The Titan TribuneFOOTBALL STATE CHAMPS

What was once thought of as only a dream has turned into a two year tradition at Boylan High School. The Boylan Ti-tan Football team repeated their reign as State Champions, this time moving up to Class 7A after winning the Class 6A championship last year. The Titans had an undefeated re-cord of 14-0, setting a 28-game win streak over two years. The Titans faced doubters all season, specifi cally the media. Some thought last year’s championship was a fl uke since the Titans dropped to Class 6A after playing many years in 7A. If the Titans were to be moved back up into Class 7A, it would be tough to repeat a State Champi-onship. Critics also thought too many key players from last year’s team had graduated. They thought the offensive line would be weaker due to the loss of all their starters. Fortu-nately, the doubters were mistaken. Led by Head Coach Mr. Dan Appino, and Assis-tant Coaches Mr. Josh Fagan, Mr. Mike Grady, Mr. Matt Renfro, and Mr. Eric Bryant, as well as captains Dean Lowry (Defensive Lineman) and Ty Zimmerman (Safety), the Titans went undefeated in the regular season, and were

able to put together another storybook season. The Titans’ road to repeat looked very familiar to the long-time Titan fan. The fi rst four teams Boylan played (Libertyville, Wheaton North, Crystal Lake South, and Lake Zurich) have met the Titans in at least one playoff game since 2004. Round 1 opened with a bang as Boylan rolled through the Libertyville Wildcats by a score of 40-0; everything seemed to go right, both on offense and defense. Next up was Wheaton North, the last team to defeat the Titans, back in 2009, and they were ready to avenge that loss. Though the offense was plagued by many questionable holding calls, running back Tyreis Thomas played the game of his life, rushing for 283 yards and three touchdowns, breaking the school’s all-time rushing record. Quarterback Lamont Toney and running back Demarcus Vines scored a rushing touchdown each and Toney threw one touchdown pass to Thomas. In the Quarterfi nal, the Titans traveled to

By George St. John; Photos by Ellen Bauch

Volume 6 Issue 3 2011Striving to be Saints. Scholars. Champions.

cont. on page 10

NATURAL HELPERS LUNCHEON 2011

Although the Natural Helpers Luncheon has a very long his-

tory, it is still a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. On November 6th, guests were treated to lunch, served by student Natural Helpers, raffl e prizes, piano music by Andrew Gaffney, and a performance by Boylan’s Octaves, but the highlight of the event was the style show. With graduate Alison Mark as the emcee, Boylan’s senior Natu-ral Helpers along with some faculty, including Mr. Sartino accompanied by his four boys decked out in sportswear from Tom Harmer, walked, ran, and danced down the walkway. Senior Page Lester especially enjoyed mod-eling, as it was something she had looked forward to since freshman year. Her favorite part was the models’ fi nal walk down the runway, “because we got to walk with all our friends and be crazy together.” In addition to the accessories, casual outfi ts, gowns, and

tuxedos typically modeled, a group of seniors had fun sporting leather out-fi ts from the local Harley Davidson

store. That Boutique and Don Galani provided a number of unique dresses with animal print and long trains, including one with a removable train modeled by Gwen Casper. Although the formal gowns are usually the most popular with girls, senior Michaela Weickert said that she enjoyed model-ing casual wear because “it was fun to try something that is not normally my style.” Miss Jule Popanz, modera-tor of the Natural Helpers Program, commented that this year’s show was enjoyable for the audience as well as the models because of “how much the students seemed to enjoy being up there”. Not only is the luncheon im-portant as the primary fundraiser for the Natural Helpers program, but it is also a fun opportunity for students and faculty to dress up and put on a show for some of the Boylan community.

By Grace Heim

NEWS & FEATURES

Senior Charlie Popp shows the crowd his Gander Mountain style at the Luncheon on November 6, 2011.

Left: Claire Custer and Luke Gaffney model for Don GalaniAbove: Brenna Conley models for Crimson Ridge

1. Where were you born/raised? I was born in Peoria, spent a few years in Pecatonica, and then raised in Stillman Valley. 2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school? I enjoy the outdoors - hiking, splunking, fi shing, etc... Outdoors is where I re-energize. 3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport?

I (unfortunatey) inherited being a Cubs and Bears fan. I cheer on Air Force when it comes to NCAA

football and go to as many IceHogs games as possible. 4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal? First off, I enjoy cooking. I would have to say anything from Pinnon’s on the grill is a favorite. But, nothing can beat a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, English-style stuffi ng, mashed potatoes with gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potato pie, cranberry sauce, and cornbread surround-ed by family and football.

NEW TEACHERS ADJUSTMENTS AND Q & A

Joe Blume(Math)

1. Where were you born/raised? Oaklawn Illinois. Mostly Illinois

2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school? gardening, travel 3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport? Green Bay Packers 4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal? Whole wheat bread with potato soup 5. What classes do you teach? Mandarin 1 and next year Mandarin 2 6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind?

Exciting! My Chinese students are amazing! 7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching? Learning Skyward to input grades 8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching? Hearing my students converse in Chinese! 9. What else do you want people to know about you? Our family lived in China for 6+ years. I am very glad to see the interest in Chinese here in Rockford at Boylan!

5. What classes do you teach?Algebra I - A (312A), Algebra I (314), and Algebra II (334) 6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind?Busy, Busy, and .....Busy. Aside from being a new teacher...exciting, refreshing, and spiritually renewing are fi rst to come to my mind. 7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching?Creating everything from scratch: lesson plans, assign-ments, targets, power points, worksheets, quizzes, tests, etc... And, coming from 30 years in public school settings and becoming accustomed to the higher standards of Boy-lan Catholic. I have been impressed everyday. 8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching?It’s cliche, but true - - - That lightbulb moment. When the eyes and face light up when a concept catches. Also, knowing that I have made a positive infl uence on a life. And, having my life positively infl uenced by my peers and students. 9. What else do you want people to know about you?I’m PROUD to be a Titan.

