different stories fun crazy thing and everyone gets to let their personality shine through.” Farrand commented that “It’s a good idea to do Shrek because teens, kids, and even adults are interested in it and it will draw a good crowd.”
Casting is obviously one of the biggest parts of getting any play together. I asked other cast members how they felt about the casting choices. Daniel Sotelo commented with “The main characters have sublime genetic makeup for their roles. They fit perfectly.” Josh Aran, starring as Papa Bear, gave a word of advice. “Never precast in your head. Prucha knows what she’s doing.”
Janie Prucha is very proud of the kids and the work they’ve put in. “We’ve been working since January. Over 50 kids are participating in this spring musical.” Their hard work definitely paid off.
A wonderful theater program is just one of the many things that Golden Valley offers. With all the multi-talented students Ms. Prucha has in the theater department it’s no surprise Shrek was a huge success. As the program moves forward I firmly believe that no matter their next project is it will be as Shrektastic as this one!
– Charisse B. Atherley
Starring as the leading roles are Matthew Farrand as Shrek, Samantha Gebers as beautiful Princess Fiona, Ryan Watson as Lord Farquaad, and Eriel Brown as the well known and beloved “noble steed”, Donkey.
Each of these actors brings something special to their characters. When asked what they thought it was, Brown mentioned that she’s “outgoing and that helps with being Donkey.” Daniel Sotelo, playing Grumpy the Dwarf, said “I bring my wide range of voices and I’m a bit eccentric just like my character.”
Opening night was April 29. I spoke with many of the actors beforehand and got a feel for their anticipation for the play. Jaidah Sizer, starring as the Wicked Witch, summed up her feelings with “It’s going to be Shrektastic!” Sebastian Sotelo, playing the Big Bad Wolf, commented on opening night with “We’re gonna kick butt. I’m confident in our cast. We’re going to have fun. It’s about entertaining the masses.” Ms. Prucha exclaimed that she is “Excited for opening night. All you need is an audience.”, and boy did they get one.
The night began with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the seats quickly filling, the hum of anticipation filling as proud parents and fellow students filed in, reading their programs, commenting on things such as the lead roles and the vast musical numbers.
The play began promptly at 7 p.m. starting with opening number “Big, Bright, Beautiful World”. Right off the bat the actors stunned with their vocal prowess. As the play progressed laughter could be heard throughout the crowd, a sure sign of them being entertained.
The crowd seemed to especially enjoy the musical number “What’s Up, Duloc?” as laughter filled the auditorium in response to Lord Farquaad’s dance moves. Watson brought to life his character with great skill and just the right amount of humor.
Being one of the main characters, I caught up with Lord Farquaad and asked him how he felt his character added to the play. He responded with “My character adds the whole conflict. The story wouldn’t be the story without my character,” which is very true.
When the cast was asked how they felt about getting the opportunity to do Shrek, Jaidah said “Shrek is a good choice because it’s filled with different stories fun crazy thing and everyone gets to let their personality shine through.” Farrand commented that “It’s a good idea to do Shrek because teens, kids, and even adults are interested in it and it will draw a good crowd.”
Casting is obviously one of the biggest parts of getting any play together. I asked other cast members how they felt about the casting choices. Daniel Sotelo commented with “The main characters have sublime genetic makeup for their roles. They fit perfectly.” Josh Aran, starring as Papa Bear, gave a word of advice. “Never precast in your head. Prucha knows what she’s doing.”
Janie Prucha is very proud of the kids and the work they’ve put in. “We’ve been working since January. Over 50 kids are participating in this spring musical.” Their hard work definitely paid off.
I talked with the four leads and asked how they felt about getting lead roles; especially since two of the leads, Fiona (Gebers) and Donkey (Brown) are seniors. Samantha felt “blessed to have one of the leads. It’s a huge privilege.” Ryan said “I love being a main character although it’s a lot of work remembering lines.” Matthew felt “privileged to be lead. It’s nice to feel like your hard work was worth it and you earned it.” For Eriel she felt it was “a pleasure to bring him (Donkey) to life in our musical.”
A wonderful theater program is just one of the many things that Golden Valley offers. With all the multi-talented students Ms. Prucha has in the theater department it’s no surprise Shrek was a huge success. As the program moves forward I firmly believe that no matter their next project is it will be as Shrektastic as this one!
– Charisse B. Atherley
Show Choir is Here
Spring time has arrived at Golden Valley High School and the show choir program is in its 9th year. Kerry Riccio, the program director, is pumped for this year’s competition season. Something new this year is that there are two different show choirs: novice and intermediate. Intermediate show choir has been preparing long and hard for competition season and with it arriving, the pressure is on.
Senior Samie Gebers is in her third year of the program and is also part of the intermediate show choir. With it being her last year, she’s definitely feeling excited yet nostalgic. When asked what was one fundamental thing she learned from being in the program, she couldn’t choose one thing. “I’ve learned to communicate. You learn to accept people for who they are. Everyone is just one big family,” she said.
Many students, including senior Joe Barilla and freshman Haley Prucha, said that they gained confidence from being in show choir. “Show choir helps you build confidence, especially if you’ve come from a sheltered place before high school,” said Barilla.
