Magnificent Miggy moves Tigers to the top

Jose Miguel Cabrera, is a 6 foot 4 inch, 240 pound home run machine who was born in 1993 in Venezuela. Cabrera made his first MLB appearance in June of 2003. Playing with Florida for six years, he wasn’t a member of the Tigers until 2008. In 2013, with it being his 6th season on the Tigers, he is now a key player to Detroit and is a fan favorite.

Miguel Cabrera can not seem to be tamed. Fans are going insane as he rakes in the runs over home plate and Coach Leyland is at a loss for words. The Detroit Tigers have an all-star that is rising even higher. Cabrera just might be the tool Coach Leyland needs to reach the top. Cabrera, number 24, plays third base and has some roaring results in the statistics. Playing 45 games, with 184 appearances on base, 72 hits, 39 runs into home plate, 14 home runs and 55 RBIs and being ranked 2nd in the MLB hitting statistics, I think it’s safe to say that Cabrera has the Tigers on the prowl.

Currently, The Detroit Tigers have a record of 26-19, making them not only first in the American league division, but first in the entire MLB. Detroit has not won a World Series championship since ‘84, and it’s clear that they are hungry for another. All season, fans have been packing Comerica Park to see the highly anticipated team take the field. Looking around, not only in the stands, but the city of Detroit on game day, you can find the #24 jersey pretty much anywhere. Not only is Cabrera a fan favorite on the field, but he is off the field as well. Participating in countless charity and donation organizations, he has helped in a vast amount of fields from children’s hospitals to raising money for Haiti.  Being a star on and off the field has surely given him the extra support he needs to reach the top.

“I love watching the Tigers, especially with Cabrera up to bat. It always keeps me on the edge of my seat knowing that there could be countless home runs. I hope I can attend a game this season to see it live at Comerica,” senior Casey Josz said.

Cabrera continues to be on the rise each and every game. With games against the Twins, Pirates and Orioles coming up, be sure to tune in and see your very own Detroit all-star Miguel Cabrera do what he is best known for, making the Tigers roar.

Seniors discuss high school experiences, reveal favorite memories

The Howell High School senior class of 2013 is more than just a group of educated students. Among them are aspiring artists, musicians, writers and athletes who started high school together just four short years ago and are now leaving and beginning their adult lives in the real world. Throughout the past four years, the HHS seniors have created memories that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Football, soccer, basketball and hockey games are some of those signature memories. Every student loves being able to show school spirit by painting their faces and dressing up to spend the night watching the big games with their group of friends. For seniors though, this year was their last opportunity to cheer on and support our Howell sports teams. Any senior athlete could have been stepping out on the field, court, rink, etc., for the very last time as a player this year.

“I always loved getting ready for the Friday night football games and having the pep assemblies at school for Homecoming,” says senior Megan Stamper.

Prom is something that almost every senior looks forward to at the end of the year. It’s considered one of the last big events that the senior class is brought together to enjoy a night together. After being together and seeing each other every day for years, prom was a special way for the seniors to reconnect and cherish every last moment together in a different way.

“I really loved prom and dances in general. The entire getting ready process was so exciting for me,” says senior Shannon Saunders.

Foreign language classes often take trips out of the country to get a better understanding of the language students are studying. Senior Rachel Keller was fortunate enough to visit France her junior year with the French group. She explained that taking French throughout high school was the smartest thing she’s ever done. Keller was able to see famous landmarks that some people may never see in their entire lives.

“Our trip to France last year changed my life and I wish in the future I can go back,” says Keller.

Everyone knows that when you’re a senior, you’re on top. Underclassmen look up to you as mentors and ask for helpful advice with classes since you’ve already been through it. You also get to attend special senior-only events like the senior hayride, the picnic, and senior skip day. Overall one of the most exciting parts is that teachers finally realize you’re practically an adult and allow you to earn that extra respect you never thought you would get in high school.

“I loved the freedom I got from teachers this year. They gave me more leeway with my assignments and stopped treating me like a kid,” says Nick Green.

Big changes come for seniors after graduation. They essentially become adults and are in charge of the rest of their lives. For some, the change will come naturally and others might struggle at first until they get used to their new daily lifestyle. Seniors planning on attending college in the fall will soon be faced with the challenges of meeting new friends and dealing with no longer being able to see their closest friends from HHS every day.