Tracy Cannell(Mandarin

Chinese)

1. Where were you born/raised?My dad was in the Air Force, so although I was born in Missouri, I was raised in a variety of cities as my family moved around a lot. I lived in some pretty cool places though, including Sacramento, CA, Shreveport, LA, and Fairbanks, AK 2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school?Outside of school, I am just an artist who also happens to love to teach. I guess I am very passionate about my subject. I exhibit my work at some local galleries and museums

and have plans to expand to some Madison and Chicago galleries. I am also the Studio Director at an Art Studio in Rockford, 317 Studio & Gallery, where we host summer artist programs, classes, and exhibits. 3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport?I love professional football, especially the games that are broadcast in the middle of a weekend day. They really help me take great naps. 4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal?Depends on the season, but I sure love my dad’s chili--nice and spicy!

5. What classes do you teach?Art 1 and Art 3 Honors

6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind?Half, since I’ve only been here since the beginning of second quarter. But, it’s been a great experience so far. Pride is another word. Compared to the last school at which I taught, it is refreshing to see a student body with so much school spirit! 7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching?Learning names--I’m horrible at that. Great with faces, bad with names. Taking over for another teacher 1/4 of the way into the year has been a challenge as well. Learning where everything is in a new place should be routine for me (with my impermanent residential past), but this building is expansive! If you see me looking lost in the hallway--I probably am. Please help me out! 8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching?When I see students that are so proud of what they’ve learned that they are eager to share that knowledge with younger students, that makes me feel like I’ve done a great job inspiring my students. 9. What else do you want people to know about you?I’m really excited to be a part of the Boylan staff. Even though I’m not originally from Rockford, I’ve heard nothing but great things about Boylan Catholic High School and its students. Proud to be a part of it!

MaryAnn McBride(Academic Support)

Tabatha Dougherty

(Art)

1. Where were you born/raised? I was born and raised in Peru, Illinois. 2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Golf, reading, cooking, travel. Our family goes to Estes Park, Colorado every summer. We all enjoy hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.

3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport? University of Illinois sports because

that’s the school our kids attended. I’ve learned to pay at-tention to the Cubs because of my son and husband. 4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal? That’s a hard one-I love to cook and eat!

5. What classes do you teach? I’m working part time in the Academic Support Center 6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind? I’ve really enjoyed the work; my co-workers and the stu-dents. I appreciate Boylan’s academic environment. 7. What is the most rewarding part of teaching? I’ve always enjoyed working with students. It’s rewarding to see stu-dents, who sometimes struggle, grasp a concept. It’s also rewarding to seem them become more independent as they become more able to handle the material. 8. What else do you want people to know about you? I’m married and have two children who graduated from Boylan; Brad in 2001 and Erin in 2004. I’ve joined the Boylan faculty after 36 years as a public school teacher. I feel very fortunate for this opportunity.

Mary Ann McBride

Academic Support

NEW TEACHERS ADJUSTMENTS AND Q & A

1. Where were you born/raised? I was born in Park Ridge, IL, but raised most of my life in Rockford, IL

2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Following sports, especially the Chicago White Sox and traveling.

3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport? Chicago White Sox

1. Where were you born/raised? Right here! I am a Rockford native! 2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school? I enjoy walking, reading, (studying politics, history, religion, art) joking around with friends, taking short day trips, visit-ing art museums, drawing, painting, and I also LOVE to write poems and prose.

3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport? Olympic swim-mer, Dara Torres

4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal? Thanksgiving dinner, Turkey, dressing, green beans, cranberries, etc. 5. What classes do you teach? AP Art History, Art Two, AP Studio Art and Art Four

6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind? Exciting, heartwarming, fun, sad-(when Mrs. Jo-hansson left), glad (when we hired Mrs. Dougherty) incred-ibly busy, challenging, enormously gratifying. 7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching? The most diffi cult part of teaching so far this year has been shifting classes, students, responsibilities and rooms at the end of fi rst quarter due to our staff changes.

8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching? For me, participating in the process of student growth and transfor-mation is the most rewarding part of teaching. 9. What else do you want people to know about you? I truly LOVE teaching! It is simultaneously exhausting and ener-gizing!

Rebecca Pelley(Art)

1. Where were you born/raised? I was born in Racine, WI and raised in Rockford. My family moved here when I was in 3rd grade. 2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school? I play with my kids, bake and cook, read, work around the house, and run. 3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport? I’m a Packer-backer, all the way.

4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal? Just about anything my wife or I make from scratch, especially some-thing we’ve never made or tried before. 5. What classes do you teach? I teach Freshman English, Junior American Literature, and Senior Composition. 6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind? I am very busy. 7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching? I am very busy. 8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching? For me, the most rewarding part of teaching is interacting with so many new, different people (especially the many different senses of humor) and helping others to make sense out of the con-fusing subtleties of language use. 9. What else do you want people to know about you? I’m not sure what else is of interest--I was on active duty in the Navy for six years, and the fi rst day of my second enlistment was 9-11.

Chris Mueller(English)

4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal? Lasagna

5. What classes do you teach? Accounting 1, Honors Accounting 2, Honors Accounting 3, Info 1, Info 2

6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind? Great, busy, learning, enjoyable

7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching? Preparing for all of my different classes.

8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching? Students succeeding on tests.

