Coach Lynch: Retirement Tribute

by Nick Bell

Recently, we learned that Coach Jim Lynch has decided to retire from his career as a teacher and football coach, so we decided to honor him with this special tribute.

Coach Lynch has been coaching since 1994, working mainly in North Florida. He played quarterback in high school, thus he specializes on the offensive side of the game. Coach Lynch first started at Orlando Christian Prep after he learned that his former high school coach, Coach Scroggins, was retiring, leaving an offensive coordinator vacancy. He first worked as a running backs coach for two years, before becoming the full-time offensive coordinator. He continued to run the "wing T" offense that has been used here at OCP since Coach D began. His favorite play to run while at OCP was “tiger rip” which has become a very famous play here -- responsible for dozens of scores in dozens of games.

During his 4+ years at OCP, Coach Lynch enjoyed his time molding students and athletes, helping to have a positive impact on their lives through both coaching and monitoring the FLVS lab. He says his biggest accomplishment while here was winning the state championship... in fact, this was one of the biggest accomplishments of his coaching career. Having coached since 1994, Coach Lynch clearly a seasoned veteran of the game of football. As such, he felt that it was time to let a new, hungrier coach have an opportunity at the helm. Winning the state championship allowed him to feel that he had accomplished all he needed to in coaching and was ready for his next chapter.

OCPs football players had a lot to say about Coach Lynch. Jacob Brommer commented, "Man, I love Coach Lynch. He’s one of my favorite coaches I've had in all my years of playing football. If it was my choice, he wouldn’t retire. I’m gonna miss him, but I’m also really excited to see who steps in to take his place.” Carlos Tavarez said, “I’m gonna miss the bald head!" (This was a nickname for Coach Lynch.) "He was great but I'm gonna join him soon in retirement. I’m gonna have to run a "tiger rip" just for him. See you later Lynch! Peace and love!”

Coach Lynch will now spend his days in sunny Port Orange, Florida, enjoying time with his wife while getting some rays at the pool and fishing in the Intracoastal right outside his backyard. The mark he left at OCP will impact many students for many years, especially this year's players, who he brought the best out! He definitely finished his last chapter of coaching on his own terms: on top as State Champions!

Avengers Endgame: Record Breaker

by Nick Bell

“We are in the endgame now” are probably words you've heard a lately, after Avengers: Infinity War left us with an incredible cliff hanger and many of our favorite heroes were snapped out of existence. How will this change? Well that's where the Avenger: Endgame comes in. The epic Marvel movie came out on April 26th and was an immediate hit: both with critics and the viewing public.

The film's first weekend sales were more than any other movie ever: grossing $357 million! Avengers: Endgame is already the second highest grossing movie of all time (global box office), behind only Avatar. Endgame, however, has only just begun its money-making: it reached $2 billion dollars in sales in only eleven days!!

Avengers: Endgame is so popular, the directors placed a two week ban on spoilers. This ban was recently lifted, so fans have taken the chance to speak out. This movie is being talked talked about everywhere, and the hype reached even more of a high after the recent release of the trailer for Spiderman: Homecoming. At this point, if you haven't seen - or at least heard major talk of - Endgame, you've been hiding under a rock! It will soon be the highest grossing movie ever by a long shot if it continues at the expected pace. 

Critics are raving about Endgame, and about how well the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been put together over the past decade. Twenty two movies have been made so far, capped off by Endgame, which begins "Phase 4" for the MCU films. “The amount of detail the writers took to build this whole timeline is astonishing” one critic said, and I agree! There are few film franchises that have been able to build something that even comes close to what the creative writers of Marvel Studios have put together - and they're still going strong!!

Where Are They Now? - The Class of '18 Revisited

by Aaron Bass

Many of us can remember last year's seniors -- the class of 2018 -- walking the halls here at Orlando Christian Prep, as they graduated just a little under a year ago. We thought it would be fun to follow-up with a few of them and see how they're getting along.

Kai Jones, graduated from OCP but decided to "re-class" and attend Brewster Academy for another year of high school sports and personal improvement. He has recently committed to attend the University of Texas. Ronaldo Segu has been playing basketball for the University of Buffalo, where he was able to play in the second round of this year's NCAA tournament. Rondo has been a stand out player for the Bulls this season, and he looks forward to continuing his success as a sophomore next year.

