Harmony Jones, a freshman at Pennfield High School, shares her thoughts about being on the freshman volleyball team. Jones said, “Our season has gone pretty well so far; we have had some good wins and some sad losses.” She said their team goals are different now than they were at the beginning of the season; she believes this is because they have improved, and whenever they accomplish a goal, they create new ones. Although they have been improving, they still need to make sure that they are working as a team. Jones reminds herself and her team that this is a team sport, not an individual one. Jones said high school volleyball is very different from middle school; playing time doesn't have to be fair, and coaches can be harsh, but only because they want to make us better. She states that they have high expectations, and most of the time they meet them. They are more organized and much better at their skills. Jones plans to keep playing throughout high school. She is really proud of their team this year!

Ellie Lok, a freshman at Pennfield High School, also shares her thoughts about being on the freshman volleyball team. Lok said that her season has gone very well. She states that their team goals are still the same. Lok wants to work as a team on their communication and attitude this season. Lok believes that playing in high school is different than the middle school team because it's more competitive. She plans to play throughout high school and wants to play in college.

After months of hard work, our Pennfield tennis team competed in the I-8 tournament. Izayah Mingus, a hard-working tennis player, was a competitor. Mingus believes the tennis tournament was set up weirdly. One and two singles and doubles went to Jackson Northwest. On the other hand, three and four singles and doubles went to Parma-Western. In Mingus’s last tournament, the teams were sent to different places based on whether they were doubles or singles, so this year it was very different for him. Mingus said he felt like he did surprisingly well at the tournament. He was moved up to two doubles, so he wasn’t very concerned with winning; he focused more on playing his best. Mingus and his partner Ezra Kirtley have never been partners before playing at the I-8. Despite never playing together before, Mingus thinks they had great communication and coordination with each other.

At this point in the season, the JV football team has found success on the field while continuing to grow closer. Although they are a close-knit group, certain players have emerged as leaders, including Alijah Babick and Mason May. When asked how they feel about their season, they answered, “We feel great about the JV season. We are winning very often and having a lot of fun.” Babick and May were also asked about their favorite moments of the season. May said, “My favorite part of the season is our win against Northwest, as it was our first conference win of the season.” Babick’s favorite moment was earning his first win after returning from injury and ringing the bell. May and Babick hope to win the rest of their games and finish with an 8-1 record. 

On Friday, October 2, Pennfield’s Varsity Football team faced the Hastings Saxons in an Interstate 8 Conference matchup. The Panthers fell to the Saxons 43–8, as Hastings built an early lead and controlled the game throughout the night. Pennfield continued to compete and put together several strong offensive drives, eventually finding the end zone for eight points. Despite the score, the Panthers showed effort and fought until the final whistle in front of their home crowd. Pennfield will look to bounce back in their next matchup and continue improving as the season moves forward.

Peyton Merlington had a memorable game as his team picked up an important win over Northwest. Going into the game, Merlington said his mindset was simple: “Just do my job and help the team in any way I could.” That mindset paid off as Merlington recorded two catches, one touchdown, and a head tap. His favorite moment of the game came when he scored his first-ever varsity touchdown. The win was especially meaningful because the team had not defeated Northwest in a while. For Merlington, being part of the victory made the accomplishment even more special. Overall, Merlington felt he played well and helped his team come away with an important win.

For Elianna Bowen and Syler Rudy, cross country is more than winning races. It is about growth and being a part of a team. Bowen said that competing isn't about beating others; it's about beating yourself. Bowen had an injury last season, and she is proud to be setting new PR’s and earning medals this year. As team captain, she wants to stay positive, be gracious, and continue to be supportive of her team. Rudy said that competing is an opportunity that not everyone gets. They also wish more people would join cross country because it's not as bad as most people think. Rudy plans to keep improving by giving his best effort and staying behaved. If you ever thought about cross country, this is your sign to try out next year!

