O-Town Highlights: October 30

by Aaron Bass

It’s been another exciting week in O-Town! Our Orlando Magic basketball team faced a lot of action as they took on the Bucks and the Trail Blazers. They were unfortunate to lose both games, but they will definitely be prepared to take on the Kings and the Clippers in their upcoming games. There was no football game for UCF, as this was a bye week. They are back in action on Thursday against the Temple Owls at home. 

Last week, in nearby Bartow, FL, a terrifying knife plot was uncovered. Two middle school girls had planned to kill their classmates and intended to cause other harm, as well. Thankfully, the school staff noticed suspicious behavior and were able to get the authorities to make arrests before any dangerous and harmful activity was done. 

We have Halloween Horror Nights approaching their final days, so plan your visit now if you’re a fan of some big scares! Halloween is this week, so be sure to check out your local listings for events such as festivals and trick or treating, which will be happening all over Orlando!

Dress Code Changes

by Christian Smith

Various changes were made to the dress code at Orlando Christian Prep this year. The most notable change has been regarding outerwear. Some may say last year’s dress code was more open, but that caused some problems. For example, OCP students previously were allowed to wear any of several solid-colored hoodies, with only a small logo being acceptable. That policy, however, was abused by many students. Currently, only official OCP outerwear is allowed, which can be purchased from Dennis Uniforms or the brand new Warrior Wear spirit store located in the gym lobby.

Mrs. Jacobson has updated this, along with other dress code rules, many of which turned in the students’ favor. She changed the “Dickies and Dennis only” rule to allow for any brand of pants or shorts. OCP student Nick Bell said, “I like how I am able to shop at different stores for different brands.”

Another rule that changed is the one regarding tattoos. Last year, student tattoos had to be covered, while some teachers and staff had theirs showing. Mrs. Jacobson recognized this inconsistency and changed the tattoo policy. Students may now have tattoos, so long as they are not deemed inappropriate, in which case they must remain covered. 

Dress code changes were made in an attempt to better this school and provide fairness and consistency. While some students may not be in favor of the outerwear change, they must admit the other changes have been positive. Dress code is important because it helps keep people in line and remove distractions from the learning environment. If OCP didn't have a dress code, standards would be hard to define, and it could be difficult to uphold our Christian reputation. It is important to represent a Christian school as such, as well as show school spirit in general.

The cool weather is coming, so get your Warrior hoodie today!

Basketball Tryouts!

by Raymond Rodriguez

Orlando Christian Prep’s fall sports are coming to an end, so it’s about time for our winter sports to begin. One of those sports is, of course, boys' basketball! OCP has a fine tradition of outstanding basketball, having just won two state championships in a row, along with several others in the past. The Warriors have also been home to some fine players. Nassir Little is currently playing division one basketball at the University of North Carolina, who are recent National Champions. As an OCP senior, Nassir played in both the McDonald’s All American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic Game, winning the MVP honor for each. Ronaldo Segu, another former Warrior, is playing division one ball for the University of Buffalo.

With the recent loss of seniors Nassir Little, Ronaldo Segu, Jordan Goodson, Dejuan Lockett, Jordan Rodriguez, and Kai Jones, along with several other players, many spots have opened up on our varsity basketball team, which is a great opportunity for students wanting to play basketball at OCP. Head Coach Treig Burke will be hosting tryouts on November 5th and 6th, from 5:30-7:00pm for all Juniors and Seniors, and 7:00-8:30pm for all Freshman and Sophomores. 

Coach Thomas believes that this upcoming season will be a great one, with all the new students he’s met so far. And despite the fact that the players before them left big shoes to fill, he can’t wait for tryouts and is looking forward to coaching these new players this season, continuing OCP's great basketball legacy.

Sports Re-Cap: October 25

by Aaron Bass & Jerahmeel King

It's been a great couple weeks for OCP. On Monday, October 18, The Varsity Volleyball Team were able to defeat the higher-ranked Mt. Dora team in their first playoff game, advancing the newly-energized underdog team to the next round. This was an outstanding result for our warrior girls, and an upset for Mt. Dora. OCP were unfortunate to lose their next match against Foundation in a tough game that went the full five sets. We are extremely proud of our Warriors for a hard fought and good season! 

On the 18th, our Middle School Football Team defeated Foundation Academy with a score of 24-8 to clench the Championship Title. This was the first playoff appearance and the first championship for OCP middle school football.