Amanda Olascoaga made the move to Virginia, where she is majoring in health sciences and surrounded by beautiful mountains at Liberty University. Parker Smith is down in beautiful West Palm Beach, where he is studying finance at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Parker is looking to become an accountant in the near future.

Jeriel Irizarry was able to secure a full scholarship to attend Rollins College here in Orlando. Jeriel turned down scholarships from over ten big colleges from across the country to be able to study close to home. A few of our other graduates, such as Micayla Davis and David Moreno, have also decided to stay local and attend classes at Valencia Community College.

As you can see, many of last year's graduates are continuing their education - in different ways and in different regions of the country! We are so proud of how they are learning and growing in their new environments. We pray that they continue to find success in their educations and careers as they seek to be the World Changers they've set out to be!

A Night to Remember: The OCP Prom

by Nick Bell

Recently, Orlando Christian Prep hosted the 2019 Prom for Juniors and Seniors. Many students attended and showed up in style! Everyone dressed their best whether in a suit, tux, or dress. Thirty-three students attended, all of which enjoyed a good meal from 4 Rivers Barbeque. Students said it was great food and an even greater time.

OCP did not have a prom last year, but many students called for one this year. With some more flexible rules and some excellent planning, we were able to see it happen. Mrs. Millett, Ms. Jordan, Mrs. O'Kane, and Mrs. Jacobson all went well out of their way to help set up and organize this special event for our students to enjoy.

Students such as Nick Bell, Riley Bowlds, Aaron Bass, and Jacob Brommer showed up in a white stretch Hummer, while soon-to-be Prom King and Queen Connor Edel and Briella Salisbury pulled up in a red stretch Charger. Eldan Lin and his date, Andrea Sierra-Castro, drove in a white G wagon. Mrs. Beverley Knight volunteered to capture the whole event with beautiful photos of the attendees. She also made some of her OCP-famous cupcakes for the event!

The only complaint of the night, which will hopefully be changed next year, were related to the music. OCP administration had approved a student-made playlist, but several last-minute changes were made by the DJ, and some students felt it was stale at times and not easy to dance to.

Overall, Prom was a big success, especially considering OCP did not even have a prom last year. Students will look to have a even bigger role in planning the Prom for this coming year. Students were very appreciative for the event and to all those who made it possible. We’d especially like to thank Mrs. Knight for taking so many incredible photos! Here are just a few for you to enjoy! Visit https://beverleyknightphotography.pixieset.com/ to book Mrs. Knight for your next photo experience.

 

Nassir Little Headed to NBA

by Aaron Bass

Last year, our boys basketball team won a second state championship in two years. A major reason fro the Warriors' success was former student Nassir Little!

Nassir attended Orlando Christian Prep for two years, graduating in 2018. Nassir had some big accomplishments during his time as a Warrior: he was selected to play among the best in the country in both the McDonald’s All American game and the Jordan Classic and was named MVP for both games. Fun fact: he and Lebron James are the only two player who have ever accomplished this!

After OCP, Nassir headed to the University of North Carolina. He chose UNC because he saw as a personal challenge to be able to contribute as a first-year player at a school with such a strong basketball reputation. UNC certainly afforded him the opportunity to develop and become a better player.

Nassir just finished his freshman year at UNC, and was a key player for the Tar Heels. His highest scoring game of the season came against Virginia Tech in January, when he put 23 points on the board. In March Madness his team were unlucky to go out after making it to the Sweet 16, with a tough loss to Auburn. Nassir was battling the flu that which, which added to the disappointment.

After the close of this year's NCAA tournament, Nassir has officially announced that he is going to be entering the 2019 NBA draft. This is big decision for Nassir, and an exciting one for us Warriors, too, as a lot of us remember him walking the halls here at OCP! Keep an eye on Nassir Little! We all wish him the best in his basketball career.

Orlando Magic Season Update

by Nick Bell

The NBA playoffs have begun, and our hometown team, the Orlando Magic, qualified for a spot this year - ending a 7 year playoff drought. This season, under new coach Steve Clifford, the Magic boasted a 42-40 record, which placed them in the seventh seed in the east. The Magic also had one of their players receive an all star nod this year. Nikola Vucevic was a first-time all star, and the first Magic player to receive this honor since Dwight Howard.

