With a nervous, but yet encouraging act of faith shown by the Plano East Senior High football team, the players put their hands together at the end of a short, but yet successful pep rally which left everyone feeling optimistic about the upcoming season.

After posting a 7-4 record last season and becoming the Div. 1 Area Finalist, expectations were high coming into the 2010 season with the season opener against Arlington Heights. Despite playing just as well as last season, Plano East dropped their season opener with a nail-biting 48-49 loss. While losing their first game of the season, players and students alike seem optimistic about the quality the team portrayed.

“I feel like we have a really good team and a lot of experience,” Quarterback Aaron Stelly said. “We have a lot of seniors and leaders on the team working hard because we have a tougher district this year.”

With UIL’s new district alignment, Plano East plays against teams such as: Lewisville, Lewisville Flower Mound, Lewisville Hebron and Lewisville Marcus. Even though these schools may pose a tougher challenge than those last year, students still feel confident in their Panther football team. The pep rally was designed to promote school spirit, support, enthusiasm and encouragement, and just like any good pep rally, the one at Plano East created the desired result in both seniors and juniors.

“I’m excited,” junior Marquetta Gray said. “The football team should do well.”

The team has been preparing for this season the whole summer. The players have worked hard in the gym for weeks, the coaches have planned for the upcoming games and everyone is looking forward to gear up for what will be an electrifying season.

“We have been pumped for the whole week,” Stelly said. “Every day it gets closer to the game we get ready and fired up.”

By: Lauren Nash

Commonly watched games of the modern era include tennis, baseball, golf, hockey and football. There is always debate as to which sport is on top but one sport always rises above the rest, the all American game of football. Many people believe tackling each other in order to attain possession of the football is entertaining. The game is fairly simple, which is part of the reason why so many people like it. Both teams are trying to get into the in-zone to score a six point touchdown. One team is on defense while the other team runs toward the goals. Now as many of the Plano East Senior High School fans know, there was a game on August 27, 2010. Plano East Panthers faced off against the Arlington Colts on Friday night. It was the first game of the season and the fans turned out for the big event.At six o’clock outside of Kimbrough Stadium a tailgate party was in progress. All choir students within the East cluster were tailgating in the Murphy Middle School parking lot. Some of the choir students were getting their faces painted or playing football during the tailgate. Most of the students came to see their friends though.

“I wanted to see my color guard friends,” said Haileigh Todd, a Plano East student.

Some students came to sing for the hyped up crowd too.

“I came to sing the national anthem and show my support for the team.” Megan Jones, a Plano East junior said.

A group of nearly three-hundred choir students from Middle School thru Senior High lined the field to sing the National Anthem. Some fans are merely there to support the team. “Going to the game was so much fun! Being with friends and watching the team play was a great way to spend my Friday night.” Most of the students at Plano East love the football team. They go to every game and win or lose, they always come back.

Not every student comes to enjoy the game though. Many of the kids come to see their friends in the halftime show. Band, color guard, drill team and cheerleaders are required to attend the games, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy it. “The best part of the game is, without a doubt, the moment when the band takes the field to start their show.” Nick Swanson, a Plano East band member, said. Nearly each and every person goes to a football game for a different reason. Some people go to the games to see friends. Some people go to the games to support the team. Some people go just to get out of the house one night. The reasons vary but they all end up at the game having tons of fun. The team was pumped up before the game. They cheered and chanted as they ran onto the field for the first quarter.

“We have worked hard since spring. Summer workouts and two days. We deserve this.” Shawn Boyd, a senior defensive lineman said. The team was prepared and ready to go. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the team emerged.

The game looked like an easy win for the Panthers of Plano East Senior High after they scored the first touchdown within the first ten minutes of the game to bring the score to 7-0. Not long after the game began to get interesting when the Arlington Colts responded with a touchdown of their own bringing the score to 7-7. East scored yet again with no field goal with nineteen seconds left in the first quarter to push them back into the lead, 13-0. Things began to heat up as the Arlington Colts countered with a touchdown and extra point of their own to bring them to 13-14.

The second quarter started with a bang as Plano East junior, Nate Meadors delivered a touchdown and a two point conversion to bring the score to 21-14. Only six minutes later the ball would once again be in Plano East possession where a three point field goal was scored. The Arlington Colts were not going to let this go unanswered and pushed down the field for a touchdown and extra point. Gabe Dunlap, a Plano East senior, quickly responded with a touchdown to extend the lead to 31-21.

