Holding Serve
by Becky VanHorn, senior, MPCS Newspaper Staff

The 2011 tennis season is one of hope and promise at Mount Paran Christian School. In recent years, the success of the Eagles tennis program has provided stiff competition for other schools in the area. With dedication and drive, both the boys and girls teams have made tennis one of the most respected spring sports Mount Paran has to offer.  The girls program is especially promising and capable of advancing to the next level. Due to this year’s change in region alignments, the 2011 tennis team is preparing for new opponents as well as new opportunities to win.

First-year head coach Caroline Bradford says, “The girls team retained everyone from last year except for one senior, making them relatively the same [team] and with the success they had last year, we have the potential to only further that success this year.”

The girls team has determined its goals for the season, from team and individual perspectives, which will contribute to its priority: team success. The team’s ultimate goal is to win state, but the girls plan to take the region by storm first. Each player will need to contribute for the team to be successful.

The addition of a junior varsity team creates more opportunities for students to play and participate in the spring sport. While some may see youth as a disadvantage on the court, coaches and players know that younger athletes will increase the team’s likelihood of success in the long run.  Senior captain Grace Nelson says, “We have a lot of underclassmen on the JV team, which I think is good for the program. This way, we will have a group with some experience, ready to take over when the upperclassmen graduate.”

Whoever their opponents may be this year, the girls will continue to give their best. They hope to provide strong competition for their new region opponents. Given their rivalry, MPC and The Walker School provide strong competition for each other as well as an entertaining event for fans. Other opponents include North Cobb Christian School, Harrison High School and Kennesaw Mountain High School. Nelson says public schools “always provide a challenge and a chance to improve.”

Bradford says her players must make a strong commitment to excellence in order to be competitive and ultimately succeed in every match. “Tennis is a very self-motivating sport and as a team, the drive to win every match is there on both the boys and the girls’ side,” she says. There are no shortcuts to success in tennis. Skill, commitment to practice and a strong competitive edge go a long way in determining a team’s success. If the girls demonstrate those traits, they are sure to produce the desired outcome of match victories for their team and Mount Paran Christian School.

More Than Basketball
by Andrew Kivette

When coach Theresa Gernatt took over the Lady Eagles basketball program at Mount Paran Christian School last year, her team set a school record by winning 19 games in a single season. But more important than wins, Gernatt places an emphasis on life outside basketball and wants her players to know that no matter what the scoreboard reads, they are loved and cared for by their coaches.

A new coach implements new ideas and coaching philosophies. Gernatt runs her program with a plan based on “The Simple 7,” a set of Biblical principles and lessons. Gernatt’s team plays to win while following Biblical principles and examples of leadership, like Paul’s self-discipline and Peter’s commitment. Convincing her players to buy into her philosophy is sometimes a challenge, but Gernatt finds a way to motivate them. Senior co-captain Erin Sparks, recently named Cobb County Player of the Week for January 17, says, “Coach [Gernatt] really preaches the importance of these principles. It sets a great example not only to play by but to live by as well.”

Looking to build on last year’s success, Gernatt presented the 2011 team with lofty expectations and goals. First, she required this year’s team to love each other on and off the court while enjoying the process and journey of becoming a better team. Another goal was to defeat a state-ranked team and on an icy Saturday evening in mid-January, the Lady Eagles recorded a 58-54 victory against sixth-ranked Holy Innocents, the highest ranking team that an MPC girls basketball team had ever defeated. An additional goal Gernatt set was for her team to receive a state tournament bid for the first time in school history and with a current record of 11-2, that goal is within reach. With important upcoming region games against Bowdon and Mt. Zion and the region tournament ahead, their hopes for reaching the state tournament remain high.

Key players from this year’s Lady Eagles squad include Sparks and senior co-captain Hadley Cannon. In the offseason, Sparks and Cannon attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Captain’s Camp, where the girls gained leadership experience in all aspects of basketball and in life. According to Gernatt, “It was the hardest physical, mental and emotional experience, ever.” The foundation laid at camp came to fruition this season when Sparks and Cannon stepped up to lead their team. “The leadership qualities picked up on this spiritual boot camp impacted the way they treated other teammates and their total leadership style,” Gernatt says.

The Lady Eagles’ success can be attributed to their full-court press. When evaluating the effective man-to-man pressing system, Gernatt points to the love her players have for one another, on and off the floor. Also key to the press is the team’s effort for playing and working together on the floor. “When we put two people on the ball, that presents a high-risk, high-reward situation – just like in life –on how to cover your liabilities and work as one entity. There is no possible way to pull off what we do if we are not working together on defense – or offense, for that matter. We have to be committed to one another.” Gernatt says the press is effective because of “communication with each other and caring about each other.”

