A Star Athlete

As the basketball season comes to an end, I interviewed one of Madison's most promising athletes. Michael O'Brien is a sophomore playing for the junior varsity boys basketball team. Michael plays forward and is looking like he could be a very big improvement to the varsity squad next year as he shows improvement game after game. When asking his teammates about some of his best attributes many responded the way that he was an all around good teammate and is able to play everywhere on the court. During his off-season he also plays football and is looking at the varsity quarterback spot. Everyday that he is not at practice he is trying to better himself whether it be in the weight room getting stronger or in the classroom. Currently he is pushing himself in the classroom by taking AP history and pre-calc. This shows that he is not only dedicated to his athletics, but his academic life as well which makes him a shining example of what a Madison student should be. Outside school he enjoys spending time with his friends and family. Michael's also enjoys watching Ohio States football team when he is not working out or doing homework. One of his inspirations for basketball is LeBron James, he is constantly watching him play, trying to mimick his way of playing. He also looks up to Alex Dragas who was the starting quarterback this football season and is currently an important part of the basketball team. Michael O'Brien's future at Madison is looking bright.

By: Isaac Moyer

Movement

This past Wednesday, the lady Blue Streaks returned to their home court to challenge the Riverside Beavers. The last time the girls played the Beavers it was a close game being a back and forth battle through the night. However, when the Beaver traveled to the Streaks, it was a little bit of a different game. The Blue Streaks came out hot from the start. With amazing ball movement and patience, the lady’s were very successful on offense. On the other side of the court, the girls basketball team also found success. Tremendous defense and great boxing out helped the girls pull off such a good lead in the first half of the game. Going into halftime, the lady’s still had their lead but it was a bit closer. After coming back out to finish the game, the Blue Streaks rallied again. Great offensive moves by Riley Montagner (sophomore) driving to the basket getting layups moved the score up more. Alyssa Lavdis (junior) really showed up during the game against Riverside. With great offense and defensive work, she really stood out and helped her team pull off the win. The Blue Streaks have just two games left on their season. They travel to Mayfield on Saturday then Wednesday is their last home game of the season and they will take on Jefferson. If you have nothing going on it’d be nice to give the girls a big crowd for their last home game of the season. Following that game they will start practicing to take on the South Rebels in their first game in the sectional tournament. If you see a girls basketball player, wish them luck!

By: Alyssa Molnar

Project Unify Countdown

As the date approaches, Project Unify day comes closer and the excitement grows. Caitlin Barnicoat is the only student body that is running the assembly this year. As she scrambles to get it all finished the t-shirts are being sold and seem to be going fast. The annual ESPN act is going to involve three students: Syd Guyer, Lexi Fleischer, and Jill Jeschenig. The plans involve focusing on trying to get more students in the stands to participate,and go around with go pros for the best experience. This time of the year is truly one of the greatest in the efforts to get everyone to come together as an entire school. The difference between students is set aside in the moments to create a better environment for everyone. The players that are involved on both teams cannot wait to get out on the court to make some amazing shots. Alex Barron has big ideas for the game and hopes to make some game winning shots. This year Reba Shaffer is not playing in the game but as I spoke to her she is even more excited to be a helper to make sure Project Unify has the best possible outcome. As I asked around every student that was asked said that they were so excited for Project Unify because it was a way to bring a better and more happy attitude into the school day. The hype and excitement that runs through the halls before and after the assembly is ecstatic. As Mr. Fisher said “ Project Unify is the highlight of the year. The entire school is excited for it, and being able to see all the students come together is a wonderful sight to see.” Thursday is only a couple days away but the excitement has been here for weeks!

