One of Gilbert High’s best athletes won the Arizona State Championship, won the Junior Olympics 2 years in a row, and set a country record in track and field for 300-meter hurdles. Vance Nilsson⁽¹²⁾ joined track and field during his freshman year despite him having played baseball, soccer, and other sports stating, “I wasn’t good at the actual sport, I was just good at the running part” which had made him join track. When he first joined track, he described himself as a “non-compliant” athlete but his coaches still were sure to keep him going and committed to track. Because of his coaches, he was able to win the state championships his junior year, win at the Junior Olympics the same year, and repeat his victories his senior year. Vance Nilsson⁽¹²⁾ has set a country record for high school 300-meter hurdles at 34.83 seconds and plans to try out for our Olympic track team and possibly compete this year in Paris while all of Gilbert High is cheering him on, as he will go down in their school's history along with our country’s.

Spring break. A common time for the average student to catch up on some much-needed rest, travel, or even start a new TV series. Not these Gilbert Tigers. While most were lying around, the Gilbert Tiger Baseball team was putting in the work as they prepared for a major upcoming tournament. As they were already riding the highs of their winning record (3-1), this year’s Tigers had to prioritize their work and not be blinded by past successes. The Bob Everett Classic baseball tournament has been around for nearly a decade, and the Gilbert Tigers have been competing in this tournament ever since- but what’s so different about this year? People are expecting them to win. “Going into the tournament, we had the goal of stacking wins, growing as a team, and getting better as individuals so that we could be the champions of our own tournament,” Guerrero⁽¹²⁾ said. It seemed that these new expectations were met to the highest degree, as there was not one loss on the Gilbert record for the entirety of the tournament. These Tigers finished with a strong 4-0 game record, which only meant one thing…the trophy was theirs. It seems that the tides are changing for these Tigers, considering their previous losing record of 8-10 for the 2022-23 season. With the newfound confidence gained by winning the tournament, a new mindset, new techniques, and more practice time, these Tigers are set for success. They need to maintain their winning record, and this tournament could set them in a comfortable spot on the 6A Central rankings. Can the Tigers build off of this positive winning experience? The structure lies in the teammates. Utilizing their seniors, the Gilbert Tiger coaches made sure that they could always count on their seniors as a massive contribution to enforcing this set-in-stone structure. “As a senior, my coaches expect me to keep people in check, be a role model that teammates can follow, and for me to contribute to the team in some way so that everyone can know that we are all in this together,” Guerrero⁽¹²⁾ also stated. Understanding the new standards is nothing new for this senior leader, and with his understanding, he can help newcomers to this high-intensity environment. “The expectations for the season are for our team to keep buying into what our coaches want; and for our team to stick together no matter what happens during the course of the season. Everyone needs to be able to play their hardest and keep focus during every pitch for each game because everyone matters,” Guerrero⁽¹²⁾ said. Since the tournament, the Tigers have not been able to continue their winning streak, with a current standing of sixth place in the 6A Central standings at a losing 5-8 record. But as proved before, no current record can stop a future record. And as the season comes to a close, these Tigers have 5 shots left to re-elevate themselves as a top-tier team. Time can only tell where this team can take themselves…

