The team consists of eight freshmen and four sophomores. They currently stand 6-6. Equipped with 15 years of varsity coaching under his belt, JV coach Rick Rasay is still staying positive about the season.

“By the end of the season, the players will have improved leaps and bounds,” Rasay said.

The junior varsity players have a hard time grasping information on how to improve their strategic moves during games and on the court.

“When you just play randomly, it doesn’t allow the team to get set or reset” Rasay said. “They need to anticipate what’s going to happen.”

With more strategy coming into play, he believes that the team would be better overall and make it harder for the opposing team to win. Schools such as Los Gatos and Palo Alto are set as models to mirror when the team is practicing.

“We have to be able to pass the ball precisely and accurately to get it to our setter … she sets up the entire game,” Rasay said.

But with many good incoming freshmen and already experienced sophomores, Rasay has been running the team with hopes of winning the second half of the season. The team has tough opponents to play against such as Gunn, Mountain View, Los Gatos and nationally ranked Palo Alto.

“We’re doing okay,” Rasay said. “Hoping we’d do a little bit better … There were three or four games we should have won, but the second half is ours to take.”

As a result of last year’s success, it now faces powerhouse teams such as Homestead High School, Milpitas High School and state champion Palo Alto High School while having to do without many of the key players who made last year’s team so successful. Many key players from last year’s roster decided not to come out for the team, while injury has also plagued the Eagles this year.

Former quarterback junior Steven McLean, who led the team to its successful season last year, is unable to compete this season after suffering multiple concussions. Senior Niko Rose broke his jaw in the game against Lynbrook, while defensive back senior David Mathew and quarterback senior Todd Grimm have both been sidelined due to injury.

“We’ve had a ton of injuries this year,” Head Coach Bill Waggoner said. “More than I’ve ever seen.”

However, these losses have all presented opportunities for new players on the team to step up and fill positions. Sophomore Lambie Lanman is now the quarterback for the Eagles, and many other players, such as junior Andrew Leidenthal and senior Josh Tabula have stepped up and are making major contributions to the team.

The team has been working hard to adapt its playing style to meet the demands of playing in the De Anza League.

“I don’t think [the team] has really adjusted yet,” senior Bemi Onipede said. “It’s definitely challenging since it’s a different league and we haven’t been in it since our freshman year, and we struggled in that year too, so I guess it is just going to take us a while to cope with this.”

The football season began with a loss to the Santa Clara football team, with Santa Clara scoring 40 points and the Eagles scoring 7. In their second game of the season, the Eagles were dealt another loss by Sacred Heart Preparatory, the best team in the league, with a score of 7-40.

“We have been changing up plays,” Bemi said. “We are playing harder and better teams, so we are trying to be better, faster and stronger.”

The Eagles responded by coming out strong at the Homecoming game, defeating the Lynbrook Vikings, a team in the lower division, to put up a win next to the team’s previous two losses. The team won 28-14, rallying after giving up several points to the Vikings in the first half. Currently, the team’s record is 1-2.

“The spirit has died out since last year, because all of our key players are kinda gone now,” Bemi said. “We need guys stepping up and that hasn’t really been happening yet.”

Waggoner is taking a more optimistic view of the season. He has been pushing the team aspect of football at practices and encouraging players to have fun with the sport, regardless of whether the team wins or loses.

“We play hard, we practice hard,” Waggoner said. “And I think they realize the challenge that’s ahead of them.”

Despite being underdogs in many of its games this year, the team has stepped up to fight through injury and various setbacks. The team is focused on what it can do to find success this season instead of the setbacks that have affected it.
“My motto is it’s not what happens in life, it’s how you react that’s important,” Waggoner said. “We have to apply that to football.”

The team has been able to find some success this season, coming away with a big win against Lynbrook at the Homecoming game. With a hardworking mentality, the team will continue to fight hard through the season in the hopes of finding success and bonding as a team.

“We win together and lose together as a team,” Todd said.

“From being on time to everyone playing against [their weaknesses] to how hard they work, all are parts of discipline,” Bega said.

The varsity boys water polo team’s focus on discipline, in practice and during games, has helped them find a tremendous amount of success this season under the tutelage of Bega. Understanding the fundamentals has allowed the team to further grow strategically.

“Later in the season, we’re [using] tactics during our practices, things like pressing up into our opponent’s faces,” Bega said. “And those are only achieved through understanding the game’s basic discipline.”

The team has also been working together as a unit.

“This year we have really focused on utilizing all of our players in the water and playing as a cohesive unit,” Co-captain senior Matthew Orton said. “In order to have everyone on the same page, it’s crucial that we have a disciplined team. Focus and discipline are always key in practice and in games.”

