Shooting for Success

As the Lady Norsemen's season neared its end, they said goodbye to their only senior athlete, Jasmine Mitchell. She joined six other female athletes in the 1000-Point Club back in January, following in the footsteps of her father, Rocky Mitchell. They are the only father/daughter duo to accomplish this. "My dad was a basketball athlete at Newark and playing for the same team in the same gym has been incredible," Jasmine said.

Mitchell has many memories of her time at Newark, but her biggest memories are competing in post-season and conference games. She will be continuing her basketball career at Indiana Wesleyan University.

The girls competed in Regionals at St. Francis de Sales in Chicago on February 8 and 9. They breezed through the semi-final round, destroying St. Francis de Sales 92-11. The Lady Norsemen advanced and played Bridgeview Universal. The girls defeated Bridgeview 59-25, claiming the regional championship. Senior Jasmine Mitchell and Freshman Meggie Scott also advanced in the 3-point shooting contest. They played Annawan in the first round of the Sectionals at Serena, suffering a 34-57 loss.

Coach Scott was leading a younger team this year. After losing the conference tournament championship game to Serena, the Lady Norsemen really had to battle back to develop more mental toughness and team play. "Jasmine was our only senior, so we had been working to develop as a group. I could not be more proud of the teamwork and unselfish play that this team has shown throughout the season," Coach Scott said.

By Emma Nelson

Regional Champions!

Congratulations to the Newark Lady Norsemen Basketball Team for your 59-25 Regional Victory against Bridgeview Universal! The Lady Norsemen have now advanced to the Sectional Semifinal to be held on Monday, February 13, 7:00 p.m. vs. Annawan High School at Serena. Also congrats to Jasmine Mitchell and Meggie Scott for advancing to the Three-Point Showdown! Way to go, Lady Norsemen!

Girls Basketball

Over Christmas break the girls competed in the Ottawa Christmas Classic tournament. They ended up finishing ninth out of 20 teams.

"Overall, we were 2-2 and played some really good competition," stated Coach Scott. "I was pleased with the way we competed and was happy to be in a tournament that will help us prepare for the second half of our season."

The Lady Norsemen are continuing to work on defense, shooting, and ball movement. They play well together and look for each other well on the court. Conference wise, Coach Scott says, "We are currently 5-0, and took first place in the conference going into the conference tournament."

The leading scorer is Senior Jasmine Mitchell with 17.4 points per game. She is also the leading rebounder with 6.8 rebounds per game. Freshman Meggie Scott is averaging the most assists with 7.8 assists per game.

By Caeley Larson

Starting Strong

Starting off in the Somonauk Break-Out Tournament the week before Thanksgiving, the Lady Norsemen Varsity basketball hit the ground running and overtook Plano the first night out, the first win of three in the tournament, their other wins coming from Hinckley Big-Rock and Wheaton Academy. The Lady Norsemen’s only loss came from Aurora Central Catholic, leaving the team coming out of week one with a solid record of 3-1, the best opening week record in the last four years.

The following Tuesday, November 22, the Lady Norsemen battled against Aurora Christian at home, their debut on their home floor. It was a close win but a win nonetheless. In addition to celebration of the win, the team celebrated the 1,000-point milestone surpassed by senior Jasmine Mitchell amidst the game.

The girls had their next game Monday, starting off with a win against conference match-up Leland-Earlville. The next night, the Lady Norsemen took their streak to Dwight and defeated the Trojans, boosting their record to 6-1. On Thursday, December 1, conference member Hiawatha came out to Newark and got blown away in a 76-27 point game. Lady Norsemen basketball headed to Marquette that Saturday for a brutal match, which left them with a win but an injury to their point guard, freshman Meggie Scott.

On December 5, the girls defended their home court against the Timberwolves of Indian Creek in a close game, the win coming with a buzzer beater from Jasmine Mitchell. The Lady Norsemen continued to nurse their bumps and bruises, having to brush it off. They play in their Christmas tournament the week of the 19-23.

By Jasmine Mitchell

Starting the Season Off Right

The volleyball season finally came to an end and with it, the onset of the girl’s basketball season. The changing of the leaves and turning chill of the weather represents a lot more to basketball players than the turning of fall to winter.