Gilbert Tiger Varsity Softball Team Photo 2023-24 Season (courtesy of Maxpreps)“New year, new me” is a common term that’s almost too often thrown around, especially around the new year. But it seems that it’s being redefined by Gilbert High School, or at least its softball program…New season, new coach. - Over the past three years, the title of Varsity Softball Head Coach has been shifted between three different people. Whether it is with the hope of a record revival, or faculty facelift, or plainly just a fresh slate for the fun of it, there seems to be a search for the perfect coach for this program. The current coach on the roster, Michael Kaddatz, has had past experience in coaching. Since 1998 he has worked with not only club softball teams, but other local teams and has made the choice to take on the leadership of the Gilbert Lady Tigers this season. With the new coach and the new season comes a new mindset of encouragement and motivation to find the strengths of this team. Nicole Matejko, a current GHS varsity player with a commitment to Gateway Community College, has been through three different coaches in her past four years in the program. “Usually you would have the same coach for all three years, but not us. Having four coaches in three years is weird because it’s hard to get used to all of their different styles because all of them are very different,” Matejko said. The expectations for Coach Kaddatz are set high, with the hopes that he will revive the program- especially considering the past failures of coaches in the past. And with the kickoff of the first two regular season games and the first season tournament racking consistent wins, expectations just seemed to be met. This was it. This was the coach we had all been waiting for. “ Some are more laid back than others, but it helps me grow as a player. Now I know what coaching styles work best with me. It shows me what helps me grow and what helps our girls get closer together. I really like our new coach though, his style and the way he sees potential in everybody and he truly wants us to get better,” Matejko said. Unfortunately, while he seems to be a great fit for the team, it might take a little more time before results really start to show since the high ride of victories were soon followed by the current consistent losing streak of seven games straight. Now, with a shocking 5-9 losing record, Gilbert High Athletics face a common dilemma. And we can’t help but ask these same questions again…Are we in for yet another rotation of head coaches? Well, with a total of four games left in the season, Kaddatz has a chance to change this losing record to a neutral record of 9-9. While most may consider it to be a long shot, this could be an amazing accomplishment for Kaddatz. Proving that he can pull through in the hardest of times and take this team beyond what we believe. And in doing so, could possibly have a reason to become the consistent face of the softball program. And as a common theme in sports that we find ourselves discovering, time can only tell what the future holds for these Lady Tigers.

Allegiant Stadium transformed into a snow globe as Chiefs-colored confetti rained down, marking the end of Super Bowl LVIII. With a final score of 22 to 25, this edge-of-your-seat game filled fans all over the world with a plethora of emotions. Even after the fans filled out of the stadium, players' hearts remained on the field. Both literally and figuratively, every single player and coach in that game gave their blood, sweat, and tears to get there. Considering stats from the 2023 NFL season, it didn’t surprise many that the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers paved their way to the Super Bowl. However, one star player’s unparalleled story leaves its readers with their jaws dropped. More so, they ask themselves, “How did Mr. Irrelevant get to be a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl?” Whenever a player is chosen as the last pick in the NFL draft, they are given the customary nickname of Mr. Irrelevant. As many could guess by the title, most Mr. Irrelevants don’t become the next Tom Brady or Jerry Rice of American football. It is hard enough for any draft pick to make it to the Super Bowl, and wearing this title just makes it an even rockier journey. In the history of the game, few Mr. Irrelevants have succeeded in accomplishing this. The first to do so was Marty Moore, a linebacker who played for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Then came Ryan Succop, a kicker who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.¹ Just this year, in Super Bowl LVIII, a third player made his way onto the list; Brock Purdy. Brock Purdy was born and raised in Queen Creek, Arizona. There he attended Perry High School, where he led the school’s football team to both the 2016 and 2017 6A Division State Championships. Also in 2017, Purdy won the Arizona High School Player of the Year Award, recognizing his stellar performance as a quarterback. From these accomplishments alone, it’s clear that Purdy had talent at an early age. The next chapter of Brock Purdy’s life came at Iowa State. In his four years starting as the football team’s quarterback, Purdy broke multiple of the school’s records. He now holds Iowa State titles for the most passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions. Alongside these stats, Purdy became the first quarterback to lead the Cyclones to four straight bowl games. After all this success in his college football career, the young athlete decided he would enter the 2022 NFL draft. On April 30, 2022, the San Francisco 49ers used the 262nd draft pick to get Brock Purdy onto their roster.² Regardless of being another Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy was entirely grateful just to have an opportunity in the NFL. At the start of the season, Purdy was listed as the 49ers’ third-string quarterback. Ahead of him were Trey Lance, the season starter, and Jimmy Garopollo, the second-string. However, Purdy’s third-string position didn’t last long. Trey Lance went down injured in just the 2nd game of the 49ers’ season. Three months later, Garopollo's season came to a close after suffering from a foot injury. This left just one man for the job. After endless patience, Brock Purdy’s NFL debut finally came on the 14th game of the 2022 season. Along with it being his first full NFL game, Purdy also had to play against none other than Tom Brady. With a 35 to 7 victory, Brock Purdy and the 49ers pulled off the unexpected.³ That day, Brock proved to millions of people around the world that he wasn’t just another Mr. Irrelevant. The wins kept adding up over the next couple of months, and the 49ers found themselves in the NFC Championship. Just one more win and a rookie quarterback would have been starting in the Super Bowl. However, this did not occur. Continuing the streak of quarterback injuries, Purdy went down in the first quarter of the game. With a completely torn UCL in his throwing arm, Brock Purdy’s first season came to an end. For about five months, Purdy persevered through a demanding recovery process and prepared himself for another go. Now that they were exposed to what he was capable of, people had high expectations for Purdy in his second season. To spare the details of every game, Purdy and the 49ers found themselves in the NFC Championship yet again. This time, however, the 49ers did not lose the heart of their team. Purdy rose to the occasion and they pulled off a 34 to 31 win.⁴ That win put a new record under Brock Purdy's name. Along with the many accomplishments made on his journey, Purdy then became the first Mr. Irrelevant quarterback to play in the Super Bowl.

