Teachers Take Students to School

In this year’s student faculty basketball game, the teachers overcame their underdog role, winning 54-40. Looking at the line-ups, it seemed as if the students had the upper hand. Starting numerous varsity players and other athletes, six of whom stand over six-feet tall, they took on a mostly “short”, “old”, but more “experienced” roster of coaches, English teachers, math teachers and teachers other areas of education. “Hopefully we’ll pull off an upset.” claimed Math teacher, Ben Silva, and after 32 minutes of play, it was in fact the teachers who taught the students a lesson in basketball.

The students led by Varsity players, Donnie Gaitor, Fernando Ferreira, Emily West, and Genesis Mileno, shot off to a fast start, scoring the game’s first few points. However, the lead did not last long as the coaches were well ahead by halftime.

Proving the first half was no anomaly, the teachers quickly scored to first basket of the second half with a bucket by English teacher, David Reese. The rest of the game, it was the two basketball coaches, Diego Garcia and Jacob Shaw who fittingly took over, combining for 37 points. Gaitor, West, and Ferreira did hold their own though as they totaled, 9, 10, and 11 points apiece. With not much help from the supporting cast, the students were defenseless against the teachers and Garcia’s arsenal of three-pointers.

In the end, the game was all in good fun as it was intended to be. It showcased excellent sportsmanship, and comedic appearances. English teacher, Sam Brown stole the show with his comedic antics on the floor and put the icing on the cake with a gracious fall right before helping Shaw make a basket. “I’m really gonna rip on the guy,” sophomore Jeff Nelson stated. “I have him on Tuesday. It was Brown though that had the last laugh as his team came up on the winning end. “The taste of victory is as sweet as a mandarin.” Look for the students to retaliate big next year, but for now it is the teachers who have all the bragging rights for the next twelve months, proving once more that age is just a number.

Teachers Take Students to School

 

Looking at the line-ups, it seemed as if the students had the upper hand in this years student-faculty basketball game. Starting numerous varsity players and other athletes, six of whom stand over six-feet tall, they took on a mostly “short”, “old”, but more “experienced” roster of coaches, English teachers, math teachers and teachers other areas of education. “Hopefully we’ll pull off an upset.” claimed Math teacher, Ben Silva, and after 32 minutes of play, it was in fact the teachers who taught the students a lesson in basketball with a twenty-plus point victory, pun intended.

The students led by Varsity players, Donnie Gaitor, Fernando Ferreira, Emily West, and Genesis Mileno, shot off to a fast start, scoring the games first few points. However, the lead did not last long as the coaches were ahead at 45-34 halftime. Proving the first half was no anomaly, the teachers quickly scored to first basket of the second half with a bucket by English teacher, David Reese. The rest of the game, it was the two basketball coaches, Diego Garcia and Jacob Shaw who fittingly took over, combining for 37 points. Gaitor, West, and Ferreira did hold their own though as they totaled, 9, 10, and 11 points apiece. With not much help from the supporting cast, the students were defenseless against the teachers and Garcia’s arsenal of three-pointers.

In the end, the game was all in good fun as it was intended to be. It showcased excellent sportsmanship, and comedic appearances. English teacher, Sam Brown stole the show with his comedic antics on the floor and put the icing on the cake with a gracious fall right before helping Shaw make a basket. “I’m really gonna rip on the guy,” sophomore Jeff Nelson stated. “I have him on Tuesday. It was Brown though that had the last laugh as his team came up on the winning end. “The taste of victory is as sweet as a (what was the word I can’t read it).” Look for the students to retaliate big next year, but for now it is the teachers who have all the bragging rights for the next twelve months, proving once more that age is just a number.

