the wyatt riot
Having a new student reputation
did not mean much to junior
Wyliam Wyatt. His transfer
from a Colorado high school was
made a little bit easier thanks to
his involvement in varsity sports.
“I’ve been playing basketball since
I was young because it has always
been in my family,” Wyatt said.
“I currently play shooting guard,
and I am really looking forward to
everything this season holds for
us, coaches and all.”
WINTER
SPORTS
photograph by
CAITLIN ALLEN
by HANNAH BUTLER
T
photo by ashly helfrich
photo by sarah urban
photo by camryn larsen
found myself a cheerleader
pin to win
float like a butterfly
Adrenaline pumping through her veins, sophomore Cassidy Hyda gives
competitive cheer a shot for the first time. Pushing through the hard practices
paid off when they were handed the first place trophy during the award
ceremony. “This year has been a lot tougher than I predicted that it would be and
the amount of time that it takes up is somewhat overwhelming,” Hyda said. “This
was our second competition of the season, and I didn’t get nervous because I
had already had a taste of what it was like. I think that my team did really well
considering our music skipped but we still stayed together.”
During their first triangular meet of the season, senior Hani Qassem finishes
with a win by taking down a member of the Lincoln North Star team by pinning
him on his back for three seconds. Qassem had been wrestling since fifth grade
and was eager to be able to spend his last year in high school competing in the
sport he grew up with. “During practice, we wrestle kids in our weight class,”
Qassem said. “When you are cutting weight, it’s hard to resist certain foods,
but the satisfaction that comes from the self control that is learned during the
season is uncomparable.”
In the midst of his favorite stroke, freshman Collin Backhaus flaunts his
technique while competing in a meet against Belleview East. Hoping for a spot
at state, Backhaus gave swimming his complete devotion throughout both the
season and off season. “I have been swimming since I was in second grade, and
I have always had a love for it,” Backhaus said. “My favorite parts about the sport
are the mental and physical limitations that I have to overcome to succeed. I am
really hoping for the opportunity to be able to compete at Metros and State on
the relay teams.”
hese mornings, our alarms ring earlier
than anyone else’s. We struggle to pull
ourselves out of the blanket cocoon that
we have created overnight and begin the journey
to 5 a.m. practice.
These cruel winter mornings are just a glimpse
of what lies before us, but they mean nothing
compared to the devotion we have to the
sports that have shaped our entire lives. We jam
ourselves into the weight room, leaving with a
scent of iron in our noses and blisters lining our
hands. We push our social lives aside so we can
perform at our peak.
Every single practice, every single play, we are
closer to achieving the ultimate goal. We are
closer to a spot on the court at the Pinnacle Bank
Arena. We are closer to a match on a mat at the
Century Link Center. We are closer to our own
lane in the water, competing with the top dogs
of our sport. We are closer to two minutes on a
mat in Orlando, battling for a white jacket and a
national title. But we aren’t there yet. We suit up, hungry for
Bowker to announce our name and acknowledge
our achievements over the loud speaker. We are
eager to huddle up with our team and receive
that motivational pep talk that pushes us one
step further into the face of victory. We desire a
performance so immaculate that it earns us a pat
on the back from our coaches.
The practices are so endless, we don’t think
our bodies can’t handle another suicide sprint or
another back tuck. Legs dead and trembling, we
struggle to climb the seemingly endless staircases
at school and focus on anything, but our next
game. We are both physically and mentally
exhausted, but our minds are just another
obstacle that we will overcome.
We see the crowd in our peripherals, and we
recognize that they have a different point of
view than us. For them, it’s just a game, just a
regular weeknight and a chance to get out of the
house and procrastinate about that big homework
assignment. But for us, it’s everything. It is our
chance to bleed black and green. It’s our chance
to put on a uniform that embodies our four-year
dedication to being a Wildcat. Our entire season
depends on this one moment.
We haul ourselves out of the pool, dripping
with chlorine and pride, both in our school and
ourselves. We step off of the court, drenched in
ambition. We step off the mat, out of the ring,
craving perfection, and today is another day to
taste it.
As the season begins, we realize that we have a
clean slate. This is our moment. This is our time
to flaunt the newly perfected skills that we have
been keeping to ourselves for almost a whole year.
This is the time to prove that everything we have
been working for is worth it.
Hannah Butler
Yearbook Theme Copy Writing
Millard West High School