By: Lexi Fleischer

Giving Back to Others

Have you ever thought about giving back to others? Here at Madison High School Mrs. Kilpatrick offers an amazing opportunity for all students and staff members. Mrs. Kilpatrick helps organize a blood drive that is run two times each year. KP partners up with the American Red Cross Association to implement a blood drive. The blood received from students gets donated to any hospital in need. Madison High School has been doing this generous task for just about over ten years. Multiple students at Madison volunteer to help run the blood drive. The students that volunteer are mainly part of Key Club or Drama Club. Students in the Drama Club receive lab hours for helping out during the blood drive. Each semester students are required to have three lab hours if they are enrolled in the Drama class. About fifty students donate to the Red Cross Association each time they come. If a student wants to sign up to donate, all they have to do is fill out a slip and then select a time slot. If the student is under eighteen, a parent approval form must be signed. On February fifth, there was such a large amount of students, some did not even get a chance to donate. After each student donates one pint of blood, they are allowed to stay in the gym for as long as they need. The Red Cross Association provides snacks and beverages such as juice and water for the students that decided to donate. If you ever want to give back to others, consider donating your blood through Madison High School!

By: Alyssa Lavdis

A Fresh Start

Madison basketball is looking at a bright future with stand out freshman, Brandon Kosanovich. Brandon is the freshman basketball team captain who really is taking the lead of the team and trying to make sure everyone is improving. Brandon is looking to break two hundred points by the end of his first season and he is currently at roughly 150 points. However the team has not had the greatest season so far only managing to win one game and taking a heavy amount of loss. Brandon has shown game after game that he is able to work both ends of the court be a lethal shooter and is a hard working defender. While Brandon does work hard in the court he also works hard off the court excelling in math as well as other classes. Outside of school Brandon enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoys playing basketball anytime he can outside of just practice and games. Brandon is not just a one sport athlete as he also plays football in the off-season to stay in shape. Brandon looks to continue his excellent academic career in highschool and looks to get varsity minutes next year. After high school Brandon wants to attend any college that is willing to recruit him. Currently his favorite basketball team is the Lakers, and his favorite player is LeBron James.. Brandon looks up to Jacob Land for inspiration and how to be a great basketball player and a great student.

By: Isaac Moyer

Swimmer Dillon Miller

Once again the boys and girls swim team both won. The meet took place at the indoor YMCA in Madison. This coming Saturday is the sectional swim meet. One swimmer in particular who is especially excited is Dillon Miller. Miller stated that, “We as a team are really excited for sectionals. After that are districts. We have been working hard for this moment.” When asked if Miller has broken any personal records, Miller said he has set them in 100 back 200 50 free 500 100 free 100 butterfly those are all of the PR this year. Dillon says that his favorite memories this year are all the memories in the locker room. They are always messing around and they said it makes their day better.
 The next meet is going to be taking place at the ymca this Saturday in the morning. If they do happen to do good and win this sectional, then they will get to go to districts and from there, that will be the last meet for the season. Dillon is upset that it is ending, but happy he got to do what he loves and hang out with the people that he loves. Plus, all the new prs he set. Dillon says that he strongly believes that him and the team are going to win it all this year with the rate and speed they are looking at now. He is excited for the next season and what it holds for him

By: Makenzie Smith

All About Leadership

Leadership is something very important for students in Madison High School. Setting good examples for other peers is important to be able to set a tolerable environment around the school and community. Mr. Titman teaches a class at this school for leadership and he explained to me what it is all about.
According to Mr. Titman, he does what he can to establish some leadership skills among the students in the school. He hopes that it will generate some more leaders in the building. He explains how he can’t teach everyone leadership skills, but he can teach a group of people. Once that group of people has established those leadership skills, they can set influences on other people around the school. He hopes he can take the “if” limits and mentality in hope for creating more of a positive stronger environment.
During the course, Mr.Titman does several activities. One of the activities include reading a book about leadership. This book breaks it down into a team perspective and how you can go about the mentality a lot of leaders have. He explains how they spend a lot of time talking as a class because it’s important to be able to get students used to using their voice. They break down the book together and go over what leaders do or what poor leaders do.  Mr Titmans biggest goal in this class is to create students that being an example of leadership is important for themselves.

