photo courtesy Dante Velez

17 hours of driving to Madison, Wisconsin from Denver, Colorado to attend the Madison Mudbath: one bus, several kids, not enough snackage, and most definitely not enough sleeping time.

Any way you slice it, though, East High School’s Ultimate Frisbee team came to play. As the number two seed in our bracket, other teams knew it was so. With such stellar programs in attendance as Hopkins Ultimate, the Number two ranked team in the nation, it certainly was a genuine learning experience for the team as a whole.

For those of you that have never played ultimate frisbee before, let me give you a general summary of how it shakes down. Ultimate frisbee is played with seven players on each team on opposing sides of the field, and is played on grass or turf with the proportions roughly that of a soccer field. Each team’s goal is to make it to the end zone without committing one of the various fouls. Games are played to 13 or 15, with a hard cap and soft cap being used when games drag on. Players can not run with the disc but are granted three momentum steps after a catch. At any point in time if the offensive disc is knocked out or hits the ground it is an immediate turnover. That is ultimate in a very rough nutshell; if you ever want to know more I would recommend starting our very own team here at Thomas Jefferson.  Now on to the rest of the story.

The first day of the tourney presented various epic moments and a few ultimate shortfalls, with the team going 3-1 in game play, and our only loss coming to the Number one ranked team in our bracket, COMO from St. Paul, Minnesota. The solitary loss created an opportunity for us to be knocked out of further tournament play, so the fourth game came against Intimate Ultimate.  The 3-1 team – hailing from Minnesota as well – was an opponent from the bracket opposite our own. This game that might have defined the weekend was a hard-fought, point-for-point event with a team that helped increase the sport’s sense of camaraderie, and it came down to the last point. We had plenty of chances, some diving catches, diving swats and such, but Intimate always seemed to fight back. Winning on a short-field score after a game that seemed to last forever, East would live to fight another day.

One thing Head Coach Joe Durst always reiterates in practice is, “In tournament play, Sunday is the most important day for all teams. We cannot be the team that comes out tired and not ready to play. Sundays define the season.” Unfortunately, this would not be the tone by which we rang in our Sunday of tournament play, falling 13-1 to Hopkins, again the Number tow ranked team nationally, and 13-6 to the host team James Madison Memorial High. However, 3-2 for the weekend was not such a bad record, and it ended up helping us achieve a fairly high ranking out of 16 teams.

In the last game against the host team, Madison Memorial, we went down deep 6-0 fairly quickly. Already a blowout, we were just not coming out to play, but this would be my chance to step-up. A long toss that went errant over someone who was too short to catch it either way, a nice 100% sprint from yours truly produced the first point of the game, though I had to dive and collide with a mud-pile to achieve it. I certainly got my mudbath for the weekend.

A weekend of hard-fought battles, team bonding, lack of sleep is a weekend that defined my senior year. We entered the tournament as a team, but exited the tournament – maybe without a win – but with a brotherhood equally reliant on one another to produce. The State Tournament may be this weekend, we may have been prepping for this the entire season, but the Mudbath in Madison gave us the greatest gift of all: preparation for State and skills for life. Truly a weekend I will never forget.

Artwork by Rebecca Holt

The fatigue Pittsburgh’s Penguins will be facing headed into the next series will be prevalent if it drags on past four games and, trust me, it will. The Canadiens are potentially in the same boat for fatigue, but the momentum they carry behind them should help eradicate some of that. Upsetting Ovechkin’s Capitals the Montreal Canadiens have observed as net-minder Jaroslav Halak stepped up when they needed him most.

GOALTENDING:

Jaroslav “Stop Pucks A” Halak versus Marc “Snow” Andre-Fleury: does really much else need to be said? Jaroslav Halak showed his true colors this season and produced a lot of donuts at that: five shutouts at the end of the season. Marc-Andre Fleury is blessed with a high-powered offense and a team good at rallying late. Considering that he only posted a .905 save percentage with one shutout at the end of the season, in contrast to Halak’s five shutouts and .924 save percentage. If goalkeeping is any reflection of a series outcome, and it is, this one can go to the Canadiens.