“I’m going to miss being able to see all the different people at Howell High School – everyone has a different personality here,” says senior Mitchell Bailey who plans to attend Grand Valley State University next year. “It’s obvious you need to make a change after high school and every one of us will make new friends when we go to college, I’m sure of it.”

Around this time of year, the junior class gets eager to graduate and is somewhat jealous that the seniors get to leave. The high school experience goes by so quickly and seniors Daniel Terry, Makenna Wallentine and Paige Engerer encourage underclassmen to enjoy every moment. “juniors are excited now but they will be so scared that it’s over next year,” says Engerer. It’s obvious that not all seniors are wanting to walk out the doors and start their lives on Wednesday afternoon.  Either way, the senior class of 2013 is a great one and each and every graduating student will do great things in the future.

“The excitement and rush of it all is really kicking in. I might actually miss this place,” says senior Bruce Goulah.

Seniors Prepare for Final Seasons: Seniors recap the past four years of their careers

Senior year is always an exciting time as students prepare to wrap up high school and move on to college. Senior year involves a lot of lasts, and for athletes, they want to make their last seasons the best ones. I chose to interview seniors in different sports and let them reflect on their past seasons for Howell athletics.

Kendal Bayer- Softball (Calvin College) 

Softball has always been Kendal’s passion. From playing softball at an early age she entered her sophomore year making varsity and playing first base and outfield for the Highlanders. Kendal was a major contributor to the team her junior year batting third and playing first base. She received All District 2012 and is a MHSAA scholar athlete as a junior.

“I’m going to miss my teammates a lot. Over the years we have all gotten so close and for sure the best memories were the team bondings,” says Bayer.

Entering her senior year Bayer was voted as one of the captains on her team. Before the season started she automatically had high goals for not only her team but herself.

“I worked out alot more to become stronger and faster than I was before in order to make this year my best,” says Bayer.

Bayer looks to receive her pre-architecture degree from Calvin College while also playing softball for the Knights.

I’ve learned that no matter what give everything you have on the field, plus more. You can’t go back so you might as well make sure you made the very best of it,” says Bayer.

Pete Cender- Football, Track, Basketball (Air Force) 

Without a doubt the triple sport athlete. Peter Cender, is the best athlete in his class. Cender received his varsity letter in track his freshman year and was moved up to varsity his sophomore year for both football and basketball. With Cender being as talented as he is, many scholarships were offered for multiple sports, however Cender choose to stick with football after signing with the Air Force Academy. At the Air Force Cender looks to major in business management.

“My favorite memory from high school was making it to the Regional finals for football my sophomore year. It was exciting that we made it that far,” says Cender.

Cender recieved 1st Team All League, and 1st Team All County honors for football. For track he made All-State in Discus. In basketball, Cender made 1st Team All League, and 1st Team All County.

Entering his senior year Cender had a lot of goals he had set for himself and in order to achieve those goals he started running and working out a lot more.

“My advice for your senior year is to go as hard as possible because you never know when your last play is going to be.”

Natalie Stone- Track, Swimming (Oakland University) 

Natalie Stone has always had a passion for running. While running both cross country and track in middle school, Stone decided to stick with track when it came time for high school. Earning her varsity letter as a freshman, Stone competes in the 400 meter dash, the 4×4 relay, and the high jump. Stone earned All County Track Team, was a state qualifier in the 4×4 and was nominated captain her senior year.

“Entering my final season I’ve tried keeping a positive attitude and treating every meet like it will be my last. I don’t take anything for granted, I make every practice and meet count,” replies Stone.

Stone says that she will surely miss the meets and being able to hangout with her teammates. Next fall, Stone will be attending Oakland University to study microbiology and hopes to continue playing sports in the intramural league.

Lance Lys- Basketball, Soccer (Washtenaw CC) 

Lance Lys was a duel threat in two sports, soccer and basketball. Lys played varsity partially for freshman and sophomore year while played full on varsity for his junior and senior year, starting as the Howell goalie. Lys was pulled up for districts for basketball sophomore year and varsity for junior and senior year and played forward for the highlanders. Lys planned for his final season leaving it all on the court and the soccer field.

“My favorite memories were beating Brighton 3 times in basketball senior year and going to the district game, also being able to play with my best friends,” says Lys.

Lys plans to attend Washtenaw Community College then transfer to the University of Michigan to specialize in physical therapy.