My edit of Jessica’s new gym article

Aaron Groff’s edit of Jessica’s New gym Article

 

As the gleaming new Beach High rises up out of a well-weathered facility, a state-of-the-art gymnasium will show its face, opening with the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

This new air-conditioned gym is supposed to be done by August 2009, when we return in the fall. It is twice the size of the old gym, having a capacity of two-thousand people. The walls are going to be all white with indented spots of red and silver, and center-court will show the updated Hi Tide logo with Miami Beach Hi Tides written around the perimeter. Logo is a wave decorated in red, blue and white, saying “Home of the Hi Tides”. Also included with the new facility, is a concession stand outside the gym and a ticket booth inside. “Oh! It’s going to be great,” Principal Sidener proudly declares. “I am very excited.” Extra perks that come with the new facility are an aerobics room, dancing studio, and beautiful, clean locker rooms. Sidener hopes the gym will create a more spirited school atmosphere within the student body, just like the new building has.

The current construction at Beach High is costing the school a total of 120 million dollars, but money has been saved prior to the budget cuts for the specific purpose of building a new gym. According to Dr. Sidener, the rebuilding will not be affected by the recent budget cuts because this money has been set aside for capital improvements.

As the expected due date for the completion of the gym approaches, the excitement amongst students and administration is becoming clearly evident.  The new gym is “going to benefit (the school) in many ways,” shares sports director, Edgar Botto. “Instead of the school needing to have two pep rallies, there will only need to be one since the new gym is a lot bigger and will be able to hold a lot more people.”  Junior Hi Tide basketball player, Rachel Goldberg stated, “I am really excited to see the finished new gym with air condition… I believe that it will be a great addition to make sport practices and gym classes better.”

“The gymnasium that will be finished in August, will probably be the nicest gym in Dade County of all the high schools,” shared Mr. Patrice.  Hopefully, the new gym will live up to its hype and play an important role in the new and improved Beach High.

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My edit of Joselyn’s Castillowrestling article

My final edit of Joselyn Garcia’s Miguel Castillo Article

For the second straight year, Beach High senior, Miguel Castillo has been named a wrestling district champion and with a solid run at the Regional Competition almost made it to Nationals. “(Placing first in the district) Was a rewarding feeling,” Castillo declared.” ” In a sports like wrestling you have to really work hard. I had to do a lot of practice and drilling; dedication.”

Castillo, who is also a member of the Beach High football team, joined the wrestling team his junior year. “Last year I started from scratch not knowing… this year I had better basics therefore I was able to improve on more complex, intricate moves and find out how beat my opponents,” Castillo said. What attracted Castillo to the mat was the fact that he could fight without the consequences of getting into trouble. “I like the discipline, I like getting to beat people up.” This makes Castillo the perfect prototype of a motivated wrestler.

Preparing for both the matches and tournaments in February, Castillo had to improve his Cardio and personal training. “We did a lot of running, jump rope, drilling…climbing stairs, wheel barrows, walking on your hands doing that up the stairs doing that down the stairs, buddy carries having someone jump on your back and going with them up the stairs on your back.” His conditioning after school lasts around four hours a day and even ran through Winter Break. This hard training has obviously paid of for Castillo. Assistant coach Robby stated, “Besides Miguel’s dedication, I have seen that he is a quick learner. You can show Miguel one move and the next day he is hitting the move. He has definitely improved in his cardio and now he is nonstop at the match.”

Castillo placed 7^th in Regional’s and was one win away from national competition. Through all of his successes he has never forgotten who brought him to where he is today. To his coaches Juan Camarotti and Eric Rodriguez, he attributed “I owe a lot of gratitude and thanks (to them) for getting me so far.”

Given the fact that the ‘09 season is Castillo’s last, his last stand was one bringing much pride to the Hi-Tides. He leaves Beach High a champion and will serve as a model for current and future Beach High wrestlers to follow.

My edit of Brittany’s WBC article

Aaron Groff’s edit of Brittany Waserstein’s World Baseball Classic Article

 

Similar to the World Cup of Soccer, the World Baseball Classic brings together the world best athletes in their respected sport to represent their countries. The games bring about a sense of national pride that unlike the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, occurs every two years. As the 2009 WBC came to a close, the country of Japan celebrated as they won their second WBC title in just the tournaments second showing.

Fans from American and Latin American countries, such as the United States, Venezuela, Cuba, and Panama, have feelings of disappointment as the Championship game was an all Asian match-up between Japan and Korea. Japan defeated Korea in a classic match up, 5-3, in extra innings.

