Griffin at a Bears scrimmage in 2009. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

With the second pick of the NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III. Shocker right? The day has come where I like to believe that the Redskins are no longer the laughing stock of the NFC East.  First in our hearts and last in the division won’t be the saying this year as I’m calling a 10-6 season from the Skins.

As a fan looking back on last season, there is one gaping hole, the quarterback position.  Rex Grossman lived up to his name literally as I don’t believe I saw one promising moment with him last year along with his fellow backup John Beck.  RGIII is the answer to this problem with the Shanahan brothers, 40 percent of the playbook is for plays on the move.  At Baylor RGIII was a QB in the spread system as we all know.  A hurry up style that differs from any offense ran in the NFL, Griffin has to learn to make good choices.  He won’t have to make hard reads and go through his options like a typical offense set like most other teams have in the NFL.  Along with making the throws, the playbook also allows for Griffin to keep the ball and run the so called “option” off the weak-side tackle.

Teams are not going to know how to prepare for the Skins and RGIII.  Stack the box on the Skins and with the addition of Pierre Garcon, a speedy down field threat who caught nearly 60 passes last season for almost a 1,000 yards with a Peytonless Colts offense, Josh Morgan and Santana Moss, the Skins will burn you deep.  Match up on the outside and only bring five and the Skins will pound you with the running game of Roy Helu, a second year speed back out of Nebraska.

Lets not forget that last season the Skins were a Top 10 defensive team.  With arguably one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL with Fletcher, Riley, Orakpo and Kerrigan as the anchor of the D.  At times the Skins struggled defending the pass attack through the air and tackling as no one can forget Rob Gronkowski’s highlight reel on the Skins secondary, shedding tackler after tackler in route to the end zone.  To their defense though, they were very young.  Pro-Bowler DeAngelo Hall was the only Skin in that group to have had much playing time and experience at the NFL level.  I look for that to improve and if anything be the Skins weak point in a well rounded team.

The Heisman winner comes into D.C with the weight of an entire city on his back.  It has been ages since the people of Washington D.C have had any sports team to cheer for.  Griffin, in his rookie season, just needs to stay relaxed and can’t try and do too much. He just needs to let the game game to him as a rookie. The fans are looking to you to be the savior of a organization that has been in the dumps for years. The Skins have gone through quarterbacks like Greg Williams went through dollars in his bounty system  with the Saints.  The Skins gave up a lot for RGIII, but in the end I see it being worth it.  The RGIII to D.C train is rolling and it’s time for all the Skins fans to hop aboard.

Manning on the sideline during the 2008 season. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

On March 6, 2012, it was announced that quarterback Peyton Manning would be parting ways with the Indianapolis Colts. As a college football player, fans were shocked to see Manning attend Tennessee instead of Ole Miss. As a freshman in college, Manning became the third-string quarterback. Due to injuries, Manning would have to play and start for the remainder of the season, leading his team to an 8-4 record and a victory over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl. For the remainder of the college football career, Manning impressed many prospect scouts as he created numbers and won games. Manning was quickly projected to be the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. In Manning’s rookie season, he set five different NFL records, but finished the season 3-13. In his sophomore season, Manning led the Colts to playoffs, but lost in a close game against the Tennessee Titans.

Manning’s future looked promising.  Many football fans in the world already considered him to be one of the greatest of all time. He started a legacy that would lead the Colts to a Super Bowl in 2007. In his 14 year career, Manning went to 11 Pro Bowls, and led the Colts to 7 straight division championship titles. In 2011, Manning had multiple neck surgeries and was sidelined for the rest of the season while the nerve in his neck healed. Without Manning, the Colts finished 2-14.