The Magic started the first round with a bang, defeating the Raptors in a close 104-101 win. DJ Austine scored 25 points, including a go-ahead 3 with just seconds to go. This game put social media into a frenzy as nobody expected a Magic win in game one. There was also much frenzy over the fact that Raptors' star point guard, Kyle Lowry, was held to zero points in the game.

The Magic would unfortunately go on to lose the next four games and be eliminated from this year's playoffs, but the fact that they made it there says a lot. This season was a 17-win improvement from last season where they only won 25 games. This improvement has put Steve Clifford into the coach of the year race. Though unlikely to win the award, it's great to see a Magic coach get some spotlight for the right reasons.

The Magic went into this series with all of their players having little to no playoff experience. This season will be a stepping stone for future Magic teams as they continue to try and build a contender for the eastern conference crown. Magic fans have a lot to be excited for, as the Magic have a young core of talent that will be around for years to come!

UCF Basketball Season Recap

by Aaron Bass

Orlando’s home college UCF, just completed an outstanding basketball season. Not only were they ranked in the top 25 in the country for the first time since 2011, but this was also the first time they qualified for the annual NCAA Championship "March Madness" Tournament. 

UCF had many personal player achievements, as well. Senior and center, Tacko Fall, was able to rack up over 1000 points in his career in college basketball. Another proud accomplishment for the Knights is that their very own Aubrey Dawkins will enter the 2019 NBA draft, and has said that UCF played a massive part into him making it so far. Dawkins had an amazing season and impressed against some big teams, including putting up 32 points against Duke!

The UCF Knights came up against some tough opponents this season, but stood up to the test. Houston was ranked No. 6 nationally when UCF upset them on the road, marking the Knights’ second-highest ranked win in school history.  

After this and some other great results, the Knights were able to qualify for the NCAA March Madness competition, seeded at No. 9 in their bracket. In the first round they were pitted against the No. 8 VCU Rams, and they came out on top with an impressive 73-58 win! In the next round they faced No. 1 seed (and the number one team in the country) the Duke Blue Devils! The Knights really took the game to Duke, as they battled all the way until the final second where they missed the win by only one point. Upsets in the game, such as Tacko Fall fouling out and a missed final lay-up, along with poor decisions by referees, made the difference between the win and the loss for the Knights.

In the end, UCF finished with their best record to-date: an astonishing 24 wins and only 9 defeats! We are all proud of our hometown college for their successful season, and we hope that they are able to do the same next year!

AAF Follow-Up: XFL is Back!

by Nick Bell

The Alliance of American Football (AAF) recently announced that they have suspended operations permanently. Among other reasons, this is partly due to the fact that the AAF failed to come to an agreement will the NFL Players Association, which would have allowed the AAF to use NFLPA practice squads and young players. Without agreement, it was feared the AAF could never become a proper developmental league. The AAF was short lived and is no more, but even amidst its fall, we see new beginnings on the horizon. 

The XFL, run by Vince McMahon of WWE fame, will resume after having a brief stint as a league in the early 2000s. The XFL will begin in 2020, with many former NFL and former college players planning to participate. The XFL will take the AAF's place as an off-NFL-season professional football league. Currently, eight teams are signed up to begin play in February of 2020. Orlando's closest XFL team will be Tampa Bay.

Indoor, or arena football is coming back, as well. The Arena Football League (AFL) is back up to six teams, after having contracted to only four in the previous year, and will begin its 2019 season late this month. The Orlando Predators are back after a year away from arena football. They have joined the National Arena League, a newer arena league, which also has six teams currently, and is set to begin soon. 

It is great to see so many new football leagues coming around, giving players more opportunities to play and fans more opportunities to watch. The future of future is bright, as at least one of these business ventures is bound to find success in this NFL-driven market. We hope you all can catch a game soon, and see what these leagues have to offer.

Spring Break 2019

by Aaron Bass

We're back from spring break, so we thought it would be fun to ask around and find out what everyone did with their time off. This year, some OCP students had an amazing spring break with many fun-filled adventures. 