Earlier this season, the press wreaked havoc on a visiting Gordon Lee team, forcing 20 turnovers that made a difference in the back-and-forth game. The Lady Eagles won, 73-70.

Evaluating the season so far, Gernatt says, “We have been blessed with a great group of kids that sincerely care about each other. We have had very little conflict internally and have done a great job to keep the conflict in the arena, not in the locker room.”

Considering that Mount Paran did not have enough players to field a girls team six years ago, the Lady Eagles’ success is almost mindboggling. But the girls are not yet where they want to be. Gernatt says, “One thing that our girls need to understand is that we are very good but we need to learn to become a great girls basketball program. It’s a metamorphosis – the process of becoming great.  It takes time. Becoming takes time.”

With huge wins over Holy Innocents and region opponents Bremen, Gordon Lee and North Cobb Christian, the Lady Eagles have established themselves as a force in Region 6 and sub-Region 6B. The team is looking forward to the upcoming region tournament and hopefully, a trip to the state tournament is on the horizon.

No More Horsing Around! MPC Equestrian Program in First Year of Competition
by Rachel Thomas, MPCS senior, The Eagle Eye staff writer

Mount Paran Christian School has added an equestrian team to its athletic program. The team is coached by Mrs. Shanon Evans along with trainers Matthew and Julie LeMaster. There are currently nine students on the team, four from middle school and five from high school, and they officially began their season in September when they had their first show. They compete in Zone 4 Region 1 of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association or IEA. Their first year of competition has gotten off to a great start.

Evans is employed in the preschool at MPC and contributed greatly to starting the equestrian program. She comments, “I was blessed with this opportunity when Dr. Tilley [Headmaster] and a few others at MPC asked me to look into the possibility of starting an equestrian team at our school last spring. I began to gather the information and once everything fell into place, they asked if I wouldn’t mind coaching the team for the school.  Of course I was thrilled as this is an amazing opportunity for our school and our students.”

Evans was interested in starting the equestrian team for several reasons, primarily because of the great opportunities that the IEA provides for the riders on a school team. These opportunities include scholarships and other potential financial assistance. Evens explains, “Many people cannot afford a show horse, tack, travel, show fees, boarding and vet care for a horse. The IEA allows many riders to live out their show dreams and compete while also offering our schools the opportunity to back them with some friendly competition. The combination is amazing – happy kids, happy parents, excited coaches and a chance to ride! The IEA also offers these riders hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship opportunities annually. If anyone is interested in learning more about the program, I recommend they check out the website www.ridezone4.com or www.rideiea.com. The first is our local zone website and the later is the national site. Both are full of great information.”

The MPC riders have a year-round season. Practice began in the summer and the first show was in September. The zone finals and national finals are held in April. The team does not stop practicing. They continue working on their skill for future shows. Each rider needs to “show” in a minimum of two but no more than five shows per season, which means that they compete against teams from other schools.

The US IEA is divided into zones, and the MPC equestrian team competes in Zone 4. In Zone 4, there are many regions, the most competitive being Region 1, in which the MPCS equestrian team competes. They compete against all of the other schools in the region, and if the show allows for other regions to attend, then there is even more competition. The riders are awarded first through sixth place and a point value is awarded per place, resulting in the riders and the team accumulating points. Although MPC has a small team, they have placed at every show that they have attended. At their most recent show, the high school girls team won Reserve Champion, the second highest in total team points, among 10 teams. Winning Reserve Champion was an amazing accomplishment for such a small, newly-formed team.

The success of the new team has been outstanding. No one knew exactly how things would turn out, but it has been a blessed season. When discussing their most recent competition, Evans says, “Our competition this weekend was beyond amazing. Every one of our riders rode to the top of their ability – it made me so proud! Some of them may not have walked away with a blue ribbon, but they all won as far I was concerned. All of the girls cheered each other on in freezing temperatures, smiling, laughing and really loving what they were doing. It is very hard to get up and drive two hours in the dark in the freezing cold to arrive at a show for an 8:00 a.m. warm up and stay all day to cheer on your teammates. Even the riders that did not come to the show were calling and texting to see how their teammates had performed. It is a really nice feeling to work with a group of girls who care about each other’s success.”