ADVANTAGE: CANADIENS

DEFENSE:

This one is close seeing such stellar players from the Penguins as Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik and Roman Hamrlik with Andrei Markov. When it all comes down to it though, the Penguins take the defensive crown between the two.  Why, you may ask? Experience, simply experience. Pittsburgh’s D-Men have traveled the post-season route before and know how strenuous it can be, as well as knowing what needs to be done to win the Cup. Sergei Gonchar is not only one of the top defensemen in the league, but he has two Stanley Cup trips under his belt with his current team, who can beat that?

ADVANTAGE: PITTSBURGH

FORWARDS:

As much as I may hate to say it, Sidney Crosby is all that needs to be said here. Mike Camalleri is stepping up though with eight goals and five assists in his longest post-season run to date. This is his first time making it past the first round and he is certainly making the most of it. Though Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, and Mike Camalleri form a strong set of forwards, Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, and Evgeni Malkin again have the experience. Staal is looked to step up in big games, but his recent injury may cause some issues on the offensive line. Sidney Crosby has both the drive and the talent to single handedly win games, if his team goes under he will claw his way back to the top, no doubt about that.

ADVANTAGE: PITTSBURGH

SUMMARY:

The series is tied at one game each, and if Jaroslav Halak remains consistent, an upset could be seen. Realistically though, the Penguins’ experience, talent, and desire to win will overcome the underdogs in this matter.

CURRENT SERIES: Tied at one game each.

PREDICTION: Penguins in five games.

Boston’s Bruins led by monstrous 6’9” Captain Zdeno Chara and rookie goalie Tuuka Rask, took game 1 over the Philadelphia Flyers quite handily even though it went to over-time. Though it is not yet fair to count out the city of “Brotherly Love.” After slapping around the number two seeded New Jersey Devils, Brian Boucher just needs to get his head on straight and they can make this a contest.

GOALTENDING:

I know: he is only a rookie, these are his first set of big games, he will burn out eventually…as true as some of that may be, Tuuka Rask is the reason Boston has made it so far. Brian Boucher has played well, and has really stepped up in one of his first season’s as a first-string goalie, but Rask has all the potential and raw talent in his corner. Stepping into the shadows of formerly heroic goaltenders, Rask has performed admirably, and whether that play continues will be the deciding factor in the series.

ADVANTAGE: BOSTON

DEFENSE:

6’9” Zdeno Chara versus the battle-hardened Chris Pronger: that is a show I would always pay to see. Both veterans have considerable amounts of post-season experience and strong supporting casts to back them up. However, Boston’s looks to be a bit more physical and so if this series drags to more than a few games Boston’s physical play will pull out the win. On top of that, Boston’s defense has so far produced offensively to counteract their shortcomings on the defensive side (Dennis Wideman putting up eight points, one goal and seven assists).

ADVANTAGE: BOSTON

FORWARDS:

Danny Briere (4 goals, 5 assists) Mike Richards (4 goals, 8 assists) versus Miroslav Satan (4 goals, 5 assists) and game one’s come-back hero, Marc Savard (1 sweet game-winning goal) this is a close horse-race. Though, with the way they are producing at crunch-time right now, Boston has to take the cake. Though my heart goes out to Briere as he is an icon of playoff production, one man can’t take this series. If Boston’s top-notch lines continue their consistency and resist the temptation to slack off, this should be an easy rest of the series.

ADVANTAGE: BOSTON

SUMMARY:

This is the most exciting yet unsung series of the playoffs thus far. With electric finishes in both games, Game 1 and overtime winner from Marc Savard who had been side-lined since early March and Game 2 won in the last three minutes of the third. If this series goes past four games it will only remain exciting and enjoyable.

CURRENT SERIES: Boston up 2 games to none.

PREDICTION: Boston in 6 games.

Number 2 and Number 3 battling for momentum, Vancouver’s Canucks and Chicago’s Blackhawks are two of the most intense teams to watch. Roberto Luongo is also arguably the best goalie in the league today; he sure is overly confident with that opinion, at that. To counter that, Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews are two of the NHL’s young, electrifying stars that can produce well in the clutch. Each team, led by veteran coaches and players, desirse this series win and it should drag out to at least six games.