The beginning to the third quarter got off to a rocky start as both teams fumbled the ball only to ultimately be recovered by the Panthers for a touchdown. Junior Nate Meadors had once again come through for the Panthers bringing the score to 38-21. The Colts manage a touchdown then fumble the ball a few minutes later. An interception is thrown shortly after to grant the Colts possession. The Colts manage another touchdown with an East touchdown in response to bring the score to a mighty 41- 34. With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter the Colts slowly make their way down the field. A very conflicted touchdown follows to bring the score to 41-40, giving the opportunity to Arlington to win with a two point conversion. The Colts gain an extra point to send the game into overtime.

Plano East begins to make their way down the field seeking a touchdown. Soon #4 Gabe Dunlap delivers and Plano East is ahead once again. The Arlington Colts have one shot to win. They have to make a touchdown and an extra point to tie and a two point conversion to win. Arlington lines up as the crowd holds their breath. The ball flies through the air into the Quarterback’s faithful hands and is passed to the hands of a fellow team member to take it to the in-zone. The Arlington Colts had scored yet another touchdown to put them in reaching distance of a victory. The teams line up to attempt a two point conversion. If this attempt fails then Plano East wins! If it succeeds the Arlington Colts will walk away with their first victory of the season. The football reaches an Arlington Colts hands as he hits the ground just inside the in-zone. The Colts had won the game. Both teams took the outcome with humility and high-fived before going their separate ways.

“It was all my fault.” One disappointed football player said.

This was just the first game in a season full of games for Plano East and hopefully the outcome will be different next time but until then the team will continue practicing for the next game.

From the early morning into the late night, on August 27, the students of Plano East Senior High buzzed with school pride as their team, the Panthers, took on the Arlington Colts in the first game of the season. Students turned out in record numbers to support their teams and did not hide their East-Side pride. Throughout the game East remained on top of their game with the packed home crowd cheering for them without refrain.

Cheers from the stands overwhelmed the surrounding area with touchdown after touchdown from the Panthers. A football mom danced with joy supporting her team to the fullest.

“I love the panthers because they are always willing to give,” Barbara Arnolds said. “The team has worked very hard and it is not just time to go play a game it is time to come win it. That’s the ultimate goal. I love all the support from everyone for the team, it takes a village and a supportive atmosphere to win.”

Students supporting the players held high hopes for the Panthers as the score stayed in their favor through most of the game.

“The pep rally was amazing this year and we all got really pumped for tonight’s game,” senior Daidrian Cooper said, ” I see a lot of kids from Plano East here tonight and all the support should help the team win. We have a real strong team this year.”

By half time the Panthers held victory in their hands, but the Arlington Colts were pushing harder than ever. The end of the fourth quarter pulled into overtime and the Colts came out on top. Although the loss hit hard amongst the raving East-side students they still held their heads up high for the next game.

“It was a real depressing loss,” senior Jordan Johnson said, “heartbreaking even, but we will get them next time.”

“To the Golden Girls, the first game is very important because it is the first time we get to showcase what we have worked so hard on throughout the summer,” senior Lieutenant Martheya Nygard said.

For the Plano East Golden Girls, the first football game is about more than just football. The Golden Girls, who began practicing and preparing their football season routines in mid August, placed great emphasis on perfection and quality. Game day is much more than just football to these girls, who were up at the school preparing for the pep rally by 8:15 am. The team performed two routines that left the crowd on their feet, a hip hop routine to “Baby” by Justin Bieber as well as a contemporary jazz routine to “Fresh I Stay” by Flo Rida, performed by the elite Gold Dust team.

“Sitting in the stands there is so much energy it just gets you wound up for the  game,” senior officer assistant Ali Geisler said.

At the football game the Golden Girls were hard to miss, filling a whole section of bleachers with seventy-six sparkling, black and gold uniforms. The Golden Girls connected to the team as more than just spectators but an actual part of the game as they watched every play with intrigue and anticipation. The Panthers started out strong with a touchdown by senior Gabe Dunlap and an extra point by kicker James Saulnier . By the end of the first quarter Arlington was up 14 to 13 and the Golden Girls headed to the corral to stretch and warm-up. With two minutes left in the first half Plano East quarterback Corey Wesley made a pass to Dunlap for a touchdown, putting Plano East in the lead 31 to 21 as the Golden Girls prepare to take the field.  Halftime was “golden” as Golden Girls and 50 additional Williams CheyAnnes and Clark Cougarettes who were special guests to the night’s east cluster game dominated the field.  At the beginning of the fourth quarter with 10 minutes left on the clock the Golden Girls performed stand routines with the band as the game hits a turning point. With less than a minute left Arlington quarter back number 17 ran the ball for a touchdown leaving the score 41-40 and with 10 seconds on the clock made the extra point tying the game and putting it into overtime. Once in overtime Wesley passed to Dunlap for a touchdown and Saulnier scored an extra point. Arlington ran for a touchdown then went for a two point conversion and scored, leaving Arlington in the win 49 to 48. As the school sang the alma matter the disappointment showed on the faces of the football  players as well as the Golden Girls, but at least  they can leave with the thought of a perfect performance under their gold sequined belts.

