![Held up by a group of cheerleaders, flyer sophomore Leyu Yonas poses as part of a stunt, also supported by flyer junior Shayne Mitchell behind her. (Left) Prior to the pink out football game on Oct. 13, the athletes practiced in the aux gym from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Right) On Oct. 19, the cheerleaders competed in their District Championships at Woodgrove High School. “We definitely put all our effort on the mat [at Districts], and it showed,” Mitchell said. Left: Photo by Nadia Shirr. Right: Photo by Steve Prakope via Victor O’Neill Studios.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feature-image-1200x823.png)
![Sophomore Xavier Smith (6), the Phoenix quarterback, runs the ball as his teammates help hold up the defense. “My [offensive] line collapses, so I just [have to run], and its a good way to get first downs because [Tuscarora’s] defense was really good,” Smith said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_5383-1200x897.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
![With the energy and effort the Bolts were bringing to the game, the Phoenix had to step up and match them to make it through their first game of the season. Many of the girls on the team, including freshman Nazly Rostom, have been playing soccer since their childhood and have grown a love for the sport as a result. “It was fun to see how we actually played in a [real] game,” Rostom said. “Even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for, I’m still happy we got to play together.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0154-1200x800.jpg)
The Phoenix girls basketball team hosted the Heritage Pride on Jan. 18. The Phoenix ended the game down 49-27, but still played strong throughout the contest, consistently being aggressive on both sides of the court.
During the first quarter of the game, the Phoenix showed remarkable skill by scoring several baskets early on, creating a large gap between them and the Pride. However, with a few minutes left on the clock, it was obvious that the Pride were catching up. The score was 9-7, with the Phoenix in the lead. However, with about two minutes left on the clock, the Pride had successfully caught up and tied with the Phoenix. By the end of the first quarter, the Phoenix were down 18-11. Freshman Simone Diby was the highest-scoring player for the Phoenix, scoring three baskets and one free throw, tying with the Pride’s highest-scoring player.
The second quarter, however, proved to be less successful for the Phoenix. By the end of the half, the Pride had scored 23 more points, leaving the Phoenix behind for a half-time score of 41-11. “The whole second quarter [was difficult], because some people couldn’t get the ball up the court or they let the defender take the ball from them,” senior Cora Bowen said.
After halftime, the Phoenix started to gain traction once again, their momentum fueled by communication and cooperation. “We had a talk before the third quarter, and we all collectively agreed we had to try harder,” said Bowen. “All of us as a team put in more effort.”
With the new energy, Diby scored an easy basket and Bowen made a clean 3-pointer. With 56 seconds left on the clock, Bowen took advantage of a foul to score two more free throws. Despite their efforts, the Phoenix still remained behind by the start of fourth quarter, with the score being 47-18.
The fourth quarter saw a promising start with the Phoenix immediately scoring two points. They continued to score points consistently throughout the quarter and scored a total of nine points, compared to the Pride’s gain of two points.
Out of those nine, freshman Eryn Chemoiwa scored six free throws, making her the highest-scoring player of the last quarter. About four minutes into the quarter, Chemoiwa and Diby also worked together to score an easy bucket.
Nonetheless, as the final buzzer sounded, the Phoenix were still down 49-27. “I feel like we tried hard,” Diby said. “It was the first day back for people with injuries and stuff like that, but I think we played as hard as we could.”
After the game, Coach Gordon Neal reflected with the team on their performance on the court. “Coach sits us down and talks to us after the game, and we talk about what we need to work on for next time, and what we did well,” junior Soam Mansoor said.
