Sports
Volleyball Senior Night
By Cece Meynard
Volleyball Senior night was held on October 25, 2023 at West Valley High School as the four seniors of the Wolfpack team were celebrated. The night started off with Stella Christmann who is the coach giving her speech about the seniors and how she felt about them.
"These four are hard working and have put in a lot of hard work with me these last four years", said Coach Christmann.
The night was filled with tears, memories, and time with friends and their teammates for the very last home game of the season.
These seniors have been together for four years for their high school seasons of volleyball and they have grown so close to each other since freshman year.
Miller had a great game Wednesday as she was playing her last game with this team and with the seniors she has been with since freshman year.
Miller said “Senior night was a very bittersweet night. It was the last time I got to play with my incredible teammates that I’ve had for the last 4 years.
DeVaughn, who is also a senior, got her time to shine when it was her turn to serve. She mentioned after the game “ It’s very emotional and hard today to say goodbye to something you’ve been participating in all of high school. When you’re a freshman sophomore or even junior it feels so far away but then all of the sudden it’s senior night. It’s hard to believe it’s over but I’m excited for what’s to come after high school!”
The game started off with the Patriots taking the first set with a score of 11-25. Wolfpack took the second set with a score of 25-13. Wolfpack took the third with a close set of 25-20. The Patriots took the fourth set with a score of 20-25 and made it tied with sets of 2-2. The last set was a close one with a score of 12-15. North Pole has defeated the Wolfpack for the first time in their home gym this year.
These seniors have put in a lot of time and effort in their team, schoolwork, and family life.
Basketball Preview
By Gannon Young
For many years the West Valley boys basketball team has seemed to find success every year. However, they've consistently fallen short at the state tournament. After a heartbreaking loss in the state championship in the 2022-2023 season, how will they get over that threshold and overcome diversity to get to finish what they have worked for all year?
Only three weeks after the 2022-2023 season the returning players from the team were getting in the gym every other day at eight in the morning working to get better.
Coach Growden, who is the varsity coach for West Valley, said, “One thing that separates us from most other teams is our work ethic in the off-season.”
In addition to consistent open gyms for the team throughout the weeks, the West Valley team also signed up for an eight week weightlifting program. These opportunities to consistently stay in the gym mean that by the time the season starts players are comfortable in the gym. It continues to build team chemistry for the season as well.
Currently the Wolfpack have been in the gym Tuesday and Thursday every week. With the ability to actually be able practice even prior to the season. This will continue until November 2, when the Coaches aren't allowed to coach a practice anymore. Then it will turn into an open gym until the season officially begins at the end of November.
Coming into the season, the Wolfpack will be on the road heading to Anchorage to play in the Mountain City Christian Academy (Anchorage Christian School) tournament December 28-30.
Varsity player Sawyer Peterson explained what his thoughts were going into the first games, “I think that with all of the work we have put into the off season we are rightfully prepared coming into this tournament.”
Will the wolfpack be able to put together a winning season?