By: J. Collins
Freshman Grant Sims took home the District 15-AAA Cross Country Championship trophy on October 14 after finishing first in the intense 3.1 mile race. Also placing in the varsity tournament were freshman Kamya Turner and freshman Anatole Hurta who placed 8th and 10th respectively. The award is impressive for any athlete, but it is especially impressive for a freshman competing against all high school grade levels. “It was very memorable,” Grant said. “I was very thankful” Grant has been training intensively by doing speed workouts, long runs, and lifting weights. “I have been running since I was seven years old,” Grant said. The cross country team was well prepared for district, especially Grant. “I was in the best shape I could have been for district,” Grant said. Grant was not only being coached by his coach, but also by his mom. “I watched him all summer,” Jana Sims said. “He was very consistent with his training. I am happy he seeing the results.” Grant performed well at Regionals, placing just three spots away from qualifying for state. While he would love to compete at the state level, he focused on the race ahead of him each time. “ I'm just in the moment,” Grant said. Regionals took place on October 28 in Dallas. The three runners performed well. Grant placed 22nd with a time of 17:29, Kamya placed 33rd with a time of 13:37, and Anatole placed 64th with a time of 14:05.
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By: M. Durrett and C. Lawless On Friday October 18, an amazing speaker came to the high school to discuss bullying and resilience. Harold “Buddy” Ritter spoke to the students about his encounter with bullies. His story was heartfelt and extraordinary. When Ritter was 6 years old, shortly after he started the first grade, he was rushed to the hospital; upon his arrival, they diagnosed him with polio. The doctors informed his parents that he would not make it through the night. When the morning came, everyone was amazed to see him alive, but his whole body was paralyzed. After two months of being in the hospital, his parents were able to take him home. At the time, he was only able to move his head, so his parents had to carry him everywhere they went. As he got older, he progressed to moving his arms, and eventually, he was able to sit up on his own. Ritter’s biggest obstacle that he faced, was being able to walk again. He started by leaning up against the wall and scooting himself down until he reached the corners. Then, he would keep going back and forth. He worked his way up where he could shuffle himself across his room. One day, he made his way down the hallway to the living room where his mom was sitting. She was astonished by what her son had accomplished. Ritter didn’t quit there; everyday he would jog a little and then walk a little. He kept working up his strength, and he eventually started running. Ritter was able to start back to school as a sophomore thanks to his first grade teacher who came every afternoon to help him learn. Ritter faced many bullies for the fact that he had no control over his bowels or his balance. One day, he met a friend named George. George was one of the biggest kids in school, and when he saw Ritter being picked on, he took charge. Ritter met the love of his life at church camp and they have been together ever since. His wife washed the sheets everyday for many years because of his accidents. Despite this challenge and others, the two are still happily married to this day. One day, Ritter started running. He started off by running just a block, then it turned into several blocks, and then marathons. He entered his first hundred mile marathon in Fort Worth, Texas. It was his hardest one yet, but he finished first. He wasn’t worried about getting his first place medal but more worried about being with his family and thanking God for the life he was living. Ritter is all about living life to the fullest, and no matter what your going through, Ritter will tell you that yes you can overcome it, as long as you have hope. By: B. Copeland October is not only the month full of ghouls and candy, but it’s a whole month dedicated to spreading support for women with breast cancer. Breast cancer awareness is to honor those who are affected by breast cancer. It’s also to offer support and prove to these individuals that they are loved through their journey. The National Breast Cancer Foundation is the sponsor for helping and educating people about and with breast cancer. “I think any organization that is contributing any way to people being healthy is a good thing.” English teacher Amanda Ware said. There are many different ways of supporting women with breast cancer. Throughout the whole month, many people wear pink and walk around with a pink ribbon. There are also many places around the United States to donate money and help with charity. “During softball season I wear my pink bow, pink socks, and I get the new breast cancer limited edition softball bat every year.” freshman Cora Creech said. “I also wear pink eye black.” Having a family member with breast cancer has to be one of the most heartbreaking things to live with. That’s why this foundation is making sure to help everyone affected by breast cancer. No one deserves to fight through this alone. “If any of my family members had breast cancer I wouldn’t know what to do,” sophomore Kamryn Trost said. “I’m glad that this foundation is stepping up to the plate to support everyone.” By: C. Cooper
On Friday, October 18, the FFA state officers came to talk to EF FFA’s members. They came to advocate for agriculture and explain the benefits of being in FFA and that the FFA isn’t just about showing an animal. EF’s ag teachers were very excited to see their presentation for this year. “Every year I love seeing the new state officers and their presentation for the FFA, “ ag teacher Ashley Harris said. “It’s amazing that these kids travel all over the state advocating for the FFA. It makes me proud.” EF FFA officer and members were fortunate enough to get to serve lunch to the state officers. “I was happy that the officers enjoyed the big Baugh burgers,” junior Blaine Baugh said. “I’m thankful for the people that stayed out there all morning helping me cook.” The EF FFA President, junior Kyndal King, was excited to pick the brains of the state officers. “I couldn’t wait to ask all kinds of questions about being a state officer,” Kyndal said. “Being a state officer is something I’ve been really interested in for a while now.” All around the state, officers coming to visit and give their presentation was a great success. Everyone learned a lot, and now more people hopefully want to be more involved in FFA. By: C. Barras