Jacob Brommer made the long drive up to North Carolina with some friends to enjoy the different type of scenery, do some zip-lining, and explore the mountains. Jalen Carr was able to enjoy some of the beautiful views of Georgia and spend some quality time with his relatives. Briela Salisbury and Connor Edel travelled to New York for the week and explored sites such as the Empire State Building, Times Square, and the Hudson River. The two described their visit as adventurous and fun. 

While we had students up in the cold state of New York, some stayed close to home and took in Florida’s sunny beaches. Willie and KJ made the drive down to beautiful Miami Beach and were able to get some beautiful beach weather -- after the horrible thunderstorms hit. (Unfortunately, during this year's spring break, the weather disappointed us here in Florida, as the first part of spring break was nothing but pouring rain and thunderstorms.) 

Some Warriors checked out action-packed Daytona Beach, where they were able to enjoy attractions such as Daytona Lagoon, Bike Week, and the Boardwalk and Pier. 

While some students may have traveled away for their spring break fun, others relaxed at home. But, all were thankful to have a week off of school to relax and enjoy. We hope you all enjoyed your week off, and pray you're all rested-up to finish the last quarter strong!

Alliance of American Football

by Nick Bell

A new football league has begun in our country, and with it, a new team in Orlando: the Orlando Apollos. The The Alliance of American Football (AAF) is led by some of the most respected football minds in the game, and its goal is high-quality professional football fueled by a dynamic alliance between players, fans, and the game. The AAF allows football fans to enjoy football during the NFL off-season so we never have to go without! It also allows young players who may not have made it in the NFL, or aspiring former college players, to have a second opportunity to play professional ball in a less competitive, yet still exciting league. 

The Alliance currently features eight teams: the Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, Memphis Express, Orlando Apollos, Arizona Hotshots, Salt Lake Stallions, San Antonio Commanders, and the San Diego Fleet. The Alliance is geared toward a better fan experience, through such things as fewer commercials and putting fans closer to the action. For example, all AAF players wear mics at all times, which allows the fans to hear the action on the field as it’s happening.

Recently, the Orlando Apollos invited the OCP Warrior Football Team to be honored at an Alliance game for their success this season. The Apollos want to congratulate OCP on our State Championship season. The game, during which OCP will be highlighted, will be held on April 6 at Spectrum Stadium.

The sport of football is evolving, and the AAF is doing great things by giving young players more opportunities to make a name for themselves in hopes of one day making an NFL roster. We'd like to encourage our students to check out an Alliance game for themselves... especially the one on April 6!

Warrior Track & Field

by Aaron Bass & Chad Soucie

The Orlando Christian Prep Track and Field Teams are looking to dominate the district this season as they will be competing in multiple track meets over the coming weeks. With both the boys and girls working exceptionally hard every day after school for all their various events, we have no doubt our Warriors will be achieving some big results! Our coaches this year are Coach D and Coach Rymer, who are both determined to have a successful season. 

One event about which OCP is especially hopeful this year, is the boys 4x100 relay.  Last year's relay team was able to make it all the way to states, just missing out on winning it all! This year's relay team includes Blake Stillwell, Monroe Sanderson, Alex Ferrusco, and Jalen Carr, and we wish them all the best!

Our Girls and Boys Varsity Track Teams are each made of students from grades 7 through 12, and each team competes in several different events, from sprinting to distance running to throwing. We've seen some success already. Jalen Carr put a top-ten finish on the board at our first meet's 100m final. He did so again at our second meet, joined by the boys 4x100 relay team and Knyk Ross in the shot put. 

Our girls' best meet to date has been the Toho Invitational, where Siarah Brown, as well as the girls 4x100 relay team both finished third. Top-ten finishes were also put up by Aalyssa Gunn in the high jump and by the 4x400 relay team. The Toho Invitational proved to be a great meet for the boys, also. Jalen Carr continued with his top-ten finishes, this time in the 200m and the long jump. He was joined by top-ten performances from the 4x100 relay team, the 4x400 relay team, and Gilbert A. Garcia in the high jump.

Our Warriors have three track meets behind them, and they look forward to getting back to work now that spring break is over. Several of our students have already scored "qualifying" marks, so that they can move on to playoffs later this spring. We also have several Warriors with "Top 100" scores (state-wide). For all the stats you care to view, check out florida.tfrrs.org.