Nonetheless, Peyton Manning has been the best thing that has happened to the franchise. Without him, there wouldn’t even be a football team in Indianapolis anymore. To see the face of the Colt’s franchise released was a shocker for most football fans. People knew it was coming, but what Manning has done for that franchise is indescribable. Indianapolis is getting a break this time as they get the first overall pick. Andrew Luck is considered to be a one in a decade quarterback and the Colts are looking to take advantage of that. They are hoping for another Manning-like era, but could Andrew Luck turn out a bust? Giant busts have happened before and a prime example of this is quarterback Ryan Leaf. Leaf was considered to be the top prospect beside Manning in the 1998 NFL Draft. He was selected as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft for the San Diego Chargers and struggled to be successful in the NFL.

Ultimately, Leaf’s career fell and is no longer playing in the NFL. This earned him the title of the biggest bust of all time according to the NFL Network. So is this a good decision or not? The decision is a toss up. It all depends on how Andrew Luck will do in the NFL. If he doesn’t perform, then the Colts will once again fall into a pit and look for another quarterback to succeed. For Manning, it’s not the end of his career. Quarterbacks have been released from their teams and still have become successful. In 1992, Joe Montana was released from San Francisco after leading the organization to 4 Super Bowl titles. Montana went on to play for Kansas City and had a successful season with the Chiefs, but lost in his final playoff appearance causing retirement.

Brett Favre was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers for 16 seasons and won 1 Super Bowl. Favre was traded to the New York Jets and had a mediocre season. Favre then announced that he was going to retire. The next year, Favre came out of retirement and returned to the NFL playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He led them to a conference championship game, but lost to the New Orleans Saints. The next season would be the last for Brett Favre as he announced retirement after an unsuccessful season with the Vikings

I doubt that Peyton will be comfortable with another team other than the Colts. His offense is very complex and it will be hard for coaches to let Manning lead the offense. After working so long with the Colts, their linemen are comfortable with the style of play Manning has. I would say Manning would make any team successful, but only if the team is working under his control, just like the Indianapolis Colts did.

Duke and UNC meet for the first time this season.

“There is no other area like this in the world. It produces big things, feelings and situations that you cant talk to other people about, because they have no understanding of it,” Coach Krzyzewski of Duke, affectionately referred to as Coach K, one of the greatest coaches to ever live, once said.

In the history of college basketball, Duke and North Carolina have been two of the best college basketball teams in the last 20 years. Every game played against one another gets the best out of both teams and will displays a game where every person on the floor gives 110% the entire game no matter what.

Legendary players such as Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, and many other superstars have attended these schools and they always get some of the top high school players in the nation year after year.

Tomorrow night these two teams will meet again for the first time in the 2011-2012 season. North Carolina comes in at number 5 in the power ranking while Duke comes in at number 10. Both teams ranked much higher at the beginning of the season, have suffered losses to un-ranked teams throughout the year, lowering their ranking. Regardless of ranking be ready to watch a great basketball game.

Cheerleaders perform in BCS Bowl's halftime show.

On January 6, the HHS cheerleaders flew to New Orleans, LA and began preparations for their performance during halftime at the National Championship BCS Bowl.

The BCS Bowl is a collegiate football series in which ten teams compete in a five-game showcase, and the top two competitors go helmet -to-helmet in a playoff game. This year, Alabama and Louisiana State competed at the Super Dome in New Orleans on January 9.

HHS’s varsity cheerleading team was invited to perform during the BCS Bowl in the middle of the competitive season prior to the district tournament.  In order to raise the $1500 necessary for plane fare and costumes, the cheerleaders brainstormed fundraiser ideas, and head coach Bridget Smith selected the best idea.  The team decided to sell cookies and fudge, and purses out of a ThirtyOne catalogue. Each teammate was accountable for selling at least 30 boxes of cookies, but if any of the athletes sold 40 or more, they were rewarded with an Under Armour sweatshirt.

“It was hard to raise that much money because not everyone liked what we were selling, and the people we sold one thing to we wouldn’t want to go back and sell something else to,” senior captain Gentry Dove said. “Me and three other girls spent about five hours going door-to-door selling cookies one day. We all worked really hard.”

