Looking Forward

By: Dawn Brassow

On Tuesday, February 19th the Junior Varsity Boys basketball team traveled
to Mayfield Heights to play against the Brush Arcs. The boys opened the
game with a fast pace starting off with a  good strong lead of 6 to 0.
Despite a strong fight to win the boys lost 58 to 73 due to a lack of
aggressiveness and defense, the Brush Arcs to gain a strong lead.

After taking the loss, the team knows what to work on, defense and being
aggressive on the court. The Blue Streaks are going to push themselves as
hard as they can at practice this week and when they play Perry they are
going to put everything they have on the court. The Junior Varsity team
has a winning recorded this year. The boys have had a great season so
far.

The team will be playing their last game this Friday, February 22nd, against
rivals the Perry Pirates. This is very important game to the boys, they want
to finish this season hard and win the last game of their against our school
rival. They are expecting a large crowd for this game, the team is going to
need to as much energy as possible from the crowd to keep the game alive.
The Perry game is always a big game to all sports in Madison because they
are our rivals. As the last game of the season beating Perry would be a
great way to end the season. The team wants as many people as possible
at this game, let’s make this crowd the biggest yet this season.

The Face Behind the Events

By: Michael Smith

Mr. Dragas was a perfect person to write an article on because he deserves recognition for everything that he does for this school.

The reason I chose Mr. Dragas is because most people don't know everything that he actually does for all of Madison High School's sports teams and programs. Mr. Dragas is the one that makes sure that we have games scheduled for our sports teams and makes sure that they run smoothly. That is just a small faction of everything that he does for our school.

Mr. Dragas has been teaching for 22 years here at Madison high school. Before Mr. Dragas was the athletic director for Madison High School, he coached football and baseball. Now, he has been our athletic director for 8 years so far.

Mr. Dragas was, and has been, an awesome coach and athletic director but before he accomplished all of this, he worked in the record industry for 5 years, ending right before he became a teacher. He worked in Interscope Records for 2 years before that.

The next goal that Mr. Dragas wants to accomplish is that he wants to retire from Madison High School and then move to South Carolina.

Mr. Dragas most memorable memory was when the whole district assembled together when we won excellence with distinction award and every project unify events.

Mr. Dragas said that if he ever got a check to do whatever he wanted to do with it for the school that he would get a new High School and indoor multi use building for all of our student athletes.

Districts Baby

By: Jordan Pasalaqua

On Saturday, February 16th, the Boys swimmers Owen Hennessey, Collin Douglas, Mark Hribar, and Dillon Miller all traveled to Cleveland State University to compete in the Districts Invitational. This meet was very important to the boys because it was the OHSAA Districts and they had to work really hard to get a spot in it. Last year they had a boys relay and two individual females go. Then this year they had a boys relay and girls relay with two boys and two girls qualifying individually as well.

The keys to victory that the boys and coaches focused on were finesse and fearlessness. They have been working their hardest at every practice to get to where they are today. They knew they had to work even harder to get to the Districts Invitational because it was a very important meet. At every meet they had to make sure they beat their Personal records or place on the board. Owen Hennessey was seeded 30th in the 50 Free and came out of the meet with a five place drop, making him 25th overall, he also placed 28th in the 100 free. Collin Douglas placed 13th 200 free and broke the school record in breast placing 22nd with a time of 1:04.

Everyone's hard work led to beating all of their personal records. Owen, Mark, Collin, and Dillon all had broke their personal records that day. The boys tried their hardest on placing, but they did come close to it. After every race the boys compete in coaches Tom Sill, Aja Redek, and Bill Boonsta always give the boys comments about their races and also tell them what they need to work or improve on.

Last Time Playing on Our Court

By: Kennedy Rochford

Last Friday, the 15th, the Boys Varsity Basketball team had a very intense, successful game against Chardon with the successful end score of 91-85. It was the seniors last home game for this season. The senior class consists of Ron Hartman, Ian Langenderfer, Ian Duthie, Brenden Snopel, Marcus Horton, and Jared Anderson.

