Field Hockey

Coming into the 2017 fall season, the girls field hockey team looks to improve on their final results last year. On Sept. 8 and 9, the team traveled to Dallas to participate in the Hockaday Play Day. At the event, the team played three 7v7 matches, as well as three full 11v11 contests, wrapping up the weekend affairs with a final record of 3-2-1. Following the tournament, they faced Episcopal in their first official game. The Falcons dismantled the Knights, shutting them out with a final score of 6-0. Following the victory, the team went on to face Greenhill at Kinkaid. On Sept. 19, the team faced off against their rival, St. John’s. “We played very well, and fought hard,” said Katherine Berman (12). Despite the strong effort by the Falcons, they fell to the Mavericks with a final score of 3-1. Despite the tough loss, there is a lot of potential and room for improvement. The team is very young, with nearly half of the lineup being underclassmen, but it has strong veteran leadership in senior captains Ellie Bolin, Katherine Berman, Belle Martire and Caroline Hanan. Look for the Falcons to continue to improve as they approach matchups against Duchesne and St. John’s in the coming weeks.

Boys Volleyball

After not qualifying for the SPC tournament last year with a tough season, the boys volleyball team looks to kick off a new season successfully and put their past behind them. Nearly every player is returning this year, including Parker Browne (12) and Alex Frumovitz (11). Although the team lost both matches to Episcopal and St. John’s in their first tournament, they remain optimistic. “The main reason we struggled so much last year was our youth and inexperience. Now that our players our older, we expect to have a much better season,” said Browne. After their initial losses, the team has worked hard to improve their game. It took three games to win a set last year, but this year they won a set in their first match. “Our goal is to make SPC this year, it is something we can accomplish if we work hard,” said Browne. A realistic goal, the Falcons could very well make the tournament this year if they work together and strive to improve on their results from the past.

Girls Cross Country

Last season, the girls cross country team won SPC for the sixth time since 1986. They are trying to make that total go to seven this year. They already have two top three finishes in meets this year: a second place finish at the Rosehill Christian Cross Country Challenge and a first place at the Paschal Invitational. They have two meets coming up in the next several weeks: The McNeil Invitational at Old Settlers Park on Sept. 30 and The St. John’s Maverick Ramble at T.C. Jester Park on Oct. 14. As the workouts increase in intensity, the girls turn their focus towards their primary goal this year: to win SPC. “If we work really hard during practice, nothing can stop us from winning SPC this year, for the second time in a row,” said Carolline Keller, junior captain. The girls team has lots of potential and plans to fulfill it throughtout the season.

Football

After a 7-3 record and coming in third in SPC last year, the varsity football team is looking to compete for an SPC championship this year. It is certainly looking good for the team as they already have two blowout wins on the season: a 45-13 win on Sept. 8 at HBU against Westbury Christian and a 49-14 win on Sept. 9 against Loomis-Chaffee in Connecticut. The team traveled to Connecticut on Sept. 15 where they played Loomis-Chaffee, visited the basketball hall of fame, and watched the Notre Dame-Boston College football game. “It was really fun, we got closer as a team and caught a dub,” cornerback Matthew Bale (10) said about the trip. The team lost a close game against Shadow Creek as a result of a questionable call late in the fourth quarter, but things are certainly looking up for the varsity football squad. Let’s hope they finish the season as well as they started off.

Boys Cross Country

For the boys cross country team, this season is “all about the process” says senior DZ Zavitzanos. Under the veteran leadership of senior captains, Andres Melendez, DZ Zavitsanos, and Socs Zavitsanos, the team has already found early success in the season, placing third in their first meet, the Rosehill Christian Cross Country Challenge on Sept. 9. The Falcons look to improve throughout the season by building up the intensity of their workouts as the season rolls on. The key to more effective is moving more of the speed-oriented workouts and practices to latter half of the season, so the team is in top physical shape for the SPC race in Fort Worth this November. Accompanied by the return of the Zavitsanos twins and Melendez, the team has some young talent to round up the the other positions on the team. Sophomores Alberto Vargas and Michael Camp, as well as freshmen Antonio Melendez and Andrew Heyser are all looking strong coming into the season. Jeffers Shaper, last year’s 4th man, looks to be the X Factor for the squad, and plays a key role in securing good positions in the upcoming races. “We have a ton of depth this year, which is something we haven’t had in the past,” said Zavitzanos. The willing athletes, paired with the grueling workouts, makes for a promising outcome at SPC.

Girls Volleyball

After a 13-21 record last year, the girls volleyball team is trying to improve their numbers in order to qualify for SPC. The team has started the season off well with a 9-2-1 record. Their only tie of the season came against Christian Home School Athletics on Sept. 15 at the Alvin Living Stones Tournament in Alvin, TX. Following the tie, the team secured two wins before falling to Heritage Christian. The Falcons surged back after the loss, winning the next two games and the consolation bracket, giving them a third place overall. The Falcons have won both games since the tournament, overpowring both SATCH and Lutheran South in 3-0 match victories. Seniors captains this year- Nia Caldwell, Lauren Ho, Julia Lasseter and Katherine Montgomery- are excited about their good start to the season.  “I’m very excited for the season,” says sophomore outside hitter Anna Van Os. Some challenges for the team lying ahead include upcoming games agiainst Houston Christian, John Cooper, and Episcopal. If the team continues their recent success and keeps working hard, they will provide some serious competiton in the SPC tournament this November.