Fran Rodriguez, Staff Writer
Francisco Rodriguez is a sophomore this year, and it’s his second year on The Blaze. He was skeptical about The Blaze at first, but it quickly became one of his favorite classes. For him, the highlight of being part of a newspaper is writing sport pieces. Although Francisco prefers writing sport pieces, A&E is a close second. He plans to be a part of The Blaze as long as he is in Rock Ridge. He also has interest in Law, and sees a possible career in that path. He is on the school football team, but he prefers soccer and has been playing it since 2018. He started soccer in 2018 due to the world cup that year, and kept it up. Outside of school you can find him practicing soccer at home, or playing for a club in sterling.
![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.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)
![Senior Kyle Desai gets into shooting position at the freethrow line, ready to take his foul shots. “I think I did well scoring the ball but there are definitely things I could've done better,” Desai said. “I had too many turnovers, I could've been much cleaner with the ball and made better passes. [But], overall a solid game.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_6293-e1704320279908-1026x1200.jpg)
