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MHS Cross Country (2023-2024)
MHS Cross Country (2023-2024)
By Xaria Cisneros
October 18, 2023
At Monterey High School, there are an abundance of sports offered. However, cross country has definitely been a highlighted sport, and a popular one at that. The 2023-2024 cross country team has been working hard during the fall season and has finished another solid year of meetings, connections, and fun.
There are many people involved in the sport, and it’s been this way at Monterey High for a few years now. Katarina Creamer (‘25), has been one of the proud captains, along with Elias Moreno (‘25) , Siara Maheen (‘25), and Alex Gamino (‘24) for the 2023-2024 team, and has a lot to say about the successful season. “I think it was a pretty great season for everything we’ve overcome as a team, and any challenges that were thrown our way, we worked around them. My fellow captains also worked hard to make the season go on.”
With all sports, social bonding experiences are just as important as the bonds that are required to be made so to say. Creamer believes that these social bonds were definitely made throughout the season, and she’s very happy they did.
“Towards the end of the season, there were definitely a couple star moments. One of them being how the cross country team remembered my birthday a week early, and one of the freshmen did get me a present.” Creamer has built quite the reputation as one of the star captains on the team as well, she states. “I am also known as Kata from cross country on one thread of Snapchat stories, and I am on the top 15 and 25 list of baddies.”
Speaking on a personal level, Creamer talks about her experience with being captain of the cross country team. She stated that it was one of the most amazing experiences she has been given. There's no doubt that there are responsibilities and efforts that have to be put in by the captain and players of the team in order to build a strong foundation as well.
There were many special athletes on the cross country team this year, but Jackie Sullivan (‘27) and William Stratton (‘27) stood out and definitely pulled their weight on varsity.
The cross country team has scored exceptionally well in races, some players breaking records and even creating new records! The girls finished the season first in their league. For the boys, they came in fourth. The captains are very pleased with this year’s team, and cannot wait to see what the next season will bring.
Battle of the Bay Spirit Week
Battle of the Bay Spirit Week
By Amber Kane
November 3, 2023
As the last week of October rolls around, our Battle of the Bay spirit week has arrived. From October 30th to November 3rd, Monterey High School students showed their toreador pride in anticipation of the annual rivalry football game this Friday.
Kicking off the week was Mismatch Monday, where students dressed as staff, and staff and dressed as students. We saw many different students dressing as their favorite teachers. As far as MHS teachers and staff, their swag was a total hit! They wore their best baggy jeans and hoodies, and even happened to sneak their headphones and airpods in class, just like many students do from day to day.
On Tuesday, a spooky day was upon us. Honoring Halloween, students dressed in their costumes for Trick or Treat Tuesday.
At lunch, a costume contest was held for anyone who wished to participate. The categories included best group, best overall, spookiest, and funniest costume! Held in the COS, many students participated, and prizes were awarded to the best of each category.
For Grace Gordo (‘26) Halloween was her favorite day of this week. “My group costume won the costume contest,” Gordo shared. Her friends dressed as the Scooby- Doo gang, and Gordo was dressed as Velma.
As we reached the middle of the week, Barbie vs. Ken day has come! Toreadors dressed in pink for some “gorgtastic” fun. There were heels, socks, bandanas, and other pink accessories worn across campus.
Luke Lassen, a Monterey High Senior and ASB President, believed Barbie vs. Ken day was more of a success then he’d expected. “I saw some great Ken and Barbies,” he shared.
On Thursday, the BBQ dads were up against the soccer moms! BBQ dads wore their best dad shirts and shorts, as well as a nice long barbecuing apron. The soccer mom’s dressed in their best athletic wear, and carried their water bottles and snacks with pride.
Lastly, as the game approached, our annual green and gold Friday was here! It was lowerclassmen vs. upperclassmen: Freshman and Sophomores wear gold, and Juniors and Seniors wear green!
Look out for Monterey High’s upcoming events, and stay spirited, Dores!
Student of the Month: Alexis Ruiz
Student of the Month: Alexis Ruiz
By Kathryn Combs
November 3, 2023
This month, Alexis Ruiz is the exemplary student this month because of her attributes and accomplishments. She is a hardworking student-athlete, who likes to spend time with her friends and family. Alexis is also a great leader. She is on varsity for swimming, and enjoys wrestling.