Talent. By definition, talent is only as simple as a natural skill. But when natural skill causes an athlete to break two franchise records in one night, why does it suddenly feel normal to question if these records are legitimate or not? As of the Saturday night game against the Detroit Lions on December 30th, Dallas Wide Receiver Ceedee Lamb broke two Cowboys franchise records with his 1,651 receiving yards and 122 receptions for the 2023 season. Both records were previously held by retired Hall of Fame legend Michael Irvin at 1,603 receiving yards and 111 receptions in 1995.¹ The Dallas Cowboys walked into the game with a winning record of 11-5 and appeared to already be on a roll both offensively and defensively. Breaking these records just seemed to be just another pin on the board of successes this season. But instead of celebrating their victory while most of the NFL community congratulated Lamb, speculation overshadowed everything else. Just a few hours after his noteworthy game performance, Ceedee Lamb posted on his Instagram page that he had received a notice from the NFL stating that he would be required to participate in a “random” drug test. The celebration was shattered in just moments when the media immediately questioned trust in Lamb’s natural abilities to accomplish this. The post read, “Waste no time huh? @nfl.”² The results of the test are yet to go public, and while the NFL claimed that it had been a random selection, fans everywhere can’t help but wonder if there is something more to the story. Or was this an overreaction by the media to gain readers? All this serves to leave fans wondering: Is this what will happen every time a record is broken? Will their accomplishments and integrity constantly also be questioned? The real question is ‘Why are we so quick to speculate? The answer: Human nature. The idea of sports “doping” has circulated the sports world for years now, going back to the 1968 Summer Olympics scandal where Hans Gunnar Lilijenwell tested positive for the use of PEDs. But the media coverage of anti-doping violations in professional sports has spiked tremendously since. It’s not the number of anti-doping violations that are on the rise, but the coverage of them. So the real question is, is the media fueling this distrust in athletes? Is it just human nature to doubt a person’s natural abilities? It is both. The halt of celebrating athletes’ achievements overall because of this speculation is ridiculous. The same achievements that we encourage people to go after. And all because we can’t possibly believe that they did it on their own when they finally do it. Overall, that sounds pretty hypocritical doesn’t it? This reaction to the accomplishments of others now truly begs the question of to what extent we are willing to weaponize this newfound doubt. The truth is, if this pattern of suspicion goes on, who’s to say that it won’t just be professional athletes that we’re questioning, but college - or even high school athletes too. If we want this nonsense to end, it is up to us as fans to start celebrating accomplishments instead of letting an underlying jealousy question these feats of greatness we are lucky enough to see with our own eyes. And when the test results come in, we all might just owe Ceedee Lamb and his reputation a huge apology.