The Varsity Football Team faced a strong Kingdom Prep on Friday 19th, who opened the score 6-0 with a quick touchdown against the Warriors. The Warriors showed heart and came back, dominating the scoreline and taking the win at 44-14! This is a bye week this week for 2nd-ranked OCP. Join us as they begin the playoffs with a home game on November 2nd.

The 4th/5th grade Volleyball Team played in the playoffs tournament at Faith Christian. The Warriors had a great day and finished 2nd overall!

Our Quiz Team played against University and Cypress Creek on Monday. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to come out with the wins, but they fought extremely hard and never gave up! Both times it was anybody's game at the half, and the OCP/University game stayed close right up to the last couple questions. The final scores were 170-125 against Cypress Creek and 190-160 against University. The Quiz Team plays in a tournament this Saturday, and will have another regular-season match at home on November 5th.

O-Town Highlights: October 25

by Nick Bell

It's been another great week in the books here in the city, which brings us even more events to report. 

The Orlando Magic started off their season strong with a 104-101 win against the Miami Heat. Two days later they took a tough loss against the Charlotte Hornets, as well as the following night against the Philadelphia 76ers. They bounced back against a very talented Boston Celtics team by a score of 93-90 in a game filled with very good defense. Thursday night, the Magic suffered a tough loss against the Trailblazers. Damian Lillard was dominant in this game, scoring 34 points in the second half and leaving the Magic little chance to win. The final score was 128-114. The Magic will look for redemption as they take on the Bucks on Saturday in Milwaukee.

The UCF Knights took on East Carolina without starting QB Mckenzie Milton. They started freshman Daryl Mack, who did a good job filling in. UCF won, with a strong game from the defense, and a final score of 38-10. The Knights continued their streak of winning games, and they are currently 7-0 this season. They play Temple on Thursday at home, so if you are attending the game look to be loud!

All the theme parks still have Halloween events going on, but not for much longer. So, if you are wanting to go get a last minute scare, you're running out of time! Halloween is this Wednesday, so be safe while you're out getting lots of candy with your friends and family. 

The end of October is coming, and before long it will be Thanksgiving, so enjoy your week in the City Beautiful.

Athlete of the Week: Xavier Weaver

by Raymond Rodriguez

This week in the Warrior Nation, we sat down with another player of the week: Xavier Weaver. Xavier, who goes by "Zay" to his friends, is a senior and a wide receiver for our varsity football team. 

Xavier has loved football his entire life. He started playing flag football at the age of five, moving to tackle football at the age of seven. Zay came to OCP in the eighth grade and joined the varsity football team his freshman year. Xavier’s impressive stats for the 2017 season include 18 carries, 105 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, 43 receptions, 929 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns. Some 2018 season stats include 5 carries for 82 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown, 26 receptions, 399 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns. Xavier holds OCP school records for the most receiving yards in a single season, as well as the most receiving yards in a single game. 

After graduation this spring, Xavier is committed to attend the University of South Florida. Make sure to congratulate Zay on his commitment to USF and on all of his accomplishments.

Soccer Tryouts!

By Nick Bell

As OCP’s fall sports are wrapping up it is almost time for the start of our winter sports, and there is growing excitement for OCP’s soccer season. Last year, our soccer team had a disappointing record of 2-8, but under new head coach Ryan Hopkins, and a year of experience of playing together as a team, they are optimistic. There are many new players participating this year, as well as many returning players, and everyone is coming in with a fresh attitude.

Aaron Bass, who planned to be team captain, has unfortunately suffered a possible season-ending injury. Although he is fighting very hard to be able to play his senior year, there is still no guarantee he will be able to play. Even though these events are unfortunate, it opens up new opportunities for other players to step up and take a much larger role than what was originally expected. 

Coach Hopkins commented he is extremely ambitious for this season and expects improvement on last season. He loves the game of soccer and is passionate about his new position as coach. He would also like to encourage anyone who is interested to come try out. Anyone with or without soccer experience is welcome, so long as they have positive attitudes, a coachable spirit, and a willingness to learn. 

Try-outs are Monday the 22nd and Tuesday the 23rd from 4:00-6:00 pm. Come prepared with cleats, shin guards, and a good attitude!

O-Town Highlights - October 18

by Aaron Bass

A lot has happened in the past week here in Orlando!

The Magic played a dominant San Antonio Spurs in one of their last preseason games of the NBA season. Spurs were able to come away victorious with a score of a 100-81. The Magic get their regular season underway with their first games against the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets this week.

Orlando City soccer played away in New England and were unfortunate to lose 2-0, giving away some goals due to goal-keeping errors. Our Lions are back in action this weekend against Captain America Clint Dempsey and a mighty Seattle Sounders here at home at the Orlando City Stadium.