Senior volleyball player Irelynn Sedore recently achieved an impressive milestone by reaching her 1,000th career dig. Reaching 1,000 digs means a lot to Sedore because of the time and effort she has put into volleyball. She has played for 3.5 years and reached the milestone just a few weeks into her senior season. Sedore credits her teammates for helping her reach this accomplishment. “They motivated me to be better,” she said. Interestingly, Sedore did not realize she had reached 1,000 digs when it happened. Her 1,000th dig came off a broken play, and she only found out afterward. For younger players hoping to reach a similar milestone, Sedore encourages them to look up to people and hold themselves to a higher standard. “Having people you admire makes you want to do better,” she said. Congratulations to Irelynn Sedore on reaching 1,000 career digs! Be sure to come out and support her and the volleyball team at their next game. Go Panthers!

Isaiah Gray, a Senior football player at Pennfield High School, mentioned feeling a mix of nerves and excitement, adding that the team's support gave him full confidence that he would play well. Gray stated, "It felt really good to know all the hours spent are not being wasted.” His primary mindset was to run with high intensity and attack every play aggressively; he noted that he made a point of keeping the team dialed in and ready. Gray said, “Boosting the team’s morale gives me the extra push to run hard and get better every game.” He believes his outstanding performance wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional job his O-line did protecting and blocking for him.

Pennfield Girls Golf player Hayden Tenbrink, when asked how this season has been going, says, “The golf team this season has improved significantly, building on last year’s performance while staying determined through both our ups and downs.” She thinks the team’s biggest strengths include consistent contact with the ball, improving personal scores each match, as well as strong short-game skills. But above all, Tenbrink puts emphasis on the team keeping their heads up no matter the outcome and working for improvement. The challenges of the season have been hitting out of bunkers, maintaining a consistent swing, and avoiding slices. Being the team’s first seed, she is striving to finish in the top 15 in the conference. Tenbrink is working on getting a better touch on the ball to achieve this accomplishment. She feels that being a part of the golf team is more than just being a player; it is learning to be a leader. Supporting teammates, building friendships, and setting an example for others is an important part of being on the team. When asked for further advice, Tenbrink says, “Never give up on what you love to do, no matter if people put you down or say you can't do it, keep your head up and keep driving towards it.”

Alex Nevins is a senior here at Pennfield who is starting her final year of high school volleyball as a setter. Nevins’ motivation to start playing was her mom, who also played and encouraged her to join. Basketball was her only sport up until seventh grade, when she decided to play volleyball. Nevins states that she doesn’t plan to continue playing after school; she considered it, but wants to attend a bigger school with strong academics, as her focus is to become a lawyer. Nevins is feeling bummed that she will never be able to be on the court again after this season. She states, “I will definitely miss it though; it's an irreplaceable feeling,” but she's excited to see what she will do in her free time. She feels honored that her team and coach trust her enough to be a captain this year, she is confident in her leadership capabilities, and is very excited to challenge herself in and out of practice. Nevins is eager to see what her team will accomplish this season; they have big goals, passion, heart, and drive to fulfill them.

Connor Holder, a junior at Pennfield High School, is a current member of the school's tennis team. Holder was first introduced to tennis by his peers in eighth grade, which sparked his interest in the sport. During a typical practice, the team works on running drills and plays against one another to improve their skills. Practice also focuses on conditioning, with plenty of footwork and stamina exercises, sometimes including runs around campus. Unlike practice, matches bring a different mindset because players take the competition more seriously while still having fun. Since the team is small, Pennfield does not hold formal tryouts, and players often have different attitudes about their positions and partners. When facing an important match point, Holder said, “It depends on if I'm going to lose or not. If I'm losing, I'd like to give it my all for one last decent point, but if I'm winning, I just take it easy." 

This season, Jenna Wiley has been named a nominee for D2 Volleyball Player of the Year, one of her biggest accomplishments. Despite battling injuries, she has pushed through and stayed committed to her team. She feels she has grown as a teammate by learning to play for the person next to her rather than just herself. Looking ahead, her goals are to earn All-State recognition and help her team finish with a winning record. After high school, she plans to continue playing volleyball at the collegiate level and is currently committed to Judson University.