It has certainly kept the team alive and helped it maintain a winning record of 14-4 during the season. Despite a rough game filled with foul play against Mountain View High School, for instance, where two of the Eagles suffered black eyes because of punches in the face, the team was able to maintain composure and stay disciplined en route to a resounding 14-6 victory.

“Last year our team was largely offensively oriented,” sophomore Sam Lisbonne said. “But this year we’ve come out with a much more defensively-disciplined mindset and it’s helped us be more successful against stronger opponents.”

Discipline has helped keep the team alive through struggles in learning new strategies as well.

“We’ve struggled quite a bit some times, learning new offenses, new defenses,” Sam said. “But we’ve overcome these struggles to be successful.”

Bega’s competitiveness is exhibited in his team’s mannerisms and behaviors. The team plays with a chip on its shoulder, to be as excellent as possible.

“We’re going to try and beat the rest of the teams like we did the first half of the season, with integrity and discipine,” Bega said. “Then, CCS and eventually our goal is the league finals.”

But there is one thing Bega values above discipline.

“Coach Bega stresses respect above all things,” Sam said. “We’ve worked well together [as a team] this year and are looking to keep up our success.”

The varsity volleyball team has been performing exceptionally well this season. It stands 21-6, while its league score is 5-5.
“So far the season’s been pretty good this year,” junior Natalie Dwulet said.

Varsity coach Peter Kim said that the players, although already improving quickly, need to play more aggressively. Assistant Coach Jerry Messerschmidt said that the team always has room to improve and needs to focus on defense and passing. They play in a competitive league and must improve accordingly.

“We need to improve on staying aggressive,” Kim said. “They’re aggressive but they need to stay aggressive.”

The lack of aggressiveness has led to the loss of concentration and energy. Kim said that if the team improves on that aspect, it would have a better chance of winning or ending the match with a closer score than past matches.

“I definitely think that going into the later part of the season, we know what we need to work on, and we know what works well for us,” senior Meghan Cyron said. “I think we have a really good chance of doing well for the rest of the season. We’ve lost a couple of really close games, so our record isn’t the best, but it’s definitely improving.”

Kim praises Meghan and senior Heather Sangster for their hard work in games.

“They’ve [Heather and Meghan] basically taken the team on their backs and carried us in a lot of matches,” Kim said.
Besides them, Kim credits sophomores Meghan McDermott, Hanna Koehler and Katie Tritschler as players who have also been performing well during games.

Hanna and Heather are co-captains, both known for their leadership during matches and in practice. The players support each other throughout practice by giving each others tips on how to improve and set a good vibe. They also re-energize anyone who feels down.

The team has been receiving an increasing amount of support every night they play from stands full of cheering fans. With history teacher Michael Messner adding insightful and entertaining commentary, volleyball matches rival football games in student attendance. The girls’ high energy and enthusiasm keeps their ever-growing fan base coming back for more.

“We definitely have a stronger team this year,” Heather said. “As a team we are more aggressive and more committed to playing.”

Everyone is still looking toward further improvement. The girls know that success comes with hard work, and they are more than willing to put in the time and effort. The team, along with their coaches, remains optimistic for the remainder of the season.

“We need to come in [with] the mentality that says we need to play our best game and give it all we have no matter what’s on the other side of the court,” Hannah said. “We need to work on just focusing on our game.”

The team is winning games, but most are won with only a one or two point difference. Some close games include the game when the girls beat Gilroy, 2-0, Leigh, 2-0 and Presentation, 2-1.

“Our defense is really solid, but offense needs to score some more goals,” JV field hockey coach Kiernan Raffo said.

To improve offense, Raffo has created several drills in which the team works on stopping hits coming in from Co-captain junior Joy Montgomery and then turning and shooting.

“The tough part about field hockey is most kids haven’t played until they come into high school,” Raffo said. “So you spend a lot of time just working on the fundamentals and then from there I try to teach them the simple stuff of the games.”

Raffo said that Co-captains juniors Rachel Norton and Molly Palu on the forward line are great with creating offense in the circle and getting shots off. In the game against Presentation High School, Rachel scored a goal against the team which was a one time deflection off of a hit from Joy that secured the win. Joy has proven to be a major contributor.

“[Joy’s hit] is the best in the league and … other teams have to make a game plan to stop her,” Raffo said.

Sophomore Emma Orner said that the team is getting to the ball faster.

“We have a lot of really good freshmen this year and a lot of the returning players have gotten a lot better since last year,” Emma said.

Most people wouldn’t feel comfortable running barefoot for miles on end, but for certain members of the cross country team, toe shoes are as close as they’ll get to running completely barefoot. These shoes mimic the shape of the human foot, allowing the toes to be spread out. Despite being a relatively new fad, its popularity is growing quickly, and some cross country runners swear these new shoes are great for strengthening muscles and reducing stress on the feet.