Last weekend at Lake Eola, there was an Orlando pride parade to raise awareness for the Pulse shooting. The event was organised to remember those who lost their lives and were affected by this terrible tragedy.

Disney’s annual event, “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party,” has been a big success with record numbers of people attending the park and lots of laughs and giggles spread around by everyone. Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights has been underway for a few weeks now after they added five new mazes for people to explore and face their fear! Be sure to check it out now before it finishes in November!

FACCS Competitions Program

by Aaron Bass

With the FACCS Spelling Bee almost here, we decided it was a good time to highlight the FACCS competitions programs. Along with legal services, school accreditation, and teacher certification, FACCS developed a competitions program, providing a way for Christian schools to get together, compete, and win prizes and trophies to take back to their schools. These competitions include Spelling Bee, Brain Bowl, Creative Writing, Junior Fine Arts, and High School Fine Arts, all of which offer a variety of ways for student to shine, from 1st all the way through 12th grade. Here at OCP, we are delighted to participate in FACCS competitions every year, and over the years we have had some outstanding achievements and a lot of successes.

Last year at HSFA, Megan Soucie and Andrea Castro placed third for Duet Acting, and Megan also placed second in the essay category. Former senior Parker Smith and current senior Briela Salisbury, also entered some outstanding work into the competition. Current freshman Rachel Soucie took home two prizes at last year’s JFA, along with a Creative Writing win. Several of our current middle schoolers also placed in a variety of art and vocal categories. OCP sent five students to the State Spelling Bee last year, and OCP’s Quiz Team competes in the FACCS Brain Bowl every winter. 

We are thankful for what FACCS has done for Christian education, and for the opportunities they afford students to be able to compete and showcase their talents. We are delighted to be able to keep participating in such an amazing and positive events every year, and are hopeful to bring back many more awards this year! If you are interested in participating, keep your eyes and ears out for information from your teachers as each event comes closer.

New Student Highlight: Angie Flores

by Raymond Rodriguez

This week in the Warrior Nation, we sat down with freshman Angelina Trinity Flores. Angelina, who goes by Angie to her friends, is fourteen years old. She is originally from Queens, New York, and has two younger brothers, both of whom also started OCP this year, in the 1st and 5th grades. 

Angie came to Orlando Christian Prep from Living Word Academy, which she attended for all of middle school. She says she transferred here because she has friends who attended OCP in previous years. 

Make sure to introduce yourself to Angie and say hi if you see her around the halls this year.

New Teacher Highlight: Coach G.

by Jerahmeel King

This week in at The Warrior Weekly, we interviewed OCP’s new elementary PE teacher, Ms. Rackell Goldson, or “Coach G.,” as the students call her. Ms. Goldson grew up in Orlando, FL - moving here at the age of four. She graduated from Pine Castle Christian Academy, where she played high school basketball. She then went to Allen College in Kansas, and also attended USF.

Coach G. decided to come work at OCP when Mr. Cenicola, who had been her basketball coach in high school, told her there was an open position. Ms. Goldson is twenty-seven years old, has a boyfriend, and two nieces. She likes to play basketball, read, and watch movies during her spare time. She's also a sports assistant at the YMCA and a High School basketball referee. 

Coach G. loves working with students at OCP hopes to stay here for a long time. Let’s all give her a big Warrior Welcome!

Athlete of the Week: Aaron Bass

by Nick Bell

The Warrior Weekly is introducing a new feature: the OCP Athlete of the Week. This week we chose our very own Aaron Bass because he demonstrates everything an OCP Warrior stands for. Aaron moved to America from England in the summer of 2017, when his family decided to relocate for a new opportunity. He played soccer for OCP last year after clearing up some eligibility issues, and will play this year as well.

Aaron is grateful for the opportunity to play soccer for OCP because there was a time that he believed he might never be able to play high school soccer in America. The FHSAA claimed he had already graduated high school, due to some paperwork mix-ups that occurred during the move from England. Aaron and his family had to make many phone calls back to his old school in England, trying to get paperwork sent over to prove he had not yet graduated and still had two remaining years of eligibility. After a court hearing, during which he sat down with his father and coach Treig, he finally got the eligibility he sought. The FHSAA board voted 7 to 2 that Aaron could play sports in the FHSAA. His perseverance and strong will display the perfect characteristics of an OCP Warrior.