“Our team may have lost but the Golden girls won,” senior sergeant Cynthia Heisch said.

When signing with a university, a number of athletes desire a school that gives them opportunity to excel in the sport that they play as well as in the academic path they wish to pursue.

“Playing for volleyball for SMU is ideal,” senior Megan Jeanette said. “I’m in IB and so I was looking for a university where I could play volleyball without sacrificing my academics. SMU has the perfect facility for me to do that.”

Many athletes feel that playing a sport throughout college will help them maintain their physical fitness while at the same time become an active member in their school community.

“I definitely think that playing soccer during college will help me keep in shape,” senior Joshua Sealey said. “That’s my main target. I don’t want to be 45 and overweight with a mustache.”

The days spent stalking the mailbox or waiting by the phone definitely took a toll on several students’ stress levels throughout their senior year.

“It was really hard to wait and see what colleges wanted me to play for them,” Sealey said. “Everyone around me knew they were going to UT or Baylor and I was still waiting. I really just wanted to know.”

When choosing a college to attend, students find they do not always get their first pick. It’s similar for student athletes. Fortunately, these competitors keep a positive mindset and continue to hope for the best.

“The school I signed with wasn’t where I was aiming,” senior Brandon Wesley said. “But I feel like I’m fortunate just to be given the chance to play football in college. A lot of people I know aren’t even getting a chance to play for a team in college. I’m glad I’m not one of them.”

For some students, athletics are their life and for others, it’s an enjoyable pastime to pursue in college. Either way, signing with a college or university still holds major importance and significance in determining their futures.

“I can’t imagine not playing sports in college,” Wesley said. “That would just be a tragedy.”

2009 called for the 105^th edition of the World Series. Yankees took the win of the series on Wednesday Nov. 4.

“The Phillies should have won,” senior Celina Garcia said. “Yes, they won last year, but the Yankees have already won a lot. I don’t think another would make a difference.”

The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series the previous year. This World Series promised an exciting race for the title. Even though the Phillies stole the win the year before many people hoped for their success.

“It’s great that Yankees made history by winning 27, but I’m sick of the Yankees always winning just because they can pay a lot of money for good players,” Garcia said.

Year after year the Yankees have won the World Series. Well, not literally, but it sure seems like things go their way. The wins this year gave the team their 27^th title claim. Their player Hideki Matsui won the award for the World Series Most Valuable Player.

Both teams fought a hard battle striving for the win. Mark Teixeira caught the final out of the game sending the Phillies home and the Yankees on the field cheering. The teams each finished the series with a phenomenal record, Yankees with 103–59 record and Phillies with a 93–69.

“The Rangers deserve to go because they’re building their team with more experienced players,” junior Ryan Grizzle said. “Their offense was not too bad and they have a great coach.”

Baseball fans will just have to wait to see how these teams and all the others turn out next season. Hopefully the race for the World Series will draw as much excitement as this one.

Going to see a JV game is like being part of a Sunday softball league, little notice with an attendance to match. But there’s something that rings through the Kimbrough stadium during a JV match. The game’s atmosphere is that of an un-heard, underground release of some obscure garage rock album. It’s raw; it’s undistorted, a sort of tongue-and-cheek feel to it. JV games are not as flashy as a Friday night game. Two different stages set for two different nights. But the heart and soul of a football game still exists and shows up where ever a football game is played in the state of Texas.

After the tough loss to Wylie high school, the Panthers headed into Thursday’s game against Allen with a sense of confidence, regained by a late fourth quarter victory over the Plano Wildcats, and a manhandling of the Plano West wolf pack. The focus now shifted to Allen, a team worthy of a rivalry game. As fans take their seats near the 50-yard line, the school spirit is set a blaze and the JV team charges onto the field with a low budget entrance, cheerleaders in two lines forming a human isle with pom-poms shaking. The crowd voices their opinions before kickoff.

“Oh we’re feeling awesome,” junior Joe Holweger said. “It’s a great night and I’m feeling some positive energy. There’s something about this. There’s a whole different kind of energy.”

After a fierce standoff, the first half rears by, leaving both the home and visitor teams tied at six. Extra points are hard to come by when the kicking talent suits up only for varsity games. The crowd’s support still strong, whose team chants even surpass the cheerleader’s calls, going into the second half.

The third quarter rolled by, and the crowd lost its steam, for this is when Allen began its blitzkrieg. Smashing down field with an unstoppable offense and their defense halting East’s advancements, the game turned sour for the team in black and gold. The finale score tallied up with Allen over Plano East, 28-6.