The program has served as a creative outlet and safe haven for students from all different walks of life. Mrs. Riccio is a strong believer in having the students treat each other with respect and caring at all times. “The family atmosphere grows and strengthens each year. I always tell the kids they don’t have to like each other every moment, but they must love each other and have each other’s backs,” said Riccio.
One would assume that with their being two show choirs the tensions would be high, but like Mrs. Riccio said, her choirs are all one big family. The intermediate show choir supports the lower level fully. “You can learn the basics in novice and then move into advanced, and bring what you’ve learned and help others, if necessary,” said junior Ryan Watson.
When asked what novice performers could work on, sophomore Faith Jeffries offered up that they could “… learn how to blend a little more, voices and personalities. Everyone is different but we’re a family all the same.”
This year, the Show Choir has accomplished some amazing things. Those accomplishments includes placing first at the Cyprus competition and third at the Los Alamitos. Jeffries and Eriel Brown won Best Performer at perspective competitions. Jeffries at Cyprus and Brown at Los Alamitos. Winning these titles made each girl proud and honored, but they brought it around and said that although they placed as best performer they’re still more proud of the show choir as a whole.
When asked what some things are that helped them achieve their accomplishments Brown stated, “It was tough love from their leaders and just hard work put in by the choir as a whole.”
On their agenda for the remainder of the school year is a huge trip to Carnegie Hall in New York for Golden Valley’s Women’s Choir. While in New York, they will be preforming as well as sight-seeing.
It’ll be exciting watching what the two show choirs as well as the other choirs end up accomplishing this year and the coming year.
- Charisse B. Atherley and Daniel Patino
Senior Samie Gebers is in her third year of the program and is also part of the intermediate show choir. With it being her last year, she’s definitely feeling excited yet nostalgic. When asked what was one fundamental thing she learned from being in the program, she couldn’t choose one thing. “I’ve learned to communicate. You learn to accept people for who they are. Everyone is just one big family,” she said.
Many students, including senior Joe Barilla and freshman Haley Prucha, said that they gained confidence from being in show choir. “Show choir helps you build confidence, especially if you’ve come from a sheltered place before high school,” said Barilla.
The program has served as a creative outlet and safe haven for students from all different walks of life. Mrs. Riccio is a strong believer in having the students treat each other with respect and caring at all times. “The family atmosphere grows and strengthens each year. I always tell the kids they don’t have to like each other every moment, but they must love each other and have each other’s backs,” said Riccio.
One would assume that with their being two show choirs the tensions would be high, but like Mrs. Riccio said, her choirs are all one big family. The intermediate show choir supports the lower level fully. “You can learn the basics in novice and then move into advanced, and bring what you’ve learned and help others, if necessary,” said junior Ryan Watson.
When asked what novice performers could work on, sophomore Faith Jeffries offered up that they could “… learn how to blend a little more, voices and personalities. Everyone is different but we’re a family all the same.”
This year, the Show Choir has accomplished some amazing things. Those accomplishments includes placing first at the Cyprus competition and third at the Los Alamitos. Jeffries and Eriel Brown won Best Performer at perspective competitions. Jeffries at Cyprus and Brown at Los Alamitos. Winning these titles made each girl proud and honored, but they brought it around and said that although they placed as best performer they’re still more proud of the show choir as a whole.
When asked what some things are that helped them achieve their accomplishments Brown stated, “It was tough love from their leaders and just hard work put in by the choir as a whole.”
On their agenda for the remainder of the school year is a huge trip to Carnegie Hall in New York for Golden Valley’s Women’s Choir. While in New York, they will be preforming as well as sight-seeing.
It’ll be exciting watching what the two show choirs as well as the other choirs end up accomplishing this year and the coming year.
- Charisse B. Atherley and Daniel Patino
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Red Tide
Being a student-athlete is a big challenge at my school, but
being that athlete at one of the most prestigious colleges in the world is a
task most can’t handle. For Golden Valley graduate and Harvard volleyball
junior/economics major Alec Schlossman it’s no different.
Alec is starting at Libero for The Harvard Volleyball team,
a Libero is a defensive specialist. The amount of hard work Alec has put into
volleyball is immense and balancing hard classes is difficult. Most days for a
college student involve attending class and maybe doing some studying. That’s not the case for Alec and his
volleyball teammates. “It’s definitely
difficult to balance school and volleyball. My schedule, depending on the day,
is get up early for lift, eat breakfast, go to a few hours of class in the late
morning/early afternoon, eat lunch, then we have practice for about three hours
in the afternoon, eat dinner, and then study before I go to bed. That doesn’t
include stuff like getting treatment for injuries or going to office hours for
extra help in a class. The most difficult thing is getting enough sleep to make
sure I’m both physically and mentally rested,” said Schlossman.