A little over a month prior to the BCS Bowl, Smith and assistant coach Devon Skelly received a video of the routine they would be performing during halftime.

“We gave each of the girls a copy of the DVD,” Smith said. “David Scott choreographed it. He choreographed the Step Up movies and was also on So You Think You Can Dance.”

The cheerleaders worked on learning the dance at each other’s houses over break, and rehearsed the routine several times during scheduled team practices at HHS. As opposed to being taught by an instructor step-by-step, the cheerleaders repeatedly watched select parts of the video and mimicked the dancers’ moves.

“The girls in the video danced the whole way through the routine without stopping and giving any advice or instruction,” senior captain Evan Wetsel said.  “That made it really hard to learn.”

The dance was comprised mostly of body rolling and hip-hop based moves; however, the Scott also incorporated cheerleading stunts and tumbling into the routine.  Each cheerleader was required to pack black tennis shoes, black spandex, and their performance dresses for the trip. In addition, the entire team had to match for rehearsals.

The entire trip stemmed over five days. The team left Harrisonburg, VA at 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6 and carpooled to the Dulles Airport.  From there, the cheerleaders took two flights – from Dulles to Atlanta, GA, and from Atlanta to New Orleans; they arrived in the Big Easy at 12:00 p.m.

“The plane ride was crazy!  Some of the girls were freaking out because they’d never been on a plane before, but we were all really excited to go,” junior Sarah Bell said.

Once they arrived, the team checked in at the hotel and left to take a tour of the swamp.  After the tour, the team returned to the hotel, changed, and headed to their first dance rehearsal, which lasted three hours.  On Day 2 of the trip, the cheerleaders had practice from 8 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., and then went on a trolley ride to a cafe and took a steamboat tour to eat dinner.  The following day, the team had an eight hour rehearsal from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Afterwards, the athletes were surprised with tickets to a Cee-Lo Green concert, succeed by a traditional Cajun dinner and dancing.

“The Cajun dinner was really cool because it was a completely different culture and the music sounded like something I’d never heard before,” Dove said.

During rehearsals, the choreographer instructed each of the athletes through every move, ensuring they fully understand all the skills and movements.

“[Our choreographer] was really fun, but there was a point where he had to be strict too so we could get it done. We all liked him because he was funny and laid back about a lot of things,” Dove said.

On the fourth day of the trip, the team boarded the charter buses at 8 a.m. for a four hour dress rehearsal at the Super Dome.  The team had about two-and-a-half hours of free time before they had to prepare for their performance.  The team of seventeen got dressed and did their hair and makeup before being whisked away to dinner with the other teams performing during halftime.  Before their BCS Bowl performance, the team had put in almost twenty hours of preparation in only three days.

“When we did our hair and makeup, it made us all more excited.  Our makeup was really ridiculous, but we had to do it because the stadium lights flush out your face.  When we went to dinner and saw all the other hundreds of cheerleaders and dancers dressed up too, it was amazing.  We were even able to watch the game on a huge screen during dinner, which was cool, because a lot of us are Alabama/Louisiana State fans,” Dove said.

After dinner, everyone was rushed to the backstage of the stadium.

“All of us had to fit in a small tunnel under the seats until halftime,” Wetsel said.  “We could see the clock and the game and everything.  It was really amazing.”

As soon as the second quarter ended, the cheerleaders rushed onto the field to perform the routine, a culmination of the team’s hard work and dedication.

“I think all of us had a huge adrenaline rush.  It was pretty much the best feeling in the world.  Looking around and knowing all the spectators were watching us was unreal,” Dove said.  “During the performance, I was just having fun with it and concentrating on the steps, but at the same time, I knew i would never be able to do it again.”

After spending an additional day in New Orleans eating at Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and sightseeing on Bourbon Street, they flew out at 6 p.m. and arrived back in Harrisonburg at 1:30 a.m.

