Uphill Climb
The Lady Norsemen could settle for their most recent record of 22-1, but instead the Ladies have chosen to use it as motivation to “dig deeper and become the best possible team” they can be, stated senior Abbey Akre. The Lady Norsemen worked their way into the championship game after three consecutive wins at the Lisle Holiday Cage Classic and got first place by a score of 40-39. After their success at the Lisle tournament, the girls beat Kirkland Hiawatha and LaMoille. The Little Ten Conference Tournament was also a triumph for the Lady Norsemen as they received the first place trophy by defeating LaMoille, Indian Creek, and lastly Serena for the conference championship. Following the Conference tournament, the Lady Norsemen defeated the Wheaton Academy Warriors and the Plano Reapers. All the seniors on the team agreed they are pleased with how the season has gone thus far, but are committed to maintaining a good work ethic in practice to improve their skills every day in hopes of a deep post season run.
By Lauren Tollefson and Kayla Milakis
The varsity boy’s basketball team took part in the 50th Annual Plano Christmas Tournament over Christmas Break. The team entered as the 14th seed out of 24 teams. After beating Burlington Central in the play-in-game, Newark upset the rival Yorkville Foxes, who were the 3rd seed. Newark advanced to the elite eight before falling to Kaneland, a 3A school. They proceeded to take on the Fighting Irish of Seneca, and lost by one on a controversial last second call. In their final game of the tournament, the Norsemen battled the Morris Redskins and lost by five after a fourth quarter run fell short. The Norsemen finished the tournament with a 2-3 record. Senior forward Brett Anderson was the team’s lone representative on the All-Tournament team. After a few days off to recuperate, the Norsemen returned to the court for a Little Ten Conference matchup with the Serena Huskers. The Norsemen struggled throughout the game, and managed only an eight-point victory over the young Husker team. Freshman center Jack Clausel compared the game to a pizza without a crust, “It was a sloppy mess!” The team was able to turn it around, however, and avenged their previous loss to Seneca with a crowd-pleasing victory. “It was a wild ride,” said senior guard Joe Hughes. “We were exhausted during the second half, but we were able to dig down deep and play from our hearts.” The Norsemen rode that wave of momentum into their potential conference championship game against Hinckley-Big Rock. The Royals were expected to come out on top easily, but Newark gave them a run for their money and took it into overtime before losing by five. The Norsemen will look forward to having a chance at redemption in a few weeks once the Little Ten Conference Tournament gets underway.
Also congrats to Lauren Tollefson and Taylor Krug on their selection to the All-Tournament Team, and to Taylor on being named Tournament Most Valuable Player!
The Norsemen Basketball team is off to a great start. They competed in a tough Thanksgiving tournament hosted by Sycamore High School where they played against 3A and 4A schools and performed well, winning two games and losing two others. The coaches and players are very excited about their performance and hope to keep improving. The team’s next task was facing a very good Plano team in Reaper Nation. Against them the Norsemen suffered a hard-fought loss. To make it even worse, Grant Riehle-Moeller and Joe Hughes were both diagnosed with severe injuries after the game. Grant missed a week due to a mild concussion, and Joe Hughes is out with a broken foot, but is planning to come back in time for The Plano Christmas Classic. The Norsemen faced a major setback due to these injuries, but the team still believes in their abilities. They have proven they can continue to win despite the setbacks. Newark fans and students, especially the seniors, eagerly anticipate the Plano Christmas Classic. Senior Joe Hughes said, “This is my last Plano Christmas Classic, and I don’t want to miss it. Once I get healthy, I’m going to help my team as much as possible to win the tournament for our senior year.”
Since winning four games at the breakout tournament at Somonauk, the Lady Norsemen have played seven games and have won six of them making their record 10-1. Coach Holman said he is proud of the girls for the way they have played so far, but he knows a higher level of play can still be attained. The varsity team has an upcoming Christmas tournament at Lisle High School beginning the 26th of December. The junior varsity girls will also be competing in a tournament beginning on the 26th at Earlville High School. The seniors shared they are eager for the competition at the Lisle tournament and know it will improve their level of play as a team.