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.