“I mainly only know other runners who use them,” junior Steven Dittmer said. “There are maybe 10 or so kids on the cross country team who use them.”

Vibram, the company which makes the widely used FiveFingers toe shoes, claims the benefits of their product include strengthening muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving the range of motion in ankles, feet and toes and allowing the foot and body to move naturally.

“I learned about them when the athletic trainer from two years ago recommended them to me,” Steven said. “I had issues with pronation, where my ankles rolled inwards, and she said that running with the toe shoes would help correct it. I recommend them to anybody who wants to correct their running form or strengthen their lower legs and feet.”

One major difference between the toe shoes and normal shoes are how the toe shoes stress the foot. When using a regular shoe, the runner lands on the heel. However, using toe shoes, the runner lands and rebounds on the forefoot instead. This style is both a reason why runners like to train in them and also a detriment which prevents widespread use.

“They make you use a forefoot stride which is said to be better for both your form and your joints,” junior John Beutter said. “[However], I don’t think it is a good idea to only use them in races because they work completely different muscles than normal shoes, so you would have a lot of trouble with weakness and fatigue in your calves and other muscles that they force you to use.”

Users have also stated that toe shoes require some getting used to, since their feet are not accustomed to barefoot running and need time to adjust to the new stress.

“It took me about a week to two weeks to get use to,” sophomore Dane Tippet said. “During this period, I used them every other day for runs just to break them in to get a more comfortable feel.”

Despite what students may say about the toe shoes, the cross country coaches are skeptical about their actual effect on the runners.

“They might do as the company claims, to make your feet stronger, and work different muscles,” cross country Coach Daniel Oren said. “Some of the kids like them, but I think it’s more of a mental thing.”

The team is equipped with strong players, such as senior Lisa Murphy in the midfield, senior Lauren Amorese on defense and junior Taylor Peterson on the forward line. A majority of the players also have multiple years of experience in field hockey.
“It’s just hard because we are in the first division,” junior Nisha Ramesh said. “We have to play the best schools, such as Archbishop Mitty and Saint Francis.”

The team has improved in performance and in working together this season. On Wednesday, September 28, the team played Archbishop Mitty and lost 0-4. They put up a fight against the Archbishop Monarchs, who are ranked first in the Mt. Hamilton division, while the Eagles are ranked seventh.

“Even though they beat us, we made [Mitty] work and Lisa was able to score on them with a short corner,” Taylor said. “[Senior] Lindsay [Axelrod] could hit the ball almost all the way up the field every time. [Senior] Haley [Winner] had strong hits and [senior] Ritu [Bhargava], Lauren and [senior] Taylor [Howell] were great on defense.”

For many players on the team, the goals have changed every time. Many people on the team feel that they have put a lot of effort into their plays despite their current record.

Taylor hopes that the players can work off each other and encourage each other toward improvements.

“I strongly believe we have the ability to beat almost every team in this league and make it to CCS,” Taylor said. “We just have to work harder and come together. If you watch us play, it’s amazing.”

Lose It!

Teenagers today are increasingly more aware of their diet and weight. If you’re one of those students, try out Lose It! This app is meant to be used throughout the day, helping you keep track of what you eat. By entering in what foods you are eating, this application can count your calorie intake and make sure you are not overeating. Along with this calorie tracker, Lose It! can also track your workouts and make sure you are exercising enough to reach your health goals. For a person who wants to stay healthy and fit, this free application is a must-have on your iPhone.

HopStop

Confused about how to arrive at a specific destination in a bustling city? Hopstop can solve this problem. Whether by foot, train or car, this application can find the best route. It has an easy-to-use interface that streamlines the best route for your trip in seconds. Another great feature of Hopstop is its ability to estimate the cost to get to your destination, whether by taxi or trolley. A useful app in the big cities, this free application can instantly point you in the right direction.

Shazam

Everyone hates having a song they like playing on the radio but being unable to remember the name of the song. Fortunately there is Shazam. With Shazam, you will never have to deal with the frustration of not knowing what that one song playing on the radio is. By putting your iPhone next to the radio, the phone is able to recognize the sounds and, miraculously identify the song within seconds. In its library of over 8 million songs, each track is marked with a unique code. As the song plays, Shazam is able to turn the clip of music into the specified code and match it with the unique code in its library. Effective and easy-to-use, this free application is helpful in any long, boring car ride.

Cut the Rope

Unlike many other games, Cut the Rope requires more strategy and problem solving as levels are conquered and completed. The player’s goal is to find a way to collect all three stars before dropping a lollipop into a green frog-like monster waiting at the bottom of the screen, by sliding their finger across the hanging rope to cut it. The fun begins when the levels become increasingly difficult, as the player is forced to come up with different plans and strategies. A perfect game to pass the time on a bus, plane or train, Cut the Rope is no simple task and will keep you hooked. A challenging, highly-recommended iPhone app, Cut the Rope only costs 99 cents.

