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December 2010
Taking Stateby Katie Thomson
The Lady Raiders volleyball team catapulted to the top this year, winning the state championship in the 5A division. The winning match versus the Northview Titans on October 30 was in four sets with scores of 25-20, 27-25, 25-21 and 25-21. Outside hitter Kelly Murphy led the team with 21 kills and two blocks. The Lady Raiders’ overall season record was 42-7, with an area record of 5-0.
Varsity head coach Suzanne Fitzgerald has been working with the girls all season to build their skill and spirit. “We are constantly training under pressure and learn to attack harder when we experience the doubt or nerves that are frequently attached to athletes in those tight, competitive situations,” Fitzgerald says.
Into the Blue
by Dana Barringer
The 1896 Summer Olympics, the first games of the modern revival, introduced swimming as an international sport. Diving followed swimming eight years later. The sport evolved from gymnastics in the 17th century. The facilities have changed as well as the flips and times, but the basics have remained the same. Like other sports, there is meaning behind each play, or for swimming and diving, each stroke and dive.
“Being on the swim team feels so good,” says sophomore Courtney Mazalewski. “It makes you feel like you’re part of something special.”
The pre-meet time is for the team to bond and get motivated. The team of 86 athletes has certain rituals preceding every meet. “Most pre-meet rituals are individual in nature, although we have a routine we use to prepare,” says coach Sharon Loughran, who has coached the Walton swim and dive team for 10 years.
Focusing on the event ahead affects how the swimmer or diver performs. Coach Loughran says, “Before the swimmer or diver gets up onto the block, they should do whatever they can to get focused. Some listen to music, while others talk to fellow athletes, but it really depends on the athlete. ”
Sophomore Hali Mo says, “When I’m on the block, I try to think about pacing myself throughout the race. I also want to be sure I don’t fall off the block.”
The first meet of the season was the Cobb Relays held November 12 -13 at the Mountain View Aquatic Center.
Since their first introductions as international sports, swimming and diving have evolved from racing and diving in rivers to state-of-the-art facilities. The sport has changed, but the meanings are still the same more than 200 years later.
by Dana Barringer
The 1896 Summer Olympics, the first games of the modern revival, introduced swimming as an international sport. Diving followed swimming eight years later. The sport evolved from gymnastics in the 17th century. The facilities have changed as well as the flips and times, but the basics have remained the same. Like other sports, there is meaning behind each play, or for swimming and diving, each stroke and dive.
“Being on the swim team feels so good,” says sophomore Courtney Mazalewski. “It makes you feel like you’re part of something special.”
The pre-meet time is for the team to bond and get motivated. The team of 86 athletes has certain rituals preceding every meet. “Most pre-meet rituals are individual in nature, although we have a routine we use to prepare,” says coach Sharon Loughran, who has coached the Walton swim and dive team for 10 years.
Focusing on the event ahead affects how the swimmer or diver performs. Coach Loughran says, “Before the swimmer or diver gets up onto the block, they should do whatever they can to get focused. Some listen to music, while others talk to fellow athletes, but it really depends on the athlete. ”
Sophomore Hali Mo says, “When I’m on the block, I try to think about pacing myself throughout the race. I also want to be sure I don’t fall off the block.”
The first meet of the season was the Cobb Relays held November 12 -13 at the Mountain View Aquatic Center.
Since their first introductions as international sports, swimming and diving have evolved from racing and diving in rivers to state-of-the-art facilities. The sport has changed, but the meanings are still the same more than 200 years later.
October 2010
Walton Football
by Tyler Hurst
The team has five returning starters and a new quarterback.
After losing their first game of the year to Brookwood, the team used the loss to fuel the fire.
“We had to focus more in practices and really work on bettering our overall performance,” senior Matthew Rooks says. “We're always improving.”
Before Rooks goes on the field he does two things: “[What]I try to do before I go out on the field is pray for our players to play to the best of our ability and listen to a pump up playlist on my iPod, especially the song Remember the Name by Fort Minor.”
The team demolished Milton, 41-14. Senior Kyle Vorster ran for 201 yards. Junior Jim Hogue also ran for 79 yards, including two touchdowns. Hogue said, “I did anything it took for us to win. That’s how I play – team first.”