9. What else do you want people to know about you? I might be Mr. Grady’s favorite student of all time.

Joe Meersman(Business)

NEW TEACHERS Q & A CONTINUED

1.Where were you born/raised?I was born and raised in Aurora, IL and attended Aurora CentralCatholic HS. I moved to Rockford in 1998.

2.What are some of your hobbies outside of school?I like to play golf and I am an adjunct instructor for Loyola Uni-versity. I have three young kids, so my hobbies somewhat revolve

around their hobbies.

3.Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport?White Sox, Bears, Bulls

4.What is your favorite home-cooked meal?My wife’s cheesy baked chicken

5.What classes do you teach?Religion- 5 sections of sopho-mores and 1 section of freshmen

6.Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind?I taught at Boylan from 1998-2004, so coming back to Boy-

1. Where were you born/raised?I was born in Blue Island, Illinois – a south suburb of Chicago. I was raised in South Holland, IL, a south suburb of Chicago. I attended Holy Ghost Catholic Grade School, in South Holland, IL and Marian Catholic Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, IL.

2. What are some of your hobbies outside of school?

Outside of school I love to play tennis and spend time with my family. My husband and I have 4 children who

we enjoy spending time with. We watch our children in their sporting events: football, cheerleading, tennis, bas-ketball, baseball, track, etc. I come from a family with 3 sisters and 1 brother so I also enjoy getting together with my siblings and their families. My husband also has 2 siblings so we get together a lot with them and their families as well. My brother lives at Misericordia so I spend free time volun-teering/attending events at Misericordia in Chicago. 3. Who is your favorite college or pro of any sport?I of course have always liked Chris Evert Lloyd, growing up playing tennis in the 80s and 90s. 4. What is your favorite home-cooked meal?My absolute favorite home-cooked meal is lasagna, espe-cially seeing that I am half Italian.

5. What classes do you teach?3 Levels of Algebra 1 – Algebra 315 for Freshmen, Algebra 312B for Sophomores and Algebra 321 for Sophomores. 6. Describe your fi rst semester at BCHS...what words come to mind?I greatly enjoyed my fi rst semester at BCHS! There is never a dull moment and of course never enough time in the day. 7. What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching?The most diffi cult part of my teaching is of course inspiring those students who are not at all enthused to be in school or in Math class. 8. What is the most rewarding part of teaching?It is OF COURSE enjoying when students who struggle fi nally catch on to a subject. I also love to see a student turn it around. I have had some students “start caring” half-way through the semester and it is wonderful to see! 9. What else do you want people to know about you?I worked as an engineer for 14 year at Motorola, writing software and requirements for the Cellular Phone System. I enjoyed working at Motorola and had some fabulous experiences there, including traveling to Japan 8-10 times as well as living in Japan for 3 months while supporting the fi rst digital cellular system in Japan. I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Bradley University. I would HIGHLY recommend Bradley to my students for college. I achieved my Masters in Electrical Engineering while working through the Illinois Institute of Technology. I encourage students to be all they can be and to choose a career that THEY want.

lan was calming for me. Previously I had worked locally and nationally in Catholic Education administration, so return-ing to the classroom was a welcomed change. I enjoy not being in charge and not running meetings anymore!

7.What has been the most diffi cult part of your teaching?Re-adjusting to a school schedule.

8.What is the most rewarding part of teaching?Every day I am blessed to hopefully make a positive impact on students. I am not interested in making sure my stu-dents know the content of the faith as much as I am con-cerned that they have a context to see faith and live faith in their own lives. I enjoy the “cha-ordic” (a healthy combina-tion of chaos and order) feeling that being in a high school brings.

9) What else do you want people to know about you?I have been married to my wife, Julie, for 13 years and we have three kids who attend Holy Family School.

Annalisa Schindler(Math)

Matthew Schwartz(Religion)

Everyone has their own ideas in mind

when they hear talk of the holiday season. It’s not just a time of Christmas and presents, but a time to celebrate in general. New Years, Christmas, St. Nick’s Day all make the season a time of holiday cheer. So whether you set up your Christmas Nativity or light your Chanukah Menorah, the holiday season means something different to each and every person. Typically a time of family and warm nights bundled up by a fi re, the snow seems to be the typi-cal symbol of these winter days. The holiday season is a time for kids to zip up those snow suits and slip on a pair of wool mittens and go out for some snow fi lled fun so that neighbor-hoods can be decorated with snowmen, angles, and snow forts. Senior Mad-eline Chmell says that she “loves being able to sled and ski when the snow falls in the winter.” However the snow doesn’t mean the same to all people, especially not always fun and games. To many, it adds another chore to their usual list just so that everyone can get around on the treacherous icy, snow covered paths. Senior Tim Dobrowolski grunted that, “I feel like I am in the movie Holes. I’m just shoveling to build character.” The holiday season

can always be a time of tidings and good cheer though. It is a time where the radio, T.V channels, and advertisements are even fi lled with holiday spirit, including ABC Fam-ily’s “25 Days of Christ-mas” and the FM stations 103.1 and 107.3 playing all Christmas all the time. For some foreign exchange students, they are getting a new outlook on what Christmas means to a different country. For Junior Max Samstag, his host family has been get-ting him into the difference of Christmas and German Weihnachten. He said one thing that is very different is that,” [In Germany] we celebrate Christmas on the night of the 24th.” The holidays are also when we get to take on a new calendar and get ready for the upcoming year. Freshman Nathan Wisbey says that he loves staying up till 3 in the morning with his family to celebrate New Year’s Eve. A time of not just football games and reso-lutions, but these are the moments where friends and family help you make memories that will never be forgotten. The great-est thing about this time of year is that we can look past our differences and all come together, not just for warmth when its cold, but as family and friends celebrating this wonderful holiday season.