Alexis Ruiz is a senior. She plays the following three sports: water polo, swim, and wrestling. When talking to Ruiz, she shared, “Wrestling by far is my favorite sport. I have played it for three years, and my favorite part is how we are all like family.”
“When you're tired, the team helps you out, if you lose they help you out no matter what, and they are always there and cheering you on and giving you support at all times.” Alexis also shared that her other sport, water polo, has taught her, “how to work effectively with other people, be more open-minded, and see everyone as a whole, not just myself.” Ruiz is planning on attending college, either “UCSD, or Texas St. A&M” according to Ruiz. She is also planning on doing wrestling in college and is excited to see what her future holds with it.
Ruiz also shared when asked what she is most excited about for college is, “starting life.” Ruiz mentioned that for future college applicants and incoming seniors she advises, “Start your essays and APS early, and be prepared to pay 70 dollars per application.” It sure will add up so make sure to save beforehand!
Ruiz has two more sports to play, and a few more months before heading off to college, so as a final goodbye, or a ‘final quote’ she stated “Just Do It -Nike”.
October’s Student of the Month: Audrey Riggin
October’s Student of the Month: Audrey Riggin
By Sophia Ruttschow
October 18th, 2023
Audrey Riggin (‘24) is Monterey High’s October Student of the Month! They’re a DP student, MHS Player, NJROTC student, and so much more. Throughout Audrey’s time at Monterey High School, they have made it a goal to always participate in the theatre production’s put on, and now as a senior, they are Vice President of the drama department.
Audrey has been an actor in several shows, as well as being a costume designer and head costumer for shows. “The highlight of my high school career has pretty much been working with the Monterey High School Players, the theatre program.”
Other things Audrey enjoys doing with their time include running, drawing, and singing. When drawing, Audrey tends to prefer creating art on paper rather than digitally.
Being in the performance pathway of the AMP program, Audrey has taken several theatre classes, including Professional Actors Training, THEA15A, and THEA1, all with Mrs. Welch.. They’ve also taken the Drawing and Painting 1 class with Ms. Hartfelt. Along with theater, Audrey has done one season of track and another of cross country.
As a junior, Audrey chose to continue as a DP student through their whole high school career. They decided it would be a good way to learn more and really challenge themself through their school work. “I wanted to seek a higher level of learning in my curriculum and I thought DP would be a good way to do that.” So far, they feel the program has really prepared them for college level classes, giving them a glance into the future. “It is strenuous, it’s a lot of work,” they said. “But I think it’s really prepared me well for graduation.”
As a Monterey High Student since their freshman year, Audrey believes that some schools can make you feel invisible but they really feel that the teachers have made them feel very welcome. “I really enjoy the welcoming space in which the school has created… I feel like I belong.”
If they could miraculously talk to their freshman self, Audrey says they would tell them “stay out of negativity and know your priorities. Don’t forget there’s a support system for you.”
Though they will miss their underclassmen friends, Audrey is excited for the future and ready to graduate this year. Before they graduate though, they hope to get an A grade on their DP Biology EA.
For any juniors who are incoming seniors, Audrey says to make sure you know how to balance your school life and personal life. Be sure to check in on your mental health and “take time for yourself.”
Don’t forget to see Audrey perform in Monterey High’s thrilling show Cyrano! You’ll be able to spot them as the Orange Girl, Sister Martha, and they will be singing a solo right before the second act!
Athlete of the Month
Athlete of the Month
By Xaria Cisneros
October 20, 2023
Monterey High School has lots of school spirit, and a significant part of our spirit comes from our sports, one of them being dance. One of the star dancers on the team is Zarea Boykin (‘24), who has been working hard as a proud senior to help carry her team. Boykin enjoys every second of her time with the team.
“I love the girls! It’s so much fun dancing with them and just hanging out with them, they make the experience so much better.”
It’s always awesome to have strong connections on a team when doing a sport, Boykin has also had a lot of previous experience with dance, which is why she decided to try out for the official team here at Monterey High. “I’ve been dancing since I was three, I took two breaks both a year long, but I’ve danced for as long as I can remember.”
Believe it or not, a handful of athletes have started their desired sport in high school, with no previous experiences or hopes to pursue it in the future. For Boykin, dance is definitely something she has anticipated doing in her high school career.
“I always knew I’d be back doing dance. Like I said, I’ve been doing it all my life and those two breaks were just because of Covid and one year off to take care of my knee.”