The Lady Norsemen are coming back from a winning record last season under now second year Varsity coach, Coach Barb Scott. They lost four seniors last year with only one junior returning as the seniority on the team. “We are going to be extremely young this year, but with leadership from our senior and juniors, we should do very well,” Coach Barb Scott tells.

Their practices began the week of Halloween, a mere three days after the Regional Championship for volleyball, which meant for nearly fifteen volleyball players only the briefest of breaks.

With only two weeks of real preseason, the Lady Norsemen will head into the Somonauk Break-Out Tournament in the week of November 14 through the 18, playing four games on the weeknights against Plano, Wheaton Academy, Aurora Central Catholic and fellow conference member Hinckley Big-Rock.

By Jasmine Mitchell

Lady Norsemen Looking For A Run

The Lady Norsemen are coming off a good finish at the Lisle Christmas tournament with a 4th place trophy. The Lady Norsemen are looking for a little run to cap off the conference tournament. After asked, “Why this team would make it farther than any other team in the conference”, Coach Scott said, “Our team is very unselfish and they distribute the ball really well. They play extremely hard and are determined to improve and play for a conference championship!”

The next few games are very important to the Lady Norsemen as they enter the conference tournament. As a first year coach, Coach Scott has some big plans for this team. When asked, “What's your favorite thing about coaching this group of girls”, She answered, “ These girls are so much fun to coach and they always come ready to play and work hard! We have had some great team kickboxing workouts, too!”

The Lady Norsemen are approaching the conference tournament that will be starting on January 18. Coach said, “We are looking forward to playing both Indian Creek and Serena at the conference tournament and then again at the end of their regular season”. Hopefully the Lady Norsemen can make a little run as they're heading towards the end of the season!

By Dylan Patrick

Getting Off to a Hot Start

The Newark girls basketball team began its season on a good path to greatness. The girls started off their season at the Somonauk Breakout Tournament. They finished the tournament going 2-2, with losses to Plano and Wheaton Academy.

At Somonauk, the Lady Norseman team was lead by returning seniors, Kelsea Zitt and Megan DiClementi. Megan improved her outside game this season by hitting a lot of threes. “Coach Scott as a new coach is doing a great job. She allows us to reach goals as a team and manages games very well,” said senior Maddie Friestad.

The Lady Norsemen recently played Dwight and played very good defense, which added to tons of scoring. Getting junior Jasmine Mitchell back after she missed a few games in the Somonauk Breakout Tournament really helped the Norsemen roll over Dwight. They have been getting some help from their young guards, sophomores, Alyssa Schofield and Riane Tomsa. The girls are really looking forward to the Lisle Christmas Classic and hope to get some W’s.

By Dylan Patrick

Girls Basketball Ready to Roll

The Newark Lady Norsemen began this season at the Somonauk Breakout Tournament at Somonauk High School starting on November 16. This marked the beginning of the Barb Scott era, as they were her first games as the varsity head coach.

The Lady Norsemen have only five upperclassmen this year that they will rely heavily on. "We have a solid group of upperclassmen with Megan, Kelsea, Morgan, Maddie, and Jasmine. I am excited about the leadership and work ethic they bring to the team," Coach Scott said.

Coach Scott also expressed her excitement for the group of underclassmen who will try to fill in some depth at the varsity level: "We have a great group of 12 underclassmen that are working very hard and will contribute to the team in positive ways."

The upperclassmen on this year’s squad are looking forward to the challenge of leading this young team. Senior forward Morgan Myre expressed this by saying, "With there only being us five upperclassmen, we are looking forward to leading the team and helping some of the underclassmen out during their adjustment to the Varsity level."

By Will Clausel

Girls Basketball Preview

The Newark Lady Norseman basketball team will start off their season on November 16 at the Somonauk breakout tournament. The girls made it to the first round of sectionals last year and hope to get over that hump this year. The Lady Norsemen will be getting Barb Scott as a new coach this year.

When asked what she is looking forward to as a 1st year coach, Coach Scott said, “I am really looking forward to bringing excitement to girls basketball at Newark and in the community and develop a solid program for the future.” Previously Coach Scott coached varsity girl’s basketball in Michigan, and most recently coached grade school girls at Lisbon Grade School.