Wurdle

Word game fans, Wurdle is the app for you. Wurdle is another smash hit for scrabble-lovers. Though it’s simple, this addictive game can make time fly by for anyone. Jumbled letters in boxes are laid out on the screen. The player must connect different patterns of letters to create words out of the scrambled array. The goal is to find the greatest amount of long words within a specified time limit. When stumped, players simply shake their iPhone and the letters will scramble themselves again, but this will cost a few points. Regardless of whether you like regular word games or not, this particular word hunt is able to hook anyone with its challenges. This $1.99 Wurdle game is a great choice—a game for all ages and interests.

The first time I heard of dubstep was about a year ago when one friend showed a song to me on her iPod. I don’t remember the details but from what I can remember, the only thing I could hear was a loud, pounding repetitive beat with some higher beats and pattern mixed into the background. It was so different from the usual pop and rock genres that I was so accustomed to listening to, so I simply dismissed the song.
Now it’s back all of a sudden. I knew it was always there, but it’s popped back up in my radar again. I think it was mostly from constantly hearing dubstep being talked about at school. But this time, after hearing a couple more songs, I’m not dismissing it like I did last time.

A while ago, I had a nearly nonexistent knowledge of dubstep and electronic dance music. The only artists I knew of were Kaskade, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Deadmau5, Skrillex and Bassnectar. Recently I’ve gotten way more involved in the music scene.

About a month ago on a car ride home at night with my cousin, we got into a conversation about electronic dance music. He explained to me a little about the history of dubstep and house music and all the way home, my cousin kept commenting on songs that we would come across. The conversation that night sparked my interest in giving this genre of music another go.

The next day, I searched up the songs my cousin showed me and listened nonstop because they instantly boosted my mood. The songs’ addictive beats fit together perfectly.

Now I understand why people like it so much. It’s the loud, repeating sounds and patterns and other effects that allow each song to resonate and be different from others. Once you listen to a song, you’ll immediately feel a lot more energetic because it wakes you up with its heavy, repetitive bass and intricate patterns and beats. And what makes dubstep so appealing is that it’s very versatile; since it’s almost all computer generated, the ways to create a song are limitless. You can bet that the next time there’s an electronic music/dubstep concert, I’ll be there dancing and cheering.

The most obvious and significant changes to the game are in the fundamentals. First, EA has introduced the Player Impact Engine, a new form of collision simulation designed to enhance the game’s authenticity. Under the new engine, colliding players will react with never-before-seen realism, taking into account the angle of collision, limbs used and momentum during collision. With the Player Impact Engine, watching Rooney trying to run over Vidic has never been more realistic. However, this system occasionally messes up and simulates some outrageous and humanly impossible collisions as well, none of which detract from the beauty of the engine.

The new Tactical Defending system, which replaces the mindless pressure-based system, is unlike any previous soccer game. It requires both patience and strategy to jockey and contain opposing players until the time is right to steal the ball. This new style of defending not only takes away the monotonous button mashing that occurs every time one loses possession of the ball, but also adds a whole new layer of depth and creativity into the game. It is an art form requiring perfection, which, once mastered, is extremely satisfying.
The Precision Dribbling system redefines ball manipulation. Unlike previous installments, this new method follows up on its promises and actually allows players in close quarters to control the ball with unmatched accuracy. Whether it is the need to stall or the need to breakout, mastering this new dribbling mechanic will allow players those few precious seconds to make a move. Watching Spanish soccer maestro David Villa play through two defenders with fakes is one of the most gratifying parts of FIFA 12.

Aside from the changes to the engine and the game play, FIFA 12 improved modes for both single and multiplayer. The Manager Mode has been reworked with a surge of new information adding a plethora of realism and opportunity to the outdated mode. From negotiating a multimillion dollar contract with Messi to scouting and developing a rookie like Cristiano Ronaldo, the revamped mode provides players with a genuine manager experience.

EA has added the EA Sports Football Club, a new networking feature for players across the world to share their stats and achievements while playing matches. This new feature also allows players to play scenarios from real games, an option which has unlimited potential.

The graphics in FIFA 12 are the best that any sports game has to offer. The game offers beautifully rendered stadiums with the most lifelike facial construction player models. Though there are still some minor areas which require improvement, such as the crowd which is basically a blur of shaded heads, the actual game provides a surprisingly authentic experience while remaining aesthetically pleasing.

FIFA 12 is the turning point in sports gaming, offering old and new fans alike the highest and most refined game play, a revolutionary engine and stunning graphics to support it all.