Go Warriors!

What Would You Change?

by Nick Bell

Recently, we sent out a poll that was answered by thirty Orlando Christian Prep students anonymously via Google forms. We asked students if they could change anything about OCP, what would it be? We received a variety of results, but a few stood out and repeated as themes in the answers.

Fourteen of the thirty students asked for new or updated dress code rules. Many students asked for an updated outerwear policy, such as similar rules to last year wear solid colors were allowed. Other students asked for an outerwear policy where student could wear jackets from whichever college they are planning to attend. Many also asked for boys to be allowed to wear earrings in school, as many have earrings now but have to remove them at school. Another suggested rule change is being allowed to wear spirit shirts from any year on Fridays as well as any other OCP spirit weary you may have, such as team and club shirts.

Some students asked for a larger selection of elective classes (and we understand this is something OCP has been working on over the past few years). Students also asked for more field trips, claiming they can be a beneficial break from the classroom to be able to learn in a different environment.

Another common suggestion was for high school retreat to be off campus again, as it was years ago but hasn't been lately. This could give students a more comfortable space to get to know their peers and worship the Lord. Students also had the idea for ongoing paid causal days to help raise money: where one would purchase a wrist-band in the morning and get to wear whatever they wanted -- as long as it's appropriate. 

Lastly, students asked for a limit on the amount of work teachers can give on a nightly basis to take home, because this not only stresses students, but also takes away from their social and family life. When a lot of homework is assigned, students cannot develop social and life skills as well as they would with the time they miss out on.

These are all helpful hints that the administration can use to make our school an even better learning environment. They could go a long way in helping us to be happy and functional. We as a student body understand we will not get all of these changes, but we are hoping our voices are heard. We appreciate all who took the time to share their opinions, as well as those who read this article!

Baseball Season Outlook

by Nick Bell

Orlando Christian Prep has had a very good baseball program in past seasons, posting good records and always showing tremendous improvement... and this season will be no different! Coming off a season with many new and young players, OCP is poised for a breakout year. The Warriors are expecting to compete this year for a district championship, and will take nothing less!

This year's baseball team is lead by seniors Adam Gonzalez and Danny Davis, both of whom offer a veteran presence. They also have a strong junior core in Christian Smith, Nick Bell and Carlos Tavarez. OCP also has some talented younger players such as Jonah Gonzalez, Josue Lopez, Aydan Abalo and many more! 

The Warriors are coached by Coach Cody Hancock, Anthony Deese and Carlos Gonzalez, and they are managed by Michael Schmitt. This strong staff is filled with college and high school baseball experience, as well as years of coaching experience. The OCP coaches strive to put their players in the best position to win and succeed. In addition to coordination and skill, they use the game of baseball as a platform to teach many life lessons, as well. Another goal is to get the players to be able to break things down mentally at high speeds in order to make the correct play.

This season, the Warriors have set high expectations for themselves and the games should be extremely exciting to watch. Baseball games are played on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Fridays. Ask a coach or player for a schedule, and stay tuned to the morning announcements, so you can come out and support our team. We wish all our spring sports teams the best luck as their seasons begin!

College Decisions Update, Part 2

by Nick Bell

 At Orlando Christian Prep, our athletics teams strive to be the best, which results in a long list of athletes who will play at the next level.

Continuing our discussion of athletes who have committed to colleges, we have two more students to highlight. Shamar Hill and Jalen Carr two more seniors from our football team headed to college on scholarship. They each are exceptional, both in the classroom and on the field.

Shamar is headed to Norfolk State University to play football, where he will be playing linebacker. Shamar is known for being extremely passionate on the field. He has a high motor that leads to many tackles and big plays, and has instincts for the game that make him a very recruit-worthy athlete. Shamar has attended OCP for two years, where he has developed into quite a player and young man. Beyond sports, Shamar is a diligent learner, securing the GPA needed to be a college-bound athlete and enabling him to make a great impact on his teachers and peers. He is well-liked and respected around the campus. We wish Shamar luck in his future wherever life leads him.