By: Nyla Chandler

Note This!

The Madison concert band and jazz band have been working hard. From their everyday lives to practicing daily to perform their best. They have a lot coming up. From concerts to contests to Disney, they are working their hardest so that they can get better. In March they have both a contest and a concert. They also go to 3 basketball games a month. With their diligent efforts they are getting better and better each day. Competition is a very important time for band students. It is their time to show what they can do and how they have come from the beginning. Everyone is incredibly determined to get better than what they did last year. It can also be a rough time. You get one chance. You don’t get to go over the same thing over and over again till you get it right like in a sport. You perform and that is the only chance that you are given. If someone messes up, plays a wrong note, squeaks, or does something in general that does not go with what you are playing you can not fix it. With that the people in the band get a little stressed and hope they do not mess up and ruin an amazing piece. This makes it so that they are pushed to grow and become better, getting them a better score than if they did not care. They get one chance to shine. To show what they can do. With that, they hope for all the support they can get. We hope to see you in March.

By: Megan Porter

Ending The Jv Season

   The Madison JV girl’s basketball team is sad to see their season quickly coming to an end. The girls have two games left of their season. One game is on February 8th, away at Mayfield, and the other game is home on February 12th. This team has formed such a pure, strong bond with each other and with their coach. It will be sad for the girls to end, but they are proud of their season and their accomplishments. They’ve had such a tremendous season. So far they are 16-3. When I’ve talked to a few players on the team they all agreed how it’ll be sad for this season to end, but they hope for another great season next year. When I asked Kailey Williams how she would want to end the season, she answered, “I hope to  finish this season off strong with my team.” While talking to Riley Elliot about the season, and the upcoming season, she said “ I hope to end this season 18-3. Next season I hope we can come back strong, and continue to improve, and eventually once everyone moves up we can have a solid varsity team.” Another player on the team who always shows a positive attitude towards the game. Autumn Molnar said, “I hope to end this season with our winning streak, and that the upcoming freshman will show true dedication, and teamwork.” The girls have worked so hard this season, to make sure that this one will be the best one yet. The girls’ hard work, and dedication to this sport they love has paid off by having a good season.

By: Lexi Aiello

A Day in the Life of a Basketball Player

Madison high school’s JV basketball has many different bright personalities on the team, however, I began to ask about the daily routine of Landon Albert. On game days Landon starts out his day by waking up at 7:00 A.M. After waking up, he takes a shower in order to wake up and get focused for the day. Before he leaves for school he makes himself eggs and toast so that he has a healthy start to the day. Once he gets to school he is trying to get the mood all day long by blocking out any unnecessary distractions throughout the day. As the game comes closer he begins to really get ready for the game, making sure to stretch and get mentally ready. While warming up he makes sure he is glancing at the other team to get a feel of how they play. However no matter what the other team looks like warming up Landon treats it like any other game not allowing for intimidation to overcome him. During the game the only thing in his head is how he can help the team and get the win over the opposing team. After the game is finished, win or lose, Landon always will reflect on the mistakes that he made while on the court. Landon Albert is a great example of an athlete that just doesn't care about himself but how his team is doing and what he can do for his team.

By: Isaac Moyer

The Past Signs for the Future

For most, the dream of a National Signing Day ceremony does not start to materialize until an athlete's freshman year.  The idea of being the reason everyone came to be witness instead of another witness is appealing to all levels of athletes.  On February 5th, however, the message resounded for three MHS athletes that their goals took a lot more than just four years' hard work.

The coaches of Jacob Glass, CJ Kessler and Alyssa Molnar each head up very different programs, but said the same thing about their high achieving athletes: their character was built on an erring foundation of hard work.

Superintendent Angela Smith echoed this sentiment as she stated that you simply "do not get these scholarships without also performing in the classroom."  She referenced the idea that the individuals who draw the crowds on signing day do so because they are so much more than just talented athletes.

