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.

Weekly Recap: December 14

by Raymond Rodriguez

It was an exciting week at OCP! On Tuesday, December 11, both our blue and gold 8th grade boys basketball teams traveled to TFA, and they both won. Meanwhile, our JV and Varsity boys basketball teams played at Cocoa High School. Our JV team played a hard fought game, but was defeated 52-84. Our Varsity team, however, took home the win. 

On Thursday, December 13, all three of our high school basketball teams played in their first district game of the season, at home against Real Life Christian. The JV team started the day off, defeating Real Life with a final score of 67-12. The Varsity girls followed that up by beating them 57-29. The Varsity boys finished off the night by easily defeating Real Life, with a final score of 80-20.

That evening was also a good one for middle school basketball. Both the 6th grade and 8th grade blue teams defeated St. Luke's. Our Varsity soccer team played on Thursday, as well, but sadly took the loss to ICS with a score of 1-4.

Thursday was the night of the elementary Christmas program, Star of Wonder. The program was well attended and enjoyed by all. Congratulations, Miss Thomas, for a job-well-done.

On Friday, December 14, the Varsity boys basketball team played at home against Life Christian from Georgia, taking the win with a score of 64-52.

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

by Christian Smith

So the word on the street is that this new Spider-Man movie is pretty good so I'm going to debrief you on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse with my opinion. 

The movie is animated yet feels real life -- like a comic book coming to life right before you. The animation is high-tech, but not too high tech... it definitely satisfies in that department. In addition to the good animation style, the film also has a good amount of appropriate humor. Despite this being an animated Spider-Man movie, it just may be the best Spider-Man ever.

Set in the usual Queens, New York, Into The Spider-Verse, still features the "friendly neighborhood" Peter Parker who wears the mask, saves his city, and loves his wife. However, this film's hero is not Peter Parker, but teenager Miles Morales, and this Spider-Man is from Brooklyn. Parker and Morales team up and meet other spider-men/women/etc. throughout their adventure.

Although many of us may wish this was a live-action movie, there are also those of us who are thankful for the animation because it brings out our inner child. In my opinion, this Into the Spider-Verse is a different, family-friendly, and amazing perspective on a Spider-Man movie, which, after the dozens of super-hero films we've seen recently, is well-needed and much appreciated.

Coach of the Week: Guershom "Coach D" Demosthenes

by Nick Bell

For Coach of the Week, we chose to highlight Coach Guerschom Demosthenes, or "Coach D" as he's known here at OCP, where he's been working since 2013. He is extremely deserving, as he led our football team to claim the SSAC State Championship title this year!

Coach D began his career not knowing he was going to coach. In 2001,  he had just finished college and was not sure what he wanted to do. His high school football coach gave him a call and offered him an opportunity to coach under him at Dr. Philips High School. He began coaching in 2002, where he found his passion in molding and developing young men into better players and citizens of this world.

Coach D has picked up years of experience, coaching at six different schools. When he was offered the head coaching job at Orlando Christian Prep, it was an offer he couldn't refuse, and has proved to be the right fit for him. During the first practice Coach held at OCP, only eight players showed up. Many would have been discouraged, but Coach kept faith in God and repeatedly said to players and coaches “Jesus gon' bring 'em,” and indeed He did! 

During Coach D's first year at OCP, the football team made it to the SSAC State Championship, but unfortunately suffered a defeat, coming home runners-up. The next year they did the same. After that, it took a few years before he got the team back to the dance, but when he did they made the most out of the opportunity -- winning the State Championship against St. Stephens with a score of 35-14! Coach D had this to say about the season: "This was a special season, in which we had great players, great administration, and [it showed] what hard work and dedication can do when you trust and believe in God."

OCP is very lucky to have coaches like Coach D on staff. He has established a legacy of excellence with a record (so far) of 49-12. He teaches his players faith in the Lord, as well as great techniques on the field. He also works very hard trying to find them opportunities to play football in college so they can have a discounted or free education. Coach D is a walking image of a true OCP Warrior!

Christmas in Orlando

by Aaron Bass

With Christmas quickly approaching, there are a lot of events that will be happening around Orlando during this special time of the year.

At Walt Disney World, Mickey’s "Very Merry Christmas Party" runs until December 21. This special after-hours event allows you to go and spend the day with Mickey and all the others at Disney! Sea World will be hosting a variety of unique, themed animal shows to celebrate the holidays - some have never been shown at Sea World before! 

If you and your family want to enjoy a nice holiday buffet with a special Christmas show, The Rosen Plaza is the place to be. There will be buffets, shows and guest speakers from 12:00-4:00 pm on Christmas Day. "Light Up UCF" is going on now until January 1st. There are many attractions such as a ferris wheel, movies, new music and a world class light show presented by Duke Energy. There is also ice skating, sledding, and more. Light Up UCF is fun for all ages so be sure to check out before it is over!

Finally, if you want to spend some time with God and with your church, Orlando Baptist Church will be having a Christmas Eve service at 5:00 pm.

Merry Christmas from the Warrior Weekly!

Coach of the Week: Ryan Hopkins

by Aaron Bass

This week we decided to feature our new coach, Mr. Ryan Hopkins. Coach Hopkins is in his second year as a teacher here at Orlando Christian, with math classes such as Algebra and Financial Agebra. This is his first year as the new head coach of the varsity soccer team.

Coach Hopkins has a passion for soccer, not only as a coach but as a player as well. He played competitive soccer in high school team, and played a lot of pick up during his time in college at UCF. This season, Coach Hopkins hopes to put more wins on the table and advance, to the district tournament, as well. He and his players train extremely hard and are looking forward to the season progressing. 

All of us here at OCP are excited to have Coach Hopkins on board, and we wish him and his team the best of luck.

Basketball Recap, December 7

by Raymond Rodriguez

This was a busy week for basketball in the Warrior Nation. Our 7th and 8th grade "Gold" basketball team started it off for us, playing two games on Monday night, winning the first game against Montverde Academy’s middle school team by 11 points, and losing the second game to Montverde Academy’s 9th grade team by only 3 points. 

On Tuesday night, our 7th and 8th grade "Blue Team" demolished Bishop Moore’s Freshman team. Varsity Girls followed them, but unfortunately took the loss to Hagerty High School by a close score of 35-39. 

On Thursday night, both our JV and Varsity Boys basketball teams played. JV took the win in a very close game against Cypress Creek that came down to the buzzer, ending with a final score of 62-59! RJ Morgan hit the winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game, and finished of with 21 total points. The Varsity team easily defeated Cypress Creek, as well, with a score of 73-60. Junior Eric Butler, guard, finished with 21 points.