HOLIDAY REFLECTIONS

By Johnny Mark

TEACHER FEATURE:

. RON FRANIAK GUIDANCE

Most of you remember being called as freshmen

into a computer lab by one of the guidance counselors and being instructed to set up a profi le on Boylan’s career dimensions program, where you chose careers you were

interested in. The man behind the program is Mr. Ron Franiak. Mr. Franiak has been the Freshman Tran-sition Counselor at Boylan for four years, after two years of fi lling in for Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Nooner. Before coming to Boylan, he worked at Harlem High School for thirty-fi ve years, and was the head baseball and assistant varsity football coach. An avid baseball fan, Mr. Franiak always welcomes spirited conversation about his beloved Chicago Cubs. Mr. Franiak is also willing to help anyone who would like to take further advantage of the career dimensions program and see which col-leges are a good personal fi t. So if you want to get a head start on the ever-stressful college search, stop by and see Mr. Franiak. He’d be happy to help you out.

George St. John

OPEN HOUSE CHRISTMASMUSIC

CONCERTOn December 4, Boylan Catholic High School,

in keeping with tradition, hosted an Open House. where incoming freshmen and their parents could catch a glimpse of what they can expect from the school. A variety of different things happen within the open house. Certain teach-ers or staff members, along with members of NHS, gave tours of the school to the incoming freshmen and their parents. These tours provided information on the classrooms, school history and other things offered at BHS. Then, the tour-at-tendees arrived in the main gym, which was packed with booths representing the different classes, sports and extracurricular activities. The Open House was a spectacular experi-ence. From the parents whose fourth child will at-tend Boylan, to the parents of a new student who will be the fi rst of their family, the Open House was enjoyed by all. Freshmen and their parents were given plenty to be excited about, and some shared their thoughts. Eighth grader Phillip Foti enthusiatically replied, “I’m really look-ing forward to meeting new people and making new friends.” This was the general response of the 8th graders who were touring the school. When asked

what was most helpful about the open house, parents Paul and Ann Foti replied, “The information on the dif-ferent classes was excellent,” said Paul, “and it was great seeing all the improvements since my graduation from here 30 years ago. I also found that the science and math departments have a lot more infl uence on the stu-dents, and it was good to see all the new clubs.” Anne Foti added, “The tours were very helpful. The students and teachers did a great job.”Incoming freshman Kelly Custer added, “I’m really looking forward to meeting new people, and fi nally see-ing the school for myself and what the classrooms looked like was very helpful.” Ann and John Cia-caio, parents of 8th grader Brianna Ciacaio, shared their thoughts on the open house as well: “The tours were very well given, and I loved how students them-selves were able to provide them.” John Ciacaio added, “I was amazed at how big the school actually is.” The Open House this year was a great suc-cess. New students and their parents were able to see the school for themselves, and many walked out very pleased. This is an excellent tradition of Boylan Catholic High School, and hopefully it will continue to be one in the years to come.

With no snow on the ground and forty-degree tempera-tures, Sunday December 11, 2011 did not feel like a

“winter wonderland”. However, with the guidance of Mr. Matt Myers and Ms. Melissa Mecadon, the musicians of Boylan fi lled the auditorium with the sounds of Christmas. The instrumental portion of the Christmas concert, directed by Ms. Mecadon, began with Jazz Lab, followed by Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Band, and ended with Concert Band. Jessie Barrera, a senior in Jazz and Concert Band said that “Sounds of Christmas”, played by the Concert Band, was her favorite to play because “it was a medley made up of parts of fi ve different songs and I really liked the fi ve songs in it.” The vocal concert, directed by Mr. Myers, followed. The concert commenced with the combined talents of Treble and Concert Choir, followed by the Treble Choir, Oc-taves, Voce, Concert Choir, and ending with another song by Treble and Concert Choir. “My favorite song I sang would be “A La Nanita Nana” because part of it was sung in Span-ish, it had nice harmonies, and I had a fun solo,” mentioned Rachel Didier, a sophomore in Treble Choir and Voce.

By Alec Heaton

By Sean McNealy

SPORTSOUR TEAM HAS

CHEMISTRY: GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

What sets our team apart is its dedication, intensity, and team

chemistry,” said senior Claire Custer of the girls’ basketball team. Ask any of the girls and they will likely agree; they are all dedicated and they are all intense on the court, but what is most important in making this year’s team unique is the strength of the bonds between the players. In fact, the theme of the team’s annual poster this year is, “Our team has chemistry”. Senior Becca Homb echoed this, saying, “We a get along great and we love to be with each other. But we still work hard at all times.” A major factor contributing to the team’s unity is the versatility of its players. Senior Callan Timms said, “The thing that makes us unique this year is not having one designated shooter. A lot of individuals can get to the hoop and score.” Gwen Casper agreed, adding, “We have a very well-rounded team, which makes competi-

tion in practice more exciting.” The team also maintains its unity by upholding traditions. “We have so many special traditions. A couple of weeks ago we had our team retreat, which was a fun bonding experience. We also have team parties after every Friday night game,” Custer explained. Meghan Franklin highlight-ed several other traditions: “breakfast in the morning, our circle on the fl oor right before the game, and Mass before games.” With so many traditions and close friendships on the team, it is easy to see why the team places so much value on its chemistry. The six return-ing senior players agree that basketball is, for these girls, the most reward-ing way they could spend their time. Homb summarized the team by saying, “These girls are amazing, and it is such a blessing to spend every morning of my senior year with them in fi rst hour practice.”

By Erika Crouch

Q: What was it like going to State? A: Going to State was an amazing experience. Since I was injured, I knew that it was going to be diffi cult for me to advance to the top 12, but I am glad that I had the opportunity to compete.

Q: What motivates you?A: Going to State has been a goal of mine since I started diving as a freshman. As a se-nior, I knew this was my last year to qualify, so no matter what, I wanted to reach that goal.