For Alec, the academic load doesn’t change just because he’s
a student athlete. All student athletes at
Harvard are responsible for maintaining their grades even on road trips. “When we travel to away games it definitely
gets difficult trying to get homework done,” said Schlossman. Trying to stay confident and prepared for
games isn’t an easy task no matter what
college someone attends, but at Harvard it can be a big struggle. Schlossman said, “I try to get work done
during the bus rides, but in my experience with missing class due to away games
my teachers and all teachers are pretty
flexible with allowing the athletes to make up missed work. Sometimes we have to submit papers and
assignments while we’re on the road”
Making the transition to college ball wasn’t easy for Alec,
but it definitely wasn’t impossible. Playing club was a huge difference maker
for Alec “Club helped prepare me because
of the overall talent. Playing with and against the best players in the country
on a regular basis made the transition to college ball much easier.” said
Schlossman.
In his junior year Schlossman has seen a lot of very good
volleyball and has learned that the level of talent from high school to college
is a huge difference. “The college game
is much faster, the players are also bigger, stronger and overall more talented.” The schedule is a grueling one for the
Crimson as they are fresh off a win against George Mason and have a tough road
ahead of them with only six conference matches left with first place Penn State
and second place Princeton. Harvard is currently 10-8 on the season and 4-2 in
conference.
With only one year left to play the sport he loves
Schlossman is relishing every moment he has left with his teammates. When the athletic career of many college
athletes concludes they move on to the unknown.
Graduating from Harvard will allow Alec to not worry about that. A Harvard degree will almost guarantee
Schlossman a great future, but for now that future consists of finishing the
season strong and hopefully making the NCAA Tournament.
By: AJ Sabedra
Above: Alec celebrates a point with his team.
Bottom: Alec, bottom row, far left.
Going Green
In recent years the Santa Clarita Valley has been a hotbed
of softball talent with girls heading to top notch colleges like Oregon,
Stanford, Tennessee, Oklahoma. One
school in particular has been void in sending kids to some of these colleges,
however that’s changing. Golden Valley
High School junior Tatyanah Castillo has verbally committed to Dartmouth
University in New Hampshire. Dartmouth
is consistently ranked as one of the top academic institutions in the nation
and Castillo feels fortunate to be attending there. “My plan has always been to
get a college education from a top Liberal Arts College and the Ivy League was
at the top of my list. I did have my doubts
because their acceptance rate is only 10%,” said Tatyanah. After getting invited to a camp and
impressing the coaching staff Taty said, “I realized who I am, where I come
from and who I want to be. Dartmouth
changed my outlook on life. I loved the
campus, coaches, players, town, and weather.
Dartmouth is where I want to be.” said the Golden Valley junior.
With a 4.3 GPA, being named a team captain, and of course
being the daughter of the head coach there comes a great amount of
responsibility and Tatyanah is ready to take that upon herself. “ Being a captain as a junior is a great
honor at GVHS. This is a growing program and I plan to play a significant role
in it’s development”, said Castillo.
Even though she was named as a team captain she understands there are
those ahead of her who have experience as well.
“I plan to learn as much as possible this season from the examples of
our senior captains, Miranda Escalera and Racqual Espinoza,” continued Tatyanah. Taking the experience from seniors can only
help Castillo as she continues to try and earn her school and program respect
among the valleys other teams.
Being a captain is a difficult role but Castillo is a leader
both on and off the field. Off the field
and in the classroom she’s a shining example of what a student athlete needs to
be. With a 4.3 GPA and tremendous
talents on the field her father states,
“Tatyanah is a strong offensive player, who works hard on her hitting skills,
she believes in hitting off a tee and performs the alone work every night.”
Working alone can get kind of boring and monotonous but she loves doing it
because it’s going to improve her game.
Playing for her father can also present a problem not only for the
player but for the coach as well.
Tatyanah likes playing for her dad because, “We meet at an intellectual
level, on and off the field. He’s very
direct and knows when to say, NO. He
loves his players and treats us all the same.”
Coach Castillo also understands the dynamics of the
relationship, “We have established rules and we both do a good job of following
these rules. For example, we never leave
the field upset with one another. We
discuss things until we we hug each other.
My wife does not allow softball arguments at home.” Tatyanah also agrees with that but sometimes
that leaves a few extra minutes after practice.
“When we get off the field we can no longer discuss my individual
softball performance. Unfortunately this
means some long discussions before we get off the field and into the car. Even with the ups and downs of the
father/daughter/coach/player relationship it’s great for both parties. “The best part for me is the satisfaction of
making him proud,” said Tatyanah. Hugo
also thinks there are many positives with coaching his own, This is probably
every father’s dream come true. The
opportunity to coach my daughter has created a very strong bond between
us. We are very direct, honest and
supportive of each other. She is my best
friend!
In his fifth year at Golden Valley Coach Castillo has tried
to change the culture while also giving girls other than his own a chance to
further their softball playing careers at the college level. “Yes my daughter is going to Dartmouth but
we’re focused on helping all the girls in our program continue their careers at
the next level,” said Coach Castillo.
That statement is supported by the fact that other than Taty there are
three girls on the team right now who will achieve that goal. Senior captain
Miranda Escalera is committed to Sterling College in Kansas, senior captain
Racqual Espinoza is committed to Cal Lutheran, and senior Gabby Thomas is
committed to George Fox University in Oregon.
