Boys Varsity Soccer celebrates District Title

Deven Smith
Staff Writer

The New Hope-Solebury Boys Soccer team beats Lansdale Catholic 3-2 in overtime, to win the school's first ever soccer AA District Championship. 
 On Nov. 4, at one PM the starting whistle blew and the game started. The game began with complete dominance by New Hope, but it was Lansdale Catholic (LC) that drew first blood with their first shot of the game off of a counter attack by Matt MacDonald. However, it did not take New Hope long to strike back, they got a goal just 82 seconds after conceding.
  Jake Jacquemot finished a rebound off of Captain Nate Bawduniak free kick to bring the score level at 1-1.
  LC then proceeded to score a second goal with a 35-yard header by MacDonald after New Hope’s keeper Ethan Datz was caught out of the goal after he cleared the ball.  However, New Hope would not give up.
  The Lions tied the game again after only 46 seconds with Nick Fest stealing the ball at midfield and kicking it upfield where it was flicked on to Nate Bawduniak who finished the ball in the bottom left corner with only a minute left in the half. 
 The second half of the game produced no goals,  but it was still full of excitement as the Lions aggressively battled it out all over the field. 
  Balls hit the post and goals were called back due to fouls or calls for players being offsides.  But the real excitement came in over time in which the team that scores first wins. 
 Captain Jake Zimmerman started off the play with a wide ball to Senior Dante Demeo who with a burst of speed prevented the ball from going out of bounds.  He then proceeded to cross the ball which was then cleared to out of the box where Zimmerman banged it into the goal to win the District Title. 

Old Saint Nick Is Here to the Eagles “Blitzin” Defense to a Super Bowl Victory

Frank Spadavecchia and Devin Bock Staff Writers After an impressive win over the 9-3, NFC West leading LA Rams, the Eagles faithful received heartbreaking news about their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. He took a hard hit at the end of the third quarter and has torn his ACL. This injury has ended his season and dramatically dropped the chances of the Eagles’ Super Bowl dream; or so people think. The Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles is going to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl despite this hardship. Foles, a former Pro Bowl Offensive MVP in 2013, has played with the Eagles in the past and led them to success. In 2013, he led the team to an NFC East title and threw 27 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. They ended up losing in the first round to the New Orleans Saints by a field goal, but that will not happen again this year. Things are different with this team and the whole city can feel it. All year the Eagles have been plagued with injuries including losing Darren Sproles and Jason Peters. They have kept a “next-man up” mentality all year and this injury to Wentz will not change that. Everybody has been stepping up this year and Nick Foles will do the same. Nick Foles came into the game against the Rams and secured the victory for the Eagles after Wentz went down. He threw 6-10 for completions and threw for 42 yards, including a huge 3rd down pass to Nelson Agholor to continue the march down field. For Nick’s first start of the season against the 2-11 New York Giants, he threw for 237 yards and 4 touchdowns. This was a spectacular outing and a huge moral boost for Eagles Fans. It is up to them to rally around their new quarterback and give him the support he deserves. Foles is ready; now it is time that we get ready. With the Eagles sitting at 12-2, only needing one more win for home field advantage, it appears that the offense is Super Bowl ready.

Flyers Hope to Find Success in Roller Coaster Season

Justin Fischetti
Staff Writer

On Dec. 16, in a game against the Dallas Stars, the Wells Fargo Center erupted when Shayne Gostisbehere scored a game-winning overtime goal on a powerplay, his second goal of a game, in a 2-1 victory for the Philadelphia Flyers. This victory was the sixth in a row for the Flyers, bringing them within just four points behind the second wild card spot with still plenty of season left in the NHL.
  It is hard to believe that just two weeks earlier, the Flyers were skating to their tenth straight loss in front of a furious home crowd chanting for head coach Dave Hakstol to be fired.
  These streaks have perfectly defined the rollercoaster-like season that the 2017-18 Flyers have endured. After a decent start, a 10-game losing streak occurred that seemed to suck all the enthusiasm out of a young, rebuilding team that was hoping to compete for a playoff spot, though five of the losses came in overtime where the Flyers were able to get a point. A surprising 6-game winning streak immediately followed however, getting the Flyers right back into the thick of the playoff race with still over three months of the season left. The winning streak would end on Dec. 18 with a loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and it will be interesting to see if the team can rebound quickly from the loss.
  The Flyers currently have 35 points and a 14-12-7 record as of Dec. 19. With plenty of games against the Eastern Conference coming up - the Flyers schedule was loaded with Western Conference games early - winning games will especially be important for the Flyers playoff chances now. The Flyers though face a challenge in their playoff quest in that they are playing in the strongest division in the league; the Metropolitan Division. Despite being just four points back of the last playoff spot, the Flyers are tied for the fewest points of any team in their 8-team division. By comparison, the Flyers would be in 4th place if they were in the other Eastern Conference division, the Atlantic Division, instead.
  In an encouraging sign, many players have taken a step forward in their performance so far this season compared to last season. Center Sean Couturier has enjoyed a breakout season, with 15 goals and 15 assists; his 15 goals are already more than the 14 he had all of last season. Right winger Jakub Voracek currently leads all NHL players with 33 assists. Left winger Claude Giroux is bouncing back from a disappointing performance last season with 13 goals and 23 assists so far this season. Younger players, such as defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov as well as center Travis Konecny are also performing well. Goalie Brian Elliott, signed to a two-year contract last summer, is off to a fairly good start as well.
  When asked about Couturier’s strong start in what seems to be a breakout season, Giroux replied by saying that “I’d seen potential, yeah. He’s just a really smart player, gets open really well. For us it’s trying to build on it. We had a good chemistry early on in preseason. We just need to keep building on it.”
  With the more important part of the schedule about to begin, it will be crucial for the team to perform well if they have playoff aspirations. With how inconsistent the Flyers have been so far in this rollercoaster year, it is impossible to tell where the team will take off from here. A non-playoff year won’t be disastrous for the franchise as management continues to rebuild by developing youth, but it would be disappointing. But if the Flyers continue to get strong performances from their team leaders and the other players step it up, a playoff berth for this season is definitely a good possibility.