Q:How did you prepare for State?A: Preparing for State was dif-fi cult because of my foot injury. I had only one practice between sectionals and State. Prepar-ing for a big meet, I practice doubles daily (morning practice at 6:00 a.m. and then a second practice in the afternoon or eve-ning.) Since I couldn’t do this, I needed to prepare mentally. I told myself I could do it, and I trusted that my coach knew what was best for me.

Q: What is your best dive?A: My best dive is a back two and a half twister. I love doing them.

Q: When did you start diving?A: I have tumbled competitively since third grade, so it was a natural progression to dive. I started diving seriously fresh-man year. I dove for a short period of time during fi fth grade, so I had a little bit of ex-perience, but it wasn’t anything serious back then.

Q: What do you enjoy about diving?A: I enjoy diving because I like to fl ip in the air.

TAYLOR FERGER

DIVING DOWN STATE

FOOTBALL IHSA 7A CHAMPIONS

Continued from Page One

Crystal Lake South, and were set to face a team that had defeated them in 2008. The Gators were a rough, physical team that liked to push the boundary between physical and dirty as far as they could. Many thought that this physicality might be the thing that could break the Titans, but they kept their com-posure in wet, muddy conditions and earned a hard-fought 30-13 victory. The Titans scored on their fi rst three possessions with goal-line runs from Marquez Beeks and Tyreis Thomas, as well as a 27-yard fi eld goal from Sean Slattery to go up 17-0 at halftime. The stars of this game, however, were the members of the defense. They held the Gators scoreless into the fourth quarter, and shut down South’s run game, holding star Reese Dziedzic to only 57 yards. Boylan’s defensive line and linebackers did so well to get penetration that the South offensive line could do nothing else but hold them, occasionally war-ranting a penalty. Free Safety Peter Cimino was undoubtedly the player of the game, with three intercep-

tions and a fumble recovery. The Titans returned to their home stadium for the semifi nal game against Lake Zurich, who had beaten the Titans for two consecu-tive years in 2006 and 2007. The Bears had gone to the 7A State Championship the year before, but was defeated by Wheaton Warren-ville South. Boylan won a low-scor-er, 16-10. Lake Zurich was known for their punishing run defense, and many were interested how they would fare against Boylan’s equally potent rushing attack. That week during practice, Coach Appino challenged his offensive linemen, the target of the media’s scrutiny all year, to help the Titans’ backs reach 200 yards. They gained 197, three short of the goal, but it was apparent that the

front fi ve had established their dominance throughout the game. Tyreis Thomas scored two rushing touchdowns, including a thunder-ing third quarter 66-yard run in which he broke multiple tackles. Zurich added one rushing touch-down and both teams scored one fi eld goal, but both defenses put in solid games. Adonis Brown and DJ Zimmerman each had an intercep-tion; Zimmerman’s was the game winner. The Titans were headed back to the state championship, but it was going to be much differ-ent than last year. The Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers beat Lake Zurich to win the Class 7A State Champion-ship last year and were looking to earn three straight state champion-ships. The Titans were defi nitely the underdog going into this game, but they weren’t daunted. They had faced adversity all year and had fl ourished. The game was played in pouring rain that continued dur-ing the entire game, but neither the players nor the Boylan faithful were affected. The student section, led by the Boylan Green Men, had a great turnout, given the condi-tions, and were rocking the entire game. The Titans did not disap-point them.

Toney opened Boylan’s fi rst offensive drive with a 72-yard touchdown run off of a perfectly executed read-option play that had the WWS defense completely fooled. Slattery added two fi eld goals and Boylan led 13-0 at half-time. In the second half, The Tigers bounced back and running back Dan Vitale scored the fi rst WWS touch-down. Vitale had 121 yards. The rest of the third quarter was scoreless, ending with a Ty Zimmerman intercep-tion of WWS quarterback Jordan Davis for 25 yards. Then on the fi rst play of the fourth quarter, Toney threw a beautiful 79-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jaxson Meister, who was running a post route simi-lar to his touchdown in last year’s state championship against Mar-mion Academy. Thomas scored the 2-point conversion and the Titans were up 21-7. After a defensive stop, Boylan took over at their own 17-yard line and Toney fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Tiger linebacker Adam Dansdill and returned for the touchdown, making the score 21-14. When the Titans took over again, 5:49 left on the clock, and WWS was looking to take the ball again, but the offen-sive line that was criticized all year delivered in dominant fashion. Center Nick Wood, guards Joe Fehrle and Matt Carter, and tackles Nick Verstrate and Mat Cannella bulldozed the Tigers’ defensive front and earned the offense 5 straight 1st downs and reached the 5-yard line. Toney then threw to a wide open Marquez Beeks, who caught the ball in the end zone, but the play was ruled

incomplete, and Boylan tried to settle for a fi eld goal, which was blocked. Even though no points came out of it, the game was all but over. The offense churned out 227 rushing yards and 133 passing yards on one of the most fearsome

defenses in the state. “Hon-estly, it wasn’t a surprise to me at all. We have the best running backs in the state, as well as the best running quarterback,” said Cannella. “I had total faith in my brothers on the line of scrimmage to get the job done and we did. It was a team effort and that’s all anyone can ask for.” The defense also domi-nated the Tigers, only giving up one touchdown and 230 yards. Zimmerman and safety Luke Riggs both had interceptions and the defensive line, led by Dean Lowry and Theo Parthenios, was getting penetration all game, and the line-backers and defensive backs had

the answer in coverage, allowing only 58 yards passing. “When you’re up against a wall of doubters saying you can’t win in 7A and you only got lucky being in 6A, there’s no better feeling than letting your play do the talking and

just dominate every-one on our road to the State Championship,” Said Ty Zimmerman. “When you set out to reach goals, and then accomplish them, there is no greater feeling,” added Thomas.

