![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)
On Monday, May 20, both the girls and boys tennis teams took on the Loudoun Valley Vikings in the Dulles District championship. The Phoenix boys swept the Vikings 5-0 and became the top seed in the region. The girls team also made a clean sweep and will send a doubles pair to the region tournament on May 28.
With the sun searing down on the Phoenix tennis courts, seniors Kaushik Muskari and Aryan Dhiman took the 2024 Dulles District Doubles Champions title. Muskari found that the road to districts was a team effort. “I think what led us to districts was keeping our head in the game and really working hard on the court,” Muskari said. “We always have more to do in practice every day when we don’t have matches. That really keeps us on our toes.” The mental aspect of the game is what the team focused on the most this year, and their record is a direct reflection of that. Muskari and Dhiman will advance to the region tournament as the number one seed on May 28 after a 6-3 and 6-0 win over the Tuscarora Huskies and Heritage Pride respectively in previous matches.
Alongside Muskari and Dhiman, seniors Sannidhi Sangisetti and Tarini Panidepu will also be the 1 seed as they advance to the region finals. Sangisetti looks back on the hard practices this season and is grateful for the conditioning that helped her win various matches. “The running helps us stay consistent during the heat,” Sangisetti said. “We’ve just been trying our best and playing well.” Despite some obstacles throughout the season, the girls tennis team worked together to overcome external pressures to shine through at matches. “I think we did good with staying focused on the game and knocking it out,” Sangisetti said.
The beginning of the girls season proved to be quite the struggle as they went up against experienced teams early on in the season. “We just kind of doubled down our efforts and pushed through it,” Panidepu said. Now, the team is well-versed with each other’s playing style and they’ve overcome many of their challenges together as a team.
Aside from the doubles team, one particular sophomore swooped in to take the Dulles District Champion for himself. Sophomore Akash Vangala swept the Pride and the Vikings with a 6-1 and a 6-2 win respectively. Vangala clutched with a 12-10 win in the final set tiebreaker to earn the Phoenix boys team the Dulles District title.
The Phoenix boys tennis team won the rematch against the Vikings in the Region finals on May 22. After three consecutive days of matches, the Phoenix boys took the region title and are the 2024 Region Champions for the first time since 2017. The boys are the number one seed in the state and will host the state quarterfinals at home on Friday, May 31.