The return of Josh Gordon

Will Kelley,Lear Asplundh, and Mike Borys
Staff Writers

 Josh Gordon, one of the most talented NFL players throughout the past five years has finally made his 2017 return to the NFL. Gordon has had multiple cases where he has been suspended from league play and has got in trouble with the law for abusing different narcotics. His first case was in 2013, when he was suspended the first two games of the NFL season for violating NFL substance-abuse policy. Despite missing two games during the 2013 season, Gordon was still among one of the top receivers throughout the league. After a productive season for the Cleveland Browns in 2013, weeks before the start of the 2014 season, Gordon was suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol. Due to these altercations Gordon was suspended a full year from the NFL. Within days Gordon had also had altercations once again with substance-abuse policies which costed him a removal from the 2014 Pro Bowl, Later his suspension was reduced to only 10 games due to the leagues new drug policies.

Playing Sunday against the Chargers was the first time since the 2014 season. The first play for the brows was a nine-yard catch to Josh Gordon. In his first game he managed to grab four catches for 85 yards. He was obviously the most targeted receiver that game. The next game against the Packers, Gordon caught his first touchdown in almost four years. He recorded three receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown. So far, Gordon’s impact to the Browns is significant. Now that the Cleveland Browns have an elite reciever they can possibly have a better season next year. This past week Gordon helped the Browns nearly take the Packers down with a heartbreaking overtime loss. Gordons third week back he hauled in 5 receptions for a total of 47 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. Gordon back in the Browns lineup has been a difference maker. He is truly a special one of a kind talent the Browns need after a disappointing 0-14 record through 15 weeks of the 2017 regular season.

Girl’s Basketball seek a victorious season

Laura Nagg
Copy Editor

 Winter sports have been underway for a few weeks now and girls basketball is making a strong start to their season. The BAL and District champion team has been full of strong, upperclassmen athletes in past seasons. But this year it is a different story. The starting line-up consists of three upperclassman, including captain Sarah Wilson. Sarah Wilson has been playing basketball for 12 years and has committed to play basketball at Nyack University in New York on a full scholarship. She has spent countless hours practicing with her siblings, her school and club team, and on her own. She is a dedicated player to the team and will surely go far in her college career.
  The rest of the team cherishes from her skills along with help from other starters, Zoe Palau and captain Jordyn Sherman. Who have been playing together since 2nd grade and create a strong dynamic on the court. With a smaller upperclassmen line-up they look to the underclassman including Sydney Ives, Jay Covino, Rachel Saxton 
 Unfortunately, due to construction in the high school gym, the girls and boys teams this year will be unable to have home games in the high school. The girls will play three “home” games located in the UES gym this season.
  So far the girls have 3-2 record, with losses to Suburban One school Council Rock North and Stuart County Day School in New Jersey. On Thursday Dec. 14 the girls wiped the floor with a 50-19 victory against Bristol. The girl’s next game will be held in the UES gym on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. against Morrisville high school.

 

Lions Ice Hockey club skates to its first ever win

Kel MacDowell
Staff Writers

On Nov. 6,  the new boys’ ice hockey club  won their first ever game in the school’s history against Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School.
  The team went into the game with 0-1-0, with a loss to a tough Hatboro Horsham High School team. New Hope was looking to bounce back and get their first ever win in school history, and they did just that.
  Defensemen Grayson Asplundh started the scoring off with a wild shot from the corner that found its way into to the back of the net. Senior Chris Braun helped the team out by netting three goals in the first period, to make the score 4-0. Plymouth-Whitemarsh finally scored their first goal of the game late in the first period to make it 4-1.
  The game was far from over even though New Hope was up by three for the beginning of the second.
  Early into the second period, senior Vincent Vetrano scored to make it 5-1 with help from seniors Aidan McCollum and Jay MacDowell. Plymouth-Whitemarsh responded by scoring two goals in a row, less than five minutes apart from each other, to make it 5-3. Less than 25 seconds later, a pass from freshman Mike Janora was received by Vincent Vetrano who proceeded to skate through the entire Plymouth-Whitemarsh team to score his second of the game, making the score 6-3.
  Plymouth-Whitemarsh responded three minutes later to make it 6-4.
 On the defensive side, goalie Devin Bock made some outstanding saves to keep the team’s motivation. It was only Mr. Bock’s second outing as a goaltender. Previously, Devin played as an offensive winger in a local recreational league with not a whole lot of prior experience in the game.
 Now entering the third period, Plymouth-Whitemarsh was looking for some offense to even the score. 34 seconds into the third, Plymouth-Whitemarsh scored to make the score 6-5. Shortly after that, Chris Braun & Rex Fowler netted two quick goals making it 8-5. Then Plymouth-Whitemarsh scored a goal to make it 8-6. Following that, Aidan McCollum scored the final goal for NHS, but right after that Plymouth-Whitemarsh scored another quick goal.
 The buzzer went off and the New Hope boys spilled over the boards onto the ice to celebrate the win. It wasn’t an easy game for the Lions. They came prepared and gave it everything they had and came out on top with the first ever win in NHS ice hockey history.
  Vincent Vetrano contributed to this article.