It’s perfectly obvious that Boykin is dedicated to dance and has a strong passion for it as well. She’s hoping to incorporate her love for dance into her life after high school. “If I could dance for the rest of my life without worrying about money then yes, I would love to dance in the future, but I still want to dance on the side after high school.”
Every athlete runs into the obstacle of balancing their sports life with their social, personal, and academic life. Speaking for Boykin, “Sometimes it’s difficult but it’s really just up to me. Some practices are longer than others but I think I have pretty good time management skills.”
Boykin definitely has her highlights with dance, but can also experience general stress. Overall, she’s able to overcome it by remembering that dance is her passion. She’s confident in her future with the sport, and hopes to experience many more opportunities moving forward.
Op-Ed: Free Gaza.
Op-Ed: Free Gaza.
By Mariella Campo
November 2nd, 2023
According to AP News, in the last three weeks, over 9,000 Palestinian lives have been lost due to Israeli air strikes . Many people believe these air strikes are justified after the Hamas attack that killed over 1,000 Israelis.
There is no excuse for killing innocent people, but Hamas did not attack unprovoked.
For over 16 years, Palestinian people have been kept in an open air prison. They have been denied leave from their country, even for medical emergencies. Their food, water and electricity have all been monitored by the Israeli government.
Now that Gaza is under siege, all of their resources have been cut off almost completely. The people of Gaza have minimal to no contact with the outside world. They have no voice.
Palestinian social media influencer Plestia (@byplestia on all platforms) is one of the few people able to post from Gaza. She is a journalist and many of her recent videos have featured her in war gear reporting around Gaza.
In one of her videos, she is in her home and turns the camera to face outside her window, everything is covered in a thick sheet of smoke and there can be planes and bombs heard outside.
One of Plestias recent captions reads, “I don't feel safe… either in the morning or at night… either I'm sleeping or awake… either I'm in the north or in the south… I don't know what to report or what to say anymore.” Plestia is 19.
She is not even the youngest person affected by this conflict. Another creator @shaunking shares videos of children being carried out from under rubble, pleading with people on the streets, and some videos even show parents holding their children's limp bodies.
This is not a political issue, but a human rights issue. No child or person should have to live in these conditions. This is unjust and inhumane. Speak up. Wake up.
From the river to the sea, Gaza will be free.
BATTLE OF THE BAY: CHEER
BATTLE OF THE BAY: CHEER
By Samantha Perez
November 3rd, 2023
Since the last Battle of the Bay, Monterey’s Cheer program has changed a lot. With a new coach, bigger team, and the addition of a freshman squad, there has been a lot of improvement that finally makes the team comparable to other schools.
Since these changes, there was a big anticipation from students for their Battle of the Bay routine. “It’s been stressful, but I’m so excited to show the school what we’ve learned and improved on in such a short time,” Shelby Kristy (‘26) explained.
There were many surprises shown throughout. Both Monterey and Seaside squads had accidentally chosen the same music, were doing some of the same stunts, and it ended up being viewed as a competition to few. Luckily, each team made their school proud despite the similarities.
The performance itself went great. The crowd was engaged, and everything looked perfect. “I didn’t notice a single mistake, everything flowed.” Dominic Castaneda (‘26) told. Feedback came from students, staff, and alumni with nothing but praise.
Girls Volleyball Season Coming to an End
Girls Volleyball Season Coming to an End
By Eliana de la Rosario
November 2nd 2023
After an extremely successful, yet rough season, Girl’s Volleyball has officially come to an end. There have been rough patches, but where there are rough patches, there are also beautiful moments. It was such a great experience to watch each of the girls grow and become stronger as a team and on the court, every game was intriguing to watch and kept fans on their toes. Not only did the girls improve like crazy, but they found a family out of the season and that’s what makes team sports so meaningful.
A player from each team has shared their opinions about their season this year’s season and what they enjoyed most.
From the Freshman team, Karla Montes, keeps things real and shares her struggles with the season.
“It was scary because of the people and it felt like there was sort of a judgmental environment, that got a lot better after a while when the team got closer, but I enjoyed away games and the team bonding especially”. Karla was an outside for the freshman team, she always had a good spirit, and would be the first player to start cheering for her team every point!