Every
player has goals they want to accomplish and Tatyanah is no different. “As a team I would like to qualify for CIF
playoffs. As an individual, I hope to be viewed as a good role model for future
GVHS softball players.”
As the league season approaches the Lady Grizzlies are
looking to people like Taty and their senior captains to help make a difference
in how other teams view them. They’re
hoping to earn the respect of the Foothill League by doing things the right
way. With the drive, determination,
attitude, togetherness, chemistry and desire this group has it wouldn’t shock
anyone to find the Lady Grizzlies at or near the top of the Foothill League a
month from now.
Written by,
Dominic Fernandez.
Above, Taty gives her verbal commitment to Dartmouth University.
Below: Tatyanah getting ready for a game.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
GV Students Get First Hand Experience
Tony
Moskal, Teacher, Analyst Fox Sports Prep Zone:
As
a teacher I’ve always felt it was my job to expose my students to things they
were interested in and give them the chance to learn about those things. As a broadcaster and a teacher I have the
best of both worlds. I get to work with
young people in a field I have a passion for and work with kids who share that
same passion. On March 6th
and 7th I took five of my students with me to the CIF Basketball
Championship games at Azusa Pacific University where they had the chance to see
how the entire production works. From my
own preparation to my announcing partner, to the guys in the van running cable,
setting up monitors, cameras, head sets and whatever else needed to get done,
these kids had a first-hand account of the entire production. During the games they were assisting the crew
by either pulling cable for the camera guys, helping in the van by running
graphics, helping me with stats, or observing what producer, replay person were
doing and learning. Here are their
first-hand accounts from the weekend.
Nash
Soliman
My dream has always been to find myself a career in the
sports media field. On March 6th 2015, I got the opportunity to get a notion
for what it could be like. I took a trip down to Azusa Pacific for the CIF
championship boys basketball games, from there I shadowed Fox Sports Prepzone
and got a chance to listen and learn from Play-by-play announcers and Color
analysts. I also got to walk through the production van. I got the full experience
of what it’s like to broadcast a game. It was an amazing experience. I got the
chance to help out with stats for the play-by-play announcer. He at some points
relied on me for those stats during his broadcast, hearing him use my
information on air made me that much more excited to pursue this career. I
learned what it takes to produce and broadcast a game as Fox Sports Prepzone
was on air.
Nick Herrera
On
Saturday March 6th I had the opportunity to go with Mr. Moskal and
experience what it is like to see how a whole sports broadcasting production is
set up and ran. Mr. Moskal is our sports broadcasting teacher and he broadcasts
games for Fox Sports Prep Zone. From the broadcasters preparing before
the game, to the camera crew filming, and to the production crew in the van I
got to see first-hand how everything comes together. I also had the opportunity
to help around with the crew in various areas. Even though it wasn’t the
most glamorous job someone had to pull the cable for the camera guys and wind
it up. It was cool sitting in the van and being asked to run some of the
graphics for the event. Nik the producer asked me to update the
score after each basket as well as start and stop the game clock when the
referee signaled. I also saw how the producer calls which cameras
to choose. Overall I had a great experience and if I ever had another
opportunity to do it again I would.
AJ Sabedra
Friday March, 6th at Azusa
Pacific College I had the pleasure of getting a first person look at what it takes
to work in the Fox Sports industry. My day consisted of watching guys in the
truck get ready hours before the game to make sure the graphics, stats and
camera angles are all in place. For the broadcasters it was a week long process
for preparation. The Broadcasters are responsible for contacting the coaches
for each team and asking them for their stats, record, key players and any
other interesting information that some people might not know and find
interesting. According to Fox Sports Analyst and our broadcasting teacher Tony
Moskal that can be one of the easiest as well as most difficult tasks, “Some coaches are great and get back to you
with whatever you need as soon as possible.
Then there are those who think you’re trying to steal their deepest darkest
secrets and won’t give you anything which then makes it difficult to give out
correct or any information regarding their player.”
This first person
experience is definitely important to a person like me who wants to get in the
sports broadcasting industry. It opened
my eyes on what it takes to properly get prepared for a game, what it looks
like first hand, and how everyone involved in the preparation of a game does
their job.
Brian Bedell
On March 6th I was lucky
enough to go with my teacher Tony Moskal to get an inside look at Fox Sports
Prep Zone. While there I was able to see
what happens on and off the camera and how many people it takes to run one
game. I spent most of my time in the truck running graphics and watching how
much hard work is put into one game. It was a great learning opportunity for me
because I want to go into that industry and spend my time in a truck running
graphics and controlling what is on the TV. I learned how difficult it is and
how much hard work it takes to be successful in this field. I liked spending my
time there and I learned a lot about the industry and what I have to do to get
into it.
Basheer Qatan
Although I never thought I would want to be in the sports
broadcast industry, this experience opened my eyes to something new. While at the games I felt like I was
presented with the chance to feel like was part of the crew. The guys
in the truck made it a very special time by showing us what everyone
did, what each person was responsible for, how they communicate with each other
from the camera guys to the announcers.
They showed us how to run the graphics, how to switch cameras, how to do
replays. I never knew there was so much
involved in putting on a telecast or webcast but this opened my eyes. After
watching how everyone did their job and being a big sports fan I think it may
eventually be an environment I wouldn’t mind being around for long periods of
time.