With this loss, the mighty JV team fell to the city up north, and the crowd moped, downtrodden. The crowd is what drives these games, the constant raw-raw that emerges from spirited parents give off that support that a team builds off of. But as the clock winded down only harping and verbal criticism could be heard, the calling out of numbers, belonging to the players who apparently were not bringing their A-game and failing to carry out their duties on the field. Sore grunts and sighs were shouted out once the game came to an end, and the crowd began shuffling, ready to leave. They gathered their coats, jackets, padded seats and cameras and started off to the parking lot. For once the feeling, the liveliness that JV games bring was dead. The saying of “wait till next time,” wasn’t uttered, instead you got, “We lost, it’s over.” There was no other way to put it.

Mary started this family trend when she made the varsity team as a freshman in 2006, and her two younger sisters followed suit, both members of the junior varsity team this school year.

“Mary got us started in volleyball,” Erica said. “I followed her because she was my older sister, but I ended up really liking it. I didn’t know volleyball existed until Mary started playing. So I probably wouldn’t be playing today if it weren’t for Mary. Hopefully, I will be good enough to play in college and get a scholarship.”

As Erica holds high hopes for her future in the sport, her sister Susan discovers her passion for volleyball as well through the influence of her oldest sister.

“Having Mary already playing volleyball opened up more opportunities for Erica and me,” Susan said. “Also, all of our friends were in it too, and we got the chance to travel. It was just something fun to do.”

Since Mary’s sisters credit her for their involvement on the court, she feels the responsibility to guide them through their first stages of the game. Though Mary no longer plays volleyball, she still believes that the sport brought them together through time.

“I knew a lot more than they did, so I just tried to help them out when they first started playing,” Mary said. “Volleyball has definitely bonded us. It was fun when we were all playing together, but it’s hard sometimes seeing your little sisters show you up. But it was cool because we always had someone to enjoy it with. Playing together motivated us because we all are really competitive. We were always striving to be the best, which just made us even better players.”

Over the course of the past few years playing volleyball, the Harrells not only learned a lot about the game but about each other as well. Erica and Susan continue to look up to their older sister for support and advice throughout their volleyball careers, just as they showed for her during her early years in the sport.

“My sisters support me a lot, I can say that,” Mary said. “My freshman year when I was on varsity they used to always come and support me. They came to every game. They never missed one. They would always come to my club tournaments too. Although I don’t like to admit it, I am proud of my sisters.”

Quarterbacks and receivers connected for 190 yards passing and the team rushed for an additional 200 to win the game with a score of 24-7. After a close game against Flowermound High school that ended with a loss 20-21, the team looks like the work in the offseason paid off in their performance against Colleyville Heritage , which many people consider a mentionable upset.

“It was a lot more intense this year and we had all of our coaches and all of our offensive and defensive coordinators in place, “senior, receiver Cody Darden said.” So we knew the plays a lot better and we could work on our technique.”

In their memorable game against Plano Senior High School on September 25, the team pulled together to finish the game with a winning score of 38-14.

The team’s upcoming game against rival Wylie High School should be explosive as it will be the first district game of the season and an excellent opportunity for the team to showcase their abilities and get a win.

“We have a lot of leaders,” Senior receiver Cody Darden said “everybody is a leader on our team, and we all go out to practice everyday and try to just get better.”

Athletes involved in cross country learn how to endure the effects running takes on their bodies. The sport involves speed, pace and endurance.

“Probably the hardest thing about cross country is the practice schedule,” Boys’ Varsity Cross Country Coach Keith Wagner said.

The team holds practices at 6:30 a.m. everyday with Sunday optional to the students’ discretion. This year, formal practice started in early August. Athletes could show up expecting to run three miles and could end up running far more.

“You got to love to run,” Wagner said. “It’s a different mind set. It’s a mind game. Distance running is nothing but what’s up here.”

Physically a runner feels the distance in his or her body. Cross country runners experience a mental fight. They push their minds to go farther to make the distance physically.

“You have to keep going even when your body tells you to stop,” varsity senior Matthew Piper said. “Two miles in 12 minutes just means you’re in good shape but not ready for competition.”

Wagner uses the standard of two miles in 12 minutes to determine whether or not an athlete could become a part of the team. Running the miles in time shows Wagner the fitness of a potential athlete.

The boys’ varsity cross country team will participate in its next meet on October 10.

“I think that everyone thinks it’s boring and it’s just running, but it’s more than that,” Piper said. “It challenges you and tests your mental toughness as well as physical toughness. Not many people can do it. It’s not just plain and boring, it’s exciting and fun.”