MPCS Basketball: On the Rebound
by Olivia Underwood, The Eagle Eye staff writer

The Mount Paran Christian School varsity boys basketball team will experience dramatic changes this year on the court and in the region as they add new players and move from Region 5A to 6A.  The team has only one starter from last year’s team, senior Kevin Hughes, who is expected to significantly change the team dynamic.

After dealing with several injuries during the season last year and losing leading scorer and rebounder J.T. Freeman, the team finished fourth in Region 5A North but was ultimately eliminated in the region tournament by eventual state runner-up Whitefield Academy.

The somewhat inexperienced team is ready to welcome new and old faces. Joshua Johnson, a new student at MPCS this year, is prepared to handle the ball for the team as well as provide senior leadership.  Johnson has great ball handling skill and is expected to help the team in scoring this season. The team is also very excited to have J.T. Freeman back.  After departing mid-season last year to move to South Carolina, Freeman’s return will benefit the team tremendously.

Third-year head coach Scott Varner says, “When Josh stepped into our gym this summer, the entire dynamics of our team changed.  He brings with him not only experience but a drive to not only make himself better, but also everyone around him better.  He will step in right away and take over the role as our team’s floor leader along with J.T.  Both of these guys have put in a tremendous amount of time this summer and fall, whether playing AAU or just getting into the weight room and leading the team.  I have very high expectations for both of them.”

The summer also provided Varner and his staff with insight for the upcoming season.  “Last season we had five freshmen that played significant minutes for us at the varsity level.  While we took our lumps during last year’s season, I have no doubt it is going to pay great dividends this year and in the coming years.  It is tough to throw freshmen out on the floor, but those guys learned quickly that the level of competition is much greater and that they were going to have to work hard to get their games up to that level,” says Varner.

Sophomores Jordan VerSteeg and Ryan Murphy will also be called upon to help lead the team this year.  Varner was very pleased with their success on the court last season in addition to their work ethic. Impressed with the sophomore class as a whole, Varner says, “If we could get every one of our guys to put in the effort and the desire that our sophomore class has, we would be in great shape, not only in basketball, but across the board in our athletic program. They are some of the first ones in the gym and some of the last to leave.  They just have a passion to get better and that is reflective in the way they have improved over the past year.”

Going into the season, Varner and his staff are aware of potential obstacles but believe they are up to the challenge. Their new region includes challenging teams, including crosstown rivals Walker and North Cobb Christian. “Our work is cut out for us.  We have to be ready to go from day one and just continue to improve night in and night out.  We will have a learning curve at the start of the season as some of these young guys learn to gel with our newcomers. But once they figure each other out, and hopefully we stay away from the injury bug that plagued us throughout the season last year, we have a chance to be very successful,” says Varner.

The season begins on November 18 when the Eagles play Atlanta International School.

2010 MPCS Cross Country: The Road To Success
by Michael Tenoschok, The Eagle Eye staff writer

The year is 2006 and the Mount Paran Christian School cross country team is competing at the Warpath Invitational in Cherokee County. A big meet with schools of all classifications competing against each other, the Warpath Invitational is often considered to be a personal record course since the terrain is basically flat and good times are a common occurrence. The first of three Eagle runners crosses the finish line with a time of 21:18, a personal record for that athlete and a season best for the 2006 MPCS cross country team. But no medals are awarded for the 21:18 performance due to a lack of qualified team entries. If there isn’t a minimum of five runners competing, no team score is posted.

Fast forward to 2010 and the current MPCS cross country program. Two meets into the season have seen the Eagles win first place in the A Division of the Luella Twilight Meet and third place in the A-AA-AAA Division of the prestigious Clara Bowl at Berry College. In the process, nine Eagle harriers have run under 21:03, with six achieving times under 19:00. These scores indicate the improved performance of the team and how any one of the current nine could have been the best runner on the team four years ago. To say this is a much-improved team is an understatement and the improvement has not gone unnoticed by others in the community. This is evidenced by the fact that the Eagles have been ranked number one in the state in a preseason poll in the A Division by GATFXC.com, a website that reports individual and team meet results.

How did this “overnight success” occur? The year 2007 was the beginning of the program upturn as Darryn Hutchinson and Will Richardson joined the team as freshmen after running the previous year for the middle school program. Hutchinson immediately began setting school speed records that year and continued in 2008 when he was joined by Jeff Pearson and Michael Tenoschok from the 2007 undefeated middle school boys team. Although limited in the number of team participants, there were enough runners to establish team scores in each meet, including the Region 5-A meet, where they missed going to state by 20 points. Add a summer running program, participation in a running camp in the North Carolina mountains, Taylor Hall and Jake Anderson from the middle school championship team, and the formula for success was in place. The team qualified for state for the first time in Mount Paran Christian School history by winning the Region 5-A championship in 2009. They followed this victory with a fifth-place finish at state, narrowly missing the podium but setting the goal for the future.