NHS Boys Soccer has a season to remember

Nick Fest

Staff Writer

The NHS boys soccer team had a year to remember. After a disappointing season last year, the boys decided to take their game to the next level. Practices were sometimes painful, but everyone stuck together because of their love for the game.

 The season started off great with five wins in five games. They had a setback against Holy Ghost, but that did not stop them from a great season. An overtime win by Jake Jacquemont against Lower Moreland boosted their morale. Nate Bawduniak, Caleb Herring, and Jake Zimmerman were other great assets to the midfield. They were highly skilled at controlling the ball and getting it up the field. Then there is Ryan Meyers, Nils Dahlin, Derek Donohue, and Nick Fest holding down the backline. This combination of these defensive studs acted as an impenetrable fortress. Ethan Datz, our goalie, was an outstanding player to work with. He was a leader on and off the field. Next, we have young players, Ben Koeppen and Davis Nagg on the outside who lit up the midfield whenever they have the ball. Lastly, up top Dante Demeo and Devon Smith, who have an outstanding total goal tally of 40 goals. We cannot forget about the coach David Bachart. He always keeps us striving for more, and pushing us very hard to become better players. This has led them to become District 1 Champions.

 Lansdale came into the game not knowing what was about to hit them, so we let them know from the start to end. Early into overtime, Jake Zimmerman did not feel like waiting any longer, as he ripped a shot from 20 yards out to seal the championship for New Hope, who rightfully deserved it. The boys entered states with an energetic tone as they took the field for the first time in states in two years. They closed that game early, breezing past Pen Argyl with a 6-1 win. 

  Lewisburg, the defending state champions, stood in the way of the semi-finals. They knew this was going to be a tough game, but they knew the team had it in them, as they had come so far. The game was even, but New Hope could not convert any of their chances. Lewisburg took advantage of their chances by putting three goals away to seal a victory against a solid New Hope team. Regardless of the score, New Hope put up a good fight. This year has been a remarkable year for the boys, and it will never be forgotten.

 Senior Ryan Meyers shared a  thoughtful message with his former teammates, “I am very proud to be part of this championship winning team and I wish them the best in years to come.”

  Fans like Matthew Benda had something to say about this season, “I am going to miss the enjoyment of New Hope boys soccer on a Monday night, nothing better.”

  Jack Gawason and Adam Somers contributed to this article.

Cavs and Warriors to face off in Christmas Day Matchup

Thomas Muzekari and Vince Vetrano

The Cleveland Cavaliers (19-8) will travel to Oakland, Calif. for a Christmas Day Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors (22-6) on Dec. 25.

 The last time these two teams met was last June in their third straight Finals meeting. The teams had split the previous two championships, but last year the Warriors came out on top, largely due to the addition of Kevin Durant, who was Finals MVP. Lebron James became the first player to average a triple-double in a Finals series, but it wasn’t enough, as the Cavs lost in five games.

 Golden State has the second best record in the Western Conference, only behind the Houston Rockets (21-4). The Warriors have four all-stars on the court from last year’s championship team. They are led by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who are both averaging over 25 points per game. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are the other two all-stars on the court for the Warriors. Green leads the team with 7.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, while Thompson is averaging the third-most points on the team with 20.7 a game.

 Cleveland, meanwhile, has the second best record in the Eastern Conference right behind the Boston Celtics (23-6). Kyrie Irving, who was the Cavs all-star starting point guard, left last summer to join the Celtics after requesting a trade. The Cavs did get an all-star point guard in return, though, Isaiah Thomas, and also another key player in Jae Crowder. Thomas has not played yet this year due to a hip injury. The team also signed Dwyane Wade last summer from the Chicago Bulls. Wade, a 12-time all-star, has reunited with his long-time friend James, who he won two championships with in Miami back in 2012 and 2013. Lebron James is the leading scorer for the Cavs with 28.3 points per game; he is also averaging 8.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists.

 The game-time for this Finals rematch between these two powerhouse teams is 3:00 pm. It will be live on ABC.

Roaring Eagles Lead the League

Frank Spadavecchia and Andrew Purdy                  

Staff Writers

The Philadelphia Eagles have taken the entire NFL by storm. For a team that has struggled in the past, to becoming the number one team in the league. The Eagles are 10-1. Carson Wentz is at the front of the MVP race with a record setting 28 touchdowns in the first 11 games of the season. Wentz’s 28-5 TD to interception ratio is a top the NFL and his play has been backed up by the rest of the team’s play.