Jalen Carr, or as many know him -- “J Dawg," is a running back who will be attending Illinois State University. Jalen has a work ethic like no other and is considered the hardest worker on the team. He not only trains Monday through Friday, but even on the weekends. He is very fast, running the 40 yard dash at exceptional speeds, and boasts quick reflexes, agile cuts, and consistency. Jalen was a force on the field, and as a result of his hard work received a college scholarship to Illinois State. Jalen boasts a good GPA and works hard in the classroom so he could achieve a goal of his: playing Division I football. Jalen is known as a jokester who loves to have fun, but he knows when to be serious, as is reflected by his grades. He will do great in college and all of us at OCP are cheering him on.

As more seniors decide on their college we will highlight them. Stay tuned for even more highlights of our Warriors' future plans. We at OCP are praying all our seniors to reach their fullest potential and accomplish everything God has planned for them!

OCP Basketball: The Road to States

by Aaron Bass

Our Varsity Basketball Teams, both Girls and Boys, are currently in top-form as they try to reach the State Championship again this year. Our boys are looking to make it a three-peat, having won the FHSAA division 3A boys basketball State Championship for the past two years. 

With new players such as Eric Butler, Christian Rojas and other talented players, the Boys Varsity Team has had a successful season so far, with a record of 18-5. Of those games that are in-district, they are currently undefeated. Coach Treig and his squad will be working hard to get through Regionals and Districts to make it to the RP Funding Center in Lakeland in March!

After having a rough start to the season, the Girls Varsity Team was able to boost their number of wins to 14, winning all five of their in-district games. Our girls continue working hard every day, and have just won districts for the fourth year in a row by defeating Real Life Christian Academy with a score of 66-34! Siarah Brown leads the team and has had an outstanding season with some big performances as she was able to drop 26 points against Rival team Faith Christian and had 22 points in the district final! Siarah is averaging 15 points per game and is definitely someone our opponents are looking out for!

Both the Boys and Girls Varsity Teams will be looking to head to the FHSAA State Championship again this year. The girls have already taken the first step, defeating Bishop McLaughlin in their round one game with a score of 61-18! Our boys are hoping to breeze through their district games, as well, and they they are in great form to do so, having just defeated Atlantic High School.

Be sure to catch a game to support our Varsity Basketball Teams as they journey down another road to States!

Soccer Season Recap

by Aaron Bass

Our Warriors Varsity Soccer Team have just finished up their season after a long 2 months, with a record of 4 wins and 10 losses. First year head coach, Coach Ryan Hopkins, and the players worked hard all season to compete in an extremely competitive district. Help also came from assistant and goalkeeper coach, Coach Poratta, who was able to have a big influence on the Warriors, especially at the end of the season with their big wins. 

The Warriors opened up the season against rivals Faith Christian, where they were missing players such as Aaron Bass, Junior Cesar, and Nick Bell due to eligibility issues and injuries. The game ended in defeat after a hard performance. They then moved on to games against difficult opponents such as Circle Christian and Geneva, where they would narrowly miss out on wins.

After another few unfortunate games where they were unable to come out on the top side of the score, the Warriors had a home game against Osceola Christian, who had been on a winning streak. The game was one sided to the Warriors, and they were able to "mercy rule" Osceola before the 2nd water break, with a final score of 8-0! Two goals each were scored by Danny Davis with brilliant headers, Aaron Bass who found the back of the net from a distance, and Junior Cesar. Additional goals were were a header from Alex Ferrusco and a long shot from Adam Gonzolaz. With five assists, Eldan Lin was one assist away from breaking the district record for the most assists in a single game.

The next game, against Merritt Island Christian, would decide whether the Warriors would be advancing to the district tournament. A goal in the opening 10 seconds of the game from Alex Ferrusco and a hat trick from Eldan Lin allowed the team to qualify for districts two years in a row! Two assists from Aaron Bass and an assist from Danny Davis were crucial in the soccer team's win, with a final score of 4-1!

On Senior Night, our seniors were honored for a great season and for participating this year. This year's seniors were Aaron Bass, Danny Davis, Eldan Lin, Junior Bonfim, Adam Gonzalez and Charles Neiswander! The Warriors played Crooms Academy in an action-packed game, but were unfortunate to lose despite a great performance. Captain Adam Gonzalez commented it was some costly mistakes that kept them from an important win.