Tessa Dacquisto was a talented libero for JV, she discusses her gratefulness for this seasons outcome, “I think our season went really good and I’m really proud of the way we improved as a team, I’m proud of how we did and I’m really glad we were hard and put in our work to end the season well,” Getting to know my teammates and playing alongside them was definitely my favorite part, as well as winning our games of course. Personally, I really liked our tournaments and enjoyed playing all day long”. Tessa had a good spirit and whenever her team was down, she would be the one picking them back up off their feet and reassuring them, she definitely had the sportsmanship and compassion any team would need.
One of three team captains and middle blocker for Monterey High’s Varsity team, Lexi Leleua explains “I enjoyed my season a lot and I enjoyed it even more when we made it to CCS. I made some good relationships with my teammates and I’m happy we will all be playing again together next year. Something I enjoyed most was my team and how we had good chemistry and how we can always make each other laugh”
Passion, drive, and determination was seen throughout the whole season, It’s sad to see that it has to come to an end, but don’t worry, next season the girl's volleyball teams will come back even stronger than they were this year! Good job Ladydores!
Halloween Craft Fair
Halloween Craft Fair
By Grace Kitchens
October 23rd, 2023
On October 13th over lunch, the Crafters Collaborative held the first craft fair of the year known as the “Spooktacular Craft Fair”. They went with a Halloween theme as the fair fell on Friday the 13th, and students got to walk through various booths and purchase all student-made items.
Many students participated in the fair such as Gianna Teed (‘27). She and other members sold many items such as bracelets, rings, etc.
“The bracelets [are the best sellers] so far,” Teed said.
Many different things inspired the various students to create art. Teed got inspiration for her work from “different artists and theater,” while another seller, Alex Gray (‘25) was inspired by her “video game addiction.” Sebastian Sloan (‘25) said, “I make art because I grew up on art and art is my passion, it is my life, and it is my soul.”
The fair also was a good chance to raise money for clubs and offer some business experience. “I’m selling to raise more money for our club (Cosplay Club) so we can have more field trips in the future,” Teed stated. Gray was selling to gain some experience for after high school. Gray said, “I’m selling in hopes of getting some business experience later on.”
Peers who walked through the stalls admired the uniqueness of each booth. Pratik Manandhar (‘27) said, “I like to see everyone’s creativity. I also really like the theme of Halloween. I love how spooky everything is. Overall, I think it’s really great.” He stated that his favorite part of the entire fair was “how colorful and nice it was.” Bailey Boling (‘27) said, “I loved the music and how unique everything was.”
The Halloween craft fair was overall an excellent opportunity for student vendors to show off their art and for students to support MHS small businesses!
Girls Water Polo
Girls Water Polo
By Danica Bump & Mariella Campo
October 20th, 2023
The girl's water polo season has officially come to a close, and this season was one for the books. On Wednesday, October 18th the girls won against Hollister with a score of 16-1 for Varsity and 14-0 for JV.
JV girls have been undefeated this season, with varsity girls only losing one game. MHS water polo is also the second in the division behind Stevenson.
Myla Avila (26) shared, “This season was honestly so amazing, all of the teams played so well and I hope we make it to CCS.”
With the incoming freshman, the team just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Although, the ladies had their senior night at their PG game before their final game at Hollister High School. Needless to say, it was a very emotional night.
Selah Kwasnoski (26) shared, “I feel like we have a really good team and a lot of our good players are staying, but I am really gonna miss my seniors. But I am also really excited to see what's in store for next season.”
The swimmers honored during their senior night were, Alexa Ruiz, Mariana Garcia, Skyler Alexander, Karina Abrams Balderas, and Rubi Bernardo Lopez. Congratulations for their final water polo season with MHS.
High hopes that the 2023 season doesn't end for Monterey High water polo just yet, and they make it to CCS.
Monterey High’s 2nd Annual Neon Night Rally
Monterey High’s 2nd Annual Neon Night Rally
By Kiarra Randall and Maeve Sonrode
November 2, 2023
Monterey High hosted it’s 2nd annual Neon Night Rally Thursday, November 2nd. The vibrant gym was filled with many energetic students, bubbling with excitement for Battle of the Bay. There were many fun activities and games that leadership put together just for us.
To start of the Night Rally, Monterey High’s Dance Team put on an amazing show for the audience. Students and Staff participated in Dodgeball, racing, and many other games Thursday night. The students and personnel took part of school chants, and their favorite, “the wave”. Emilio Vizcaino (‘24) and ecstatic Luke Lassen (‘24) were eager to be leading this Night Rally.