GOALTENDING:

Chicago has for the past month or so faced the most unstable goalie situation in the league, if Achilles has a heel this is it. Roberto Luongo again is one of the league’s top netminders and so Vancouver takes this decision hands down. He has always played well under pressure, this year’s Olympics can prove as much, so if he is allowed to get his game back on completely Vancouver will take the series easily.

ADVANTAGE: VANCOUVER

DEFENSE:

Offensive defense, defensive offense, defensive defense, any way you slice it defense runs the game and Chicago can play defense. Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, and Duncan Keith form three of the league’s hottest and most productive defensemen all on one Blackhawk squad. On the other side of the ice we see Kevin Bieska and Sami Salo, strong defenders in their own right but against Chicago’s hotter forwards do they really stand a chance? I think not. Chicago takes this decision like Luongo took the goaltending, hands down.

ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO

FORWARDS:

Okay, okay, Henrik Sedin DID lead the league in points and assists with 93, but I am going to rule in favor of Chicago’s young guns here. Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews, and Kris Versteeg all have constantly surprised us NHL fans, and I don’t think they are anywhere near done surprising us this year either. If they can come together to produce like they did in Game 2, working with veterans Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa, they should easily tip the odds of the ice in their favor.

ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO

SUMMARY:

Both teams want it, both teams could take it; it has really come down to a mental battle between Chicago’s shooters and Roberto Luongo, Vancouver’s Goaltender. If they continue to pester him in the following games they will be able to reign victorious in the next few contests to advance. utT, if Luongo is allowed even the slightest bit of time to gather his thoughts and get back on his game, Chicago will potentially face blowouts until they are knocked out.

CURRENT SERIES: Tied at 1 game a piece.

PREDICTION: Chicago takes it in 6.

San Jose and Detroit: some of us could have seen another upset due to San Jose’s previous playoff woes, though it looks like this year the boys in the sun are taking it seriously. Up 2-0 the series goes back to Detroit tonight with hopes of Detroit being able to keep their hopes alive with a win. Joe Pavelski has really picked it up of late scoring big goals in both contests to douse Detroit’s alleged fire. This is the year folks, San Jose is finally gonna hit the Western Conference Finals and maybe even the Stanley Cup final.

GOALTENDING:

Evgeni Nabokov was good, Jimmy Howard is good, that is really all that needs to be said on the matter. The rookie Howard has been a dominating presence in net and pulled out all the big wins to get the much loathed wings to where they are currently. Nabokov is much like Pittsburgh’s Marc Andre-Fleury, and is lucky to have a strong offense producing up front. Howard will be groomed to become quite the wall in net in future seasons, and though he wins this battle, he will not be the dividing factor in who wins this series.

ADVANTAGE: DETROIT

DEFENSE:

San Jose’s Dan Boyle and Rob Blake opposite the wily Detroit veterans Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski compose the two best defensive units in the Playoffs right now. Dan Boyle has put all of his previous playoff woes behind him, after scoring Colorado’s game-winner in overtime in game one off of a rebounded shot by Ryan O’Reilly, and has really begun to pick it up. Rob Blake has and always will be a man after my own heart after his seasons with Roy and the fabled Colorado Avalanche of those days. Opposite Detroit’s powerful offensive defenders in the two vets, this is possibly the only tie we will see in this playoff prediction competition.

ADVANTAGE: TIE!

FORWARDS:

Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Danny Setoguchi versus Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and David Cleary? Four on three may seem a little unfair, but those three can do their fair share of damage against any team. Still, Joe Pavelski has won this battle for the Sharks this time in his strong play presented in the first two games. Coming up big, the young Shark has really shown he can play in the post-season and he deserves to be here. Continued production from him and the other three can only provide a ticket to the Western Conference Finals early for San Jose’s frozen Sharks.

SUMMARY:

Though the series is 2-0, the story on the ice tells itself much differently. Detroit has displayed its hard-fought desire to win as it always does, but San Jose consistently bats them back with timely goals and incredible shut-down comebacks. Joe Pavelski is the moving force in this series, if only he could have played so well in the Olympics.