The Lady Norsemen have 2 of their starting players back for this year. Senior guard Kelsea Zitt said, “I am excited for my senior season and ready to learn from Coach Scott.” The Lady Norsemen have a couple of young players who will have to step up and get the job done: Alyssa Schofield, and Riane Tomsa.

By Dylan Patrick

Girls Basketball

The Newark Girls Basketball team was undefeated in the regular conference. They beat state ranked Harvest Christian. They were the regional champions with wins against Gardner South Wilmington and Serena. The varsity team’s final record was 20-8.

The team had three athletes selected to the Little Ten Conference Squad. Those athletes were Jasmine Mitchell, who was unanimously chosen as a sophomore center; Mozelle Kempiak, unanimously chosen as a junior forward; and Kelsea Zitt, chosen as a junior point guard.

Kelsea also made it to the top 32 in the state for the 1A three-point shooting contest. Jessica Hager was also named to the senior All-Star team.

The JV team’s leading scorer was Alyssa Schofield, and the leading rebounder was Reegan Skelton. “The JV team has improved tremendously,” said Coach Petges.

By Jennifer Otto

Regional Champs

The Lady Norsemen are regional champions once again. For the second year in a row they were able to win the regional championship. This year, they were led by Coach Dale Skelton.

They were the number one seed in the Somonauk regional and came up on top with wins over Gardner-South Wilmington and Serena in the championship. For a team that only had two returning starters (junior Kelsea Zitt and sophomore Jasmine Mitchell) and a new coach, they were able to accomplish a lot.

For the third year in a row they were regular season conference champs in the Little Ten. A tough loss to the Indian Creek Timberwolves in the conference championship game prevented them from sweeping the conference championships.

In the post-season, junior Kelsea Zitt competed in the state 3- point contest on February 26 (after press time).

Overall, this was a successful season for the Lady Norsemen. There were three new starters in the lineup with two of them being seniors.

“I think we had great play from our seniors” said Coach Skelton. “We meet our goals and played to our potential.”

The team will have three returning starters and the sixth man back for next year. “If we work hard during the summer I think we will be a force next year.” Congrats on a great season.

By Steve McGrath and Ian Cerney

Regional Champions!

Congratulations to the Newark Lady Norsemen Basketball Team for your 51-41 Regional Victory against the Serena Huskers! The Lady Norsemen have now advanced to Sectional Semifinals to be held on Tuesday, February 17, 7:00 p.m. vs. Amboy at Roanoke (R.-Benson). Also congrats to Megan DiClementi and Kelsea Zitt on advancing to the Three-Point Showdown! Go Newark!

Lady Norsemen Basketball

The Lady Norsemen Basketball team has been on the rise since the start of the season, and over the break they didn’t slow down.  They held their own in the Lisle Christmas Tournament, going 2 - 2 against top competition.  Kelsea Zitt, a junior guard, is quoted saying, “It was fun to play.  I’m just glad we won some games.”

The Lady Norsemen continue to run the rest of the Little Ten Conference ragged, staying undefeated through five games. There are only two home games remaining in February, so come out to support the Lady Norsemen!

By Jack Clausel

Dribbling into a Great Season

The girl’s basketball season is off and dribbling. The girls had a great season last year, and they are looking to carry that over into this year. Coach Dale Skelton returns out of retirement to coach the girl’s basketball team after last year’s coach Brian Holman decided to take his teaching and coaching talents elsewhere. Meghan Petges will return as the varsity assistant coach and head coach of the JV squad. The team has Fikri Rachman, the school’s foreign exchange student from Indonesia, as their manager.

The team is down in numbers with only an 8-woman roster this year. What they lack in numbers, they make up for in will to win. The team started off their season in Somonauk for the early bird tournament where they went 3 and 1, beating Seneca, Sandwich, and Plano. Their one loss came by way of Wheaton Academy. As of press time, their record is 4 wins and 1 loss.

By Caleb Dierzen

Shooting for the Stars

Basketball is up and running once again. Both the girl’s and boy’s basketball teams have a lot of potential coming into season. The girls will be starting their season off in the Somonauk breakout tournament November 17- 23. The boys will kick off their season at the Sycamore Thanksgiving Tournament November 24- 28.

The girls will be coached by Meghan Petges (JV) and Dale Skelton (Varsity.) The girls will be participating in the Lisle Christmas Tournament.

