![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)
On Tuesday, March 12, the Phoenix boys tennis team faced the Broad Run Spartans in an exhilarating contest. While both the singles and doubles matches were intense, with each player giving their best performance, the Phoenix took the overall win 7-2.
Going into the matchup, the Phoenix were ready for a comeback after losing to the Spartans three times last year. “Their lineup changed a lot, it’s really different from last year,” sophomore Harsha Antham said. “At least like five or six of their players graduated, so they have a bunch of new players who aren’t as good as last year. We went into the match thinking we’d get cooked, but we surprisingly won.”
The Phoenix started the battle strong, winning the majority of the singles matches and taking an early lead with a score of 5-1. After gaining that substantial lead, the Phoenix then moved on to doubles with confidence. “It felt pretty good to beat them after losing to them last year,” senior Aryan Dhiman said. “One thing I would like to improve is double matches because we don’t have that much chemistry right now, but we are working on it.”
They won two out of the three doubles matches, resulting in a final score of 7-2. “It wasn’t like last year, it was pretty easy because they lost most of their competition,” sophomore Sathvik Mathi said. “We won most of the matches we expected to win, and lost the ones we expected to lose.” The final score was a testament to the team’s hard work. Although the Spartans put up a good fight, they ultimately succumbed to the Phoenix.