CURRENT SERIES: San Jose leads 2-0.

PREDICTION: San Jose wins it in 6.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

The series stands at three games to two in favor of San Jose, reminiscent of the Olympic days of old, where Russian goliaths stood on one end and a group of American college boys cowered at the other. The young Colorado squad have beaten the expectations of NHL experts and fans alike, and  its winning formula of good defense and excellent goal tending has given this rowdy bunch an opportunity to pull out a major upset. So far, out of the five match-ups only one has been won in regulation (5-0 San Jose in game 5). It really has been a battle of the goal-tending. Both teams have excellent net-minders.

Avalanche rookie Matt Duchene has faced a lot of pressure so far in the post-season as he is a top three candidate for the Rookie of the Year Calder Trophy. Thus far only posting three points on three assists and no goals, to win this series he is going to need to pick-up the slack and bring his regular-season scoring ways back into the post-season. Having scored 24 goals and 31 assists in the regular season, those abilities would be greatly appreciated to break this tie in our favor.

The San Jose Sharks, being one of the most offensive AND defensive powerhouses for the past few years, they have been more than inconsistent in the post-season. The inconsistency has reared its ugly head for this team yet again this year. As the number one seed has perhaps met its match in the number eight seeded Colorado boys.

The Avalanche, on the other side, have only one multiple goal scorer in Chris Stewart, with three goals so far. Furthermore, only ten players have made the score sheet as of now, with hotshot Paul Stastny leading the way with four points, 1 goal and 3 assists. Craig Anderson is the toast of the town, though, after a 51 save night that allowed San Jose Shark Defenseman, Dan Boyle, to score on his own net in over-time lifting the Avalanche for the win.

Avalanche need offense, end of story. The stone-wall, Adam Foote lead boys have not produced anything near a shadow of their former point-producing selves. They have done half the job already, held the Sharks to very few goals.  Now to really bring the hammer down Duchene, Stastny, Yip, and Stewart need to bring on the dynamite and start to explode. Win or lose, one thing is for certain: these last two or three match-ups will be some for the ages.  No matter the result, Colorado’s Frozen Force has really set a high tone for themselves to match next season.  Lets go boys!

Photo by Rebecca Holt

Senior Jared Lewis has always been a dominant force in the realm of athletics here at TJ, though when it comes to track and field Jared is quite reminiscent of a true Spartan warrior.

The lofty goals he has set for himself are certainly those of an experience-laden leader who is looking to capture first in all four of his events: the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 100-Meter, and the 200-Meter events. Being that two of his events are team ones, Jared looks to assist in every way possible to achieve the talented team’s goals. “I really enjoy how much talent we have; it seems as if this is the first time we have such an exceptional pool of talent within reach on the team,” said Lewis. As is TJ tradition, both teams of men and women are reaching high and planning to sit among the stars. “I think we have a great chance of the guys winning 4A State this year.  On top of that I see both the men and women each achieving the city championship this season,” Jared said.

Being a track runner has certainly made Jared an individual, to which both his team-mate and best friend Senior Matt Averyhart can attest. “Jared is truly an inspirational leader on the team.  He has really become an image of how to lead by example. He hates to lose, just like everyone else does, right?  But he actually works doubly hard so he never has to lose. In this, Jared has become one of the top runners in state, and I have hardly any doubts that he could also take the State Track Championship in the process, as well.”

Lewis is starting off the season thus far with an 11.48 time in the 100-Meter dash.  To put that in perspective, the world-record in the event, posted by Usain Bolt, is set at a 9.76 second time, only a two second differential. Jared is only looking to improve. “I am gonna be honest with you. That is embarrassing; yes, I won the event but that time is slow as sin.  It will be improved upon before the end of the season,” he said.

Jared is not only looking to dominate at state, improve his times, and help his team, but to sprint head-first on into the future, as he is hoping to attend the prestigious Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on a potential track scholarship. Not a man to base things off of luck, Lewis will continue his season in a dominating manner to achieve his hopes and dreams.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

The Lady Spartan tennis team opened up its season by rebelling against South’s Rebels to achieve a 5-2 Victory.