 With the early emergence of the 5-0 Chiefs, a 4-1 start for the Eagles was completely overlooked. However, with the rest of the league thinning out, the Philadelphia Eagles have emerged as the best team in the league with a shocking 5-1 odds to win the Super Bowl which is the third highest of any team in the NFL as stated by ESPN. A defense that took a major hit at the cornerback position has proved to be one of the strongest units in the entire league. The Eagles have a total of 16 interceptions and a plus 8 turnover ratio with a total of 25 turnovers. After a shocking injury to the Eagles” newest acquisition Ronald Darby, many fans felt the injury was a massive blow to a promising season. Along with an early injury to Ronald Darby the eagles have had to win without All-Pro Left Tackle Jason Peters, as well as Linebacker Jordan Hicks.

 Even with all of the success on the field some of the best moments in the eagles season have taken place off the field. During the offseason Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz took some time to take his Wide Receiving core out to North Dakota where the group bonded in an effort to forge new relationships. Offseason acquisitions such as Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith have given Caron Wentz trust-worthy targets on the outside. Another midseason acquisition in Jay Ajayi has proven to the Philadelphia fan base that this is the year the Eagles will contend for the Super Bowl.

 This Eagles team is firing on all cylinders and at a pace which no one could have seen coming. They have the best record in the league and have been improving each and every week despite injuries. Across the NFL, important players have been injured or suspended and their teams have fallen off the map. The Eagles, however, have fought through turmoil and are a battle-tested team poised to make a serious run this year.

The Lady Lions Soccer Team experiences a mirror image end from last season

Shayna Berman and Laura Nagg

Staff Writers

A completely different feel this year, but a mirror image end from last season as the girls soccer season finished on Nov. 1. The Lady Lions placed second in the BAL, won semi-final districts, lost the district finals, and lost the first round of states. Yet, no matter what the record says, the team confidently can say that this season reaped much more positivity and unity than last year.

 Sophomore starter Maggie DeVito reflected on the season:“This soccer season was a time for getting to know our new coaches and having lots of fun.”

 The new coaching staff was definitely a transition for the girls. Previous coach and New Hope gym teacher, Chris Shank, returned to the program after a few years at CB West and taking a break from coaching high school soccer. He has been coaching for over 20 years at all levels and has led his teams to many championships. New Hope-Solebury alumni Emma Natale and Taylor Mohr were coached under Shank, winning many district titles themselves, came back this year as Junior Varsity Coach and Assistant Coach. The girls have a fairly young team considering that they lost 11 seniors last year including their goalie. This transition included a few freshman earning starting spots and playing time on the varsity team, including Sam Kruopas, who was a top scorer for this season. Another new addition was goal keeper Laura Nagg, who stepped up to begin training during preseason with Mohr who graduated from Elon University in the spring, playing D1 on the woman’s soccer team.

 Even with all the joys of being together as a team and the many victories during the season, it is bittersweet saying goodbye to beloved seniors. This includes the tied top scorer Claudia Kolinchak, their speedy forward Taylor Kropus, and top assister Shayna Berman and captain Laura Nagg. The other captains included juniors Halle Mohr and Katie Mardirossian.  The girls look forward to next year and believe that they will go far. They have an understanding of Coach Shank and know what they can expect from themselves and the team. Although they are dreading the preseason workouts, the girls look forward to an extremely successful 2018 season.

Eagles Looking To Win It All

John Flavin and Nick Garritano

Staff Writers

The Philadelphia Eagles have started the first half of the season on fire.  They have a record of 10-1 and it looks like no one is going to get in their way. Carson Wentz is leading the way with 2,657 yards and 28 touchdown passes and just 5 interceptions through 11 games. Another big part of the Eagles success is the play of their front 7 on defense. They have the best run defense in the National Football League and don’t give the opposing offense any easy yards.  

 According to 247sports, Wentz said: "We like where we’re at, especially being on this bye week. Obviously we got off to a good start, but just one of those things for me is just always on to the next. We’ve got another big one coming up. I’m not big on celebrating all of the success up to this point. We just gotta keep plugging along and hopefully we’ll be playing in the playoffs and see where this takes us."  

 That is a fantastic mentality to have considering that they are already widely considered the best team in the NFL. This team is hungry for a Super Bowl and won't be satisfied until they get there.

 The Eagles recent addition of RB Jay Ajayi from Miami at the trade deadline certainly won’t hurt their odds. Ajayi is one of the best young backs in the league. He had several games last season with over 200 rushing yards and a change of scenery could result in more games like that to come.

Field Hockey ends a Historic Season

Sydney Garvin and Rachel Saxton

Staff Writers

It has been a historic season for the New Hope-Solebury Field Hockey team with a claim on the BAL title, District One championship, and a first ever win in PIAA states tournament in school history.

 It started out as an unexpected season for the lions, going with a shutout season until the 4-1 win over Jenkintown High School. Their undefeated season continued until the regional finals game against Gwynedd Mercy with a tough 2-1 loss. “They got a goal on a quick transition we were not ready for,” senior Claudia Koeppen explained. “They were out for revenge and they got it, but we came back stronger and wound up getting farther in states. We won what really counted.”

 Like Koeppen said, the Lions continued onto the state quarter-finals where their season came to an end with a 3-1 loss over Wyoming Seminary whereas their past opponent, Gwynedd Mercy, lost in the first round of states.

 The field hockey team ended with nineteen wins and two losses, outscoring their opponents 148-6. Senior Sarah Wilson also beat the Bicentennial Athletic League’s career goal record in the final game against Wyoming Seminary. Former Christopher Dock player, Jill Bolton, had claimed the title with 111 goals, Wilson scoring her 112th goal in her final career game.

