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!