As a whole class they are looking forward to what is going to come next in their lives after high school but it was sad that they were playing their last home game of the season as a senior at Madison High School.

The last time they played Chardon it didn’t go as they planned. Going into this game they were nervous and had pressure having it be their last home game on our home court. Though they were nervous for the outcome they played the game strong and with positive energy. They ended with a successful win after playing their hearts out. They had fun playing on the our home court together one last time for their senior season.

Their upcoming game is on Friday against our rivals next door Perry, this should be a very high energy game and the guys are hoping to put on a good fight. Every time our teams face the Perry Pirates our teams always put their best foot forward so the boys are hoping to pull off a win. They are hoping to have a big crowd to cheer them on which is being held at Perry this year. If you can, come out and support the Blue Streaks.

Join the Club

By: Shane Noblit

Improv club is a new edition to Madison High School’s plethora of clubs. Improv is an acting technique/ style. This style of acting is to improvise all lines, story, character, and theme based on whichever thoughts come into your mind.

Improv is a great way to express your creative side and make new friends. The improv club, here at Madison High School, will host a great deal of games for improv. Improv is a sole basis of acting and the ability to create wild imaginative stories. The club has already had a meeting deciding on the dates for the rest of the meetings.

The possibilities are endless in the world of improv and with friends right there it makes it all the better. I spoke with a current member of the club, Amelia Marlow, and asked her what it’s all about. She replied, “it’s about meeting in Ms. Kilpatrick’s room right after school every other Friday, greeting whoever comes to each meeting, then picking a game and playing it for the rest of the time". She claims that it’s a lot of fun and she encourages you to join.

There is no need to worry about being new there either because each meeting is open to anyone and will always be open to anyone. The people you meet in improv club might be people you have already know or maybe they will be the people you are friends with in the future. If you want to have a great time or want to learn some acting skills improv might be perfect for you.

Win One, Lose One

By: Alyssa Knezevich

This past weekend our Madison competition cheer leading squad traveled to Chardon High school to compete against six other competition cheer teams in their division at the Cupids Cheer competition. This was their third competition this season. This competition was much harder for the girls to compete at than the other competitions they competed at.

Even though the girls had six other teams competing against them, the girls still proudly took second place. They worked very hard and had smiles on their faces the whole time. Every competition the girls compete at is an opportunity to learn and better themselves as a team. They are getting more confident with every competition they compete at and are having an amazing season so far.

Due to injuries, there has been three girls that haven't been able to compete, which is a challenge for the girls to compete without all of the squad there. The girls that got injured are super supportive and still attend the cheer competitions as well as the practices. The competition team has both JV and Varsity girls on the squad but all get along very well. They still practice very hard after school every week to try and improve themselves individually and as a squad.

The next competition they compete at they will do even better than the last three competitions and hopefully get back the streak of winning grand champions. The girls have won grand champions twice already so they can definitely win it again. The girl’s next competition is on March 10th.

Donut Frenzy

By: Alyssa Molnar

    The cooking class is going into the past! Today the students made old fashioned deep fried donuts to spice up their Wednesday. For the recipe it’s an overall quick simple recipe. The prep time is only 10 minutes and the overall cooking time is 20. The ingredients the students need to make these delicious treats are…

• 1 cup of sugar
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup of milk
• 4 cups of flour (plus a little more if the dough is sticky)
• Oil (for frying)
• 
  

     Once the students prepare the dough they wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to chill. They then begin to heat the oil over the stove. Once this step is done they roll out the dough again and use the donut cutters to cut out the shapes of the donuts. They use a smaller cutter for example a water bottle cap to cut the whole in the middle of the donut.