 “In past years, we have all been intimidated by Jill. It feels really good to show that she can be beat, and even though we weren’t able to beat her team last year, I got my revenge this year,” Wilson explains.

 The Lady Lions look forward to finishing their season with the annual parent-player game and the first ever field hockey/ soccer game versing the New Hope-Solebury Girls Soccer team. It has been a memorable season for the girls, and they cannot wait to see their first ever District One Championship banner hanging in the school gym.

76ers Begin Season with Promising Start

Justin Fischetti

Staff Writer

The Philadelphia 76ers started their 2017-18 season on Oct. 18 against the Washington Wizards, and with nearly a quarter of the season finished the Sixers are off to a promising start with an 11-7 record as of Nov. 26.

 After spending much of the previous four seasons near the bottom of the NBA standings while in the midst of a massive rebuild, the 76ers appeared poised to finally take a step forward in the 2017-18 NBA season. The Sixers returned many young key players from last season looking to make further improvements in their game, including Robert Covington, Dario Saric, T.J. McConnell and, most notably, Joel Embiid. Last season, Embiid put up sensational numbers despite having minute restrictions and missing over half the season due to injury.

 2016 number one draft pick Ben Simmons, who missed the entire 2016-17 season due to a foot injury, was set to make his long-awaited NBA debut. The 2017 number one draft pick, Markelle Fultz, was also ready for his debut. Additionally, the 76ers made a splash in free agency for the first time in years, most notably signing veterans J.J. Reddick and Amir Johnson to one-year contracts. These free agent signings showed that the Sixers were ready to take the next step forward and win as soon as possible, instead of continuing the rebuild by filling the team with only young players. These factors, combined with an Eastern Conference that was predicted to be weak, had led many NBA experts to predict that the 76ers will be a low-seeded playoff team; a drastic improvement from the near last-place finishes of the past few seasons.

 18 games later, the 76ers are on track to meet, and possibly exceed those predictions. The Sixers got off to a slow start, losing their first game to the Wizards and losing four of their first five games overall, they have been one of the hottest teams since. They have won 10 of 13 games since that slow start, including impressive wins over the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and Portland Trail Blazers. Many of their players from last season have shown improvement so far this season, the veterans have contributed as advertised, and perhaps most significantly, Ben Simmons has exceeded even the most optimistic of pre-season predictions, contributing to the team in a wide variety of ways including scoring (18.5 points per game), rebounding (9.1 rebounds per game) and passing (7.7 assists per game).

 76ers head coach Brett Brown also praised Ben Simmons, especially in regards to his passing; "To look at the royalty that you're around, look at the company that surrounds you when you look at the NBA assist leaders, it's a reminder that he [Simmons] doesn't need to score” Brown said as reported in the LA Times. “He can score and it does help, but it's not mandatory, especially making shots. That's not going to define him this year. I think finishing will and free throws will. But growing that end of his game, and encouraging your point guard to pass the heck out of it like you do, it's exceptional at an early stage."

 The 76ers hope these trends will continue later in the season and possibly lead the team to a playoff spot in a higher seed than many expected. The only major disappointment in this season so far for the 76ers has been the injury bug affecting Markelle Fultz. Fultz suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason, and while he attempted to play through the injury at first, when it became clear that the injury was hurting Fultz’s performance, he was shut down after three games. He hopes to return to the court later in the season. The Sixers are also running into controversy with their handling of Jahlil Okafor, who has asked for a trade since he is not in the team’s rotation and therefore hardly gets any playing time. However, management has not yet found a good trade for him, leaving Okafor on the bench.

Cross Country sees slew of personal records

Kayla Paul-Koch

Staff Writer

On Oct. 27, the cross country team performed speedily at their district meet at Lehigh University, generating new personal records for many of the runners. Senior Chris Cammarata and sophomore Christian Kruse went on to race at states due to their tremendous effort during the grueling 3.1 mile race.

 Cammarata placed 5th coming in with a time of 17:49 with Kruse not far behind him in 8th place.  Additionally, Kruse bested his all time personal record with a time of 17:59. Both boys medaled and went on to another great performance at states a week later.

 At the state competition, the boys struggled more than they did at districts due to the abundance of hills and long inclines offered by the course, but nonetheless pushed themselves. Cammarata ran an 18:50 and once again Kruse wasn’t far behind, running a 19:05. The boys worked hard this season and gave it their all throughout to stay consistent.

The High Flying Offense of Manchester City

Jack Buckard

Staff Writer

Manchester City F.C. is a football club up in Manchester, England (that’s soccer for the American readers). They play in the English Premier League, the country’s top tier, and currently lead the league with 31 points, 8 ahead of their closest competitor. With the team scoring 52 goals across all competitions, it seems that the team is just playing for fun. Their juggernaut offense appears practically invincible.

 Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s current manager, was appointed last season with high expectations. He finished last season in 4th place in the league, and no trophies. The media criticized Guardiola, but time was essential if the Citizens were to become a world power. With summer signings including fullbacks Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy, and an improvement in the goalkeeper position with Ederson Morales, Man City looked like a true title contender. Frank Lampard, a former English Chelsea midfielder, said to a Copa90 reporter a few days ago: “It’s what we’re all saying now but I can’t see them being caught. It's great to see a team playing that way, we all want to see our own teams involved but when they’re playing that beautiful football it’s great to watch whether you’re a City fan or not.” Being a former player of a direct rival of Manchester City, it was a bold statement by Lampard.