The team also beat Campbell, 34-7. Hogue and Vorster each had a pair of touchdowns. The team is 2-1.
by Tyler Hurst
The team has five returning starters and a new quarterback. After losing their first game of the year to Brookwood, the team used the loss to fuel the fire.
“We had to focus more in practices and really work on bettering our overall performance,” senior Matthew Rooks says. “We're always improving.”
Before Rooks goes on the field he does two things: “[What]I try to do before I go out on the field is pray for our players to play to the best of our ability and listen to a pump up playlist on my iPod, especially the song Remember the Name by Fort Minor.”
The team demolished Milton, 41-14. Senior Kyle Vorster ran for 201 yards. Junior Jim Hogue also ran for 79 yards, including two touchdowns. Hogue said, “I did anything it took for us to win. That’s how I play – team first.”
The team also beat Campbell, 34-7. Hogue and Vorster each had a pair of touchdowns. The team is 2-1.
On-Court Rivals Team Up To Fight Hunger In Cobb County
by Allie Fogel
Maybe it was only for one night in September, but two of the state’s premiere high school volleyball programs and the biggest rivalry chose to team up to help fight hunger in Cobb County. The 2009 Class AAAAA State Runner-Up Walton High School and Class AAAAA State Champion Pope High School joined forces to help MUST Ministries in their efforts to serve the community of Cobb County and help restock the food pantry shelves by conducting a food drive among both schools’ extensive volleyball programs, with donations due at their match September 9.
Walton won a hard-fought, highly-spirited five-set match that night in front of a big crowd from both schools, but both teams and MUST Ministries won the night because of the food drive. More than 800 pounds of food was donated by both schools, from Walton’s six teams and Pope’s five. The combined efforts of varsity, junior varsity and middle school feeder teams involved more than 100 players and coaches in the food drive.
“When one of our boosters approached me with the idea of inviting our archrival to participate in the drive alongside us, at first I thought he was a little crazy, but when I thought about the higher purpose of teaching our girls the concept of community service, charity and teamwork, I was all for it,” says Walton head coach Suzanne Fitzgerald. “Plus, I know the Pope volleyball community is just as generous in giving as Walton’s, so it made perfect sense. Both school’s players are outstanding young women on and off the court. We may be tough rivals on the court but there’s a lot more to life than volleyball, and it’s our job as coaches and parents to teach other important life lessons. The joint food drive helped us do that. People in Cobb County can eat today because of what our two volleyball programs did [that] night.”
Both schools are on track for a drive deep into the state volleyball playoffs. This year, Walton competes in Class AAAAA, while Pope competes in Class AAAA.
by Allie Fogel
Maybe it was only for one night in September, but two of the state’s premiere high school volleyball programs and the biggest rivalry chose to team up to help fight hunger in Cobb County. The 2009 Class AAAAA State Runner-Up Walton High School and Class AAAAA State Champion Pope High School joined forces to help MUST Ministries in their efforts to serve the community of Cobb County and help restock the food pantry shelves by conducting a food drive among both schools’ extensive volleyball programs, with donations due at their match September 9.Walton won a hard-fought, highly-spirited five-set match that night in front of a big crowd from both schools, but both teams and MUST Ministries won the night because of the food drive. More than 800 pounds of food was donated by both schools, from Walton’s six teams and Pope’s five. The combined efforts of varsity, junior varsity and middle school feeder teams involved more than 100 players and coaches in the food drive.
“When one of our boosters approached me with the idea of inviting our archrival to participate in the drive alongside us, at first I thought he was a little crazy, but when I thought about the higher purpose of teaching our girls the concept of community service, charity and teamwork, I was all for it,” says Walton head coach Suzanne Fitzgerald. “Plus, I know the Pope volleyball community is just as generous in giving as Walton’s, so it made perfect sense. Both school’s players are outstanding young women on and off the court. We may be tough rivals on the court but there’s a lot more to life than volleyball, and it’s our job as coaches and parents to teach other important life lessons. The joint food drive helped us do that. People in Cobb County can eat today because of what our two volleyball programs did [that] night.”
Both schools are on track for a drive deep into the state volleyball playoffs. This year, Walton competes in Class AAAAA, while Pope competes in Class AAAA.
All photography submitted by Walton High School