     Once the oil is ready for frying they put 3 to 4 donuts in the fryer at a time and wait for about 2 to 3 minutes while constantly turning them in the oil or until they are a golden brown color. Once they are done remove them from the oil and lay them down on the plate with a paper towel.

     Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and cover the donuts in the mixture. Once all of those steps are done you can enjoy your delicious donuts like our cooking classes at MHS did.

     

Who's Perry

By: Taylor Stevens

Our Blue Streaks wrestling team traveled to our rivals, the Perry Pirates, for a dual match. It was a big match for Douglas Bailey because he was trying to get his 100th win, it also it is a big match because it is the Perry dual meet.

As the match started it was pin after pin, from the beginning the team was in the lead. The match went very fast because of how well Madison was doing. Perry ended up forfeiting the dual match, leaving the score 60-21, Madison with a huge win.

Douglas Bailey ended up getting his 100th win, Doug’s whole family was there to see him take his 100th win. It was a quick easy match for him, pinning his opponent fast. He made it look easy.

Most of the team left with winning there matches with pins, and it is a great way to start getting ready for sectionals which is next the blue streaks wrestling team. Sectionals is huge for a lot of this years wrestlers. This is what most of the wrestlers have been practicing for, pushing themselves as hard as they can to accomplish one goal: becoming a state placer. Shayne Magda last year qualified for states and hopefully this year he will go all the way along with many more of blue streaks wrestlers.

Be ready to see these wrestlers put everything they can on the mats. These last couple meets are the last ones for some wrestlers and they are going to put it all on the mat.

Loud and Proud

By: Angel West

The girls swim team had sectionals last Saturday and all the girls work really hard and they beat their own records! When I was there the girls were very nervous but once they were in the water that all went away. You could see on their faces the excitement and hard work they put in that day.

Madison swimmer Zoey Fedele came in second place for her event which brought her to compete in Districts! Everyone was so excited that they would be competing in districts this year. They had over 3 PRs! At the meet the swim area was so huge and there were so many people there that when people were shouting, it was so loud that people in the hallways could hear you. It was also loud to the point where you couldn’t hear the person next to you clearly you had to shout what you were saying to them. That just shows how loud the place was and how excited and determined everyone was!

One thing that I really like about the swim team is they always cheer on each other and they always know how to lift one up when their down, also after ever time their done swimming they always shake hands with the team their facing. They always show respect to every team and place they go to. The swim team shows what it’s like to be a team and to be respectful.

Congratulations Collin!

By: Amelia Marlow

Congratulations to Senior Collin Douglas, who earned the prestige of representing the Class of 2019 at Commencement as a Salutatorian with a 4.538 GPA. Collin will have the privilege of presenting a speech to his classmates during the graduation ceremony.

Collin felt honored when he was informed of being named the Salutatorian and that his four years of hard work paid off, earning him recognition from the school, community and his fellow peers.

Collin is uncertain of what he is going to address in his speech, but will likely attempt to motivate his graduating class "to work hard in the future regardless of their career or immediate future, as we will one day be like our parents' generation and we will be the ones handing the world over to our sons and daughters. So we might as well make it a better place in some way."

Collin is sure he will experience some nervousness at Commencement, since is he is not fond of speeches and large crowds. However, he remains calm at the moment.

Collin will refrain from collecting speaking tips, though he believes he isn't the best speaker. However, when it comes to topics, he recommends that anyone speaking must speak truthfully and with purpose. He also advises others to speak on what is to come, both positive and negative, so it can give everyone fair warning for the future.

When Collin was asked if he has any advice for future seniors regarding school or life in general, he said "I can't stress this enough... Make sure you are working hard in school, as senioritis is real and it will catch you if you let it. But I also stress that seniors must be ready for the future. Retake the ACT if you are going to college and be prepared for college or a job you're entering, as I believe the real world is must crueler and harder than school is now."

Congratulations to Collin for earning this amazing opportunity. The example he has set is something to be proud of.

