Starting June 11, 32 countries will meet and compete in South Africa for soccer’s World Cup title.

“I’m really excited because it only comes once every four years,” junior and USA supporter Alex Haffner said.

The tournament consists of eight groups, A-H, with four teams in each who play each other in the round-robin portion or the first round of the tournament. Then the top two teams from each group advance to the knock-out portion.

In the 2002 World Cup, Team USA made it the furthest they ever have before losing to Germany in the quarterfinals. Then, with high hopes for the 2006 World Cup, Team USA had an early exit after being drawn into the “Group of Death,” a group consisting of Italy, Ghana and Czech Republic. 

For the 2010 World Cup, USA will be paired in Group C, along with England, Algeria and Slovenia. Many believe that being in this group will mean an easy trip to the knock-out stage of the tournament.

“I think they will make it out of the first round but not much further than that,” Haffner said. “But you never know because they beat Spain in the Confederation Cup [semifinals] and almost beat Brazil [in the finals].”

USA made a great run to qualify for the World Cup last summer by winning their qualifying group. USA also made an impressive run last summer in the Confederation Cup by making it to the final before losing to powerhouse Brazil despite leading 2-0.

While most people will be trying to study for their last couple of exams, it will be hard to study come June 12 because that is when USA has their opening match against England. This is a big day that many have had marked on their calendars ever since the World Cup draw.

After the game verses England, USA will face Slovenia June 18 and Algeria June 23.
Many find this sporting event to be very exciting and some are extremely passionate about their team. Four years ago in Germany, Italy took the title over France in penalty kicks during one of the most exciting finals ever.

“I was so excited,” junior and Italy fan Rachel Marincola said. “I went to Italy two weeks after they won and everyone was just replaying the game after they won.”

There are also some people who never pay attention to soccer, however when the World Cup comes around, they support their country soccer team for the tournament. 

 “I watch the World Cup because it’s good competition,”senior Jake Patton said. “It’s once every four years and a lot of star players are grouped together and play each other.” 

 One thing is for sure, no matter if you are a soccer fanatic or just enjoying the ride while your team is still in the tournament, international soccer should be and will be appreciated every day between June 11 and July 11.

Ninja is a game involving speed, strategy and reflexes that many kids now play during lunch.
“Any game that involves posing like a Ninja is amazing,” senior Sammi Greendwald said. “It’s such a fun way to kill time.”

The objective is simple: touch the enemy’s hand to win, a feat which is easier said than done considering the very specific rules of the game.

The game is initiated by simultaneous fist bumps, followed by each player drawing his hands back and setting up in his personalized battle stance. There is no set number as to how many people may play during one game.

“It’s a fun game that keeps you active with extreme suspense,” senior Nick Kovacs said.

After the game begins, one player calls first move, granting him the right to start the game. The person with the first move can make one action, which can consist of one footstep and one hand motion in which he or she moves his or her arm to either a new position or to attack an opponent. After that, the opponent is granted one reaction move to dodge the attack and then one action to move or attack the opponent.

“I play Ninja daily because I love the intensity of the game,” sophomore Jared Shapiro said. “It should definitely be considered a sport because so many people play it, and it takes a lot of skill and perseverance to become good at the game.”

Although Ninja is technically a contact sport, security usually does not break up games.

“We don’t stop it because it is not violent,” security team leader Terry Bell said. “If it draws a huge crowd and is disruptive, we stop it.”

In the end most students seem to enjoy and play this fun new trend as a way to pass the time.
“It’s now probably one of the best games ever created,” freshman Shannon Sweeny said.

Hacky sack, the trademarked name for “footbag,” is traditionally a game where players stand in a circle of about five to ten people and try to keep the rock-filled sack off the ground without using their hands.  Players use various tricks and skills in order to work together as a team and keep the bag off the ground for as long as possible. 

“[Sophomore] Eli Lorenzi can catch it on his foot, kick it up, catch it on his neck and then flip it back up and keep it going,” sophomore Jeremy Weinreich said.

According to the sophomore players, the trend began when sophomore Syd Patterson brought a hacky sack to school last year.  It started out with just a few students playing, but the number of players has continuously grown. 

“Sometimes I like to play with the sack by myself, but it’s more fun with other people,” Patterson said. 