AJ helping run cable.
Nick and Basheer running graphics
Brian, Nash and AJ outside the Prep Zone van
Nick and Basheer outside the Prep Zone vanWednesday, March 18, 2015
Harris "PUTS" in Her Best Effort
In track and field some of the field events are not glamorized as much as the track events like the 100 meter dash but for senior Nikaela Harris and the Golden Valley track team shot put is just as important as any other event. Harris is definitely one of the best, if not the best shot putter to not only come through Golden Valley High School but the entire Santa Clarita Valley. Just recently she added to her list of accomplishments by winning the the Fresno State Indoor Championship in shot put this year with a mark of 41’2”. This past weekend she took home another first place medal but tossing the metal ball 41’3” at the Nike Invitational held at Redondo Union High School. Last season as a junior she won the Foothill league and looks to repeat that performance again this year.
Like any other athlete that excels in a specific sport or sporting event Nikaela’s ambition to become great shot put started at a young age.
When Nikaela was nine years old she did youth track, but only running events. One day she decided to wander over to shot put. “I started when my brother was doing it. In youth track he was practicing and I went over to where he was and tried it. The coach was shocked and said I need to stop doing the running and start throwing.” Nikaela never realized that she could be good at shot-put always thinking it was her brother Diontre’s sport. Diontre who graduated from Golden Valley in 2013 and still holds the school record for shot put at 55 feet would always give Nikaela advice and help her get better. From working out in the weight room to helping her out with her form. Diontre was big help in Nikaela’s success.
John Quam who coached Nikaela for three years saw her potential when she first came to Golden Valley. They would go to throw clinics at Shafter High School in Bakersfield where even Nikaela impressed the Arizona State throws coach. "She was always somewhat scared of the weight room, because she thought she was going to turn into a muscle bound person", says Coach Quam. Nikaela was always the younger thrower and has grown into her throws now. "She has learned that hard work is essential to becoming a great thrower. She also possess an attitude of hating to lose" says Coach Quam. Nikaela says coach Quam has helped so much and been very motivational.
Every track meet there is pressure for Nikaela to win so her team can earn points. Even though the event is worth just a few points it has the possibility of making a difference in the always tough Foothill League between the track team winning or losing. There are seven throwers in the group and Nikaela is the leader. Nikaela gives help to the other girls like her brother did with her. This Gives her a big sister type role which she takes seriously. “Being an example for the other girls is important because someone was there for me and I think I need to be there for them,” said the senior. It’s wise for the younger throwers to listen to her because she is a defending league champion and advanced to the Masters Meet during her junior year making her the first junior from Golden Valley to make it that far.
With a long list of accomplishments and a host of medals hanging around her neck Harris has one more goal that she fell short of last year and that’s the State Championship Meet. “I fell just short of advancing last year so I’m bound and determined to make it this year. I don’t want anything to get in my way.” With an air of confidence and experience from last year to build on watch for Harris to not only make it to the State Meet but to hang another medal around her neck before the day is over.
Nikaela after winning the Fresno State Indoor ChampionshipPlayoff Bound?
Over
the past couple of years the Golden Valley boy’s golf program has had minimal
success. In 2014 they had their best
year ever. Sophomore Jonathan Kang won
the league MVP and player of the year.
Jonathan was also the first individual in school history to make the CIF
individual playoffs. Jonathan advanced
farther than every other Foothill League qualifier falling 6 strokes short of
making the State Championship. Kang led
the team to a second place finish in the 4th league match of the
year at Valencia Country Club defeating West Ranch and Valencia for the first
time in program history. The Boys Golf program missed the CIF playoffs
by three strokes. This year their chances to make it to playoffs
seem to be a lot better since they have their top three players returning.
Those returners consist of Jonathan Kang, Ray Asuncion, and Kameron
Hobbs. These three golfers will be
counted on to lead a very young team to heights never before achieved.
Being a first year player in a program and being asked to
contribute is difficult for anyone. For
Sophomore Ray Asuncion his freshman year was just that. “I played to the best
of my ability but I know I need to improve my iron game” Being part of a team to
barely miss out on the playoffs has sat with Ray the entire off season. “I was devastated that we missed by such a
small amount motivates me to work harder for this season.”
Winning a championship for any individual or team is a
difficult thing however people in the sports world say that defending that
championship is the toughest. Junior
Jonathan Kang is hoping to do just that as he heads into this season as the
defending league MVP. After asking him
how last season was for him he explained to me how he was proud of him and his
team for making it so far but personally devastated that they didn’t make it
playoffs. He says that he personally needs to work and improve. Jonathan states
that team chemistry is at an all-time high forming a bond between him and his
teammates.