Determined to achieve the goal of a state championship, the boys team dedicated themselves to a rigorous training program this past season, which included weekend runs at the Chattahoochee River, participation in various summer camps and daily runs on the trails at Kennesaw Mountain. More than 3,500 miles were logged by the team throughout the summer months. The extensive summer running established a strong base for the development of leg strength and endurance, which proved its reward with many personal records in the first two meets. As team captain, Hutchinson has thoughts concerning the team’s success: “I think the reason for the success this year is the fact that every guy on the team took it upon himself to train hard over the summer and pushed themselves to get better, which is [just] paying off now and it’s showing in the way we are racing this year. It has made us more confident.”

With the early season success of the boys team, the MPCS team has the potential to make this the most successful cross country season in school history as well as being the school’s first state championship of any kind.

Dr. Mike Tenoschok, MPCS cross country coach, reflects on the team’s progress: “I am pleased with the progress that we have made in relation to the development of the cross country program. We now have quality runners on both the boys and girls teams. We have enough girls to score in meets and enough boys to field varsity and junior varsity teams for competition. In addition to the increased numbers, our teams are winning with a first-place finish at the Luella Twilight Invitational, a third place at the Clara Bowl and we are ranked first in the state. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Hopefully, with continued hard work and a strong determination to succeed, the MPCS boys cross country team will bring the school their first state title.

Under The Pads: A Look At Eagles Quarterback Zack Greenwell
by Jeremy Huft, The Eagle Eye staff writer

This is “the year” for the Mount Paran Christian Eagles football team. Expectations are high after last year’s 8-2 finish. Fans, coaches and players are keeping their fingers crossed for a state playoff trip in the program’s first year of region play.

While the Eagles will have to fight through the treacherous terrain of Region 6-A battling big name programs like Bremen, Bowdon and Darlington, many are confident that the Eagles have what it takes to compete for a state title. With 17 seniors on the roster, there is no doubt the Eagles have a wealth of experience and leadership. But one senior in particular, three-year starting quarterback Zack Greenwell, seems to stand out. He shines on the gridiron, the baseball diamond and in the classroom.

Greenwell took the reins behind center in the Eagles’ first year of varsity football as a sophomore, which has been a learning process. The Eagles struggled greatly, losing their first seven games, in his first year at quarterback. They were able to rally back and win the last two games of the 2008 season, including a 44-0 routing of rival North Cobb Christian.

Despite the statistically underwhelming season, the experience Greenwell gained was invaluable. Greenwell, along with the entire team, worked harder than ever during the offseason and entered the 2009 season in thunderous fashion, compiling an impressive 8-2 record.

Currently a senior, Greenwell is a team leader. Head coach Mitch Jordan definitely looks for him to be a playmaker as well as someone who inspires his teammates to keep fighting while maintaining his composure, no matter the situation. Considering Greenwell to be one of the best players he’s ever coached, Jordan says, “Zack’s always the first on the field and the last off. He is a wonderful leader and he’s proven to be the best guy to run our offense.”  

Concerning his expectations for the Eagles’ success this year, Greenwell says, “We’re definitely excited to play this year and we have the passion to go out and play hard every week. We really want to show these big-time programs that we can play with them, even though we are a small private school.”

While Greenwell’s importance to the football team is immeasurable, he is also an asset to the Eagles baseball team.  One of three seniors on the baseball team and a varsity starter since his freshman year, Greenwell is a crucial player and clutch performer who knows how the varsity game works. Once football season is over, he will be back in the weight room to prepare for baseball season.

The Region 6-A road to the state baseball playoffs will also be tough for Mount Paran, as the Eagles will compete with Walker, who made the Final Four last year, Darlington, Bremen and crosstown rival North Cobb Christian, all of whom made the playoffs in the 2009-2010 season.

“We’ve got a tough road ahead, both in the fall and in the spring, and it’s my job as a senior and a captain of each team to make sure the younger guys know what they’re doing and that we all work as hard as possible to improve our game,” Greenwell says. “I’m going to be ready when the time comes, and I know that if I can play to the level that’s necessary that the other guys will follow suit. Hopefully, we can win some ball games along the way.”