Aaron is a devoted soccer player who currently plays for Orlando City Soccer Club as a central defensive midfielder. Aaron also plays baseball as a center fielder and pinch runner. He is a very talented athlete who is known to carry himself to a high standard. After high school, he plans to probably return to England to play soccer in college, and is considering the University of Northampton. 

We look forward to the start of OCP’s soccer season this year, and to how far our Warriors can go together!

O-Town Highlights: October 5

by Christian Smith

This week in O-Town, the Orlando Magic started their pre-season this Monday in a grudge match versus the Philadelphia 76ers. The win went to the Sizers, with a final score of 120-114. Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic put 20pts up, earning himself a spot on the game leaderboard along with Joel Embiid.

Don't forget to attend Universal's’ Halloween Horror Nights lasting until early November. I’ve heard from a few people who have attended HHN already and were very happy, so I can highly recommend this year’s event.

This Saturday, from 8:00-11:00am, a car show called “Cars and Coffee” is being held at the Sam’s Club in Lake Nona. Hundreds of sports cars and supercars will be on display. And here is the kicker: it’s FREE! Some friends and I are definitely going, so come and hangout.

These are just a few of the things to do around Orlando this week, so try and get outside the house and do something fun.

FACCS 50th Anniversary

by Aaron Bass

Fifty years ago, a new Christian school association started here in Florida. The Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, or FACCS, is now the oldest, state-level association of Christian schools in the nation. The mission of FACCS is “to advance the cause of Christian education by providing school accreditation, legislative, and program services to member schools and their constituents.” (faccs.org) A fun OCP Warrior "claim-to-fame" is that among the FACCS founders was Dr. Al Janney, grandfather to OCP president, Dustin Janney.

One thing that sets FACCS apart are its four core values. The first of these is Biblical authority, meaning they affirm the Bible is their sole rule of faith, and that Biblical principles guide all their practices. Another value is Religious liberty: they are committed to protecting Christian school freedom. Their next value is Excellence, and what they mean by this is to inspire and make sure academic excellence is achieved by all the schools involved with FACCS. The final value is Services. Along with the aforementioned legal and accreditation services, FACCS program services include teacher certification and a diverse and robust student competitions program.

Next week, our OCP teachers will be meeting for a time of training and fellowship at the annual FACCS Teachers Convention here in Orlando. FACCS will celebrate their 50th anniversary in style, and Dr. Al and other founders will be honored. The teachers will return to school refreshed and inspired to teach, and will be equipped with more tools to do so.

We are thankful for all that FACCS has done for Christian schools, and we pray they have another fifty successful years of promoting excellence and defending educational freedom.

Sports Recap - October 4

by Aaron Bass and Nick Bell

It has been an outstanding couple of weeks for our OCP Warriors! On Monday, September 24, our Quiz Bowl team kicked off their season with wins over West Orange in overtime and a cool and collected win against Boone High. We are excited for our Warrior Quiz Team and their great start, showing a lot of potential for an amazing season.


On Thursday, September 27, both the Middle School and Varsity Volleyball teams were victorious over Real Life Christian Christian Academy. The varsity girls went the full five sets but were able to grab the win in this exciting game! We are tremendously proud of our girls for their well-deserved win!


On Friday night, our Varsity Football Team defeated Holy Trinity in our annual Homecoming Game. Jalen Carr had nine carries for 147 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Gabe Tejada also had nine carries, totaling 89 yards. This was our first homecoming game in our new bleachers, Janney Roofing Stadium, and it certainly proved to be an exciting evening. Many alumni were in attendance, as well as many current OCP students.


Tuesday night featured our annual Dig Pink Volleyball Games. Unfortunately, the Middle School and Varsity teams did not take the wins, although the Varsity Team fought the full five sets. It was a very close contest against an extremely talented Legacy volleyball team. The Dig Pink game is to raise breast cancer awareness, and was devoted the memory of Mrs. Missy Stancil. OCP was proud to donate all proceeds from the game to the Stancil family.

New Student Highlight: Eric Butler

by Jerahmeel King

For this week's New Student Highlight, we'd like to introduce you to Eric Butler, a new student athlete here at Orlando Christian Prep. Eric was born on Oct 2, 2001 in the state of Washington. Before moving to Florida, he also lived in Alabama, where he attended Smith's Station High School. 

Eric is sixteen years old and lives with his mother, stepfather, and little brother who is three years old. He moved down to Orlando to follow his dreams and play basketball at our school. Eric likes to play 2k in his spare time, and his favorite subject in school is history. After graduation, he hopes to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Let's all say Hi! to Eric and make him feel welcome at OCP!