After having the best
finish in program history Head Coach Tony Moskal feels this may be the year the Grizzlies break through. “We have our top three returning golfers in Kang, Asunscion and Hobbs
so I think they’re ready to go out and compete.” With a solid nucleus of three players the team is in
good shape. Needing to find three more is a task Moskal thinks they’ve accomplished. “Senior Brian
Bedell quit baseball to come out for the golf team and he’s going to play our #4 spot. He’s got a
solid game and he is going to contribute.” The other two spots are up for grabs as Moskal says, “I’ve
got three other guys for two spots.” In the always tough Foothill League the Grizzlies are getting
ready to compete and improve on their finish from last year. They’re off to a pretty good start this
season with four qualifying scores and a school record score of 183 on nine holes at the Encino Golf
Course. “It was a day where everything came together,” Moskal said of the record score. “We’ve
never had one player shoot under par in any round and for us to have three shoot under par shows that
this group has the ability to put up some low scores,” continued Moskal. With a solid group of
returners and some JV players ready to step into varsity sport the future looks bright the 2015
Grizzlies.
Junior Kameron Hobbs warms up before a match.
Sophomore Ray Asuncion hits his approach shot.
Champions are Made in the Off Season
Golden Valley High school has been a struggling Football
program since day one. Coming into their 11th year as a football
program, the Grizzlies are looking to change the image that everyone has about
them. They are working hard to increase
their skills for next season by intensifying the off-season training program.
In Coach Dan
Kelly’s first year he realized that the Grizzlies needed more off season work. Coach
Kelley came from Arleta High School and Sylmar High where he won three CIF
championships as an offensive coordinator.
Coach Kelly understands the old saying “Champions are made in the off
season”. In previous seasons the Grizzlies have not truly dedicated themselves
to lifting. Coach Kelly is changing
that. Coach Kelley noted “I am here to stay, and I am hoping to change the
culture of this program.”
The Grizzlies
have been putting in 10 hours a week in the weight room focusing on three main
lifts power clean, bench press and squats; and despite their lack of a field
due to winter sports, have been using the blacktop to practice footwork. Coach
Kelly said, “I am trying to turn this team into hard working athletes. They are
working hard in the weight room and on the blacktop. I am looking for big
things from Julian Torres a returning senior, Tai Brown an incoming junior, as
well as Shane Tamura the returning senior running back, and a lot of other
guys”. The Grizzlies are changing the culture of Golden Valley by putting in
the necessary work. They already have 24
players who have broken the 200 pound barrier for bench, and 31 players break
the 300 pound barrier for squat. Sophomore Tai Brown says, “We are looking to
improve our game. We are taking it day by day step by step; giving everything
we have during every rep”. Junior
Quarterback Victor Corona says “Coach Kelly has been pushing us harder than any
coach has ever pushed in my entire 3 years. I have already improved 20 pounds
in my bench since he has been here.” Since their first league game in 2006 the
Grizzlies are win-less in the Foothill League. In the past Golden Valley’s off-season program was centered on conditioning. Dan Kelly has changed that by involving weight room activities, blacktop activities, and a little conditioning here and there. The Grizzlies are going to be back on the field next week hopes to intensify their training even more. With a new program, a new focus, and more intensity, the Grizzlies are hoping that all of their hard work will pay off come this fall season.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
From Average Joe to G.I. Joe
The teen years are probably the most difficult time in a persons’ life. There are teens that make both positive and negative decisions that will make them who they are in life. Some kids decide to make decisions that will affect their life in a negative way. Some kids decide to use these years wisely and make decisions that will affect their life in a positive way. Golden Valley High school senior, Tyler Schumann is one teenager that has decided to focus on the positives and his future.
After
coming home from Basic Training, Tyler came back to Golden Valley for his
senior year. Coming back to school his peers and teachers have seen a huge
improvement in Tyler’s attitudes and character. Tyler’s Sports broadcasting
teacher at Golden Valley High school, Tony Moskal said, “Tyler has really
matured as a person and is more focused and a lot more caring.” When I asked
Tyler his reason for joining the military he told me, “To improve myself and
serve my country at the same time.” Most high school kids don’t really think
this way but Tyler is a special person.
“Once I returned and re-connected with my friends I realized that there
was a difference in mentality. It seemed
that I had more common sense than they did and they continued to do immature
things that I felt were not the smartest things to do.” Now that he’s back in high school with those
same peers Tyler hopes that his maturity rubs off on some of his friends. “When I talk to my friends about their
decisions I try to help them and explain that what they’re doing isn’t really
smart and the real world is going to laugh at them.” Being an example in high school is tough
because kids take things for granted.
“It’s funny because when it rains at school I see kids panicking and
running for cover because they’re a bit wet.
When I was participating in a field training exercise it rained for 3
days straight. I had to sleep in a hole filled with water and mud for that
time.” These are the major differences
that Tyler has encountered has he has come back to his high school.
Tyler now is focused on finishing
high school, and getting prepared to depart to Fort Leonard Wood MI, for
Advanced Individual Training anytime between June through August. After he
plans to attend Airborne School and further his military career. Hopefully more
people will take after Tyler and further themselves for the betterment of their
country and other people. Golden Valley
High School is fortunate to have people like Tyler in their student body.
