HIGHLIGHTS VOLUME II, ISSUE ONE · SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 · TODAY WELL LIVEDthesportsedition

Football gears up for season goals

With a record of 0-1, the foot-ball team is preparing for the first home game against San Marcos on

Friday, Sept. 16.The Normans lost to Santa Barbara

on Sept. 9 with a score of 25-6.Senior Alan Castro, playing fullback,

scored the only touchdown. Captains Frank Brown and Julian Jackson, both seniors, also had helpful performances.

Captain Matt Spector said, “We needed to be more disciplined and more aggressive on both sides of the ball.”

Co-captain Jackson agreed with Spector.“Offensively we did not execute our plays

like we should have,” Jackson said. “On the defensive side, we just needed to complete-ly know our assignments.”

The captains agree the team will come out much more unified in the upcoming game.

“Next game we will be focused on execut-ing and keeping our drives alive,” Captain Cameron Countryman said.

The team hopes to have a more successful year than last year. The Normans finished the 2009 season in third place with three wins and two losses.

“The main team goals this year are to end the season with a winning record, to be first in league, beat our rivals, [sic] Samo, Ingle-

wood and Culver City, and of course be able to compete in the CIF playoffs,” Jackson said.

Defensive Coordinator Vonzie Paysinger said the two main goals are to finish first in league and get to the third round of CIF playoffs.

Although the team lost influential seniors, the current players have improved to fill in the gaps. The team lost their quarterback Josh Newman, ‘10. Countryman and senior Brandon Adams are both being tested for starting quarterback.

“I think defensively we are behind in some areas. Our guys up front are pretty good,” Paysinger said. “Our strength is our athleticism.”

The Normans conditioned all summer and are anticipating their coming victory. Players and coaches practiced under the heat of the August sun for their summer two-a-days for two weeks.

“The coaches have told us we need to pick up our intensity and use this disappointing loss to drive us to success the rest of the season,” Spector said.

The coming home game is against the San Marcos Royals. The Royals are currently 0-2, losing most recently to Rio Mesa.

“We have a close team that can be very successful if we work together, play hard and play smart,” Jackson said. “Our coach-es are pointing us in the right direction.”

Meet the football captainsCaption caption caption interesting things happened a lot. Sora Chee

FRANK BROWN is 160 pounds and 5 feet 9 inches tall. He plays running back. His favorite Gatorade color is red. Before each game, he LISTENS TO HIS iPOD. His favorite television show is “Jersey Shore.” His favorite pregame artist is Lil Wayne.

CAMERON COUNTRYMAN is 167 pounds and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He plays quarterback. His favorite Gatorade color is yellow. Before each game, he has lunch with the team and plays the video game Madden. His favorite television show is “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.” His favorite pregame song is “I’m Still Fly” by Drake.

WILLIE GREEN is 203 pounds and 6 feet and 3 inches tall. He plays linebacker and wide receiver. His favorite Gato-rade color is Cool Blue. Before each game,he TAKES A NAP and listens to a playlist entitled “Game.” His favorite televi-sion show is “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” His favorite pregame song is “Headlines” by Drake.

JULIAN JACKSON is 270 pounds and 6 feet 1 inch tall. He is a defensive lineman. His favorite type of Gatorade is

melon. Before each game, “while we stretch, I YELL A LOT.” Jackson’s favorite television show is “Iron Chef America.” His favorite pregame song is “House Party” by Meek Millz.

MADISON MOORE is 220 pounds and 6 feet tall. He plays tight end and linebacker. His favorite Gatorade color is red. Before each game, “[I] just make sure I get focused and go all over all the plays in my head. I also PRAY BEFORE EVERY GAME I play.” Moore’s favorite television show is “House.” He does not have a specific pregame song, but will listen to “anything that gets [him] hyped up.”

MATT SPECTOR is 185 pounds and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He plays linebacker. His favorite Gatorade color is “definitely red.” Before each game he puts his right shoe on, then left shoe, ties his left shoe, and CHANTS THE SHEMA. Spec-tor’s favorite television show is “Law & Order.” His favorite pregame music is “anything by Lil Wayne.” He dislocated his shoulder during the game against Santa Barbara on Friday, Sept. 9.

Ryan Feinberg

Ryan Feinberg, Danny Licht, Alex Menache

thesportsedition HIGHLIGHTS · VOLUME II, ISSUE ONE · SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 · TODAY WELL LIVED

Girls tennis takes on challenge of re-building year

After losing six players from last season, including junior Allison Isaacman due to a torn ACL, the girls tennis team will have to overcome inexperience to succeed.

With many players still acclimating to the varsity level of play, Coach Mike Mar-golin hopes the squad finishes in a posi-tion where it can qualify for CIF. Although this season’s expectations seem consider-ably lower than that of last season’s Ocean League champions, Margolin stressed that he is taking the season one match at a time.

