Breaking Baskets: Girls Basketball

Girls basketball started their year off with a new head coach and have worked intensely to prepare for their games. The team went strong all season and had a ten win streak. The new head coach and a former graduate of Red Mountain, Jeffrey Kain, got to experience hard work with amazing athletes and helped them all grow together.   

   “I’ve been a head coach before so I knew what it entailed,” Coach Kain said. “I was kind of excited to [move up] since I knew all the girls and got to work with them [before].”

     The girls describe their team as a family, they all work together as one to be the best that they can be. Being on any team helps to develop new friendships. All the players have a different kind of bond where they know each other on the court and in the classroom.

     “I have a really great bond with the girls,” senior Braelyn Garcia said. “I felt kind of weird going in because I was new, but after some time I grew used to them. They are really nice and we have a really great bond.”

    Basketball has a lot more to the game then it might seem. With a lot of things it looks easier than it is, they are not just thinking about what their next play is going to be, but what they are going to do after that play and what it is going to affect overall.

     “Basketball has more to it than just skill,” junior Destiny Duncan said. “It has timing, thinking about what move is next and reacting to different scenarios that come across during the game. It’s like a chess game you are playing trying to outsmart the other players.”

    Having a strong team with an amazing coach led to a great season. Playing on the team not only taught them how to win but how also to work together and play as a unit.

    “I think of losses as more learning experiences,” coach Kain said. “I take every loss as a way we can try to find a way to get better. I try to find the positive in it.”

     Girls 2018-19 basketball team had an amazing season just like all their others. Even getting new coach didn’t stop them from trying their hardest but made them stronger as a team. To see their standings, go to the Red Mountain Athletics page at:
http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/girlsbball.

(Photo by Aidan Current)

Kickoff to the New Year

This year’s Junior Varsity football team started off the season with a win against Cesar Chavez and Dobson High. The team of 53 players is taking wins against the other high schools with new players. The Junior Varsity team has 50 sophomore players and 3 junior players.

“I started playing football because I wanted to try something new for my sophomore year,” sophomore and JV player Eduardo Manjarrez said.

Time is limited and football coaches have to make the best of it. They only have a limited amount of time after school Mon.-Thurs., and only a few hours on Sat. mornings.

“My biggest struggle coaching would be tje time that we have and maximizing their time for practices and games,” Coach Runge said.  

Junior Varsity’s last game of the season was on Oct. 25th against Westwood. Head Coach Michael Runge has been coaching the Junior Varsity team for six years, this year being his first as Head Coach. Like every coach, he has his own look and passion for what he does.

“My favorite part about coaching is being with kids and seeing the light go off in them,” Coach Runge said. 

     The team works together on the field to their best of their ability and devotes their full effort while playing. They motivate themselves by doing team chants before games to perform the best that they can on the field.

 “Our motivation towards practice comes from not having to run,” Manjarrez said. “If we don’t go to practice we don’t get to play in the game that week.”

The team’s motivation for practice to prepare them for their games comes from their love of football. For more information visit https://www.redmountainfootball.com/ .  

(Featured Photo by Dan Kent/YZBluePhotography)

Football Fever

From the football team to racing, there are girls on this campus who are changing the norm when it comes down to sports. For example, freshman Jessica Davis and Ashley King play for the freshman football team and are making a difference in the minds of the other team players.

“The team didn’t really accept me at first,” Davis said. “Now since I’ve been able to play and be on the field, they have accepted me more and accept who I am as a girl being able to play with them on the team.”

At first, the girls in the team were not really accepted, but once the other team players realized what they can do, their background skills and their passion for the game, that soon changed.

“I’ve always just grown up playing sports with my family and going to my brothers games so all my life I’ve always had a sport based family,” Kingsfield said.

These girls have shown tremendous grit because it was not always easy. Getting on the team was quite the process.

“My family kept emailing the coaches and telling them that I was transferring from Smith (where I also played football) and my mom talked and worked a lot with the coaches.”

When applying for the team, these freshmen football players showed their passion and dedication for the sport and they pushed through stereotypes in order to do what they love.

