Guest Reporter

Right-handed ace Mahalia Gibson, sophomore, propels a pitch to the plate in a recent match-up against Hattiesburg High, her first game back from an injury. / Photo by Raven Jones

The team goal this year: win a state championship. Halfway through the regular season, the Lady Warrior softball team sits at  12-2.  Due to Mother Nature’s wrath, the Warriors have had five games rained out and have played three district games so far this season, those being dominating wins over Meridian, Petal, and Hattiesburg.

This year’s Warrior team is led by a very talented group of seniors. Kelsea Lewis and Heather Boutwell have both been starting since their eighth grade years and are committed to continuing their softball careers at Pearl River Community College, while other senior starters include 2nd basemen Aston Vincent and pitcher Stefani Cayten.

The pitching staff has had to really step up early in the season due to the loss of ace Mahalia Gibson who was forced to have surgery on her throwing hand pinky. Peyton Sheffield and Stefani Cayten have definitely done just that for the Warriors. Sheffield has logged 37 innings already this season with an impressive 1.14 ERA (earned run average). Cayten is right behind her with 27 innings and a 1.30 ERA.

The Warriors have been a force at the plate as well posting a team batting average of .375. Kelsea Lewis leads the team with an average of .484 followed by Constance Quinn and Carly Crawford who are hitting .458 and .457, respectively.

Great stats are, well, great, but what really sets apart this team is their attitude and mindset to win games. “Our team has a lot of heart, and when we get down, we spring right back up,” said senior first baseman Heather Boutwell. “We all have the same mindset to win.”

The Warriors will really find out what they’re made of in the next couple of weeks when district play really heats up.  Oak Grove will take on HHS, Petal, and Meridian one more time before the season’s end. Senior night and the game many fans will attend with cowbells in hand, takes place at Warrior field on April 17 against the one and only Petal Panthers. Come support the Warriors on their quest for a ring this season.

Staff Reporter

Baseball season is up and running, and the Warriors couldn’t be playing any better. In their longest winning streak in several years, they now stand at an impressive 22-1. Although none of this year’s players are new to varsity baseball, they possess a dedication and solidarity that enables them to play harder than ever before.  Many of the seniors have been playing together for several years, and their relationships and ability to work together gives them an edge.

This season has proved both challenging and exciting so far. Most recently, on April 10, the Warriors faced rival Hattiesburg and pulled out an impressive 8-6 win.

Oak Grove sluggers Tyler Odom and Jansen Bounds have both led the team to victories with huge homeruns. Odom helped the Warriors overcome Vicksburg with three homers while Bounds homered twice in a win over Gulfport.

In addition to successful hitting, one of the team’s greatest assets this year is their number of talented pitchers, including, but not limited to, sophomore Kirk McCarty. McCarty, a starter for two years now, is one of the strongest pitchers on the team. McCarty’s biggest claim to fame was pitching a no-hitter at the Meridian game earlier this season. Spoken like a true athlete, McCarty said, “I love to compete, and I love being out on the field with my teammates.” The Warriors have had only one loss this season, one many would like to forget against Petal. Surprisingly, McCarty admits that the Petal game was the most memorable of the season. “That loss motivates us to keep up the hard work and never give up,” McCarty said. He, like most of the players, is focused on just one ambition. “The goal is to make it to state and win,” he said. “I think we have a good chance.” A predictable goal, yes, but perhaps more attainable than ever before.

There’s a lot of talent on this team, and the possibility of making it to State is looking good. The Warriors have raced through the first half of the season with flying colors, and the remainder of the season promises to be just as, if not more, thrilling for the players and fans alike.

Staff Reporter

The girls’ and boys’ powerlifting teams have successfully placed in Regionals and South State this season. The Lady Warriors powerlifting team has been at Oak Grove for two years and has excelled to State both years. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams’ State competitions will be Saturday in Jackson. Both teams have been practicing multiple times a week and are determined to place at State. The girls’ team has seven out of nine lifters traveling to Jackson while the boys’ team has nine out of twelve attending.