The EF football team played a difficult game against the Waskom Wildcats on Friday, October 18. The boys took a difficult loss against Waskom with the score being 28-19. Throughout the game, the boys pushed through every play and situation that they ended up in. Despite the loss, the team hasn’t given up on competing and working hard to prepare for the other games they will have. “We just need to get better on both sides of the ball and continue to work hard throughout the season,” junior Jackson Illingsworth said. After this game, the boys are practicing harder than ever to prepare for the next two games to end the district season and to work for the playoffs. Many of them feel very confident about the rest of the season. “We should be fine if we play to our capability,” Jackson said. “We just have to not give up and forget about the losses.” As the season goes on, the team will not let anything hold them back from finishing with happiness and confidence. “I believe that after this game, we’re about to have the best games we’ve had all year,” junior Ty Kirkland said. “We’re about to blow a lot of people's minds and show everyone the team we actually are!” By: K. Haigh Zombieland: Double Tap was released on October 18. The violent, funny and satisfying sequel to the 2009 cult hit zombie comedy was a complete thriller. The movie had people gripping their arm rest and sitting on the edge of the seat the entire time; never was there a dull moment. Director Ruben Fleischer and Producer Gavin Polone definitely gave it their all providing for viewers of the film. The film was filled with comedy, action, romance, and, at some points, even heartache. The characters stayed true to their identity from the first movie, and the newer characters gave us hope of surviving Zombieland. The crowd knew the movie was going to be great; it was definitely worth the money. Some scenes in the film were action-packed,leaving the crowd in awe, but could go on a bit longer. Many twists and turns happened during the 1h 39m run time. Things that could have been worked on or improved would be the logic behind the scenes; though most of it is explained in parts of the movie, it does not provide a ‘realistic’ feeling. But in the end it can be looked past and overthought, and many people did not have too much to complain about. At the end of the film, screenplays gave viewers a treat as to how everything came about and even threw in a special star everyone was ecstatic about seeing. Overall, the film left many impressed, and many are sad it must come to an end. Zombieland: Double Tap, without a doubt, should be on everyone's list of movies to watch this October! By: M. Clark and C. Wisk
Ringing doorbells and the sound of children in costumes excitedly waiting for their Halloween treats. Special candy in new delicious flavors or odd shapes are released just for the month of October. “Who wouldn’t look forward to candy corn or just use it for decoration?” sophomore Raven Williams said. “It’s amazing.” Others would disagree with that statement. “Candy corn is disgusting,” freshman Cora Creech said. “I would much rather have any other Halloween candy.” Halloween candy brings joy to many people all across the United States. “Every Halloween I enjoy the little Reeses shaped like pumpkins,” sophomore Mercedes Tridle said. “Everyone should enjoy candy, I believe it sweetens the soul.” By: T. Ford
Senior Keyaria Harrison was crowned the 2019 homecoming queen on Friday, October 11 before the homecoming game. The Jackets played Queen City and won with a score of 51-6 to top off the Friday night of excitement. The 2019 homecoming candidates were: freshman Kennedy Davidson, escorted by Logan Presley; sophomore Chloe Almand, escorted by Landon Swank; sophomore Miranda Woods, escorted by Campbell White; junior Asia Neff, escorted by Hayden Parker; junior Camryn Chandler, escorted by Conner Kincaid; junior Mary Frances Ellis, escorted by Ryan Wilkerson; senior Kaylee Honeycutt, escorted by Chris Smith; senior Reese Griffin, escorted by Kevin Lansing; senior Sabra Griffin, escorted by Tyrese Hardeman.; and senior Keyaria Harrison, escorted by Keegan Wyatt. “I was so excited to be representing the school,” Keyaria said. “I was super pumped.” Keyaria chose Keegan Wyatt to escort her on the field, and there is more than one reason why. “Keegan is my dude,” Keyaria said. “We have been friends since junior year, and he always has me laughing no matter what. Whenever they asked me who I wanted to walk with, I automatically said Keegan.” Keegan was very proud and excited to be walking with one of his best friends on homecoming. “I asked Pooh (Keyaria) if she was ready for her crown while we were waiting to hear the result,” Keegan said. “As soon as they called her name, I said ‘I told you.’ I knew she would get it; I always have faith in my best friends.” Homecoming is such a fun night full of memories and friends. “I’m going to miss the jacket pride energy, and all of my girls,” Keyaria said. “I’m also going to miss how good we all looked on that field our senior year.” Keyaria can’t wait to come back to crown the 2020 homecoming queen next year. By: M. Nickerson
Our October Students of the Month are juniors Heather Auvil and Ryan Wilkerson. Heather is the daughter of Amy and Steve Auvil. She participates in band, FCA, student council, tennis, and volleyball. Her favorite classes are BIMS and band. Outside of school, Heather enjoys sleeping, playing tennis and practicing her instrument. In the future, she would like to major in music and perform in orchestras. Ryan is the son of Kelly and Bobby Lindsey. He is the vice president for his class, and he is also an FFA member and an FCA member. He is involved in football, basketball, baseball, and participates on the track team. He would like to attend LA Tech to pursue a future career in architecture, along while playing football and baseball. By: J. Collins
On October 22, the band competed for UIL. The band worked very hard all season and scored a 2 rating. The scores are rated from 1-5, 1 being the best score and 5 being the worst score. Band began preparing for UIL in the summer, and all the hard work paid off. “They band did great,” band director Jeremy Hendrix said. “I was very proud.” Every other year, 3A bands are eligible to advance to area, and if they do well at area, the band can advance to state. “I wish the ratings would have been better,” Hendrix said. The band is very proud of themselves and all the hard work they put in. “We worked really hard to earn the score we got,” junior Brooke Copeland said. “Even though we don’t get to advance, I am proud of our little band family.” Overall, the band performed the best they have compared to the past few years. While the band didn’t get 1’s at contest, Mr. Hendrix is proud of the band, and the band members are proud of themselves. |
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October 2022
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