After winning Sectionals last year and sending six swimmers to

state, the boys’ swimming and diving team has much to be proud of. They also face high expectations, but this season they return better than ever. Senior captain Greg Cormier stated, “Our biggest strength is the number of talented swimmers returning. We all have a good friendship as a team.” Fellow captain Adam Bernardi agreed, saying, “We have many good swimmers, giving us more depth than most teams; we have good coaches; and we are willing to work hard.” Despite the diversity and depth of the team, the swimmers agree that their secret weapon is their remarkable coaching staff. “We are unique because we have

Brian McGuire,” Bernardi said. Cormier added, “He [McGuire] is unique and brings a certain comical aspect to the sport of swim-ming. He’s what makes us original this and every year.” Junior captain Jack Tribble observed, “Swimming is not just a sport; it’s a lifestyle. McGuire is not just a swim coach; he’s a life coach.” The team and their coach share a common goal: to win the sectional meet and qualify as many swimmers and divers for state as possible. Senior diver Danny Kagan affi rmed, “We know we have a talented team this year. The goal is always to win Conference and Sec-tionals, but now we are ready to take

it to the next level and place at state. The sky is the limit for our team.”

The TT Editorial Staff would like to apologize for inadvertently omit-ting Miss Amber Schroeder from the coaching staff of the Boys’ Swim Team in the Winter Sports Preview.

Bowling season has fi nally ar-rived for the Titans. Both the

boys’ and girls’ squads look to rebound from a diffi cult season last year by fi nishing strong in conference this time around. The boys, led by seven-year coach Mr.

Steve McGriff, look to their seniors to fi ll the shoes left by the top three bowlers from last year, including conference MVP Jordan Hastings. John Logan and Kevin Beckett plan to guide the boys’ team on a path of success. Sophomore Brett Sprecher hopes rally the team for victory, as he currently holds the highest average score per game. On the girls’ side of

the lane, Mrs. Kim McGriff hopes to have a successful fi rst season as the new varsity girls’ head coach. The team will be lead by seniors Alison DeGuide and Gina Tillou, along with juniors Kaitlyn

Koeninger and Kayla Rippon. The team is a decent size of thirteen girls. They hope to use this depth to their advantage in conference. Both groups will face tough com-petition. Freeport looks to be the boys’ biggest rival, and Harlem will pose a challenge for the girls. We wish both varsity teams the best of luck and look forward to many strikes throughout the season.

The TT Editorial Staff would like to apologize for the incorrect informa-tion regarding the Bowling Coaches that was printed in Winter Sports Preview. Head coach of the Boys’ is Mr. Steve McGriff and the coaching staff for the girls’ team is lead by head coach Mrs. Kim McGriff and assistant coach Mr. Michael Huntley.

TITANS STRIKE:BOWLING GETS ROLLING

BOYS’ SWIMMING SEASON HOPEFUL

By Justin Frisch

By Erika Crouch

Sophomore Brett Sprecher practices his techniques at Park Lanes.

The boys’ swim team poses for a picture at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season.

BASKET-BALL SEASON

WARMS UP

All are familiar with the long history of the

Boylan Boys’ Basketball team under former coach Mr. Steve Goers. Coach Goers, who led the team for thirty-nine years, is the winningest coach in Illinois high school his-tory. This year is the fi rst time since the 1979-1980 season that Boylan bas-ketball will be without its longtime fi gurehead. New coach Mr. Mike Winters and his players regret the loss of Coach Goers but look forward to the op-portunity to start anew. “Coach Winters is a great coach and has gained the respect of all the new and returning players,” said Senior Ben Eckburg, a returning varsity player. The players and Coach Winters remain focused on the team’s great po-tential. Coach Winters revealed the depth of his dedication by saying, “I always make sure our kids know that I will work extremely hard for them and for this program.” The team, after overcoming its lack of players due to football’s late season, is ready to show its fans what it can do. Both Eckburg and Winters said that one of their main goals as a team is to make it to

the state tournament in Peoria. Starting off the year with a 4-2 record, every player knows he will be challenged in each game from the tip off to the fi nal buzzer. Coach Winters stated, “We face a very diffi cult schedule this season.” Despite the challenges that may lie ahead, senior Dean Lowry is confi dent in what he and his fellow players can do: “Our athleticism and intensity will separate us from other teams.” With such high goals as winning the NIC-10 conference, the Auburn Regional, the Pekin Tournament, the Dundee-Crown Sectional, and making it to the state tournament in Peoria, the team will have to be at their best all season long. “We have a lot of work to do;” said Eckburg, “but this year’s team has great chemistry. We work very hard in practice and in the long run that will help us win.”

By Johnny Mark

PANCHERO’S V. CHIPOTLE

Lately, one of the most debated questions for the people of Rockford is Panchero’s or Chipotle?