“My biggest advice is to leave it all on the court and give it all you have cuz it could be your last chance,” says Lys.

Claire Garrison- Soccer (Western Michigan University) 

Claire Garrison is the definition of the ultimate soccer player. Spending a majority of her time practicing the sport she loves, she has stepped up this season into a leadership role to guide the highlanders to a successful season. Garrison plays forward, center, and midfield and managed to achieve first team all league last year as a junior.

“Soccer has always been my passion and entering my final season I wanted to make it one to remember. I want to help lead my team to one of the best seasons that Howell soccer has ever had,” says Garrison.

With high hopes for her team Garrison continues to push the team at practice and also her competitors. Garrison plans to attend Western Michigan University to major in nutrition and minor in exercise science. She is considering the opportunity to walk on to play soccer.

“With your final season you want to remember to work hard and leave it all on the field, that way when the time comes for it to end you have no regrets,” says Garrison.

Bryan Stroinski- Swimming (Kings University)

Bryan Stroinski has spend many hours in the pool becoming the best swimmer he can possibly be. All his hard work landed him four years on the varsity swim team where he competes in multiple events. These include the 50 Yard freestyle, 100 yard butterfly, 100 yard breaststroke, 200 yard breastroke, 200 yard medley relay, 200 yard freestyle relay. Stroinski is an accomplished swimmer setting the 100 butterfly record, being a four time state qualifier, two time all conference, two time all county relay team. Coming into his final season Stroinski prepared not only physically but mentally.

“I trained in the offseason both physically and mentally. The physical side is important but if you have a weak mind you won’t perform well,” says Stroinski.

Stroinski will be attending Kings University in Bristol, TN where he plans to become a sports psychologist or physical therapist while also swimming for Kings University.

“Have fun with your last season. When they say that it goes fast. It does. Make it last. Have no regrets and just go and enjoy the sport you love to play,” says Stroinski.

Andrea Render- Basketball (Albion College) 

Andrea Render has been a dominate and game changing post player for the lady highlanders basketball team. With receiving KLAA All Conference and First Team All Country her junior year, Render had high hopes entering her senior year. Unfortunately, a season changing injury put her on the bench for most of her senior year. Render never quit, she came back half way through the season but once again, injured her knee finishing her senior basketball season.

“I learned that you have to always give it 100%. You never know when your last game will be. When it’s your last season you have to make it your best,” says Render.

Render will be attending Albion College next fall and plans on playing basketball for the lady Britons.  Render plans to study nursing.

Disc golf club is available to all students

Disc Golf is exactly what it sounds like – the game of golf, but with soaring discs. The Howell Disc Golf Club meets every Monday after-school at the Marion Township course on Coon Lake Road.  All are welcome to participate.

 

Howell High School teacher Mr. Gregory Talberg is the one who initiated the idea of the club.

“I like disc golf and it seemed like there were some kids who were interested,” Mr. Talberg said. “I play it myself…and it’s fun.”
Junior Caleb Swanner got the role of president due to his four years of playing experience, and is thrilled with the sport.
This club is unique because it is a sport that is not necessarily competitive with endless hours of practice; instead, any HHS student can meet up with the team and start playing. Please see Mr. Talberg in room Q-5 if you have any questions.

“It’s nice that we (members) get to hang out and have fun,” Swanner said.

 

Girls rugby season just underway

There is not a girls rugby team for Howell High School, but rather a club, that features girls from Brighton, Fowlerville, Pinckney, and South Lyon. The squad is currently 1-2 on the year but just returned from a tournament in Elkhart, Indiana, where the games don’t count towards official records.

HHS junior Danielle Campbell is a first-year player on the team and is enjoying the experience so far. “The games are fun, despite playing in sunshine, pouring rain, and snow. I love my coaches and teammates. We’re a big family,” says Campbell.

The leaders on the team are mostly upperclassmen from the other schools. A leader’s job in rugby is to make sure everyone on the team knows what they are doing. Being knowledgeable about preventing injuries is another valuable asset as well.

Most casual sports fans tend to think that rugby is a super-violent sport, but players of all shapes and sizes can play and can have a position, so it’s not too bad. It’s still pretty physical though.

“I mean who wouldn’t want to take their anger out on someone. Tackles are the best,” says Campbell.