Written
by: Andrew Flores
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Sister Act
In this day and age every student
athlete wants to continue their sport at the next level, which is college. It’s
rare for one member of a family to achieve that opportunity. It’s even rarer
for two people to achieve it. Rachel and
Rebecca Ho are two Golden Valley graduates who have done just that. Stars on the tennis court and in the
classroom their success on the hard-court earned them both scholarships to the
college level. Rachel attends UCSB and
Rebecca is a student at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri.
Both were stars at Golden Valley
High School in Santa Clarita for Head Coach Josh Stimac, “Rachel was a fierce
competitor which earned her a great deal of respect around the league. She was
also well liked around the league on and off the court because of her easy
going and friendly demeanor.” Younger sister Rebecca on the other hand, “was
relentless on the court. Earning first team all-league for three years, two of
which she was the foothill league individual singles champion,” said Stimac.
Rebecca finished 160-13, engraving her name as the winningest girl’s tennis
player at Golden Valley High school. “Rebecca is one of the most successful
female athletes that ever attended Golden Valley”.
As the sisters had to learn on the
fly and transition to playing at the next level, they both mentioned that they
continue to use their same style of play from high school. “There hasn’t been
any change in my stroke or play style,” said Rebecca. Although the Ho sisters
bring their same savvy play style from high school, they still had to adjust to
the higher level of competition. On the other hand, in some occasions you could
get an early preview of what collegiate sports could be like. “The competition
in college is definitely much more challenging, although there were a few
exceptional players from the other high schools that presented me with
difficult challenges,” Rachel mentioned. That competition in high school
allowed Rachel important preparation for success at the next level.
The high level of competition
wasn’t the only the struggle the two young ladies faced, juggling their
academics with tennis was the most enormous task they're currently facing. “My
biggest challenge is managing my time with school and also keeping up with
other athletes who have trained just as hard, if not harder than I have” said
Rachel. Both sisters mutually agree how
difficult the task can be. “It’s very tough to balance the two effectively”
Older sister Rebecca mentioned. Of course balancing the two can be very
challenging, but it is even tougher when you attend Washington University which
is one of the top fifteen institutes in the country. The well-known UCSB isn’t
exactly the easiest schools to attend either. The two sisters aren’t just
achieving their goal of being a student athlete at the college level; they are
going above and beyond by earning an education at two of the toughest and
competitive schools in the nation.
By Nash Solimon
By Nash Solimon
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Toby Okunna Signs
Toby Okunna signed his national letter of intent yesterday to Western New Mexico University.
Okunna has only been playing high school football for 2 years but in that time
he saw an opportunity that his talents might earn him a scholarship at the next
level. " I have worked very hard for this from lifting at 6 in the morning
before school to working out another 3 hours after school". Okunna looks
to make an immediate impact on the team playing defense end and linebacker by
hopefully contributing the Mustangs to a wining season.
by Nick Herrera
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
2015 Signing Day at Golden Valley
This year Golden Valley had 3 student-athletes sign
scholarships. Zachary Bygum, a baseball player, signed with Dartmouth College
an Ivy League school in New Hampshire. Vincent Hill, a baseball player signed
with Midland University in Nebraska. Golden Valley’s lone football player that
signed a scholarship was Nash Soliman, who will be attending Northern Montana
State University.
Zachary
Bygum is second year Varsity pitcher for The Grizzlies. Zachary is a hard throwing
right hander standing at a towering 6 ft. 6 inches with a fastball that can
reach up to 88 mph. Dartmouth is a highly touted Ivy League school and
Zachary’s 4.1 overall grade point average and talented pitching abilities is
what convinced the Dartmouth staff to pursue Zach.
Vincent
Hill also in his second year as a Varsity pitcher, has a wide variety of
pitches that cause miss-matches for opposing batters. With a devastating curveball and newly
acquired slider that just breaks off the plate, Vincent has the perfect size
for a pitcher trying to succeed at the next level. Standing in at 6 ft. 4 inches he definitely
has a pitchers frame and has plenty of room to fill out in order to be successful as
a college pitcher. Midland University is an NAIA school located just outside of
Omaha. After visiting the school Vincent
decided that it was the right fit for him and his family, “I discussed it over
with my friends and family, and agreed that it gave me the best opportunity to
play at the next level.”
Nash
Soliman had a solid season for The Grizzlies who had a rough time finding
bright spots this season. With 25 catches for 400 yards averaging 16 yards a
catch Nash wasn’t a standout but a solid player for first year coach Dan
Kelley. Nash isn’t going to kill you with size standing in at 5’7 and 150
pounds, but runs excellent routes and has great knowledge of the game. Northern
Montana State University has found what people call a diamond in the
rough. A tough kid with very promising skill
set this is the perfect fit for Nash. “I
talked to the coaches and they liked my abilities as a football player. I wanted to continue to play at the next
level and this is a great situation for me.”
by Andrew Sabedra
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Lady Grizzlies Take on Lady Vikings
A lot of times in the sport of basketball teams have hot shooting nights. On Tuesday night at Valencia High School the Lady Vikings took that to a new level as they shot 68 percent from the field in the first half. Due to their great start they put themselves in great position for the rest of the game. After the first quarter the game was close 20-14, however the Lady Vikings and their hot shooting propelled them to a 22 point lead at the half. Leading the way for Valencia was Ashlee Ane who scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half, Kenadee Honaker with 14 points, and Talia Roth who put in 12 points throughout the game. The Grizzlies (13-6, 1-2) were led by the trio of Destiny Monroe, Serene Tyus and Cherokee Cardriche who each scored six points. The lady Grizzlies look to even their league record as they play Hart Friday at home while the Vikings(14-6, 3-0) will match-up against Canyon, at Canyon.
by Nash SolimanTrying to Get Back on the Winning Track
Needing to get back on the winning track after a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Canyon Cowboys (63-59) the Golden Valley boys basketball team took on the Valencia Vikings Tuesday night at Valencia High. Things didn't turn out the way the Grizzlies wanted as the Vikings won 72-50.