Chipotle has been a favorite for many in the Rockford area. With its famous guacamole, Chipotle was “the spot” for the best burrito. Recently, this changed. With Panchero’s opening on October 4, Chipotle faced new competition. Within the new fast-food Mexican grill’s location on Perryville and Spring Creek, Panche-ro’s housed the real rival to Chipotle’s guacamole: queso sauce. Paul Burd cited this as his main reason for being a Panchero’s loyal: “The queso sauce is insane and com-pletes the burrito.” Burd began eating at Panchero’s a week after its opening and never looked back. Likewise, Jon Fuller promoted the change to Panchero’s. Next to the queso sauce, he said, “I prefer Panchero’s because it is closer to my house, cheaper . . . and they mix every-thing together.” Despite new Panchero’s-converts, many still swear by Chipotle. Rob Pohlman said, “I tried other burrito places but none compare. Panchero’s really does have that good queso, but their meat tastes like I’m eat-ing a fl avored eraser!” In fact, Pohlman loved Chipotle so much, he once ate there 48 successive days and still eats there two to four times a week. Pohlman said, “It really is just an explosion of fl avors in my mouth every succulent bite!” Although not every customer is as Chipotle-crazed, loyalists consistently rave about the freshness and quality of food. Anna Kurilla said, “[Chipotle] has so much more fl avor!” Maddie Guyette said, “The burritos there are huge and the guacamole is the best that I’ve ever had.”Both Panchero’s and Chipotle are obvious rivals in the “burrito battle,” however, there are other options that have fl own under most Rockfordian’s radar. Zach Saterlee said, “I really like the choices that come from El Burrito Loco.” While Saterlee enjoys El Burrito Loco, others prefer sit-down Mexican restaurants to the fast-food chains. Stacy Cussen said, “Though Chipotle is good, the restaurant can be too loud. I’d much rather go to Fiesta Cancun or Alvarez where the atmosphere is better and food is just as good.” No matter which side of the burrito battle Rockfordians take, options are plentiful for any type of Mexican food preference.

By Editor Jill Deutsch

ENTERTAINMENT

Every fall, TV is bursting at the seams with new shows. Some are

fl ops; others are hits. Once Upon a Time is, so far, a huge hit.While the Fox series Grimm is also a recent breakout hit with its fairy-tale related crime scenes and detectives, Once Upon a Time goes in an entirely different direction, one no show has taken before. At the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming (whose real name is James), the Evil Queen barges in and announces her plan to curse the enchanted land so that she will be the only one with a happy end-ing. After the birth of Snow White and James’ daughter, the curse is released and every single fairy-tale character is taken to the town of Storybrooke, Maine. Here, time stands still and none of the characters know his true identity. The only one who can save them and defeat the Evil Queen is the newborn baby girl who was smuggled out of the Enchanted Forest by Snow White and James just in time to escape the curse. Twenty eight years later, the full-grown and independent Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) gets a knock on her door from 10-year-old Henry Mills (Jared S. Gilmore), who claims to be Emma’s son whom she gave up for adoption when he was born. He drags her northward to Storybrooke, where she meets the town’s hard-as-nails mayor who’s also Henry’s adoptive mother, Regina Mills (Lana Parilla). Regina’s tough, threatening personal-ity can only be that of one character – the Evil Queen herself. To try to keep Henry from realizing the truth about her, the town, and those in it, she’s making Henry see therapist Dr. Hop-per (Raphael Sbarge), whose fairy-tale counterpart is Jiminy Cricket.

At the same time that a story is told in the real world, one is told in the fairy-tale world that corresponds to and explains the events of the other story. The parallels tie everything together. Every episode has a cliff-hanger ending, and no one knows what to expect from one episode to the next. Secrets are abundant in both domains, such as the atrocious thing the Queen forced herself to do in order to release the curse; and a potential love tri-angle-- the last thing that Emma and Regina’s extremely tense relationship needs. Emma has no idea what to think when Henry tells her that, as the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, she is destined to save Storybrooke from the curse and give everyone back their happy endings by overthrowing the Queen. However, she and Regina butt heads immediately over Emma’s determination to stay in town to be with Henry. Regina does whatever she can to keep her son away from his birth mother. This doesn’t stop the two of them from spending time together, though. Emma also be-comes good friends with Henry’s teach-er, Mary Margaret Blanchard (Ginnifer Goodwin). Ironically, Blanchard is really Emma’s mother, Snow White. While Emma’s skepticism about the fantasy-versus-reality situation has not died down, she is continually intrigued by her own identity and destiny and starts to explore it as she becomes closer to her mother and son. Other characters also take strides in learning who they are, both in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest. Those who watch Once Upon a Time are immediately hooked. Missing one minute of the show means missing a vital piece of the story. All the love, hate, lies, truth, friendships, enemies, magic, and reality leave viewers starv-ing for much, much more.

TV REVIEW: ONCE UPON A TIME

By Tess Vrbin

TWILIGHT SAGA

The Twilight Saga has been greeted with excitement and

praise throughout the years. The latest installment of the movies, Breaking Dawn: Part I, came out November 18, 2011. Anyone who has read the book series by Stephanie Meyer, knows that it is lengthy, yet im-possible to put down. Most fans know that a wedding and baby are involved in the series’ new-est fi lm, however the fi lm skipped many memorable parts from the book. There were a few “cheesy” parts, something usually expected from love stories. Unlike the last movie, Eclipse, which was fi lled with action and fi ghting, Breaking Dawn: Part I was mainly drama. The main actors, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Laut-ner, continued to do a great job portraying the characters of Ed-ward, Bella, and Jacob. Breaking Dawn: Part I is PG-13, so bringing young children to watch would not be a good idea. Overall, Twilight fans will love this movie, but if you haven’t read the books or seen the fi rst three movies, you should do so fi rst. The movie made over $500 million in under two weeks world-wide. Its success will most likely continue with the next and fi nal chapter that is scheduled to debut on the big screen on November 16, 2012.