 Along with scoring 52 goals across all competitions, the team’s main striker, Sergio Aguero who is responsible for 8 of those goals, is currently tied with Harry Kane as the Premier League’s top scorer. David Silva of Manchester City has 7 assists, leading that category with fellow teammate Kevin de Bruyne right behind him with 6 assists. Also, forwards Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling have 7 goals to their names, with Leroy Sane getting 5 assists in a month and a half. At one point in the season too, Man City scored 20 goals in a row before conceding 1 to Stoke City, one of the best runs in team history. Despite destroying teams in the Premier League, the team leads their UEFA Champions League group with 12 points as well, with a 4-0-0 record with 2 games to play. Man City centre back, John Stones, has 3 goals in the competition, too.

 Along with outscoring the opponent, they seem to be outworking them as well. Kevin de Bruyne has run more than 5,000 meters in the Champions League, with only a few other players close behind. Manchester City also has a possession rate of 63.1%, a passing accuracy rate of 89.1%, and an average of 17 shots per game. With every player in each position in the top five of their categories, Manchester City seems unstoppable. No team since 2003-04 has gone the entire Premier League season unbeaten, with an Arsenal F.C. team going 26-12-0. Even though the season is long and grueling, this Manchester City team has the best chance to become the next “Invincibles.”

2017-18 Temple Men’s Basketball Season Tips Off

Thomas Muzekari

Staff Writer

On Thursday, Nov. 16, Temple’s Men’s Basketball will have its first game of the 2017-2018 season against Old Dominion in the Gildan Charleston Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. The game is the opening round of an eight-team tournament.

 The Owls will look to bounce back this season after a disappointing season last year when the the team had just a 16-16 record, failing to make it to the postseason. Some of that can be attributed to some derailing injuries, specifically to Josh Brown, who was a senior last year, and Trey Lowe, who was a sophomore last year. Brown redshirted after missing all but five games last year due to an Achilles injury. He is returning for this season as a fifth-year senior. As for Lowe, a redshirt sophomore who impressed as a freshman, he is still recovering from being injured in a car accident in Feb. 2016.

  Brown, a point guard, is an important leader for the Owls. “It’s nice to have him,” Head Coach Fran Dunphy said of his return. The fifth-year senior will be key to the Owls as he will presumably start in the backcourt alongside Shizz Alston Jr., a junior, who led the team in scoring last season.

 Meanwhile, Quinton Rose, who showed many sparks last year as a freshman with his explosiveness and athleticism, will likely start as well in his second year on the team. Senior big man Obi Enechionyia will start as well. He will look to improve after a season in which he started red hot scoring the ball, especially from three-point range, but he later became very inconsistent, not performing as well as earlier in the year and not putting up the types of consistent numbers he had been. Enechionyia is huge for Temple, because if he is playing up to his potential like when he was early last year, he can put up big numbers and be crucial to the team’s success.

 This year, Temple’s recruiting class has been set out to be the best it has had in awhile. It consists of four freshmen by the names of J.P. Moorman II, Nate Pierre-Louis, De’Vondre Perry, and Justyn Hamilton. They will look to step in and make contributions to the team right away.

 Temple’s first home game was on Dec. 6 against Wisconsin. Following that, the Owls have home games against Big 5 rivals Saint Joseph’s and Villanova. Conference matchups include Cincinnati and Wichita State, which is a new member of the American Athletic Conference.

 

Varsity hockey coming to New Hope Solebury High School

Matt Benda and Jay MacDowell

Staff Writers

This winter New Hope Solebury high school will have its first ever hockey team. They are in the Varsity A division and play their first game in November. The Lions will be playing in the Suburban High School Hockey League (SHSHL) playing against other schools at the varsity A level such as Hatboro-Horsham, Upper Dublin, Lower Moreland, Upper Moreland and more from the area.   
The team’s home rink will be at Warwick Ice in Warrington. This season the team will be coached by Jeff Garvin and Paul Burns with assistance from the team manager Wayne Fowler. The team consists of all high school grade levels and the following students:

• Aidan McCollum (Senior)
• Chris Allen (Freshman)
• Chris Braun (Senior)
• Devin Bock (Senior)
• Garrett Hoffman (Freshman)
• Grayson Asplundh (Junior)
• Jay MacDowell (Senior)
• Kel MacDowell (Sophomore)
• Matthew Bracco (Junior)
• Michael Janora (Freshman)
• Rex Fowler (Freshman)
• Vincent Vetrano (Senior)

Some of the seniors on the hockey team are optimistic on the looming season. Senior Captain Chris Braun said “Championship or Bust,” when asked about the team’s goal for the upcoming season. Senior Captain Defenseman Jay MacDowell said , “I like hockey and am looking forward to the season”, when asked if he was excited on the upcoming season.

Considering that the New Hope team is in the Varsity A division this season the expectations have been set high for the upcoming season. The team will essentially be chip chasin’.

Penn State Wins a 21-19 Thriller Against Iowa

Jack Cane and Dan Flavin
Staff Writers

 This Saturday, Penn State’s football team won 21-19 against Iowa in the final seconds of the game. The game was taken place at Iowa’s stadium, Kinnick Stadium.