The Warriors faced Foundation Academy in the first round of districts, where they were unfortunate to crash out and be knocked out of the playoffs, which was disappointing given the recent wins against Osceola and Merritt Island. 

This year's OCP Soccer Warriors not only learned on the field, but they had learned a lot off of the field, as well. In the end, they were pleased to be able to finish off the season on a high with a couple big performances. Coach Hopkins is delighted with how his players have grown and matured on and off field after all of the challenges they faced this season. Next season, our soccer team hopes to qualify for districts again, but next time finish in a stronger position. Go Warriors!

College Decisions Update

by Nick Bell

Orlando Christian Prep had a very successful football season, and an equally as successful graduating class. Not only were these players exceptional on the field, they were also driven in the classroom, giving many of them the opportunity to continue to play football in college. We'd chose to highlight four of those students today: Connor Edel, Arnell Walker, Monroe Sanderson, and KJ Hodges.

Connor Edel, or as many know him: “the quarterback,” has signed to Ottawa University, which is located in Kansas. He is known as a very quiet leader who is always showing a good example for his teammates. He has attended OCP for two and a half years, playing football for two. Since coming to OCP, he has improved tremendously and left an impact on all those he encountered. Connor will continue to work hard in college and the sky's the limit for him.

Next is Arnell Walker, who signed to the University of Idaho. Arnell is an exceptional athlete who will be playing defensive back at the college level. Unfortunately, his senior season was cut short by an ACL injury, but he will look to come back even stronger as he has already been working hard in physical therapy. Arnell frequently made highlight interceptions, and he struck fear into opposing players. Known around the school as a very respectful student who works hard in the classroom, Arnell has attended and played football for OCP since his freshman year. Arnell is proof that OCP can develop talent at an exceptional level.

Another signee is Monroe Sanderson, who will be attending Mars Hill University to play as a defensive back. Monroe was shifted around through various positions during his time at OCP, but had a breakout year in his senior season, leading the team in interceptions and even having two in the state championship game. Monroe, while at times quiet, is known for being very funny and can really light up a room. He is also a hard worker in the classroom, showing his work ethic. Monroe has worked extremely hard to get to this point, as he did not play much his first two years of high school football, but this work paid off as he has received multiple division II and III scholarship offers. Monroe attended OCP for four years and played football for all of them. We wish Monroe the best of luck in his future!

Finally, we have KJ Hodges, who has committed to attend Fullerton College. KJ is very athletic, being able to play multiple positions on the football field. KJ is also very coachable and picks up on new techniques and systems at an incredible level. KJ has attended OCP for two years and played football for both. He is a hard worker and passionate about his game.

Everyone at OCP is proud of our many exceptional student-athletes, and wishes them the best as they attend their various schools to get an education and one day help change the world. Their college interest shows their solid work ethic was applied to both football training as well as study habits. Let's continue to celebrate our seniors who are planning on going to college, and stay tuned for a follow-up article soon!

OCP's National Honor Society

by Nick Bell

Several students here at Orlando Christian Prep were recently selected for the National Honor Society. This is a major honor for those involved. National Honor Society, or NHS, was created to recognize students beyond just honor roll. It recognizes student who not only are outstanding in the classroom, but also have hearts for service and display good character. The NHS was founded in 1921 to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students in upper schools. 

Some of OCP's requirements for NHS are 50 or more community service hours, a 3.0 or better GPA, and no disciplinary referrals. Students who met this criteria then were required to write an essay on why they should be accepted to be in NHS. They also had to obtain three recommendations from teachers. This narrowed down NHS to only those people who were truly deserving and serious about being selected.

This year’s inductees were Jack Wells, Emily Jacobson, Heather Maddux, Erika Baires. Gabe Pizarro, Bryana Miller, Anna Knight, Megan Soucie, Chiana Trabal, Rachel Cameron, Kayla Richard, Eldan Lin, Leo Lin, Nathalie Arango, Jalen Carr, Elizabeth Castro, and Briela Salisbury.