Leah Mesman, a Sparc senior, attended the neon rally and said it was a hit. “There was a long anticipation for it to start but when it did start there was a really cool performance from the dance and cheer team.
After there was fun games that both staff and students participated in, every grade had their own game.” Said Leah (24’) “Everyone was very pumped up for the game the next day and there was lots of school spirit. I had fun and liked that it was at night and not during the day.”
Adam Essi (‘27) freshmen at Monterey High School had a blast participating. “Dodgeball was fun because it was staff vs. students and I thought it was a great bonding experience with our teachers.
We also had a fun game of bubble soccer where players had to wear a big bubble ball and play soccer.
To end the rally Monterey students joint together to have a fun mosh pit and listened to some music. It was an amazing way to come together as a community.
That concludes our 2023 Battle of the Bay Neon Night Rally.
Battle of the Bay Highlights
Battle of the Bay Highlights
By Daphne DeCarlo & Sienna Grant
November 6, 2023
To someone who doesn’t go to Monterey High School, the annual Battle of the Bay (BOTB) football game might just seem like a football game. To the students of MHS and, it means a lot more than you might think. The lead-up to the game (spirit week, night rally, etc) gets students excited to come together to support their peers as well as the school as a whole, making students more eager to be involved in the school community.
For many, this event sparks up a heavy amount of school spirit. But for departing seniors, this experience can cause mixed feelings. Soledad Quevedo (‘24) remarks that for her, it’s been bittersweet, but that she is “just gonna make the most of it and just gonna have fun for the last time.” Quevedo is looks forward to Monterey’s big win.
The team that truly made this year's Battle of the Bay possible was the leadership class who prepared and organized all of the BOTB activities and made sure everyone had their best school spirit.
Sophomore class Vice President Charles Lassen (‘26) gave insight into the work the leadership team did last week. Lassen tells us that leadership made lots of poster and made sure everyone was “decked out in green and gold.”
During the actual BOTB game, half-time is the most flashy part that a lot of students look forward to. Starring the MHS dance team, the half-time show made sure to entertain us all. “Once we got out there you could feel it was gonna be amazing,” says Zarea Boykin (‘24), a senior on the MHS dance team.
Another very important part of the game, and something that MHS is very proud of, is our student section. Full of excitement and passion, our student section exudes confidence in the school. One student even brought a poster that read, “Your school, your field, our game,” demonstrating how confident the student section was that Monterey would take the win.
There are many different activities surrounding the Battle of the Bay football game, but they all come back to one thing; community. Battle of the Bay highlights the strong community that is the foundation of our school, which is likely why it is one of the most important events of the year for MHS students.
Battle of the Bay Football Game
Battle of the Bay Football Game
By Rafaa Osman, Shiloh Rowe, Paris Charles
November 8th, 2023
Another win for the Monterey Toreadores against our rival school Seaside Spartans! With the game being hosted at Seaside High School both JV and Varsity secured the wins. With the right coaches to lead and guide our Varsity team to victory for one of the most important sports events Monterey High is known for, the Battle of the Bay Game was a huge success.
There will always be tension in the air this time around when both teams are working hard, always thinking ahead and deliberately focusing on what needs to be done to secure this win for the school.
During the week of Battle of the Bay, each player was asked what were their thoughts about this game and how much pressure would be put on them and still perform to their best ability on the field.
Kavon Collins (25) states that you cannot allow the pressure from other people to affect your thought process on the field. Whatever you are doing should be what coaches are telling you to do on that field.
Seaside’s Quarterback makes the first touchdown of the game and Monterey is thirsty for a comeback. Preston White (25) makes a relentless impactful throw to Kavon Collins (25) to put Monterey on the scoreboard head to head with the spartans. Preston White (25) states “ I really wasn’t focused on the score. I knew if I was consistent with my throws just like I had been practicing all week I wouldn’t fail myself. I treated that throw to tie up the game like we were in the lead.”
After Seaside scores the first touchdown of the game they seem to be stopped there and not able to make another play for quite some time . Monterey determines it must not happen again and offense takes over and makes a play
And with that Battle of the Bay 2023-2024 seems to be owned again by the Monterey High Toreadores!
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