Strong showings from the senior cast assisted in the team’s dominance on Thursday. Senior Freddi Gidan demonstrated why she is number one singles by obliterating her opponent in 6-2 and 6-0 wins. Senior Jamie Gray, not to be shown up, defeated her opponent on the other end of the court with 6-4 and 6-2 victorious performances. Gray says, “I was content with the way I played. Not only did it set a positive tone for my season as a whole, but it helped in the victory that put smiles on our faces looking forward to the rest of our season.”

Eying further victories down the road, the team expects to host a season heavy on the achievements and victories, light on the defeats. New assistant coach, Officer Tim Cueva shared his insight on the state of the team this season and into the future: “I really have no expectations this season, nothing bad and nothing really good either. The reason for this is due to how young our team is; we are going to be caught in a bit of learning phase this season. If that works out well then good things can only come in the future, but who is to say.” Cueva continued on to elaborate on Junior Hanna Kazlovskaya’s noticeable raw talent for her first year on the team that has earned her the No. 3 Singles spot. “If we can capture our young team’s desire, and continue fueling people like Hanna’s competitive spirit, I am positive we can field an exceptional squad in the future.” The season has only just begun, and though it will be a learning process the Lady Spartan tennis team will continue bringing home victories.

Artwork by Rebecca Holt

With only 16 games left on their schedule, it should be about the time where the Avs start thinking about how to finish close to if not on top. With an exact 50-50 split for home and away ice in the upcoming contests the boys should look forward to facing adversity both at home and on the road. Several roster moves, large and small, should begin to show their impact here very soon.

One roster move to note is the trade of Left Wing Wojtek Wolski, a proven scorer, to Phoenix for Center Peter Mueller and prospect Kevin Porter. Mueller is three years younger than Wolski and has already broken the ice here in Colorado posting two goals and four assists in only four games thus far. Returning to the roster after an eight-year absence, Center Stephane Yelle at 35 years adds more depth and veteran experience to the primarily young Avalanche team. Though he has never really amounted to much of anything, questions rise as to why the team decided to bring back a player whose hottest streak was in his first season 15 years ago with the Avalanche in 1995.

Colorado, 37-23-6, should give most of the credit to incredibly good rookie sensation Matt Duchene. Currently leading in points, goals, and assists.

Let me quell any rumors here: there is a very slim chance the home team will be bringing the cup back to Colorado this season, though it is certainly within reach in the near future. Though being 6th in the Western Conference and on a two-game winning streak is certainly converting a lot of non-believers to think otherwise.

Their remaining schedule certainly was not so heavily outfitted that the Avs won’t make a strong playoff run either. Victorious over both the Florida Panthers and the sub-par Dallas Stars, both played at home, the Avs will bounce back and forth from the road to home-stands for the remainder of the season. Don’t get too excited yet though, the Avs will be no more short of work than the next guy facing opponents with the caliber of: the Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, and the division rival Vancouver Canucks.

Matt Duchene should also be prepping to bring home the Calder Trophy, for Rookie of the Year, with 47 points overall, 23 goals and 24 assists, leading rookies in two out of four statistics. Though he is currently over-shadowed by Buffalo’s Tyler Myers (first in the league with assists with 26), when the time comes the judges will ultimately know who is better: Matt Duchene.

With the time for playoffs at hand, the competition is heating up. And again, as it was heading into the Olympic break, the Avalanche will be a problem needing to be solved by any team they face in the playoffs. Making it to the Cup Finals will be difficult, but if the Avalanche pull it off I would certainly not be one to count them out as favorites.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

TJ track sprinted with confidence straight into the books to start their Spring 2010 season. Placing 3rd out of 14 teams, TJ is certainly not a team to be over-looked this season, as they plan on hitting the track hard at every meet. “We have obviously already started off our season well with our boys’ team potentially qualifying for state in three events, with large increases in everyone’s times,” senior Paige Wilson said.