The boys will be coached by Rob Scott (JV) and Rick Tollefson (Varsity.) The boys will be participating in the Plano Christmas Classic in late December, as well.

Come out and support your Norsemen this year! Good luck to both teams this season! GO NORSEMEN!

By Rachael Lape and Missy Friestad

ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR WINTER SPORTS WILL OPEN ON OCTOBER 1, 2014

Attention all winter athletes and parents/guardians: It is now time to register for winter sports. Registration is due for Girls Basketball and Cheerleading by October 27, and for Boys Basketball by November 3, including submission of a physical from your doctor and payments. Registration is being handled exclusively online this year. Below are the instructions you will need to follow in order to complete the entire registration process. At this time, registration will only be permitted for winter sports. Spring registration will be opened at the appropriate time and you will be notified.

To register online use the following instructions:

• Go to http://il.8to18.com/NewarkHS and select the registration tab.
• Click on "Create An Account" and enter your own email and create your own password, OR click on "Log Me In" if you already have an account. (Please be sure to remember this password as you will use this for the years to come for all of your children.)
• Click on "Begin Registration"
• "Select Activity"
  
  • Choose the sport your child will be trying for/participating in.
• "Select Participant"
  
  • Add a New Participant (or choose your child once created)
  • All information on this page is for the student, i.e. cell phone, email.
• "Roster Details"-This must be completed at time of registration.
  
  • You may be asked for t-shirt size, short size.
  • Height and Weight will be used for rosters.
• "Primary Parent/Guardian Information"
  
  • Fill out the Parent information on the next page.
• "Physical Form"
  
  • If you need a form to take to the doctor you may print it here.
  • Remember your athlete must have a current physical in order to begin tryouts/practice.
  • All completed physicals must be brought to the Winter Sports Meeting on either Wednesday October 29, for Girls Basketball and Cheerleading or November 5 for Boys Basketball, before participating on a team for practice or competition.
• "Legal Form"
  
  • At this time by clicking on the boxes, you are agreeing and consenting to all information provided.
  • You may click on the form to read or print. Please note that when there is a parent/guardian and student check box- they must both be checked to move forward.
• "Summary"
  
  • At this time you can see what you have registered for.
  • Click on "Finish" to complete your registration(s)
• The participation fee must be paid online.
• Your student will not be able to participate in practice or in competition without completely registering online, having a physical on file with the Athletic Director, and paying the participation fee online.

Please contact Athletic Director Carol Navarro if you have any questions by email at cnavarro@nchs18.org

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball team finished the season with 20 wins and 8 losses. It was a season to be proud of and the girls showed heart and devotion during the games. The girls finished their regular season games strongly with a 63-7 win against IMSA, and 62 to 14 against Gardner South Wilmington (GSW). The last regular season game was against Aurora Central Catholic. They pulled off this close game with a final score of 50 to 46. Regionals began, and after defeating GSW, the varsity squad advanced to the regional championship against Serena. The girls fought a hard battle, but came up short with a respectable ending score of 61-48. No matter what, they always were doing their best on and off the court and have left some great impressions and memories with the Newark basketball program. Congratulations on a great season ladies!

By Maddie and Marissa Friestad

Lady Norsemen Basketball

The varsity basketball program is in full swing! The girls worked hard to prepare for the season during preseason. They are continuing to work hard and improve everyday. The team is undefeated in conference and recently placed 5th in the Lisle tournament. Senior Nicole Lawrence was asked how she thought the team has grown this season. She answered, “Throughout the season the team chemistry has progressed as well as communication.” This group of seniors has been playing with each other for four years now. The five seniors had a very successful season their sophomore year. The girls plan to continue to work hard and improve for the games to come. They will compete in their conference tournament January 20th-24th. Good luck the rest of the season, ladies!

The junior varsity team has had a great season so far. The girls have competed and placed 1st in both tournaments they have participated in (Putnam Country Trny. and Earlville Christmas Trny.) They are undefeated in conference and are continuing to grow as players. The girls love playing together and are excited to play together in the future. Sophomore Rachel Jacobson says, “I love playing with the girls. We have a lot of fun together and we always have each others backs on and off the court.” The girls will compete in their conference tournament at Serena High School, January 18th.