It is no wonder, then, that Principal Fisher beamed with pride as he handed each signee their own commemorative Madison High School pen and watched as they committed to their futures.  While each represents some of the best qualities MHS has to offer, they have showcased them in very different ways.

Jacob Glass - Football - Walsh University (Division II)

Under Head Coach Tim Willis, Jacob earned three Varsity letters.  Willis went above and beyond to praise Jacob's work ethic revealing he had only missed a couple of workouts out of the near 2,000 that have been scheduled while he attended high school.  

When Asstant Coach Tim Mainello spoke, he seconded Willis's opinion of Jacob and praised the player's absolute unwillingness to ever let his teammates down.  This quality, he said, is what makes Jacob a stellar athlete and friend.  

For his part, Jacob stated that playing in college was not where his athletic dream began.  "The dream is all the moments you encounter along the way," he said.  Jacob will join former teammate Mark Primer at Walsh, but holds the unique distinction of being Coach Willis's last signing for MHS as he enters football retirement next season.

CJ Kessler - Soccer - Baldwin Wallace University (Division III)

CJ earned three Varsity letters while playing for Head Coach Julio Gutierrez.  Before he gave praise to CJ, Gutierrez applauded BW for having chosen "a great player."  

CJ's father agreed that his athletic future was bright, but so was his academic career.  His parents wanted to emphasize that they were just as proud of what CJ had accomplished in the classroom as they were of soccer.

"Playing soccer has always been a dream," CJ told the gathered crowd.  Playing soccer with all of his friends has been a "great honor," a phrase CJ was quick to repeatedly emphasize.  As an explanation for all of his success, CJ singled out close friend and teammate Fabian Ruiz-Diaz.  "I wouldn't be where I am without him," he said.

Alyssa Molnar - Golf - Mount Union University (Division III)

Alyssa might have been the only female to sign on Wednesday, but the distinction carrying the most significance was being the only four-year Varsity letter winner on the stage.  Coach Brian Titman explained that Alyssa was another great chapter in a program that has a history of sending girls onto the next level.  Girls' golf has had five signees in the past eight seasons.

He went on to explain that this accomplishment was something to be very proud of, however, it was not only hers.  Just as she could not have done it without her teammates, her teammates would not have found their own success without Alyssa's leadership.  This revolving door of support continues to spin out more and more impressive accomplishments.  Alyssa continued this theme as she extensively thanked all of the people who helped her to make this a reality.

She leaves behind a legacy as a leader of the first girls' golf team to capture a Western Reserve Conference Title.

Swish

Over the past week the Lady Blue streaks have been back in action. On Wednesday, the Kenston Bombers traveled to Madison to challenge the streaks. It was an intense game from the beginning with lots of back and forth action. Riley Montagner (sophomore) had a great game against the bombers. With a couple three’s and driving to the basket drawing fouls, helped her team stay in the game and keep working hard. Post player, Payton Lewanski, also had a great game with good defense and rebounding under the basket. The girls had good ball movement throughout the game. The game was a back and forth battle up until the fourth quarter. The Bombers started to get hot on offense causing our girls to get flustered and start fouling. Unfortunately for our lady blue streaks we weren’t able to pull off a win against the Kenston Bombers. On Saturday the girls were back in action in another home WRC match against the Chardon Hilltoppers. Chloe Bancroft (sophomore) did a good job attacking the basket gaining multiple points for the team. Chloe Wakim (junior) had tremendous defense during the game getting back fast and trapping during the press. Unfortunately for the lady blue streaks basketball girls the game did not end in their favor. During the fourth quarter the Chardon Hilltoppers were able to break the bluestreaks press getting a couple easy layups. The blue streaks couldn’t pull through with the win. The bluestreaks travel to Brush were they take on the Arcs in a WRC matchup on Wednesday.

By: Alyssa Molnar