Football: Stafford 66, Massaponax 44
After a loss to Riverbend High School the previous week, the Indians were looking to bounce back with a win against the Massaponax Panthers. Stafford came out strong with a pair of rushing touchdowns from quarterback Zion Gray and only allowed one touchdown in response. The Indians added three more unanswered touchdowns from Michael Creamer. After halftime, the Panthers came out with two touchdowns, but KJ Morton answered with another score for the Indians. The 4th quarter saw a flurry of touchdowns from both teams. Massaponax scored three more times, but Stafford found the end zone four more times courtesy of Zion Grey, KJ Morton, Deandre Monroe, and Michael Creamer. In the end, the Indians secured a 66-44 victory. Senior Wide Receiver Zachary Johnson said, “Our team is like a brotherhood and we all care about each other.”
STATS
Zion Gray Rushing Touchdowns (4) Passing (3)
Michael Creamer Rushing Touchdowns (3)
KJ Morton Touchdown Catches (2)
Deandre Monroe Touchdown Catches (1)
Our Take:
The response from Stafford Football showed that this team is tough and can overcome adversity. This win gives the Indians momentum going into their final regular season game against the Mountain View Wildcats. While the Wildcats have had a tough season, they cannot be taken lightly by the Indians.
Field Hockey: Regional Rumble
This week, the Stafford Field Hockey team played their first regional playoff game, taking on the Forest Park Bruins. The Indians dominated the match, scoring 9 goals and ending the game early due to a mercy rule. Standout performances from Maddison Patton and Layne Dickinson led the charge. After her hat trick, junior Layne Dickinson remarked, “We all played together with heart and pushed through to come out on top.”
STATS
Maddison Patton goals (3) assists (2)
Layne Dickinson goals (3)
Izabel Torres goals (1)
Riley Dean goals (1)
Emily Jackson goals (1) assist (1)
Maddy Pulliam assists (2)
Tori Bove assists (1)
Our Take:
After this decisive win over Forest Park, can the team keep their momentum going? Their next game against the Patriot High Pioneers presents another opportunity for success. The Pioneers recently lost 4-0 to Colonial Forge, a team the Indians have already beaten twice this season (4-0 and 4-1). However, the Pioneers boast a solid 12-6 record, so the Indians must stay focused and avoid any potential trap game.
Cross Country: District Dashing
The SHS Cross Country team competed in their district finals this week. The top three boys finishers for the Indians were Isaac Nichols, Ethan Govar, and Quinn O’Neill. For the girls, the top three were Sierra Poorbaugh, Cecilia Khatcheressian and Adalynn Poteet. The boys’ team placed third and advanced to regionals, while the girls team placed fourth and did not qualify as a team. However, Sierra Poorbaugh, Cecilia Khatcheressian and Adalynn Poteet will advance to regionals as individuals. Sophomore William McCann after the race said “I honestly think it’s crazy how young of a team we are and we performed so well. Think about it, we barely have any seniors. I’m super proud of the team.”
STATS
BOYS:
Isaac Nichols 11th grade, 16:50.23
Ethan Govar 11th grade, 17:18.02
Quinn O’Neill 10th grade, 17:24.10
William McCann 10th grade, 18:20.99
Nazar Havrylin 10th grade, 18:34.26
Alexander Beamon 12th grade, 20:08.69
Braden Elchenko 11th grade, 21:22.24
GIRLS:
Sierra Poorbaugh 10th grade, 21:00.37
Cecilia Khatcheressian 10th grade, 21:47.58
Adalynn Poteet 10th grade, 23:16.54
Hannah Freeman 10th grade, 23:48.05
Gabriella Irish 11th grade, 24:16.20
Deanna Saldana-Fitzgerald 10th grade, 25:00.63
Riley Springston 10th grade, 25:27.11
Our Take:
Stafford High School’s cross country team is filled with young talent. Of the boys, only one senior competed in the district race, and for the girls, there were no seniors at all. The boys team had three sophomores in the top six, while the girls team had six sophomores in the mix. With such a young group, the team could see significant improvement next season from 10th graders such as Quinn O’Neill and William McCann for the boys and for the girls Sierra Poorbaugh and Cecilia Khatcheressian.
Regional Revival
Our cheer team had an absolute heartbreaker at the district competition coming in second place beat out by Mountain View High School. So, the team was coming into regionals with a chip on their shoulder. In the end the team finished in first place at regionals, beating out every team including Mountain View. Junior Eva Mason said, “I’m so proud of the team and how we worked together cause we trust each other and were able to work to this.”
Our Take:
Our Cheer team has been dominant over the past few years. But there were doubts about the team this year after their second place finish at districts. But many people were proven wrong after the Indians won the regional competition. Can this motivate the team to three-peat in state championships?