 The first quarter was dominated by defense. There were six drives, but only three points. The quarter was dominated by punts until one of the final drives when Penn State hit a 19-yard field goal. Throughout this season the Penn State offence has been extremely dominant, scoring more than 50 points in two of their three games. The lack of scoring made Penn State fans nervous.

 Going into the second quarter the score was only 3-0 Penn State. With seven minutes to play until halftime, Iowa had possession on their own three yard line. Shareef Miller, Penn State's defensive end, tackled Iowa’s running back in their end-zone for a key safety. This left Iowa fan’s shocked knowing they are now down 5-0 with Penn State's possession. Minutes later with just over 30 seconds left until half, Iowa quarterback Nathan Stanley throws 21-yard pass to receiver Nick Easley. Iowa now taking the lead 7-5 before half.

 Just five minutes into the third quarter, the Nittany Lions kicker, Tyler Davis, nails a 21 yard field goal to push Penn State ahead by one, 8-7. Just 5 minutes later, Penn State RB Saquon Barkley rushes the ball for a touchdown from within the red zone. This put them ahead even more, 15-7 going into the final quarter.

 In the starting minutes of the fourth quarter, Iowa’s QB Nathan Stanley launched the ball to receiver, Akrum Wadley, for a 70-yard touchdown. They were still down 15-13 so they decided to go for a two point conversion but failed. With just around two minutes left, everyone in the stadium was scared to see the outcome. As the Hawkeyes had possession and were still down by two, running back Akrum Wadley took a handoff and went all the way for a 35-yard rushing touchdown. Trying to get the extra two, they failed again on the two point conversion. Iowa now up 19-15 but Penn State's ball. After 11 plays in the possession, the ball was on the seven yard line with only four seconds left. With the time running out and the last possession of the game, Trace McSorley (Penn State quarterback) drops a quick laser over to Juwan Johnson (Penn State wide receiver) running into the endzone. A final score of 21-19, Penn State.

 After the game, many coaches from other teams had stuff to say  “ (Barkley is) making runs that are impressive, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield,” Indiana Coach, Tom Allen.

Penn State Football

Jack Gawason and Nick Fest

Staff Writers

Penn State has started off the college football season going three for three. Head coach James Franklin ended last year’s campaign with a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl bid. Unfortunately, they fell short to the University of South California. This year they are an older and more experienced team, and considering they did not lose very many people to the draft or graduation last year, their a much better team than they were a year ago.

Coach Franklin has the best running back in the nation, Saquon Barkley and a solid quarterback in Trace McSorley. Their first three games were not too much of a challenge considering they played only one team from the power five conference. Their first game was against Akron, which was an easy win. Saquon got his Heisman campaign started in that game and continued it into the Pittsburgh and the Georgia State games. These games ended in a blowout, which was expected. On September 23rd, they face a familiar opponent in Iowa, a Big Ten matchup. They breezed by them last year. Big games coming up on the schedule include Ohio State and Michigan.

76ers start highly anticipated season

Adam Somers

Staff Writer

As the Sixers move towards a highly anticipated season, there is much to love. With the addition of Markelle Fultz and shooter, JJ Redick, the Sixers seem prepared to make a major jump this season. After going 28-54 last year, the Sixers’ combination of a healthy Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, along along with editions has ESPN predicting them to go 37-45, with many believing they can do even better.

 Philadelphia is known for its passionate fans and they are certainly excited for the season, and this resonates with the players. New addition JJ Redick called Philly a “Sports Town,” suggesting that he had never played in one before, bouncing around from Orlando, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles. Along with Markelle Fultz remarking to NBC Sports “Just walking around, just having the fans here. Just walking around hearing, ‘Trust the process.’ This team is just so young, so open. We’ve got some good vets here. Just coming here, I feel welcomed. It almost feels like I’m almost going back to college, just being welcomed. Just having everyone being around all the time. I love it. I don’t regret anything that happened. I’m excited.”  These new additions have certainly received a warm welcome from their fans, and will be an integral part of future success.

 Team President Bryan Colangelo, believes the Sixers are ready to take the next step as well, saying to CSN Philly “We have added a number of pieces, some familiar faces, some unfamiliar. But we feel that all in all, we’re going in with a good blend of that young core that we talk about. We talk about the veteran presence and inclusion with the mix, and feel that things are moving in the right direction with us and put us in a good position to compete and take another step forward as an organization.”  It definitely is a potent mix, and in years to come the Sixers should be serious contenders if they can keep their young stars on track.

The World’s Most Watched Competition

Jack Buckard

Staff Writer

The world’s most watched and richest competition, the UEFA Champions League, is back for another season. Prestigious teams from countries such as England and Spain, including the likes of players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr., are back to take home the trophy. Back-to-back champions, Real Madrid, who have another world star in Cristiano Ronaldo, look to defend their title once again this year.

 The Champions League, which runs from the group stages in September to December, then the Knockout Stages from February to late May, than the competition ends with the Final in early June to millions of viewers from around the world. Also, just because well-known domestic champions are seen in the competition, doesn’t mean smaller teams from smaller nations don’t make a big impact. A Manchester City midfielder, Kevin de Bruyne, said to an ESPN reporter after the game, “I definitely think this was not my best game, but it is the way it goes. It was hard graft tonight but this team can play.” De Bruyne played against a lesser-known Ukrainian side, so it seems anyone can do well in the Champions League.