“We are putting not so much emphasis on winning and losing as we have done in the past,” Margolin said.

This season’s squad will be led by Captain Meghan McMurray, along with key players Miriam Binman and Allison Lee, the num-ber one doubles team, who played well in the Normans’ 12-6 loss at Brentwood on Sept. 13.

What the Normans lack in experience may be compensated by the unique team

chemistry among the players. Although the team may have more new

players than other CIF prospects, the bond between the girls could be a huge asset in helping the team qualify. Margolin spe-cifically mentioned a good relationship be-tween the players and how the girls support one another.

“We work together well,” sophomore Emily Dekhtyar said. “We’re very support-ive of each other. We don’t blame each oth-er for mistakes.”

The camaraderie among the teammates may be a result of the fact that a majority of the girls are playing in new positions. In fact, Binman and Lee are the only players whose positions have remained the same because of their experience.

While this year’s team may not be the most experienced roster Margolin has ever coached, he and his squad are up for the challenge.

“I think we come out stronger now be-cause we know we really need to step it up,” Dekhtyar said.

Senior Victoria Mamatova competes against Harvard-Westlake in a varsity home game on Thurs-day, Sept. 8 . Oliver Gallop

Cross-country shows promising start to season

The cross-country season officially be-gan on Sept. 10 with the Mt. SAC Fastback Shootout.

The results of the 1.9 mile races, which were separated by grade level, excited Cap-tain Josh Galen because “a lot of people did well.”

Coach Fisher called the results “what we expected.”

Junior Sydney Segal came in second place (12:08.97) in her division, while senior Bri-anna Simmons came in fourth (11:37.03) in hers, which were the best girls’ perfor-mances amongst the Normans.

For the boys, junior Chanan Batra came in twelfth place (10:46.04), sophomore Aaron Wolfe came in twenty-first place (11:36.62) and freshman Sean McAlister came in fifteenth place (11:51.60).

The times were not only a good start to the season but, as this was the first race in their high school careers for the freshmen,

were promising to Galen. He is especially impressed by McAlister, who earned a medal in his first race.

Galen looks forward to returning to Mt. SAC in October for the biggest cross-coun-try event in the country.

“It’s the most elite…the most intense race,” Galen said.

Further, he is optimistic about this year’s team.

“We’re favorites to win league, and we’re favorites to go to CIF finals, if not state,” he stated.

But who chooses the favorites? “DyeStat, and Fisher,” Galen said half-jokingly.

Fisher also has “high expectations” for the team. “[We] want to reach our full po-tential.”

But all this success is not without its share of hard work.

Practice is about four hours per day, six days per week, and involves pep talks, miles of paced running, strides and general strength exercises.

Danny Licht

Caption caption caption interesting things happened a lot. Ramtin Mobasheri

Ben Hannani

thesportsedition staff

Ryan Feinberg, Benjamin Hannani, Danny Licht and Mallika Sen

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Upcoming gamesTuesday, September 20: 3:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Water Polo @ Redondo Union High School, 4:15 p.m. Boys Freshman Water Polo @ Redondo High School. Thurs-day, September 22: 2:30 p.m. Coed Varsity Cross Country 3:00 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Football @ Peninsula High School, 3:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Water Polo @ Notre Dame Sherman Oaks, 3:15 p.m. Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Pali-sades Charter High School, 3:15 p.m. Girls Varsity Volleyball vs.

Torrance High School, 4:15 p.m. Boys Freshman Water Polo @ Notre dame Sherman Oaks, 4:30 p.m. Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball vs. Torrance High School, 4:30 p.m. Girls Freshman Volleyball vs. Torrance High School. Friday, September 23: 4:00 p.m. Boys Freshman Football vs. Peninsula High School, 7:00 p.m. Boys Var-sity Football vs. Peninsula High School. Tuesday, September 27: 3:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Wa-ter Polo @ Crespi Carmelite High School, 3:00 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Water Polo @ Crespi Car-

melite High School, 4:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Water Polo @ Crespi Carmelite High School, 4:15 p.m.Boys Freshman Water Polo @ Crespi Carmelite High School. Friday, September 30: 7:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Football @ Can-yon (Canyon Country). Monday, October 3: 2:45 p.m. Girls Ju-nior Varsity Golf @ Peninsula High School. Tuesday, October 4: 3:00 p.m. Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Morningside High School, 3:30 p.m. Girls Freshman Volleyball vs. Vista Mar. Wednesday, October 5: 2:00 p.m. Girls Junior Varsity

Golf vs. Peninsula High School, 2:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Peninsula High School, 2:30 p.m.Girls Junior Varsity Tennis vs. Peninsula High School, 3:00 p.m.Boys Freshman Football vs. Ale-many, 3:00 p.m.