Girls powerlifting celebrates a successful showing at South State. / Submitted Photo

Powerlifting is a sport which consists of three lifts in consecutive order: squat, bench press, and dead lift. Each lifter is placed in a weight class and must maintain that weight range throughout the season. The boys’ team coaches are Lonny Schraeder, Chris Tran, and Knute Douglas. “Major things that have happened are our winning back-to-back region titles and this year’s South State championship,” Douglas said. The boys’ powerlifting team has had a successful streak in such a short time. Body builder, personal trainer, and co-owner of No Holds Barred, Amanda Micka is the girls’ coach, along with the assistance of Jeff Douglas. “I’d love to continue coaching the team in the future. It’s such a great sport and something you can continue to do even after high school. It’s great for your health, too,” Micka said. Being a new team at Oak Grove, the girls’ powerlifting team began in 2011 when Kayla and Christie Stricker asked Micka to coach the team. Oak Grove is known for its competitive spirit in sports. Even in powerlifting, other schools rival to beat the Warriors. “Dedication is the main thing to have as a powerlifter, but it also takes a lot of heart,” Coach Jeff Douglas said. “You have to train because you are competing against yourself, too.” Powerlifting is often said to be unlike most sports. “It’s nerve-wracking. There is no cardio involved, and everyone must show individual skill,” powerlifter Rachel Payton said. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams are prepared to squat, bench, and pull major loads at State.

Guest Reporter

After last year’s disappointing end to an impressive regular season, the 2012 Oak Grove Warrior baseball team looks to turn things around and get back to Trustmark for the first time since the last State Championship in 2007. This year’s team has one key aspect that was lacking in last year’s team: experience. Warrior fans and the Warriors themselves have very high expectations due to having such an experienced team. Although stats don’t win games, they also don’t lie. And it looks promising for the Warriors.  Three players who posted a batting average of .346 or better return for the 2012 season, including seniors Christian Chauvin, Tyler Odom, and Cort Brinson. The pitching staff is very deep as well. Of the 176 innings played last year, the Warriors return all of the players who accounted for 144 of those innings. Hunter Floyd, who led the team with 37 innings last year, said, “This year our main goal is to throw strikes and let our defense play behind us.”
Away from the stats, the Warriors have a strong group of seniors who want to make their last year at Oak Grove a memorable one. The team is motivated after being defeated in two straight games in the second round of the playoffs by our friends across the river, the Petal Panthers. The baseball team will get their chance for redemption against the Panthers three times in the regular season, the first face-off on March 27th at Harry Breland Field.  The Warrior Jamboree, which took place on February 20th, was somewhat of a success as the Warriors defeated FCAHS 8-0, but lost to Columbia 3-1. Tyler Odom, who was four for five that day with five RBI’s, said, “It felt good to get a couple of games under our belts, but now we’re looking forward to the regular season.” The Warriors’ first regular season home game took place on February 24th in the Oak Grove Classic as the Warriors played Perry Central and Gulfport. Both games were a success as the Warriors won both games by a score of 11-0 and 7-1, respectively. The Warriors would love to see a packed house on March 6th as they begin district play at home against the Meridian Wildcats. “The more fans we have, the more inspired we tend to play,” said Cort Brinson, who was just selected as a Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen. Come out and support the Warriors as they continue what is shaping up to be a memorable season. S.weat W.ork A.ccountability G.reatness

Staff Reporter

This month marks season two of the Oak Grove archery team. The team, sponsored by OGHS faculty Mrs. Sibley and Coach Willis, is made up of 32 students, 20 of them first-year archers. Though over half the team is new to the sport, the tryouts were much more exclusive this year than last year. The group has risen from being merely a club, shooting mostly for fun, to the level of an elite, competitive team with sights set on Nationals. Before they can achieve their goal, however, the team must qualify at the state tournament in Jackson. The state tournament was the only competition the archery team entered last year, and they were a mere 20 points from qualifying for entry to the National Tournament in Washington, D.C. This year they’ve broadened their scopes to include four other tournaments besides State, two of which will be held right here at Oak Grove.
Archery is an individual sport, like tennis and cross country. At tournaments, each school enters the designated number of archers and receives a time slot to shoot. The number of entries for each school differs from competition to competition, depending on the size of the facilities and available time. At the reserved time, each member of the team shoots ten arrows at a target. Each of the ten rings on the target represents a different numerical value, with the bulls-eye being the highest at a perfect 10. The value of each ring after the bulls-eye decreases by one, so the outermost ring is worth only one point. After every representative of the team has shot all ten arrows, the scores are found by adding the values of the rings where each of the participants’ arrows hit. The school’s total score is the sum of all its members’ scores.
Tournaments hosted by the OGHS archery team are held behind the school by the baseball field, where the team practices twice a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays right after school. The veteran archers, with assistance from Mrs. Sibley and Coach Willis, are responsible for teaching new members the basics, like how to hold the bow, stand correctly, aim steadily, and compensate for the wind. Students set up targets and practice improving aim and technique in conditions similar to those at tournaments.
The frequent practice is paying off, according to junior and second-year archery team member Allison Brewer. Due in part to extensive preparation, she feels much more confident about this year’s season as opposed to OGHS’s debut last year. “This year’s team is really strong,” she said. “Last year we were just trying to figure out how to manage an archery team, but this year we’re ready to go.”