From diapers to football uniforms, these girls have been ready to play football and nothing will stop them from achieving their goals and showing the school what they do best. To learn more about the football program visit https://www.redmountainfootball.com/.

(Featured Photo By Ms. Cline)

Red Mountain Boys Baseball

The Red Mountain Baseball team has been working out and practicing all year in order to make it to State. Although they only made it to region playoffs last season, that won’t stop them this year from making it to the top and taking home the prize at State. This season’s baseball team is off to a great start thanks to all of the returning varsity players and some of the newer recruits. The senior players are setting the bar high, especially considering that most of them are continuing their love of baseball and have been recruited to play in college.

“I was awarded a baseball scholarship,” senior and varsity player Tyler Rice said. “I’m going to be playing division one baseball in Texas.”

 

Pitching the baseball, on March 7 varsity player Tyler Rice gets ready to throw the ball to home plate during the first home game. (Photo by Ms. Saquella)

 

All of this would not be possible if it weren’t for Head Coach Pagel who has a long history with the sport.

“I’ve been a coach at Red Mountain for six years and the head coach at Westwood High for 12 previous years, so this is my 29th total year of coaching baseball,” Coach Pagel said. “I’ve basically grown up with it because my four brothers and I all played baseball and three of us went on to play college baseball. My dad was a coach and a science teacher, like me, so I followed in his footsteps.”

Although it may all seem easy, many of the players face struggles along the way, especially last year when it came to the final games, but it’s nothing the team cannot get through together to make it to regionals.

“Positive communication is the key to keeping my team motivated,” senior and varsity baseball player Randy Hutson said. “Generally speaking, motivation is not an issue for this team since these players have played together for years so they understand the game and what’s expected of them.”

Much of what happens on and off the field has to do with the team’s motivation and passion for the sport. Sometimes, the players like to join together and start games off with team rituals. Moments like these help to bond and bring together the team, even when things get rough.

“We have a good core leadership group and a lot of seniors who help us get through the season,” junior and varsity player Kai Murphy said. “They are good, and I think we have the most talent we have had in a while. It’s a long season, so we have to bring it daily. Our team is motivated and we know our goals, so we try to stay on them as we take every day seriously. We know it’s going to help us get to that last goal.”

The baseball team is eager to accomplish many great things with the help of their parents and their supporters. For more information about the baseball team, go to http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/baseball/.

(Featured Photo by Ms. Saquella)

“Resilient” Winter Guard 2017-2018

Winter guard is a competitive indoor sport that takes a clever spin off of color guard. Unlike color guard, which performs in front of a live band, winter guard performs to recorded music and includes choreographed dances with flags, rifles and sabers. Their season began in November and ends in April. Currently, the team meets weekly from 5–8 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday in the band room as well as the gym based on its availability.

Grouping up before their performance, the Red Mountain Winter Guard team poses for a photo. (Photo Courtesy of Aubrie Oliver)

 “This season is a difficult show to portray since it deals with overcoming the people and things in your life that can hold you back, which can be hard to convey to the audience,” Guard Instructor Ms. Oliver said. “But, the team has done a great job enacting their characters.”

This year’s show title is known as “Resilient” and is performed to Will Champlin, Lauren Duski and KHS’s cover of the song “Praying” by Kesha. Matching the show’s theme, the guard members all have dark purple uniforms with an attachable gold over-dress piece that they put on near the end of the show to represent that they have come out of their dark times and are now full of bright hopes. The team’s entire season revolves around this theme.

During their performance, senior Benjamin Stobart holds up another team member. (Photo Courtesy of Aubrie Oliver)

“The whole show is leading up to that moment of coming out in gold to show that we have overcome our struggles and have become resilient,” senior Robyn Reeves said. “I always think about performing as best as I can for someone who has never seen the show before so that they can be surprised and understand that message.”

They kicked off their season with a bang with their first performance at the Evaluation (EVAL) show which exhibited the bare bones of their performance and offered feedback from judges on what direction to transform their concepts into for the rest of the season. After taking the feedback from there, the team jumped into their first competition at Williams Field High School on Feb. 23 where they received second place with a score of 50.6. Following closely after, the team had their second competition on Feb. 24 at Casa Grande High School where Winter Guard Arizona (WGAZ) gave them a score of 57.2 which put them in fifth place at that competition. A week later, the team attended their third competition at Desert Vista High School on March 3 and received a score of 68.29 ranking them in third place. With their upcoming competitions, the team continues to push harder in hopes to make it to Championships, where last year they placed second.