Sometimes teams get contributions from an unexpected source. On Tuesday Valencia got their from Jacob Tor who hit back to back 3 pointers to extend a 12 point Valencia lead to 18 heading into halftime.
Coach Dan Alon mentioned that "That's the key. Someone you're not expecting to step up. We didn't get that from our guys."
Even though Valencia got some contributions from players like Tor their regular players also stepped. Dakota Abbott chipped in 15 points to lead all Viking scorers and Alex Sanchez stepped up and scored 12 points.
Despite Valencia's lead Golden Valley kept pushing. Golden Valley players Bryce Tyler-St. Clair and Isai Jimenez scored a total of 35 points.
It may be just another Foothill League game, but these players take their game very seriously. Hopefully things are looking up for Golden Valley (6-9 overall, 1-2 Foothill League) as they head into their next game versus Hart on Friday. Good luck boys!
by Charisse B. Atherley, Jordan Wiegand, and Daniel Patino
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Golden Valley Makes a Comeback
The last time the Golden Valley Grizzlies won a league opener was in 2009 and their 62-52 victory over the Saugus Centurians on Tuesday was a step in the right direction. After defeating the Centurians twice in league last season it was very important for the Grizzlies to continue that streak as their league season opened.
"It was important because people didn't think we were going to do well in league this year," said junior captain and forward Noah Heinzman.
Earlier in the year these two teams met in the Burbank Tournament where Saugus came out on top 61-59.
On Tuesday night the Grizzlies knew Saugus wouldn't be an easy win. Early in the first quarter Saugus jumped out to a 13-5 lead. Paced by Caleb Grisanti's 9 points in the quarter. The Grizzlies clawed their way back into the game by rattling off nine unanswered points to take a one point lead at the end of the quarter.
Leading the way for the Grizzlies was Isai Jimenez who poured in 21 points.
According to Heinzman it was important for Jiminez to score a lot of points because the majority of the scoring has come from Heinzman, Bryce Tyler-St. Clair and Derek Schlossman.
"If we can get scoring from other areas it makes us more difficult to defend and we have more weapons to attack anybody's defense," said Heinzman.
It seemed like the Grizzlies were going to be down a point at halftime but a bank shot three pointer from Jimenez gave the Grizzlies a two point lead and a lot of momentum going into halftime.
After halftime it was all Golden Valley as Derek Schlossman led the way in the third quarter with a pair of three pointers that gave the Grizzlies a thirteen point lead heading into the last 8 minutes.
We went around and asked some of the players what they think changed and helped them win. According to Noah Heinzman "Our defense helped us win. The pressure and intensity coming from them helped significantly." Isai accredited it to "just energy and being more positive. We weren't attacking, and that's what we're really good at."
With a win like this expectations are starting to build up for Golden Valley. There's plenty in store for their future as a team.
by Charisse B. Atherley
"It was important because people didn't think we were going to do well in league this year," said junior captain and forward Noah Heinzman.
Earlier in the year these two teams met in the Burbank Tournament where Saugus came out on top 61-59.
On Tuesday night the Grizzlies knew Saugus wouldn't be an easy win. Early in the first quarter Saugus jumped out to a 13-5 lead. Paced by Caleb Grisanti's 9 points in the quarter. The Grizzlies clawed their way back into the game by rattling off nine unanswered points to take a one point lead at the end of the quarter.
Leading the way for the Grizzlies was Isai Jimenez who poured in 21 points.
According to Heinzman it was important for Jiminez to score a lot of points because the majority of the scoring has come from Heinzman, Bryce Tyler-St. Clair and Derek Schlossman.
"If we can get scoring from other areas it makes us more difficult to defend and we have more weapons to attack anybody's defense," said Heinzman.
It seemed like the Grizzlies were going to be down a point at halftime but a bank shot three pointer from Jimenez gave the Grizzlies a two point lead and a lot of momentum going into halftime.
After halftime it was all Golden Valley as Derek Schlossman led the way in the third quarter with a pair of three pointers that gave the Grizzlies a thirteen point lead heading into the last 8 minutes.
We went around and asked some of the players what they think changed and helped them win. According to Noah Heinzman "Our defense helped us win. The pressure and intensity coming from them helped significantly." Isai accredited it to "just energy and being more positive. We weren't attacking, and that's what we're really good at."
With a win like this expectations are starting to build up for Golden Valley. There's plenty in store for their future as a team.
by Charisse B. Atherley
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