Greenwell is a stellar student-athlete who leads others in the classroom and around the school. Greenwell boasts a 3.6 grade point average and his course load consists of several honors and AP courses. The leadership skill he consistently demonstrates on the athletic field is also seen off the field, and he is admired by members of the MPCS student body. He leads a small group in the Mount Paran Peer Mentor Initiative, a program where upperclassmen guide freshmen in their high school careers. Greenwell has also been a student group leader for Mount Paran’s annual school-wide service day, where large groups from all grades are deployed into the community to serve others in various ways.

One might question Greenwell’s motivation to lead others – is it personal recognition? Or perhaps he wants to boost his strong résumé so he can get into a better college? Actually, the answer is neither. When asked, Greenwell responds, “I just want to be a Godly role model to everyone I meet, whether they are older or younger than me. I want to be God’s light in the world to spread His message, and for me, leading others in the right direction is the best way to do that.”

Greenwell is undecided about playing football or baseball in college. “I would love to play either one, but right now, that’s not my first priority. I’m focused on doing well and getting into the state playoffs, where we’re looking to do some damage,” he says.

Wherever Greenwell decides to go to college next year, as a student-athlete or simply a full-time student, the school will certainly benefit from his presence on campus. With a leader like Greenwell, the Eagles certainly have a reason to be excited this season.

Senior David Ian and The MPCS Eagles are Region Ready
by Andrew Kivette

The Mount Paran Christian School Eagles saw the 2009 football season end with great success, finishing 8-2 in their second full varsity season. They look to build off last year’s season, but with past success comes added pressure for continued success. The 2010 campaign will mark the first time the Eagles will play a region schedule, playing in Region 6A.

This year, the Eagles will be led by four-time letterman, starting fullback/linebacker, team leader and captain, senior David Ian. Named to one of Cobb County’s All-Region teams last season, Ian was among team leaders in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss.

Ian’s student life at MPCS goes beyond the football field.  He is a leader in the school’s peer mentoring program and excels in the classroom, possessing a cumulative GPA of over 4.0 and National Honor Society membership.  Head football coach Mitch Jordan says this of Ian: “He exemplifies everything we want in a student-athlete.  He puts God first in everything.  He’s a natural leader, an outstanding student and a great athlete. More than any of those things, he’s a wonderful person.”

The team growth that Ian has witnessed over the past two years has been astounding. “Before Coach [Jordan] got here, the program was disorganized and we just kind of thought of the game as something to do. Now we consider it something that has to be done, something that may be difficult, but in the end it will all be worth it. Freshman year, no one worked out. Now we have a regimented workout program which has really prepared us for what to expect and (why) we are always ready come Friday night.”

The emphasis on conditioning and strong leadership at the top of the organizational ladder has contributed to the team’s growth.  Ian predicts further growth this season, which he points out, must be continuous for the team to succeed this year. “A team cannot stay stagnant. In my eyes, doing that just makes you worse. You can’t be content with what happened last year. You always have to be hungry for more success.” Seeing an improvement this year, Ian adds, “Getting ready for our region play, we have seen a difference. First, summer workouts have been much more intense and Coach [Jordan] has really been preparing us for what we will see this year in region.”

Having suffered his share of football injuries during his four years at MPCS, Ian understands the nature of the game. During his career, Ian has suffered eight shoulder injuries, including one reconstructive surgery. But his injuries and his grounded faith have made him come back even stronger.

“My faith has really started to push me in the game,” Ian says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen out there, so I have to continually put my trust in God and play every play like it is my last, and not worry about what may happen to me out there.” Ian adds that since it is his senior year, it would “take more than a shoulder injury to hold me out of a game.”

During the offseason, Ian took numerous precautions to ensure that his nagging shoulder injury would not flare back up. “When practice would usually start at 8:00, I would arrive at 7:00 to work closely with the athletic trainers on building up more strength in the shoulder and doing numerous exercises. So, in my opinion, that should not be an issue this season,” Ian states.

Since Ian plays on both sides of the ball, he looks at the situation as an opportunity to interact with more teammates.  He puts it this way: “It helps me grow closer to everyone, especially on the offensive side of the ball with the O-line. I know that every yard I record this season is all because of them – they are my bodyguards.”

Ready to compete, the Eagles have adopted a new slogan:  “The Eagles Are Region Ready.”  According to Ian, the team has lofty goals of winning region and qualifying for the state playoffs, but the team’s top priority is to come away with the state title. These goals may seem farfetched to some, but for Ian, they seem attainable. One certainty is that the Eagles are region-ready and will be firing on all cylinders this season.