And the increases really are fairly significant.  Senior Jared Lewis bettered his winning time from last year by 0.35 seconds to win the 100 Meter again, and potentially qualify for the state tourney already. The 4 x 100 mens’ team ran a 43.67, a faster time than they ran in the State Tournament last year, which is the second event Jared Lewis may have qualified for state, already.

“Our girls team is certainly going to continue to build in confidence with more practice, for our young team. With the addition of Senior Monique Kuykendoll, we have not only added a new leader but a strong competitor in all arenas,” said Wilson.

Though the tale is usually of the top contenders at each event,  the story of this past week’s tournament read a bit differently. The 4 x 800 Meter Relay Team consisting of Raycell Rush, Ben Makovsky, Rovel Berhe and Jordan Shelton placed 2nd at the meet. Though finishing only fourth for the 100 Meter Dash, Senior Matt Averyhart improved on his time from last year by almost thirty seconds to 11.42 seconds, certainly working towards contention for the state tournament in the event.

Though they placed only 11th out of 14 teams, the womens’ team ran their best, and hope to move up from here. Head Coach Dave Cohen said: “We have a lot of newcomers, some trying out events for the first time, and I was very impressed with how the women stepped up and pushed themselves out of their comfort zones.” Freshman Solanna Johnson was one who tested her limits at the event. Volunteering to run a distance event and placing fourth not only surprised her, but her coach as well. “Sometimes it is nice to discover that you have an ability or a talent to do something that you never realized you had before, just because you gave it a shot,” Coach Cohen said.

Senior Leader Jared Lewis said, “We are a team in transition; a lot of us are heading on to start bigger and better things. Before we leave, we look to impart as much knowledge to the next generation as we can and, for me personally, win as much as I can before the final cleat leaves the track.” Starting off at this speed, the Spartans will only continue to hit the ground running on their way to another victorious season.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

A season is hardly ever defined in moments but, this past weekend, the CHSAA State Wrestling Tournament was a tournament built on moments. Moments of awe, upsets, close-calls, and absolute obliterations. This year’s tourney held high hopes for senior Cody DeLaBarre, and those hopes were dashed by a cruel twist of fate. After successfully pinning his first opponent, DeLaBarre suffered a concussion and was forced to withdraw from tournament play permanently after only the second round. “He took a shot, collided with the kid’s knee, and didn’t really tell us anything was wrong right away. It was not until afterward when he laid down on the mat, and I knew something was wrong when he was not singing and being his typical happy self,” Assistant Coach Logan Vargas said.

Even though it is a shame DeLabarre could not continue on in the tournament, Head Coach Mike Laurita still beams about his stellar season. “He had a great season, and with forty victories he tied the school record. Just like he did last season, he helped the team a tremendous amount, and grew in the process as well. He had a great season, it was just a shame it had to end this way.”

Heading on to bigger things, Cody looks to work further into the future, possibly wrestling along the way. “We will see what happens. I am just excited I got the chance to wrestle here during this time. It definitely was an experience that I will carry with me into the future.”

Artwork bt Rebecca Holt

Although boasting one of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Avs still seem to be going very strong hitting the midway point of the season. They have earned their spot as third in the western conference with 34 wins, only 19 losses and six overtime victories. And rookie sensation Matt Duchene is certainly living up to the hype, leading the league in points with 40, goals with 18, and second in the league with assists behind Buffalo’s stellar Tyler Myers. Not to mention being fourth on his team in points overall. Most teams that boast such a young average age would be excited heading into the Olympic break, but do the Avs, on a three-game winning streak right now, really need that break?

Something in this new playbook, coaching style, team, or general way of playing, seems to provide the team’s an easy way to solve almost any problem. Their longest losing streak capping at three, only half of their longest winning streak at six. They have even managed to solve previous seasons’ foes, the Red Wings, by beating them two times out of three thus far this season. Coming off of their most recent win, a 4-3 nail-biter win nine seconds into overtime, Avalanche defenseman, Kyle Cumiskey, set a record for quickest win in overtime in franchise history. On his game-winning, record-setting goal Cumiskey said in the Denver Post, “I saw an opening so I jumped in there and it worked out. I don’t know what came over me; I just took what they gave me pretty much and it worked out.” Why was the win so important? Cumiskey said, “It was a huge win for us, we’re back in first place. We showed a lot of heart I think, coming from behind from two goals here in the third. It feels really good, it’s really exciting right now.” Two points in front of the strong Vancouver Canucks, the Avalanche really look to hold their lead by defeating the surprising Phoenix Coyotes at the Pepsi Center this Friday. A three game winning streak at home can easily be transformed into four and an even bigger lead on the northwest division race.