Although intended to be a game for people of all types, hacky sack is often misconceived as a “hippie game” due to its origins. 

“Some people have this misconception that hacky sack is all peace and love and happiness, when in reality, it’s brutal and sometimes heart breaking labor,” Patterson said.

According to sophomore Jorge Requena, hacky sack is a great way to pass the time during lunch. 

The game keeps players active, giving them something fun and healthy to do. 
Hacky sack is not only fun for those playing, but it also is entertaining for the students who watch the game during lunch. 

“I think [hacky sack] is cool because it takes a lot of coordination,” sophomore Taylor Fisher said.

Not only is hacky sack popular at CHS, but it has gone beyond school doors and backyards and into the worldwide circuit.  There are various tournaments and world championships, all part of the International Footbag Players’ Association (IFPA). 

According to IFPA’s website, hacky sack is an organized sport that anyone can learn how to play.  To begin, they recommend simply buying a foot bag and beginning playing with family and friends.  With lots of practice, players can work their way up to higher levels. 

“The sack is our way of life,” Patterson said.  “We eat with the sack, we sleep with the sack and we will die with the sack.”

Prior to the game against Wootton, the Bulldogs shifted into  high momentum as they easily defeated Walter Johnson April 30, 3-0. Even with the loss in the playoffs, the team felt content about the game results and had a positive attitude after the game.

“I told the team that as long as we could walk off the court feeling like we gave it a 100 percent and no regrets, then I would be proud of us,” coach Amanda Cook said. “We had a few great moments against Wootton and I think we were all able to walk away with our heads up.”

The team has succeeded in developing team chemistry, each individual’s skill level, and game tactics which the team focused on improving since the beginning of the season.

“I feel that everyone learned a lot this season and at the end of the season we emphasized being a team,” Cook said. “I felt that the team chemistry on the court improved, which was a goal we really wanted to achieve and that helped us take a game from Sherwood and have a close match with Walter Johnson.”

Next season, the team will lose senior setter Geoffrey Wang and looks to find replacements for a new setter and a middle blocker.

“Losing Geoffrey will have a big impact on our games because he was one of our only two setters,” freshman Alex Chiang said.

Cook has a positive outlook on the next season, as she is confident that the team has developed enough to reach further into the playoffs.

“I hope that next season we build our confidence and become a dominant team,” Cook said. “We have much potential to show.”

 “We didn’t finish our strongest, but it was fun and everyone improved,” freshman Adrianna Lee said.

CHS beat Blair the week before during a regular season game, so the coach was disappointed with the loss.

“We improved a lot over the season but were very inconsistent,” head coach Michael Endler said.

Winning was not the only goal the team focused on this season.  They also wanted to improve skills and have fun while playing.

According to Lee, her passing improved throughout the season and she also developed a stronger serve.

 Different players focused and worked on specific aspects of the game.  It was necessary that each player improve in order for the team as a whole to get better.

 “We are losing five seniors after this season, and half the starters were seniors,” sophomore Kenny Hwang said

The coed volleyball team will suffer from the loss of key players Erica Chao, Kelen Jiang, Crystal Chiang, Tianshi Xia and Jonathan Huang, all of whom are graduating this year.

 “I am very confident that the returning players can step up,” Endler said.

 After a tough loss to Blair early in the playoffs, the team still finished with a winning record.  They also won a big game against Walter Johnson on senior night at home April 30.  Despite the loss of important players, the team still plans to do well next season.

“The team will definitely have to step it up and fill the roles of the seniors,” Hwang said.
Many of the players will work hard over the offseason to improve their skills even more.  They can run and do drills to get better. The team’s performance next year will depend on how much work the players put in.

“I think we will improve and play even better than we did this year,” Lee said.

The team fell behind early to the Warriors and could not recover. The 18-7 loss snapped the Bulldogs’ eight-game winning streak dating back to April 24.

The reason the game was away was because they received the second seed over CHS, despite losing to the Bulldogs earlier in the season. This lapse in record was because the  senior game against Kennedy was rained out May 12. CHS ended with a final record of 12-3 whereas Sherwood ended with a record of 13-3.