By Marissa Friestad

Educator Night

On January 9th and 10th the varsity boys and girls varsity basketball teams did an Educators night! The players each picked a person that worked with them in some way, and that has made a huge impact in their life. For the athlete to have an educator nominated, they needed to write a paragraph about how they influenced them in some way. To show honor to the educator, the athlete would escort them out to center court and present them with a T-shirt that had the players’ number on the back. For example, my Educator was Rob Scott, JV head coach of the boys basketball team. My freshman year was his first year coaching for us. My sophomore year with Coach Scott we were watching a high school basketball team together and we witnessed a kid, no taller then I was, dunk. After we saw that, Coach Scott leaned over to me and said, “I could definitely see you doing that by your senior year.” And to this day he still tells me to keep working at it. He tells me he always believes in me, which means a lot. And I’m sure that these Varsity players have memories as good as mine with their educators.

Below listed are the Boy’s varsity basketball players and underneath their name is their educator:

• 11 - Grant Reille-Mohler (Senior)
  Mike Gaul – Trainer, Trinity Wellness
• 5 – Matt Eike (Junior)
  Sharon Adkins - Social Studies Teacher, Millbrook Junior High School
• 4 – Karter Kunkel (Junior) and 24 - Evan Schomer (Sophomore)
  Rob Scott - JV Coach, Newark High School
• 22 – Noah Nichols (Junior)
  Priscilla Jorstad - Language Arts Teacher, Lisbon Grade School
• 15 – Zach Anderson (Sophomore)
  Carol Navarro - Science Teacher, Newark High School
• 42 – Jack Clausel (Sophomore) and 20 – Mitchel Schmidt (Sophomore)
  Aaron Sovern - Coach, Hoop Stars/Hustle Camp, Currently Athletic Director at Yorkville Christian HS
• 21 – Kendall Endres (Sophomore)
  Brian McGrath - Coach, Winter Travel Team
• 3 – Will Clausel (Freshman)
  Duane Ramey – Coach, Millbrook Junior High School
• 2 – Steve McGrath (Freshman)
  Matt Akre – Coach, Winter Travel Team
• 10 – Dimitri Milakis (Freshman)
  Amanda Eibl – Science Teacher, Newark High School

Below listed are the Girl’s varsity basketball players and underneath their name is their educator:

• 2 – Marissa Friestad (Sophomore)
  P.J. McKinney – P.E. Teacher/Coach, Lisbon Grade School
• 10 – Lexi Zeznanski (Junior)
  Carol Navarro – Science Teacher, Newark High School
• 11 – Kelsea Zitt (Sophomore)
  Jeff Eddy – Coach, Millbrook Junior High School
• 13 – Nicole Lawrence (Senior) and 20 – Jasmine Mitchell (Freshman)
  Kris DeGraaf – Teacher/Coach, Lisbon Grade School
• 14 – Kristine Zitt (Senior) and 33 – Lindsey Larson (Senior)
  Dale Skelton – P.E. Teacher/Coach, Newark High School
• 22 – Sarah Bogden (Junior)
  Duane Ramey – Coach, Millbrook Junior High School
• 23 – Kaylynn Shankle (Junior)
  Demetra Turman – Teacher/Principal, Millbrook Junior High School
• 24 – Alexa Myre (Senior)
  Ursula Goldman – English Teacher, Newark High School
• 25 – Alicia Cihak (Senior) and 15- Megan DiClementi (Sophomore)
  Brian Holman – Math Teacher/Coach, Newark High School
• 30 – Rachael Lape (Junior)
  Tonya Grayson – Teacher/Coach, Newark High School
• 34 – Jessica Hager (Junior)
  Ray Eddy – Coach, Millbrook Junior High School

By Karter Kunkel

Girls Basketball

The girl’s basketball team has gotten off to a great start! The junior varsity and varsity team have both played in a recent Thanksgiving tournament. The JV team got first in the Putnam County Tournament. The varsity team placed second in the Somonauk Breakout Tournament. They finished with two wins against Sandwich (38-22) and ACC (49-36) and two losses against Wheaton Academy (41-39) and Seneca (44-35). The lady Norsemen have also defeated the Varsity and Junior Varsity in their game against Somonauk on Thursday, December 5th. The Varsity finished with a score of 46-19 and the JV finished with a score of 41-19. The girls are expected to keep up the good work and have a great season!

By Maddie and Marissa Friestad