After winning 2nd place in their competition at Casa Grande High School, the Red Mountain Winter Guard team poses for a photo. (Photo Courtesy of Aubrie Oliver)

“Our goal every year is to make our students better performers than they were in the beginning of the season,” Ms. Oliver said. “Sometimes that means that we score very high, but sometimes we are just as proud of the freshman member that finally catches their toss.”

The team has already attended multiple competitions and strives to reach even higher as the competitions continue. To learn more about winter guard, contact Coach Oliver at aubrieoliver@gmail.com.

(Featured Photo Courtesy of Aubrie Oliver)

Boys Varsity Volleyball

Boys volleyball kicked off the 2017–18 school year with tryouts on Feb. 8–9. During the school week, players gave it their all, scoring from either side of the net. Coach Simmons is eager for the team to earn as many titles as they can this season.

“This year we’ve been big in blocking and serve receive,” Coach Simmons said. “Better passing as we’re receiving a serve has been a big goal because that’s how we win games.”

They took home a winning score of 3–0 on March 1 and continued with five consecutive wins to start the season. The team has demonstrated a fierceness that set the bar high for their following games and they hope to continue their successful streak.

The varsity boys volleyball players practice diligently to guarantee success during these highly competitive games.

“The thing I enjoy the most about volleyball is the friendship and competitiveness of the sport,” senior and varsity player Andrew Grabek said. “After playing with the same guys for 4 years, you build friendships with them. But as soon as you step onto the court against them, they are your biggest rival.”

The team practices sometimes more than five days a week and during sixth hour. These challenging practices reflect their relative standings as they are ranked 10 in State.

“A good season consists of players who not only enjoy the sport but also enjoy the team,” junior and varsity player Parker Walters said. “Without team unity, there is no reason to push for victory.”

For more information about boys varsity volleyball, check out the volleyball athletics website at http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/boysvb.

Featured Photo by Dan Kent.

2018 Red Mountain Track and Field

A new season for track and field means tryouts for new members and strong returning athletes for both the girls and boys side. The many different events in track and field provide opportunities for athletes to push themselves harder and showcase their different skills.

“I hadn’t really ever done a sport, and my freshman year I wasn’t sure what to do,” junior Alyce Medrano said. “Track and Field is more individual, so I enjoy getting on the line and having it all in my hands. It gives me more of a purpose and I don’t know what I would do without it.”

Practicing from 2–5 p.m. on weekdays and 8–10 a.m. on Saturdays, the team trains vigorously to win competitions and championships.

“Coach Krieg always makes sure to watch us and give us input on how we can improve our throws,” senior Sophie Holt said. “The team is super helpful. We’re all close and are always cheering each other on and helping each other.”

Kicking off the season on Feb. 27 against Basha High School, the team has many upcoming events including a trip to Pasadena, California and their Aztec Invitational at Corona del Sol High School on March 2, where they placed third. The coaches and players have set high expectations to win city, place top five at State and qualify an athlete in each event.

“Right now, we’re just working on speed agility, technical running work and increasing intensity while decreasing rest periods as we move through the season,” Head Coach Krieg said. “I think we’re going to get better and hopefully that leads to wins and a City meet.”

For more information on track and field, contact Coach Krieg at bckrieg@mpsaz.org or visit http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/track.

 

Featured Photo by Southwest Portraits

Making Waves

The swim team is fighting for a City and State title this year. Working together as a team is vital in swim to ensure maximum effort no matter what happens.

“I swim 50 [meter] freestyle, 100 [meter] freestyle and 100 [meter] breaststroke,” varsity captain and junior Joseph Rusnak said. “I think we’re off to a pretty good start and the team is the most fun—I like just being able to hang out with everybody because we all get along well—it’s like a family.”

Preparing and ultimately qualifying for the City and State is one of the many goals of the swim team. There are several things that the swimmers do to prepare for their upcoming swim meets to help them achieve a title.