Girls’ varsity tennis trains hard

Despite struggles because of uncooperative spring weather, this year’s varsity girls tennis team has been working long hours to improve their skills and team record this season.

 

Makayla Millington, who is a number one doubles player and junior at Howell High School says, “The team is hoping to do better in conference play this year.  We are also hoping to do well at the Regional meet.”

 

The team is improving every day at practice and is excited about what they have already accomplished this season.  They were more competitive against Grand Blanc’s strong squad, losing only 3-6.  They have also placed 3^rd in their last few tournaments, as well as beating both Milford and Pinckney earlier this season.

 

Millington explained that it has been difficult because of all the snow and rain that has often been keeping the team inside for practice, but the team has great chemistry and has been improving even despite the bad weather.

 

Millington has been playing tennis since she was little and has been on the varsity tennis team since she was a freshman.  She plans to try and play tennis in college after she graduates next year.

 

“Mr. Oglesby is a great coach and mentor to the girls on our team.  We also have several great leaders on the team that help bring us together and help us improve on and off the court,” says Millington.

Senior to continue favored sport into college career

As Claire Garrison prepares for her final season of high school she can’t help but be excited about her future which will begin in a few short months.

The 5’4” senior plans to attend Western Michigan University next fall and major in nutrition and minor in exercise science. Along with playing her favorite sport, soccer.

“I’ve debated either walking or playing club soccer my freshman year, I am still unsure,” says Garrison.

Garrison has been a member of the Howell varsity soccer team for all four years of high school. Along with playing high school soccer, Garrison also plays travel soccer, allowing her to play all year round to improve her skills.

“I spend my entire year playing soccer, starting with my travel team, and then high school, and then right back to travel. I love playing and getting to play your favorite sport all year round is the best,” says Garrison.

Garrison has played on multiple travel teams including Revolution, Alliance, Phoenix, and Club Michigan.

“I love playing travel soccer. You get to meet a lot of good soccer players and improve yourself against better competition,” Garrison explains.

Garrison started playing soccer at age five when her parents put her in recreational soccer. It wasn’t long before she found her passion and began to play travel soccer.

Garrison entered her freshman year being placed on varsity. She describes her first couple of seasons being on varsity as some “rough seasons.”

However, that didn’t stop Garrison from competing on the high school team. As she entered her junior year she moved into a leadership role and was a main player as she looked to improve her team.

“As a team we have grown a lot. Since I was on freshman we have always been improving every season. This year I expect us to have an exciting year and do very well,” says Garrison.

While pushing her team to get more wins and have an overall better season, Garrison also looks to achieve personal goals such as being placed on first team all league which she received last year.

Outside of soccer Garrison jokes, “I have no life,” a common answer from most dedicated athletes. Then she replies, “I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends, most of which I play soccer with.”

It seems that Garrison can’t stay away from soccer and can’t get enough of it.

“Soccer has always been my passion, and I want to play it for as long as I can.”

 

Highlanders Split with Brother Rice

After returning from their Memphis trip during spring break, the Highlanders were eager to take on the number one ranked baseball team in the state, Brother Rice.

“The trip allows us to keep building and practicing over spring break. Spring break is an opportunity to ‘outwork’ our opponents.  Although the weather wasn’t real cooperative, we accomplished what we set out to do on the trip,” says coach Mike Weatherly.

The Howell Highlanders who reached the Division I semifinals last year with a 30-11 record came out the first game on fire winning 8-3 in nine innings.

On Thursday, April 4, senior Tyler Bradner started the game for the Highlanders, pitching six innings and striking out seven of the warriors batters. Senior Jonny Cheshire relieved Bradner the last three innings.

On the offensive side sophomores stepped up with key hits. Darren Ford hit a double scoring two runs for Howell and Joe Corston hit a two run single in the 9th inning. Junior shortstop Ben Balgaard hit a homerun for the Highlanders.

“It felt great to be outside playing again, especially against a good team like Brother Rice. All the work we have been putting in definitely showed on the field. We are well coached and talented. We are expecting great things this year,” says Balgaard.

In the second game the Highlanders fell just a run short, losing 7-6. Junior James Edwards had two hits for Howell including a double. Edwards pitched the first four innings. Senior Cody Wiggins homered for the Highlanders.