By Nikki Flores

North Carolina native Scotty McCreery has certainly taken the country music world by storm in this past year. He began his rise to fame last fall by auditioning for American Idol

in Milwaukee, WI. After singing the song “Your Man” by country superstar Josh Turner, the judges’ shocked faces showed that it was clear Scotty had quite a gift. He quickly turned into the viewers’ favorite competitor by singing legendary country songs almost every week. By the show’s fi nale in May 2011, there was no question that Scotty McCreery would have a success-ful career in the country music industry whether he won the competition or not. On May 25th, Scotty was named the tenth winner of American Idol after singing what would become his fi rst single, “I Love You This Big.” “I Love You This Big” was the perfect song to showcase Scotty’s incredible vocals. His voice is not the voice of an average 18 year old, but it fi ts with the classic country songs he pre-fers performing. Senior Shelby Sonnefeldt says, “Don’t let his looks deceive you; behind that baby face is the heart and soul of an old country singer.” Traditional country is indeed what Scotty McCreery does best, and his debut album is a perfect example of this. His album, Clear As Day, was released in October and debuted at number one in fi ve different categories on the Billboard Music charts. The album consists of 12 songs that are true to his country roots while remaining age appropriate. The second single from Clear As Day is “The Trouble With Girls.” This song is Scotty’s version of a love song and is truly a song only a teenager could sing. Scotty’s voice fi ts this lighthearted song perfectly. He hits all the notes with ease. This song is one of the slower, more mellow songs on the album, along with the title track of the album, “Clear as Day.” This song is another teenage love song in which the subject of the song remembers every detail from a Friday night in high school with a special girl. This is one of Scotty’s best songs vocally and lyrically, but the ending comes as quite the surprise. Some of his other more serious songs are about a family’s Bible (“That Old King James”), going back home to visit mom (“Back on the Ground”), and the prayer of a mother (“Dirty Dishes”). This album also contains its fair share of upbeat songs. My personal favorite, “Out of Summertime,” is a fun rendition of a summer fl ing that just wasn’t meant to last longer than three months. It is defi nitely one of those songs that you turn up and listen to with the windows down in your car on a sunny summer day. Another song like that is “Water Tower Town.” This song could be about any Southern small town in America where “Friday night football is king [and] sweet tea goes good with anything.” It’s about the simplicity of small town, which, based on where he grew up, Scotty knows very well. Songs like “You Make That Look Good” and “Write My Number on Your Hand” are also fast paced tunes that will get your feet tapping. After listening to the whole album, I have come to conclude that there is not a single song I dislike. The songs are all well written and Scotty’s voice will melt your heart. This al-bum is well worth the money and I would recommend this to more than just country music fans. The future looks bright for this young artist and we can expect great things from him in the near future.

MUSIC REVIEW: SCOTTY MCREERY

By Darby Marinelli

CREDITS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR:JILL DEUTSCH

Happy New Year! Due to the fact that the new year is 2012 I did a little research and will share some of my fi ndings about the interesting and signifi cant number 12... Twelve is the number of space and time. There are 12 months in a year. Time is measured in two groups of 12 hours. A group of 12 items is called a dozen. Jacob had twelve sons: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Josef, Benjamin. They are considered the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In Christian tradition there are twelve days of Christmas. These are from Christmas Day

(December 25th) to Epiphany. The end of the twelve days is often marked by the feast of Epiphany, usually on January 6. Epiphany is the celebration of the arrival of the wise men. They were the fi rst people outside the Jewish world, to see and believe in the infant Jesus Christ. There are twelve gifts that “my true love” sent in the traditional Christmas song: The Twelve Days of Christmas. The song came in printed form about 1780. Twelve men have walked on the moon. They are: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Peter Conrad, Alan Bean ,Edgar Mitchell, Alan Shepard, David Scott, James Irwin, John W.

Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt. Zachary Taylor was the twelfth president of the United States from 1849 - 1850. Taylor was the last President to hold slaves while in offi ce. He was only President for 16 months. He died of stomach fl u. Hopefully this year of 2012 will be a blessed time for all of you. I promise to be more original next issue. Thanks for reading!

Go Titans! God Bless!

EDITORS:COPY EDITOR: Miranda Lindvall

NEWS & FEATURES EDITOR: Margaret SentovichSPORTS EDITOR: Ben Belford

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Genevieve ClemensPHOTO EDITOR: Abby Austin

LETTER FROM THE MODERATOR:MRS. TRICIA ROZANSKI

The winter season is a culmi-nation of lights, warmth, and happi-ness. Looking out the window, these characteristics may not be apparent; however, there are many reasons I believe that the winter season is good overall. First, the days wane. Be-fore we know it, it gets dark before 5 o’clock! Still, we compensate for the shorter, darker days outside with lights and candles inside. And with these shorter days comes cold. Ugg boots, fl eece jackets and sweaters become standard survival gear for us Midwesterners. With hot chocolate and fi replaces, we are constantly on a search for warmth. The pursuit of light and warmth bring me to my next point: happiness. The winter season is a time

to be “jolly.” Suddenly, we are on our best behavior. Our good deeds make others’ lives happy, and others’ good deeds make our lives happy. This give-and-receive mentality is the greatest part of the holiday season. As January rolls around, it can be easy to forget the light, warmth and happiness that we pursued just a month earlier. This mentality is especially forgotten when the stress of semester exams hits. However, losing the holiday spirit does not have to happen. We can look forward to the new year and new semester with excitement for our fresh start. Instead of looking out the window and seeing inconvenient, cold snow, we should remember the fi rst snowfall of the sea-son. When we feel stressed, we should think back to the joys of seeing fam-

ily. When we feel agitated, we should remember the joy in giving to others. Through these positive perspectives, we can allow the holiday spirit to seep into the new year. Looking back at the semester we just fi nished, I would like to thank The Titan Tribune staff members for their work and dedication. Without them, the paper would truly not exist. I would also like to thank Mrs. Gavan for her careful edits! I am also greatly thankful to Mrs. Rozanski for the amount of time and work she puts into contributing, editing and working on each issue of the paper. It is much ap-preciated! Lastly, I would like to thank you for reading The Titan Trib every issue, and I hope that you will con-tinue to do so! Have a wonderful new semester!