“They have to be mentally prepared. For a lot of them, this is either their last meet or their last chance to qualify for the State meet,” Coach Scott said. “The girls have a really good shot at winning City and the boys have a really good shot to do some damage at City and score really well.”

Rachel Ray, a varsity captain, also uses her swim skills as she plays with the Mesa Water Polo team at Kino Aquatic Center.

“I did synchronized swimming for six years, and it was draining. Water polo is completely different though; you just go to play a game and do the best you can, and that’s what I like about it—it’s more aggressive,” Ray said. “I hope to play in college. Right now, there are not many girls on my team. In college, I’ll have the opportunity to play with more girls.”
To learn more about swim activities and events, visit the Red Mountain swim page at http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/swimdive or talk to Coach Scott in Room 829.

Red Mountain Boys Basketball

After winning the title of East Valley Region Champions last season, Red Mountain’s Varsity Boys Basketball team kicked off the 2017–18 year with tryouts on Nov. 1. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, this new team of athletes give it their all under the florescent gymnasium lights. The boys are eager to earn as many titles as they can this season.

“I think everything about the game is beautiful,” junior and varsity player Jake Macdonald said. “We have some sort of chemistry on the team where everyone can connect and play well together.”

A winning score of 62–48 on Nov. 28 hosted by Millennium High School demonstrated the players’ fierce comeback after the loss of last year’s seniors. The team expects to continue their streak of success.

With the alignment as a 6A East Valley team, the varsity boys basketball players practice diligently to guarantee success during these highly competitive games. The team practices all year long, during sixth hour and before and after school. Of course these hard practices reflect their relative standing from previous years such as the 2016–17 season in which they ranked 20 in state. These players and coaches dedicate all of their time and energy for basketball.

“What I like most about coaching is my love for the game,” Coach Lemon said. “I get to coach kids that share that same love for it. At the end of the day, we just want to work hard and play as best as we can as a team.”

For more information about varsity boys basketball, contact Head Coach Lemon on the basketball athletics website at http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/boysbball or email him at rmboysbasketball@mpsaz.org.

The 2017–18 Varsity Basketball players and coaches pose to represent the new season. (Featured Photo Courtesy of Coach Lemon)

Refuse to Lose

Boys varsity soccer is making a great comeback as they break in the soccer season with new as well as returning players of all grades. Although in past seasons the team has had trouble with playoffs, this new year will bring a lot of fresh minds, players and more wins for Red Mountain. In order to make the team, these players must maintain a high level of physical fitness and academic success.

“Soccer helps me focus because it motivates me to do better in school,” sophomore and varsity player Michael Lindburg said. “Otherwise, I know I won’t be able to play soccer, so it helps keep me on track.”

Since most of the boys in varsity are more experienced, they have a greater advantage when it comes to playing against other teams. Some players also participate in club sports and after-school programs.

“I’m on a club team for the Black Hawks where we are a part of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), which is a national team,” senior and varsity player Ryan Metera said. “It helps me prepare because it is at a high-intensity level, and it gets a lot of good players, so it’s good practice before the high school team.”

In order for these boys to work together, they need to bond and have good chemistry since that’s exactly what brings the team together.

“The chemistry in our team is great because we all have known each other for basically our entire life,” sophomore and varsity player Harrison Borgman said. “So, it’s pretty cool to be able to continue to play with them in high school.”

Although it will be hard for the players at first, it is well assured that this year will be a very successful one for the boy’s varsity soccer team.

“I think we have a really good team this year and a really good chance at winning the state championship,” sophomore and varsity player Dylan Stimac said.

For more information about Red Mountain soccer program, visit http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/athletics/programs/boyssoccer.

Leading away the ball away from the opposing team, sophomore and varsity soccer player Julian Cardenas kicks the soccer ball.

Preparing to make a goal, sophomore and varsity soccer player Dylan Stimac kicks the ball away from opposing team. (Courtesy of Soccer)

Preparing to make a goal, sophomore and varsity soccer player Dylan Stimac kicks the ball away from opposing team.

(Featured Photo courtesy of Soccer)