 Most people in the United States believe that the Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event of the year, but it is actually the Champions League Final. Over 350 million people worldwide watched 2017’s final, however only 3 million from America are in that total. The Super Bowl only got 175 million people worldwide to watch  the Patriots come back and beat the Falcons. Furthermore, the Champions League is the world’s richest competition, with each club earning millions of dollars with each advancement.

 So far this year, two matchdays have been completed, with reigning champions Real Madrid winning both of their games. Other teams including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, and Manchester City have started off well too, with each club gaining 6 points through two games. The top scorer so far is Harry Kane who has 5 goals, with Anthony Martial grabbing 3 assists to lead that category. Finally, it’s got one sweet anthem as well. So on October 17, when Matchday 3 comes on TV at 2:45, turn on Fox Sports 1 and watch Real Madrid take on Tottenham. It will be more exciting than you think.

Messi leading Barcelona to a hot start to new season

Thomas Muzekari

Staff Writer

On Tuesday Sept. 12 in Barcelona, Spain, FC Barcelona avenged last season’s Champions League Quarterfinals loss to Juventus with a 3-0 win in this season’s Champions League Group Stage opener versus the Italian side.

The scoring was led yet again by the magic man Lionel Messi, as the Argentine scored two goals, one just before halftime after a clever give-and-go with Luis Suarez and a sublime finish in the bottom right corner, and the other coming in the 69th minute, when Messi received a through ball from Andres Iniesta, then maneuvered around two defenders, and ultimately struck another past the great Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. The other goal came sandwiched in between the two Messi goals in the 56th minute, when Ivan Rakitic followed up on a Messi pass across the face of the goal, as the ball was deflected back to the center of the box, leading to the Croatian coolly placing it home.

This victory for new manager Ernesto Valverde and Barcelona came just after a 5-0 home win over Espanyol on Sept. 9 in a La Liga matchup in which Messi scored a hat trick, with the other two goals coming from Gerard Pique and from Luis Suarez late, one that put the icing on the cake of a dominant league win.

Barca’s next league fixture was on the weekend after the Juventus win, a game away at Getafe. The team pulled off a 2-1 comeback victory after trailing 1-0 until the 62nd minute when Denis Suarez--who came in as a sub--measured a precise lobbed finish into the top left corner. The game-winner came from the new signing Paulinho, who also came in as a sub, as the Brazilian took a pass from Messi, shrugged off a defender and calmly slotted home his first goal for the Spanish side. In the win, however, Barcelona’s other key signing this past summer, Ousmane Dembele was hurt and is now expected to miss 3 to 4 months of action.

The following league game was another win, this time at home over Eibar in a 6-1 triumph at the Camp Nou. Paulinho and Denis Suarez both scored for the second game in a row, but the headlines again belonged to Lionel Messi after another staggering performance, this time scoring an astonishing four goals.

In their most recent La Liga game, Barcelona defeated Las Palmas 3-0, led by Messi’s two goals and an assist to Sergio Busquets.

Before the start of this season, many were questioning and doubting Barcelona after the Brazilian Neymar left the squad to join Paris Saint-Germain for a record signing transfer fee this past summer. Add that to the fact that last season with Neymar, the Spanish side was unable to win La Liga or the Champions League. After Neymar departed, Barca made a few signings, bringing in Dembele and Paulinho. The team also kept all of their key players from last season aside from Neymar, but many retained their doubts and the belief that Real Madrid is certainly above Barcelona at this point.

Well, look now. Barcelona has commandingly taken down Juventus in the Champions League, and they most recently beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0. The club has played seven league games, and they have won all seven. Their 21 points in the league put them in sole possession of first place in the standings. Messi has been playing like his usual spectacular self, now doing even more to lead Barcelona without Neymar in town. Meanwhile, last season’s La Liga champions and Champions League winners, Real Madrid, are sitting in 6th place, seven points back from Barca. So, what are the doubters saying now?

CTE revelations come from Hernandez autopsy

Riley Brennan

Co-Editor In Chief

Aaron Hernandez, convicted murder, and former NFL tight end, who committed suicide April, has been found to have suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), following recent examinations by scientists at Boston University.

 The examination of his brain found that the damage inflicted by CTE was similar to the damage found in a person in there 60’s, while Hernandez was only 27. The Hernandez-family attorney made the announcements that the scientists involved had declared Hernandez was “the most severe case” they’d seen in someone so young.

 As an increasing number of players are diagnosed with CTE, the NFL continues to face backlash, facing accusations of hiding the truth of the dangers of the sport from the players, fans and public alike. Mr. Hernandez’s estate has filed a lawsuit against the league on the grounds that the NFL, as well as his former team the Patriots, knew about the correlation between inflicted head trauma and brain disease, but choose not to supply enough protection or information. The lawsuit filed seeks to compensate Hernandez’s daughter for the loss of her father.

 Hernandez had just been acquitted for the 2012 murder of two men, making his shocking suicide only days later, all the more confusing. However, suicide is not uncommon among those who have CTE, which further calls Hernandez’s behavior and actions into question. Multiple former NFL players who were diagnosed with CTE have committed suicide, making this a fairly familiar public relations issue for the league. This is not the only controversy the NFL has had to shoulder in the past few weeks, as outraged and supportive fans alike, loudly express their opinions toward the support, and lack thereof, from the league during the National Anthem at football games across the country on Sunday, Sept. 24.