To get to the finals, Japan defeated the deeply talented United States team 9-4 in the semifinals. The Semifinals were held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The stadium was rocking with the popular roar of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” as the largely American crowd did the best they could to liven up their national heroes.

Baseball is known as America’s pastime, but if the games have shown us anything, it is that the sport spreads its reach all over the globe. “As a follower of the sport, I am very disappointed,” said Junior Eric Jaffe. “I can’t believe we are letting the Asian countries dominate our country’s sport.” While the U.S. did end up short in its championship quest, they did however put on a strong showing, making it to the final four teams, unlike two years ago in which the were out in the first round.

In Korea’s trip to the finals, they had to get through the Venezuelan team. “Being from Venezuela and a big fan of baseball, I am very upset,” said Junior Stephanie Santana. “We made it so far and still lost.” However, Santana believes in her team and hopes they will win the championship next year. She claims she is somewhat pleased with her team’s performance.”I didn’t expect them to do so well and make it as far as they did.”

Many of the players participating in the World Baseball Classic are Major League Baseball players who have cut short their training with their professional teams to show their sense of nationality. The Japanese team was carried to the championship on the shoulders of their two MLB superstars, Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Suzuki, an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners delivered Japan’s WBC winning hit in the tenth inning. Matsuzaka, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, was flawless in his starts, and was named the tournament’s MVP.

My first edit of the girls tennis article written by J1

The talented athletes on the girl’s Hi-tide tennis team are fighting strong for as many victories needed to achieve a trip to states.

     Starting the season off with two victories (Go to the coach and find out the current total) and zero losses already gives good vibes to the fans, the coach, Toni Harmony, and even the teammates themselves.

     “I felt pretty nervous at our first game,” said tennis player, Gaby Palacios. “It was a big challenge with the pressure of both winning and deciding which position was right for who.”

     The girl’s tennis team consists of three experianced seniors, Claudia Llanes, Betty Komisarchik and Beatrice Giovanardi. After winning districts and coming so close to states last season, these players have a new opportunity in which they will strive for the best, hoping to fulfill their long lasting dreams of being state champions.

Komisarchik believes that the best wins are the ones that are the closest, and those  in which you have to fight back from a lost set because “it is the most rewarding.”

     Last season, they were knocked out of regional competition by Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High. However, to turn a negative into a positive, the team has become familiar with their weaknesses that prevented them from moving on last season and have transformed them into strengths through non-stop practices.

     “Mentally it is very important to tell yourself you know you can win,” said Komisarchik. “If you doubt yourself on any point, more than likely, you’ve already lost.”

     With their heads held high and the continuance of victories, these girls are on the right path. They have confidence, optimistic attitudes and most importantly the skills that build their potential to be champions both on the court and off.

     “Our team is very promising this year,” said Palacios. “We are all very close and I have a lot of confidence in them.” Komasarchik agreed, “We are lucky to have such a talented group of girls on the Hi-tide tennis team.

My edit of Kevin’s water polo article (no longer a season preview, but instead a season update)

Water Polo Season Preview

By: Kevin Seamon (Aaron Groff’s first Edit)

The strength of the Hi-Tides continues to increase as the Beach High water polo team prepares to drown the competition.  (Find out what their current records are; talk to a player or find a coach).

                Water Polo is an extremely physical sport in which the athletes are constantly being pushed underwater and are involved in scuffles to obtain the ball and attempt to score.

                To train for these ruthless water polo circumstances, Coach Charles Pilamunga has established “Hell Week”, which can be summed up by one of his famous quotes: “Strength over Skill”. Hell week will ensure that every member of the water polo team has the pure strength and stamina to come out on top at the end of a match.

                The water polo team has a very high reputation to keep up this year. They are currently the most successful team in school history with 3 state titles. The girls’ water polo team, defending district champions feel a mixture of pressure and confidence coming into the new season.

                (Get interviews with the boys and girls captains and ask them how they feel about their performance thus far this year. Ask them what they could do to win districts and if they believe it could be done. Also, ask them what was their biggest moment or game from this season and ask them to describe it.)