The Last Hoorah

By: Jillian Jeschening

As the winter sports season begins to come to a close, senior Victoria Tromba has many memories that she enjoys reminiscing on from her four years at MHS. Vic was the the JV cheer team for her freshman and sophomore year. She then made the Varsity team her junior year and became a captain for her senior year.

Besides the basketball cheer team, Vic was also on the girls soccer team and apart of the band. One of her favorite memories so far this year was getting to cheer at one of the football games which she has never been able to do because she’s apart of the pep band. She said that experience was very fun and she’s grateful she got to do it even if it was just for one game.

Vic loves being on the cheer team and will miss it a lot after she graduates and heads over to ONU in the fall. “Cheering has always been a fun experience for me. I love going to all the basketball games and rooting for my friends. Senior year of cheering has been very fun, I love the squad we have this year. We are all very close and it makes the games more fun and exciting. I will miss all of them very much, I’m so thankful for all the memories I’ve made the past four years." With only a few games left in the season Vic encourages everyone to try and make it out to support the boys.

The Life of Cole Tanner

By: Dawn Brassow

As a 3 year varsity letter football player and a first year varsity runner for track, Cole Tanner has been playing sports since he can remember. He has all sorts of sports under his belt such as baseball, track, basketball, and football. Football is the most important for him, he has been playing for 10 years now. Cole still has one year left of high school football to show everyone what he’s got. He wants to continue his football career at Kent State University which is a division one school. While he is there playing he wants to study to become an athletic trainer, he would like to work at college level when he graduates from college. He has yet to decide where he would like to work at.

Cole's final year has high school still has lots of memories to be made through football, friends, classes, etc. His favorite memory has been when Madison played Willoughby South and he made a 75 yard touchdown. Cole plays wide receiver and corner when he plays football. He plays any position in basketball and when track is in season you will see him running 100s, 200s, 4x 100s, and 4x 200s. He believes “If you are not first, your last”, a quote from Ricky Bobby. This quote is in the movie “Talladega Nights The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”. Cole's favorite movies, however, are “The Breakfast Club” and “Top Gun”.

Cole has a lot going for him, everyone knows that when he puts his mind to his work that he will be very successful. Cole is going to make his last year at Madison the best he possibly can and leave with no regrets.

The Road to Playoffs

By: Sydney Guyer

Saturday February 16th, the Lady Blue Streaks Varsity team sought to kick off the first round of the OHSAA State Tournament. The #7 seeded Blue Streaks took on the # seeded Riverside Beavers for their third time this season.

The two teams faced off last month at home with the Blue Streaks dominating the entire game and claiming their win with a score of 53-47. The Blue Streaks just recently played against the Beavers last week at Riverside in an intense, nail-biting, double-overtime 47-46 victory. The Blue Streaks had the home advantage against the Beavers and were looking to bring the same fire to the court to be able to bring home another win.

Senior Brannigan Cramb was looking forward to playing in her last high school basketball tournament games and was hoping that the team will advance to the next round. She believed that it was going to be "An aggressive and intense game," and thought that if they work well with each other, they would win.

Senior Zara Fedele knows from her years on the team that the playoff games are the most important part of the season. She said that the team "needs to come out strong on offense and play some great and hard defense to pull out a victory."  

The Blue Streaks have not had a great run with tournament game wins the past couple of years, but they were hoping to break that losing streak and advance farther in the tournament.

212 Day

 By: Cali Henry

            A special day that Madison High School celebrates on February 12th is 212 day. This is the first year that Madison High School decided to celebrate this event and is sponsored by Student Council.

What's so great about 212 you may ask? Well, 212 is the temperature where water boils which means it is hot and ready to go. The meaning of 212 is that our school is steaming hot and we are ready to go.

The Student Council realized this event was coming up and decided to have every student and staff member at the school celebrate it together. To celebrate, the school had a spirit day where teachers and students wore their Madison spirit wear, 212 spirit wear and blue and/or white.