Junior Gabe Pizarro had this to say about what being inducted meant to him, “It meant a lot to me, from my journey as a kid, growing up with a learning disability, repeating a grade, and having doctors say I will be a C student to now proving all of them wrong and being an A/B student.” He also said this about what he plans to do in the future now that he's inducted, “I plan to go to Valencia’s two year program before transferring to UCF to earn a degree in business administration.” He would like to thank God and his family for helping him to overcome various obstacles in life.

Junior Chiana Trabal commented that she was very excited to get in and that it was a real honor to be selected. She wanted to be in NHS to bolster her transcript, as the honor will help her get into college. She plans to attend UCF and attempt to enter their STEM program, for an eventual major in aerospace engineering. She would like to thank Mrs. Millett and anyone else involved in selecting her for this great honor.

Our students were very honored to be selected, as it shows Warrior spirit as well as carries out God’s plan for helping others and being selfless. Next year we hope for even more students to be inducted as it shows what great things are happening here at OCP.

New Teacher Highlight: Mrs. Stefanie Valdes

by Aaron Bass

This week we sat down with one of our new teachers here at Orlando Christian Prep: Mrs. Stefanie Valdes. Mrs. Valdes joined us in November 2018, and is currently teaching a class of 3rd grade students, whom she says she loves to pieces! 

Mrs. Valdes was born in New Jersey but has lived here in Orlando for most of her life. She attended Cypress Creek High School, then Liberty University in Virginia, where she majored in education. Mrs. Valdes felt that God was calling her to be a teacher, and and she has loved every minute of it. She is married and has twin boys who are in the second grade, here at OCP in Mrs. Harrison’s class.

Mrs. Valdes may be new to OCP, but she is definitely not new to teaching. Miss Valdes has been teaching for about thirteen years, having taught at such schools as Pine Castle Christian Academy and Southland Christian School. Be sure to say hi to Mrs. Valdes and welcome her into our Warrior family here at Orlando Christian Prep!

Warrior Leaders visit Israel

by Aaron Bass

Some of our OCP students, and our principal, Mrs.Jacobson had an amazing opportunity to visit Israel over the Christmas Break. They set out on a nine day adventure from Orlando to Israel, where they were able to experience places where Jesus himself lived and walked!

The students were able to visit some amazing sites, such as the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth, where Mary was told by Gabriel that she was going to have Jesus! They visited Mt. Arbel, located on the path that Jesus walked from Nazareth to Capernaum during his ministry. Valeria described the trip to Mt. Olive as a great time as they walked down the Palm Sunday walk. She loved this because it was the same exact path that Jesus had ridden into town on a donkey. They saw the City of Capernaum, where Jesus lived while he was doing his ministry. They even went to the beautiful Sea of Galilee, which is where Jesus performed miracles such as walking on water and filling the nets with fish. Emily talked about the trip to the Sea of Galilee as being one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. 

Another opportunity our students had during their time in Israel was to pray at and touch the rock that Jesus prayed on before his Crucifixion. The Garden of Gethsemane was where Jesus cried tears of blood before he was taken to be crucified. Anna describes this as a bitter sweet moment because it was hard coming to the realization that Jesus was taken from that exact place, but it was also such a beautiful and incredible place. That same day, they were able to visit the Garden Tomb where Jesus was resurrected. Some of the students felt touched and were amazed by their visit to the Garden Tomb. Then, they visited the famous Jordan River to get baptized in the same water where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist! Andrea loved this part of the trip, and she described seeing two doves fly over her after she was baptized. 

Our students were also able to float in the Dead Sea! Nathalie described this as dangerous but filled with adrenaline and fun. The students described this experience as an amazing one, though they faced a few challenges due to the hardened salt all over the shore. Despite some scratches and cuts, they all had a blast during their time in the Dead Sea! The next day they traveled to Bethlehem, where they saw Abraham and Isaac's graves. They even visited the place of Jesus’ birth, which was symbolized with a silver star.

Overall, our students described the trip as eye-opening and remarkable, and they felt truly blessed to walk in and see where Jesus began his ministry, and where he will come again at the end. Valeria described it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and she is so thankful for the opportunity. Students also described the trip as surreal, as it was unbelievable to visit the same places where Jesus once walked. 

We are delighted that our students enjoyed their time in Israel. Be sure to ask them about their time and experiences, as they’d be more than happy to share their story.