Evan Sobiesk is currently the kicker for the Warrior football team and has been recruited by many Division 1 schools this year. This article has followed him throughout the decision making process and allowed us to see which college he will choose in the end.After months of visiting campuses, meeting with coaches, and making many difficult college decisions, Signing Day has finally come and gone, and athletes no longer face the stress of deciding where they want to play football during their college careers. After a series of football offers, Evan Sobiesk made his long awaited college plans official after signing with Mississippi State on Wednesday.Sobiesk chose Mississippi State for many reasons. “My brother goes to Mississippi State, and I have friends that go to State,” Sobiesksaid. Sobiesk also mentioned that the school’s proximity to home aswell as its engineering program appealed to him. One of his ultimate deciding factors, however, was that Mississippi State is part of the Southeastern Conference which has been a dominant force in NCAA football.Since Sobiesk has had offers from many schools, there is no doubt that choosing which school to play college football for was no easy decision to make; however, we can all be assured that Sobiesk has a bright future ahead of him as a college athlete and will, one day, leave all the students and faculty at Oak Grove remembering when we once had the opportunity to kick it with Evan Sobiesk.

Sobiesk, pictured with parents, signed a letter of intent to play football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs on National Signing Day./ Photo by Raven Jones

After having a great season, the Oak Grove boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are set to head to the district playoffs. On January 20th, the basketball teams faced Oak Grove’s fierce rivals, the Petal Panthers. The Warriors proved their worth after both teams emerged victorious over the Panthers in front of a massive cheering student section. This win has helped boost their confidence going into the district playoffs. Through much work and a hard-fought season, the boys’ team has achieved a 10-16 record while the girls’ team has put together an impressive record of 21-6.

Christian Hathrone, senior forward for the Warriors, sets up on defense in recent action agains Petal./ Photo by Raven Jones

The teams will face off against Sumrall for a final regular season matchup February 3rd, and then they will head into the first game of district playoffs on February 6th against Meridian High School, a huge rival of the Warriors. In order to advance to the state playoffs, the teams must emerge from the district playoffs in either first or second place. The top two teams in each of Mississippi’s eight districts will go on to represent that district in the State Championships. “Our boys’ basketball program hasn’t been to State since 1988. If the team makes it to the playoffs this year, it would surely be a historical and memorable event for Oak Grove High School,” senior guard Nathan Sims stated. Although this would be a historical event for the Warriors, they must first get past Petal, Meridian, and Hattiesburg. Although these teams stand in their way of making history, the teams are focused and ready to face any challenges which may lie ahead. The girls’ team is also prepared and ready for the upcoming challenge, and they are looking eagerly towards the District Tournament with high hopes of making it all the way to the State Championships.

by: Nan Buti

The Warrior soccer teams have practiced energetically and played games vigorously almost every week since November of last year. Their hard work definitely paid off and both the boys’ and girls’ teams earned the right to be named District Champions. The Lady Warriors finished the season at 4-4-4 and the boys finished at 4-2-4. Both teams faced tough opponents throughout the season in powerhouses like Ocean Springs and Biloxi.
Despite putting up tough fights in the playoffs, both teams’ seasons came to a close in January. The Lady Warriors, who made it to South State last year, were put out in the playoffs by Biloxi 3-2. The boys’ team progressed to South State beating Biloxi in the first game 1-0. They fell short in the second game losing to Gulfport 0-1.
This season’s games kept fans and players on edge with very close scores and a couple of ties with West Jones, Poplarville, and Clinton. The boys’ team faced a talented Brandon team that also ended in a tie.
Success on the soccer field requires dedication and a lot of hard work, and many players feel this year’s season was very rewarding. “I think soccer prepared me to be competitive and has helped me learn to think in different ways,” junior Hayley Allen said. “Soccer teaches you to make decisions quicker and definitely gets you in shape,” junior Clay Richardson said. The teams faced a lot of challenges this season and felt prepared by enduring tough practices and learning to work together. “I think when we played with heart, we did our best,” Allen said. “We aren’t just a team; we are a family, and we are carrying on the Lady Warrior soccer tradition. I love my team, and they are the best people to play with because they understand me.”The intense games and cheering fans definitely encouraged the teams to play their hardest this season. The players and coaches feel fan support provided them with motivation the whole season. “We really appreciate all of the support the students have given us this year,” girls’ coach Kayla Lalley said. “We are tremendously proud of the teams’ performances and efforts this year. They represented Oak Grove very well.”