               

Sports Article Assignments

Me- The Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross, Beach High Alumni

Joselyn- Profile on two time district champ wrestler

J1 sports writers: each choose one of the following and tell me your choice

1. Beach High Tennis Team Preview

2. Beach High Baseball Team Preview

3. Track Team Preview

4. Softball Team Preview

5. Water Polo Team Preview

Ask me if you have any questions or other article ideas. Remember that the article still have to relevent in a month or two when the paper comes out.

Donnie Gaitor article w/ new lead

Whether he is crushing unsuspecting receivers or jumping over inferior defenders, Beach High senior, Donnie Gaitor, has proved himself to be an outstanding two-sport athlete. His tremendous ability in both football and basketball has made him the captain of both teams, and he is well on his way for a bright future in either sport.

Football appealed to Gaitor at an early age. “It was my first love,” he said. He joined the Beach High football team his sophomore year and has become a team leader, playing safety for the HI-Tides.

Gaitor’s basketball calling came in middle school when his P.E. coach recommended that Beach High take a look at him. “From there on, the sky was the limit,” Gaitor said. He has been an outstanding member of the Beach High team, starting since sophomore year. Like the football team, the basketball team is lead by Gaitor’s presence. Gaitor has been averaging eleven points and eleven rebounds per game this season.

With the help of Beach High basketball coach, Diego Garcia, Gaitor believes he has improved tremendously. “Coach Garcia helped me develop a shot. I used to shoot from my chest up with two hands,” he explained. “I had to put my right hand behind my back, and I had to do everything with my left, on and off the court. Eat with my left, write with my left; soon it became a habit and I got used to it.”

As for football, Coach Ralph Jimenez improved Gaitor’s speed and leg work. “[Jimenez] would make me come out with the parachute and run down the field,” he said.

Being the captain of both teams has required much responsibility. “I feel like I had to be a leader, talk for everybody and be that last voice so everybody can be motivated and get inspired, stated Gaitor,  who adds that he has to be “there if anybody needs me.”

Next year, Gaitor hopes to bring his football talents to Marshall University. “I talked to the coach, he is a great guy”, Donnie said.

As the class of 2009 graduates, Donnie wants to be remembered as “a solid, loving, double athlete who was just real cool, try’s to put a smile on your face, and someone you could come up to and talk to.”

 

Florida Gators article, slight change

For the second time in three years, the city of Gainesville is celebrating as the Florida Gators brought home the crystal trophy signifying their victory at the BCS National Championship Game.  The Gators defeated the then number one team in the country, Oklahoma Sooners, 24-14, in a game consisting of what few expected, defense.

The 2008 Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Sam Bradford, are considered by many to be the most prolific offense in NCAA football history. They set numerous records including an unheard of five straight games with at least sixty points. The Gators featured an offense led by former Heisman Winner, Tim Tebow, and played just one game in which they did not win by over ten points (a one point loss to Mississippi).  

 In the championship, it was the speed of Florida’s defense, not offense, which brought an abrupt stop to the big-play Sooners, proving once more that offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. In what is considered to be two of the game’s biggest plays, the Gators defense twice put an abrupt stop to Oklahoma drives while backup up in their own end zone. Those two goal line stands “really shifted the momentum of the game,” junior, Daniel Peterson said.

All eleven defensive starters will return in 2009, and if experience means anything at all, they should only improve off this season’s success.

Also returning is Tebow, whom is already being considered one of the best college quarterbacks of all time. As a freshman, Tebow served as the Gators’ energizing catalyst, helping them win the BCS Championship. “He’s a beast,” stated Peterson. “He brings the X-Factor.”

However, last season, Tebow was the centerpiece of a young team still working through their growing pains. These pains did seem to ease this season as he carried them once again to the National Championship, with help from the maturation of the Gators’ running backs and defense.

Of course, all teams’ success starts with the coach. The Gators coaching staff, led by Head Coach Urban Meyer, has done a magnificent job recruiting High School talent to play football at Florida.

Watch for the Gators to be a powerhouse once again next year as they hope to cement their dynasty by winning their third title in four years.