“It was nice to be home, but [performing during halftime] was definitely my highlight of the year. I got to be in New Orleans with seventeen of my best friends,” Dove said.

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There were two strong competitors for the Heisman trophy.

The 2011 Heisman trophy was highly contested; the award that goes to the nation’s most outstanding player was up for grabs until the very end. Going into last Saturday night’s presentation ceremony, no analyst could be entirely certain as to which player would take home the hardware. The two players that it would come down to were both quarterbacks: Andrew Luck of Stanford, the preseason favorite, and Robert Griffin III of Baylor, one of the race’s dark horses.

Luck was last season’s runner up to Cam Newton, and returned for his junior year to earn his degree and polish his game. Unanimous among analysts as the projected number one pick of the upcoming NFL draft, and potentially the most complete quarterback ever in college, it is hard to vote against Andrew Luck. But at the end of the day, Griffin III, or “RG3” as he is known, deserved to tote the Heisman more than the prized Luck. The hard evidence for Griffin III lies in his statistical superiority, and his team peaking late in the season to overshadow Luck’s performance in November.

Luck is the most anticipated player to enter the draft for a reason: the man cranks out incredible passing numbers. However, RG3 threw for 800 more yards than Luck (3,998), threw one more touchdown (36), and threw three less interceptions (6). If Griffin III continues his stellar play in Baylor’s bowl game, he will set a new NCAA pass efficiency record, with his rating currently at 192.3. Griffin III also rushed for 644 yards and 9 touchdowns, as opposed to Luck’s 153 yards and two touchdowns. On paper, RG3 wins the battle for the Heisman.

However, as previously mentioned Luck was the preseason favorite, and his Stanford team climbed the ranks of the top ten throughout the season. Griffin III’s Baylor Bears suffered three mid-season losses, but finished with an offensive flurry, notching historic wins over Oklahoma and Texas. The victory over the number five Sooners was the first in Baylor’s history, after previously being 0-20 versus Oklahoma. As the Bears rose to the occasion, Luck and Stanford’s undefeated season and title hopes were crushed by a big loss at home to the Oregon Ducks. Luck threw two interceptions and fumbled once, his worst performance of the season in the Cardinal’s biggest game. Luck’s struggle on the national stage allowed his previous lead in the Heisman standings to crumble, and Griffin III seized his opportunity, throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns in his last regular season game.

These two quarterbacks were both clear contenders for the Heisman trophy, standing above other phenomenal talents across the country. Griffin’s sheer numbers and performance late in the season earned him the right to be called the nation’s most outstanding player.

Junior Emma Peifer swims during a swim practice. Photo by Sydney Knupp.

The smell of chlorine wafts in the air as many HHS swimmers prepare for the upcoming season.  Many swimmers train for this season by working out at the Wellness Center and Golds Gym, both of which have indoor pools.  Weight training is also offered two days a week for those swimmers willing to train, some are even taking the opportunity to take Zumba classes. 

”Any type of conditioning is beneficial, athletes in fall sports are already keeping their bodies in some sort of physical shape,” second year swim coach Richard Morrell said.  The HHS swim team will train five days a week under the bubble at Westover Pool Complex,  from 3-5pm during the regular season that starts November 7th.

Winning the district is every high school teams goal,  but it may be harder for the swimmers at HHS this year.  The Lady Streak swimmers lost over half of their competitors due to a large group of graduating seniors. Claire Glick, Joanna Hernandez, Sydney Little and Emma Peifer are the only returning swimmers.  These ladies will have to step it up this year as well as acclimate any newcomers to the team.  On the other hand, the boys team lost only two seniors to graduation.  There are seven returning swimmers and overall the boys have a brighter outlook in the district.  Spotswood High School swimmers are still the strongest team overall, with Waynesboro and Turner Ashby being equally difficult to compete against.  Winning the district will be difficult, not only for the HHS swim team, but also for all the other winter sports.  The larger number of schools in the new expanding district complicates the path to a championship.  But Coach Morrell has many expectations for this year.