“I think the Brother Rice game went well. It was a great test to see where we were at as a team and we showed that we can contend and beat the best teams in the state. We didn’t play intimidated, we simply showed up and played Howell baseball,” says senior catcher, D.J. Arnold.

Howell lost the game in the bottom of the 6th when a pair of runs scored on a Howell error.

“For our first games of the season our coaches felt we played extremely well against a highly ranked state opponent (Rice was ranked number one in Michigan). We split with them but felt we should have won both games. While we have quite a bit to keep improving on, we really like our team and its potential.  Everyone contributed and especially our young guys (sophomores and first year varsity players), played very well,” says Coach Weatherly.

 

Howell football earns award

Out of all the high school football teams in Michigan, 100 of them were selected this year for an award. The Howell Highlanders football team was one of the 100 chosen.

The award sprouted from the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association partnership with the National Guard as well as the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Officials’ ratings that were provided after each game of the 2012 season were used to choose which schools should get this award.

“Anytime a team or program receives a sportsmanship award, I think it is important because it reflects on all of the players and coaches and it’s a team award. It is a big deal because the rating comes from the officials and their interaction with our players and coaches. It speaks of the positive attitude and behavior of our team,” says football varsity coach, Aaron Metz.

Just the top 100 teams rated for their sportsmanship will receive a banner recognizing their achievement. The schools who have won have gotten or are expecting a call from their local Guard recruiter to arrange a presentation of the banners.

Schools in Howell’s league which have also been honored with this award include Hartland, Pinckney, Grand Blanc, and Milford.

“I think our team acted and showed respect to the officials and our opponents and competed at a high level. It shows we are a class act here at Howell High School,” says Metz.

Michigan falls to Louisville in classic title game

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played in its first national championship game since 1993. They faced off with the highly touted Louisville Cardinals.

Both teams had something to play for, with Louisville losing their backup point guard Kevin Ware who suffered the horrific leg injury he endured during the Elite 8 game against Duke. Michigan was trying to get back on the national scene as a relevant basketball contender.

“Going into the game, I was really excited but I felt terrible for (Kevin) Ware, Louisville just looked like a really tough team,” says Austin Palo, a HHS sophomore who most would consider a die-hard Michigan fan.

The game started off with a bang, with both teams exploding out of the gate nailing almost all of their shots. Michigan took the early lead but Louisville came back and tied the game at seven. The game then went back and forth, with Michigan starting to run away with the lead.

“Once Michigan started hitting their three pointers, it started to look like they were going to run away with the game,” says Palo.

Spike Albrecht, the small backup point guard started to make a lot of shots, something that caught everybody by surprise, blowing up the ‘Twitter’ feed as well. Albrecht, known as a good 3-point shooter, started making three’s left and right, nailing them from nearly the half-court line. The Michigan fans at the game were ecstatic, the crowd was split right down the middle: on one side there was a sea of red and black, and on the other, the Michigan faithful stood by, making their presence known. This sudden jolt of offense from Albrecht added to Michigan’s lead, getting them into double digits.

“Spike (Albrecht) just absolutely went off, started leading Michigan and I thought that they had it wrapped up,” says Palo.

Enter Luke Hancock, Michigan nightmare and Louisville role player. Hancock started matching Albrecht with three-pointers and sparked a Louisville comeback and swung the momentum in the Cardinals’ favor. He just made bucket after bucket, seems like he didn’t buy into the idea that Michigan was running away with the game. Hancock went off for 16 points by the end of the first half, most of them coming in the final three minutes. Albrecht had 17 and Michigan had the one-point advantage 38-37 going into halftime.

“I was shocked with Luke Hancock at the end of the first half, he single-handedly put Louisville back into the game,” says Palo.

This game turned into a back and forth duel right off the bat in the second half, with both teams going back and forth. The story pretty much stayed the same for the second half, Louisville taking a lead with Michigan always finding a way back. There was always a three or four point margin between the teams until about five minutes left in the game, when Louisville started to add points to their lead, getting as much as a nine-point lead. Michigan’s Trey Burke, consensus All-American and winner of Most Outstanding Player in the country, showed determination that he wanted to win this game, and started hitting his shots, with Michigan getting as close as four points. Louisville again willed itself from Michigan to eventually go on to win 82-76, winning the school’s third national championship.

“I’m really proud of Michigan and Louisville just played the better game that night, they deserved the win and I can’t wait for some more Michigan basketball next year,” says Palo.

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