During C lunch, seniors and squad leaders from the Blue Streak Marching Band did a march through around the whole school and they sounded really good! There was also a slide show playing on the projector during all lunches, showing pictures of students and staff showing their 212 spirit and supporting the sports teams.

I like to take a Shout out to the Freshman and Sophomore classes of Student Council, Mrs. Rode and Mrs. Laurie for putting this event together. I will also like to thank Mr. Willis for starting this 212 tradition as well. The students had a lot of fun and this tradition is definitely going to carry on during the future school years at Madison High School.

Mr. Grier Commemoration

By: Shane Noblit

Mr. Grier was the Madison high school Art teacher for many great, wonderful, and artistic years. His art work has touched the lives of so many students and families with his kind personality and caring heart. Students felt a “warm feeling” as they entered his art covered room with his favorite music playing in the background.

Amber Depoy, a senior at Madison high school, was a close student of Mr. Grier and helped him out with projects such as the art club. I spoke with Amber who told me, “Mr. Grier really helped at pushing me to strive in art. He was always very encouraging and supportive of my work, and he presented new challenges to me that helped me progress further”. She described him as ”very inspiring; from his giant paintings to his simple sketches, he never failed to spark creativity in me”.  

Every time she stepped into his classroom, surrounded by classic rock music and all those beautiful artworks, “all I wanted to do was create. He was a really great guy and I’m glad I was able to know him for the time that I did. My journey in art wouldn’t be the same without him”.

Mr. Grier, has created many great pieces of art. Inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum is a painting done by him commemorating this horrific event. Out of all the wise words and actions Mr. Grier has presented, these words will always keep him in our minds, ‘I dreamed of painting so I painted my dreams”- Mr. Grier

Cupid's Challenge 2019

By: Alyssa Knezevich

The Madison High school competition squad is traveling to Chardon High School this weekend to compete at the Cupid’s Challenge cheer competition. Our competition cheer team is the largest it has ever been and the girls are already doing amazing this season.

The girls have been awarded grand champions, best jumps, and best choreography so far this year. They have competed at the Lights, Camera, Action cheer competition and the Winter Beach Blast cheer competition. In both competitions the girls said they had a great time and that being on the floor getting ready to compete has to be one of the best feelings they have ever experienced.

The girls all feel really close to each other which makes them compete better since they have such a good bond, This week they are practicing hard for this weekend so they can have the same energy they had at the past two competitions they competed at.

The Cupid’s challenge competition will be more difficult for the girls to win grand champions because there will be more competition squads competing against them in their division. The girls said they will really need to work hard on their facials, being strict with motions, and making sure they are very peppy while competing on Sunday. If they do all of these techniques, work hard, and compete with the same energy they had the past two competitions, then the girls will have a pretty good chance at winning grand champions.

Ballin' With the Ballers

By: Toni Burr

Project unify is coming up soon and the teams are getting put together! Senior Zara Fedele, who is on the girls varsity basketball team, will be helping out. Zara is great not only on the court but also in academics. She stands out to me because She has a two year academic award and also is an amazing artist. She entered in the Leaf umbrella contest and ended up qualifying for the next round. She is also the captain of the girls basketball team.

Her favorite things to do out of basketball is to Draw and play the many other sports she participates in. Her goal in high school is to get above a 3.5 GPA and get all A's in her classes. She would also like to finish all of her sports seasons with good memories and good friends. Her future goals, after high school, is to start college at Lakeland and then after the two years she will transfer to a University to move onto nursing school.

There is a lot more about Zara than just Sports and academics. Her favorite movie is "The Hate You Give" , and her favorite show is "7 Seconds" . She doesn't just play sports, she also watches them, her favorite sports team is either The Lakers or the Cavs and her favorite food is avocados or salad.

Zara Fedele is a great athlete and a great person to be helping out in such a great event. Come watch Zara support her fellow students during project unify on Thursday.