Evan Sobiesk is currently the kicker for the Warrior football team and is being recruited by many division one schools. This article follows him throughout the decision making process and allows us to see which college he will choose in the end.

When we first checked in with Evan, he said he was looking for a school with good academics, good athletics, and a good atmosphere. “I’m also looking for a school that has a culture similar to here at home,” Sobiesk said. So you might be wondering, how has that affected Sobiesk’s decision so far? As you may remember from last month’s article, Sobiesk visited Montana State; however, this is one school in which he noticed a cultural difference. “When I went for my visit, it was kind of…out there,” Sobiesk said.

Sobiesk has since continued his college search and focused his sights elsewhere. Sobiesk visited Oklahoma State last weekend, a school which has just recently contacted him. He will also take an official visit day at Mississippi State in January. With all of his offers coming in, Sobiesk still says that he has not narrowed his sights on any one school yet, especially considering the fact that he could be looking for colleges until the spring.

One thing, though, is definite: Sobiesk is not limited in his college choices. As universities continue to contact Sobiesk, it becomes more apparent that he will have a promising career no matter which school he chooses.

Warrior basketball has gotten off to a strong start with the boys’ team losing only three  games, one to Harrison Central 49-44 one to Laurel 51-49, and one to Wayne County 20-68 giving them a 8-3 winning record. Helping lead the Warriors to this record is senior shooting guard Connor McNelis. “Connor, first of all, is an outstanding young man,” Coach Ladner said about McNelis. “He’s got a bright future in front of him, and Connor does a good job of helping lead the team as a senior. He is an outstanding shooter; he’s one of the better shooters in South Mississippi, and I think that’s his primary contribution at this point.  We’re really proud of him.”

McNelis has played basketball since he could dribble the ball and has played on the Oak Grove boys’ basketball team since his freshman year. McNelis averages 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. He prepares for games by practicing everyday and staying concentrated and focused on the game. McNelis commented on the relationship with the team, “As a team, we have great chemistry together, and we’re really flowing pretty well.” As for the experience with the new coach, Jay Ladner who is a former Oak Grove basketball player, McNelis added, “He’s great. He really demands a lot and expects much from us.”

Meridian, the defending State Champions, should be the varsity basketball team’s toughest competitor, yet the team is shooting for the 6A State Championship. According to McNelis, Wayne County is also another strong competitor. The team practices everyday on ball handling, passing, shooting, rebounding, and defense fundamentals. Rebecca Lampshire, the boys’ basketball team manager, exclaimed, “I am so very proud of the team! They work so hard, and it shows on and off the court.”

When asked about his inspirational figure, McNelis expressed, “My parents – my parents have grown up with basketball all of their lives, and that’s just what I’ve been raised up in.”

The Lady Warrior basketball team has also begun a winning season with a record of 11-1, losing only to Harrison Central. Leading the Lady Warriors, Alexis Calomese has been steering them in their successful season, playing as guard. “Alexis is a great leader. She’s got a tremendous attitude,” Coach Swindle said.

“She puts the ball on the floor really well when going to the basket. I think her main attribute though is her positive nature. She’s never negative. She gives me all she has.” Calomese has played basketball since she was six years old. She has played on the OG basketball team throughout high school and plans to pursue basketball in college. Calomese has faith in the team: “I believe that we will go all the way this year and hopefully bring home a state title.” To practice and prepare for the vigorous games, Calomese practices six days a week and listens to music to stay focused.

The team practices on basic skills such as passes, dribbles, and fundamentals everyday to work toward the success of the team. They also focus on cleaning up the offense. “We’re really looking forward to this year. We have a good [core] of experienced players along with a good [core] of young players. Our inside game is really good,” Swindle said about the future outlook of the season. Calomese averages 1.5 rebounds, 1.2 points, and 0.4 rebounds per game. “It has been a great experience with my teammates so far, and hopefully, we will continue to be successful throughout the season,” Calomese said.