I would certainly hate to be the guy who jinxed the whole thing, but I am certainly excited to see a clean road to the post-season paved for the Avalanche this year. I can clearly remember in previous seasons the end of the season panic to reach the playoffs.  This season it is looking to be a shoe-in for the young franchise. The most recent surprise, for me, that will help in their post-season push is rookie forward Brandon Yip, who has continued to post surprising numbers. With eighteen points collectively in his twenty-three games played, the Avalanche seem to be developing quite the trio of rookie players to lead them far into the future, and with that I can have absolutely no qualms anymore. Veteran and team captain Adam Foote was reactivated only this past month on the 29th, after missing seven games with a sprained ankle, and during that span the team went 6 and 1, losing only to division rivals the Minnesota Wild. Heading into their last home game tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes the Avalanche look to extend their home streak to 3 and 0 heading cross-country to the stalwart Los Angeles Kings ice on Saturday night.

Even after the 3-0 shut-out loss to LA, Colorado will certainly still be one of the teams talked about in locker-rooms across the league. And after the break, Colorado will look to hit the ground running by, once again, shutting down the previously challenging Detroit Red Wings, Colorado’s long time rival. This would give them their third victory over the wings out of four chances this season. What’s more, it would give them exactly what they want: more momentum heading towards the playoff stretch.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

High school sports have always provided a mix of desire, camaraderie, passion, and more than anyone’s fair share of ups and downs. Rarely do we find someone smiling his way completely through the season, but this is not the case for Spartan Wrestler Kenny Paredes, who cheers on his teammates with a smile from the sidelines and smiles all the way to victory on the mat.

Why did Kenny wrestle this year? Simple: “I wrestled this year because I like to win!” Kenny exclaimed. When asked about his favorite part of being on the team Kenny responded, “Sometimes when I get to wrestle somebody else, it really helps me.” Relating this back to his favorite memory of the season so far, Kenny said, “I love winning my matches, because I have wrestled hard.” Wrestling in the heavyweight class for junior varsity, Kenny has developed a strong bond with several of the team’s wrestlers. “I wrestle a lot with my friends. Thomas Currington is teaching me how to wrestle. And, Spencer Ladd takes me down, and teaches me a lot of moves through experience.”

Currington reflected on Kenny’s presence this year: “He listens a lot and follows directions very well. He is really a great contribution to the team. Every time he is out on the mat, he gives it his all, for the entire match. And during practice, he adds quite the sense of humor while taking his drive to a new level every time.” Thomas, having worked with Kenny in Unified Sports over the past year has noticed a change in Kenny this year. “I work with him in Unified and I think he has built a lot of confidence because of wrestling this year. I have also noticed a sort of respect that he has gained towards everyone after getting on the mat.”

Thomas says that the most important thing about Kenny is his team support, “Even in loss Kenny finds a way to be optimistic. He comes straight off of the mat to cheer the rest of his teammates on like normal. He never even thinks to miss a beat.”

Taking first place in this previous weekend’s tournament and winning his match versus Fairview last week, it would seem Kenny has a lot to smile about. “Seeing him out there on the mat in practice and during a competition I feel has really brought the team together this year. Rather than arguing a lot like we have in the past, we unite knowing we need to all help Kenny out so he can get even better than he is now,” Senior Wrestler Peter Taylor said.

Planning on continuing his high school wrestling career through the next few years, Kenny plans on honing his technique even further. “When I am wrestling the kid out there, all I think about is that he is going to lose and I will win,” Kenny said. Encouraging the team with his optimistic nature, Kenny has been – and will certainly remain – a strong asset to the TJ Spartan Wrestling team.