The cancelation of the game forced CHS to play B-CC for their first playoff game, and CHS won 7-1, with strong performances throughout the team.

Senior captain Bryce Shemer improved his record for the year to 7-0 after giving up only one run in six innings of work.

“I felt pretty good,” Shemer said. “We all came out to play.”

The lone blemish came on a solo homerun by B-CC in the top of the fourth inning.

“I gave him a pitch he could crush on a 2-0 count and he took it [for a strike],” Shemer said. “I had to come with it again.”

The majority of the offense for the Bulldogs came in the four-run fifth inning. After senior Seiya Eguchi got hit and Shemer got on base, senior captain Harris Fanaroff doubled to center to bring in two runs.

Seniors Eric Skrzyniarz and Brett Mead proceeded to hit back-to-back doubles to raise the score and bring the lead to six.

“Our hitting took a while to come around,” head coach Scott Blackwood said. “When it comes, it comes.”

In the seventh inning, senior Jameson McGrane closed the game out with a 1-2-3 inning to finalize the win.

“I never thought we clinched it,” Blackwood said. “[The] only time was when Bryce caught the ball at second base. This game is too crazy.”

According to Blackwood, having the seniors on the team was a great experience.

“I wish I had them earlier,” Blackwood said. “Sometimes seniors get lazy, but not them. They worked harder and harder [as the season progressed.]”

The victory over the Paint Branch Panthers was an incredible one. The success is attributed to the team’s chemistry and skill. Following some losses early on, the team refocused its strategy to tear through the county, becoming a nightmare for each team they faced.

“After the losses, we really came together,” freshman Morgan Rhodes said. “We explained what we did wrong [after each game] and improved.”

The Paint Branch game was also a highlight for another reason, as senior attacker Matt Bank broke the county record for scoring the most goals in a single game. Bank scored eight goals on his own, two assists and several more shots.

“I dedicate all my goals to Matt Risk,” Bank said, laughing as his teammates crowded him.
Bank and the rest of the team repeatedly proved their skill during this game, executing clean passes, precise shots, effective checks and solid offense.

The Bulldogs kept a strong lead during the entire game, but slacked in aggressiveness and speed during certain segments.

“We played well in spurts,” head coach Jeffrey Fritz said. “Absolutely the team could do better, this wasn’t a great game.”

Following a break after the first 12 minutes, the Paint Branch Panthers reshaped their strategy and returned to play with more force and speed, placing greater pressure on midfield and defense. Though they won the ball on several occasions and managed to score five goals, the Bulldogs responded by stepping up the intensity and regaining control, cutting them off before they got close enough to make shots.

“[The] defense played really well,” senior goalie Max Kalicka said. “[We] slid well [and] they had a lot of ground balls.”

CHS returned the second half to play flawlessly, gaining possession and scoring a goal within a minute after halftime. The offense pushed harder and used passing to tire out Paint Branch’s defense, making consecutive passes between the same players around the goal several times around before attempting to shoot. While this caused them to miss some potential shots, the technique was effective in distracting the defense long enough to score.

“They got a lot of ball movement [which was] effective,” Kalicka said.

Paint Branch’s offensive line retaliated by pushing harder for the ball, forcing defense to fall back and defend the goal. Though they weren’t as coordinated as offense, they succeeded in clearing the ball out of the defensive zone several times.

According to Kalicka, senior defenders Jake Dockser and Ben Gloger had good games. They were both key players in getting the ball to offense and assisted several shots.

The team won against Seneca Valley 13-5, and on May 15 defeated Blair 14-1 in the first game of playoffs, the regional quarterfinals.

“We had a really good team effort,” senior midfielder Patrick Tamm said. “Offense played well as a unit [and] defense played cohesively.”

The boys played Wootton in the regional semifinals May 17 and lost 19-7.

“We started off strong,” sophomore Cameron Moshyedi said. “[That] motivated them [and] we started doubting ourselves. We could have beat them.”

Win or lose, however, there is no doubt the season will be remembered for the enthusiasm and intensity of each game. The team’s chemistry and camaraderie were evident from the bleachers, and the energy of the players was exploding on the field, the excitement palpable.

“I am proud of them,” Fritz said. “They’ve really got each other’s backs. It is a great team in every aspect of that word.”