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Front/Home, Sports

Girl’s Lacrosse Preseason

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Elissa Stanley

The girls lacrosse team has been working hard to get ready for regular season. With practices a few times a week, the team is growing stronger physically and mentally.
Mike Sheehan has been the girls lacrosse coach for five years. Sheehan aims to “provide the teaching and motivation to put the team in a position to win 16 plus games.” Preparing for the spring, Sheehan challenges the team to grow altogether, so that rivalries can be beaten.
“The team has been meeting 3 times per week splitting time between the weight room and conditioning. Many of the girls have been attending clinics to improve their Lax IQ.” Sheehan says. Sheehan and the girls hope to beat challenging teams like Green, Hoover, St Joseph, Brecksville and Brunswick.
Sheehan’s goals for the rest of the year include winning 16+ games, playing into the third round of state playoffs, scoring 144 goals as a team, and having less than 90 goals scored against Stow.
Senior Lexi Armstrong hopes to win more games than lose games and to keep improving as a team. Armstrong works on encouraging teammates as well. “I encourage teammates by helping them fix their mistakes or improve their skills rather than getting upset at them and making them feel bad” Armstrong says, “Sheehan always says a team is only as strong as the weakest player.”
Junior and goalie Audrey Stone’s season objective is to make an interception and clear an opponent’s score over the 75 yard line. Stone encourages herself by working hard every practice. “I have been focusing on improving my reaction time so I can be a better player.” Stone says.
Lacrosse has been an immensely growing sport in the US this decade. With the growing popularity and mass of new players, the girls must keep up their pace to beat oncoming teams. During the 2017-2018 year, girls lacrosse held a dominating record of 17 wins and 4 losses.
“The game brings me back every year” Senior Madie Gash says, “I love the person I become when I’m out on the field, it transforms me and makes me lose track of all time and I love it.”
Gash strives to constantly push herself; at the same time, reminds herself why she comes back each year –to endure her deep passion and talent for the game. Gash wishes for the team to be “the most positive, most hardworking and most skilled” in the league this year.
Gash is committed to play lacrosse in college for Ashland University, a private division II school in Ashland, Ohio ranked as a “Best College” in National Universities Tier 2.
“My goal is to continue to encourage my teammates and myself to be the best players we can be.” Gash says.
Main goals for the girls are to continue working hard and make it past the first round of playoffs. Stow lacrosse looks to keep getting better and end the season on a strong note.

Entertainment, Reviews

John Vincent III Review

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Emma Schultz
Folk is an often overlooked genre in modern day music. John Vincent III, with his unique but homey ambient folk sound, is one of those artists who should be better recognized by the public.
John, who is originally from Ohio, began with his album “Mountain Sounds” in 2015. His hit song from that album was, “Lost / Inside Our Minds,” a lighthearted tune about exploring the West. The song’s upbeat and inspiring narrative is what makes it continue to be a success among fans of John Vincent III.
A common theme among popular songs of his are the stories behind them involving leaving home or travelling. This easily relates to his demographic of teens and young adults.
For example, his newest song, “Slow Song,” which was released Jan. 17 includes the line, “Mother, how are you doing? I’m sorry that I left you. I’m trying to find my way I promise that I’ll be home soon.”
This could pertain to a young adult such as himself who has left home in search of finding new opportunities at the expense of his family missing him. This is a common predicament for young adults in general and for anyone who seeks a new way of life.
While “Slow Song” can be considered more sad compared to John Vincent’s other songs, it is still hopeful. The hope and promise for the future is shown in the lines, “And I put my faith in my own hands/ See where I go/ I threw my fears into the ocean hoping that they’d be washed away.”
Although the future is scary, having faith in oneself is always what will carry one through a difficult situation in the end.
Another single that came out recently in 2018 is “Next To You,” a song that captures the hopefulness of young love and the circumstances it can lead to. With impressive, expressive vocals and a talented band behind him, John Vincent conveys to a young audience the thrill of finding “the one.”
The restlessness of this song encapsulates the immediate and spontaneous aspects of being young and in love. The lines, “You said you loved me/ But what does that mean?” show how innocent and new this love is due to inexperience and even immaturity.
Later in the song, John lets his love know that he is not going anywhere: “‘Cause when I lay my head to rest/ I hope that it’s always next to you.” This reassures the listener by showing that although this love seems almost flighty at first, but they will be there for each other regardless of where they end up.
The audio for “Next To You” can be found on Youtube and Spotify, while the live performance of “Slow Song” can be found on Youtube and the audio on Spotify.
Although not as greatly recognized as other popular folk rock bands such as The Lumineers or The Head and the Heart, John Vincent III is a talented artist who should be recognized for his growth over the years. He has a lot to say for anyone who is willing to listen.

Sports

Boys Basketball Season

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Brianna Doctor
After a rough start to the season, the boys basketball team has made a tremendous effort to end the season with a winning record.
With a record of 9-9, the team has practiced hard after school and on weekends to improve their skills in hopes of winning more games. Senior and captain, Evan Bainbridge, believes they are motivated them to be better.
“The season is going alright, but I know it can be better. We had a rough start to the season, but I think we finally have the momentum we need to do go in playoffs,” Bainbridge said.
From beginning to now, the team has changed drastically with new additions and skills, but the team is still hoping to grow.
“[Senior] Jack Wilson, who is one of our main guys, was out for six games at the beginning of the season. Since he has returned, he has brought a different energy which has helped us win more games,” Bainbridge said.
Making improvements for the rest of the season starts with practice. The team has been putting in the work during all of their practices, so they can improve in time for playoffs.
“Practices have been going well. We hope to start playing more as a team, so we can end our season strong, and hopefully, we can make a big run in the playoffs as the underdogs,” Bainbridge said.
As the team itself works to improve their dynamic, Bainbridge has been focusing on himself. He hopes to help the team by improving how he plays against other opponents.
“A lot of teams look to face guard me and take me out of games, so I have been trying to improve my game to be able to impact the game in different ways to help us win,” Bainbridge said.
Throughout the season some players have experienced minor setbacks. For junior, Christopher Miller, he is sadly out for the rest of the season because of issues with his hands
“Being injured this season has really helped me put things into perspective. I have never really known what it’s like to be out and how much it would affect me. I’ve had to view everything like practices and games in a different way,” Miller said.
Since Miller has been out, he has learned different skills that he would not have had he still been playing. Being injured has given him the chance to improve skills that are not physical but mental.
“I have really learned how to be a positive influence. I have also learned how to listen better and give more advice in time of need,” Miller said.
Although he will not be able to contribute anything to the team on the court for the rest of the season, Miller hopes to start improving for his senior season as soon as possible.
“I am going to participate in AAU this season and get a private trainer. I want to continue to improve and build chemistry with the rest of the team after the season to prepare for next year,” Miller said.
Miller hopes to see the team improve for the rest of this season, and he hopes the team next year starts working towards their goals for next year.
“I have very high expectations for next year. I want to lead the team in a positive way. I hope that we play together well, and I want us to always be on the same page. Hopefully the team sticks together, and we can be brothers on and off the court,” Miller said.
Come out and see the boys on senior night as they take on Saint Ignatius at home Saturday, Feb. 23.