“I hope to see more swimmers on both the men’s and women’s teams.  I expect to see more school records broken, and I expect to see every swimmer finish their district tournament meet with a personal best swim time.   Most of all, I expect to see the team members have fun as they strive to do their best.”

Morrell doesn’t intend to revise last year’s overall scheme for the 2011-2012 season.

”Nothing new is planned.  The fact that the team has a coach committed  to the program for more than a single season, should help in the long run.  Consistency is the key to building and strengthening the  program and that is what we are doing through our practices and competition,” Morrell said.

“I have high expectations for this season.  I think we have a good shot to win the district.  I think the expansion of the district makes it even more competitive and adds a little more excitement to our push for a title,” Tysinger said.

The team lost quite a few seniors to graduation, most notably Michael Holmes, Jake Johnson, and Scott Measell.  This year’s team will have to find production, most notably in the form of scoring, from new contributors as well as returning players. Seniors will be relied on to provide leadership.

“Corbin Whitelow and Salim Charles will be expected to lead this season.  Not only do they have the skills to lead, but also a great deal of experience.  I’m also expecting big things from juniors Seth Kardos and Issiah Smith,” Tysinger said.

Underclassmen will have the chance to compete for playing time and provide a spark off the bench. Coach Tysinger is waiting for a younger player to step up.

“It’s too early to tell who will get significant playing time.  I do think we have a few guys that will be able to contribute, but I’m not sure as to how much just yet,” Tysinger said.

Personnel is the driving force in determining what kind of system a team runs and this year’s team appears to be athletic, if nothing else, at every position.

“I think our team is versatile enough to run and gun with anyone, but also has the ability to run a half court set.  Our defense will dictate a lot of whether or not we will run.  I would really like to press on defense this season,” Tysinger said.

The team appears to be deep at the guard position and a little thin in the post. Rebounding, due to being one of the smaller teams, will be a driving factor in determining how successful a season the boys basketball can team will have. If they can limit other teams to one shot each time down the court than the Streaks will have a chance to make a deep postseason run. Chad Summers, a HHS alumnus that played hoops for the Streaks, will be Tysinger’s full-time assistant for the second consecutive season.

Gymnastics members practice on the balance beam. Photo by Sydney Little.

The definition of gymnastics is to obtain the skills of tumbling and balancing, and to display flexibility, grace, and strength. Head gymnastics coach Michael King and assistant coach Alison Whalen focus on teaching the gymnasts to acquire these skills as they further their gymnastics careers.  Preseason practices have already started, but official practice will start Nov 7. 

“I am really excited for this gymnastics season.  I have been doing gymnastics since I was six, and I always look forward to improving my technique, “ sophomore Chloe Scanlan said.

“I think being on the gymnastics team is going to be really fun.  Last year when I came up as an eight grader I had to stop early because of a sprain, so I am really excited for this season.  I go to Skyline Gymnastics every Saturday. My goal for this season is to be able to do my back handspring on beam,” freshman Meagan Roberts said.

Although the gymnastics season hasn’t started yet, some of the gymnasts still take time out of their day to get extra practice.  Roberts, Scanlan, and several of their teammates participate in Skyline Gymnastics, a clinic that is held at Stone Spring Elementary School and is run by Michael King and Jill Dean. The clinic is dedicated to advancing gymnastics skills, body strength, and the gymnasts’ knowledge of their sport

“I think our team is going to do really well this year. We lost a couple good seniors last year, but we have some freshman joining that are really talented,” Scanlan said.

Last year four team members were state qualifiers. Two of those four are still on the team, senior Gentry Dove and sophomore Chloe Scanlan.  All though gymnastics is a team sport, overall individual scores are more important.

“I feel like I stand a better chance of going to states this year because I am more experienced when it comes to competing in meets,” Scanlan said.

Coach Michael King has high hopes that with the upcoming freshman, the Streaks will have a better chance of sending the entire team to states.