In the past week, the iconic final games of the MLB took place. The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers made their mark in the 2023 World Series. These two teams fought an intense back and forth battle for the trophy. The Texas Rangers took victory in the first three games. Then the fourth game, Arizona won, leaving spectators to expect a possibility for a comeback to win it all. Unfortunately for Arizona, the Rangers ended up winning the final game, guiding the championship trophy right into their hands as the 2023 World Series victors. But the scores aren’t the only things that make the World Series as famous as it is. It’s the fans that are brought in that truly show the magnitude of the influence that the Series holds over America. In the first game of the six played, there were a total of 9.11 million viewers. Though that seemed like a lot, it was actually the lowest viewing of a Fall Classic in TV history.¹ Despite the small viewing, the Rangers still beat the Diamondbacks at their home field 5-0. All of the games were quite intense for Diamondback fans, and incredibly enjoyable for Texas’ fans. Even though the World Series has only ended this week, people are already talking about next year's odds. It seems that, according to many predictive analytics and fan scoutings, the Braves and Dodgers are most likely to make it far in the coming year. The Diamondbacks however, have other plans. After the final game on October 27th, the very next day, the general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks stated how incredibly disappointed they were, as this was only the second time that they had made it to the World Series in franchise history. He went on to state that the team was not doing good enough for the fanbase, and that there will be no stop to the training for next season. This new development and training will seem rushed for both the Diamondbacks and Rangers because of the abrupt start as a result of their roles in the postseason lasting so long.

This past week has been a very intense one for all baseball fans following the World Series. Semifinalists included the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies. Texas and Houston faced each other in the semifinals with the best of 7. The Rangers began with a lead, then the Astros took it, and after the sixth game the wins were all tied up. In the final game, the Rangers had won drastically with 11 runs while Houston only scored 4. As for the Diamondbacks, the Phillies were in the lead then Arizona was able to come back. After tying up the games, the Diamondbacks were able to win the best of 7 and go on to the World Series championship game. Many people are deciding to bet on the Diamondbacks considering their impeccable record this season. However, despite their outstanding playing, stats show that the Rangers have a somewhat significantly higher chance of winning. That being said, the Rangers lost their catcher on Monday, which could leave Arizona for the win due to the absence of such a significant player. If Arizona does end up winning, it would be their first World Series since 2001. If Texas wins, it will be their first World Series won in MLB history. The Diamondbacks have been able to develop very good stats, with 56.83 created runs, 51 of which were successful.¹ They also have an overall batting average of .231 and an incredible fielding percentage of .988.¹ Based on player stats, it seems that the Diamondbacks need to go with their pitcher Brandon Pfaadt because of his 22 strikeouts, the most on the team.¹ Hitting wise, it seems that the more important player would be Zac Gallen with a total of 24 hits in all.¹ The Rangers on the other hand have even higher statistics with 73.64 created runs, 71 one of which were successful.¹ Their batting average ranks higher, at a .265 being 2nd in the league, along with an incredibly small increase in fielding percentage at .989.¹ Though stats are more clearly toward the Rangers, people are still rooting strong for the Diamondbacks in hope that they win after 22 years.

After Spain's World Cup win on August 20th, the president of the Spanish FA was forced to resign after an unsolicited kiss during the medal ceremony. This event has been spread throughout the world so, here is what happened during the ceremony. During Spain’s medal ceremony, player Jennifer Hermoso was unwantedly kissed by the SFA president, Luis Rubiales, while retrieving her medal from her and her teammates' victory. After this took place, the entire Spanish Football Association was shocked that their own president would pull such a stunt. The SFA was first suspended for 90 days, however they are currently getting him to resign immediately. ¹ The main reason this kiss is such a problem for Luis Rubiales is because it was not consensual and he had no reason to do it. There was no relationship between them, he simply kissed her, without her permission, for no reason. Jennifer Hermoso had called upon the SFA to do something about the incident, of which they did. However the fellow teammate of Hermoso, Aitana Bonmati Canca, has used her best player award acceptance speech to speak out about this incident. She states,”To all women who are suffering the same thing as Jenni, we’re with you.”² As a result of this event, Spain’s women’s team will not be participating in any tournaments until further notice from the SFA. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez says,”What we saw was unacceptable.”³ In response to Luis Rubiales apologizing he states,”And the apologies offered by Mr. Rubiales are not sufficient, I would call them inappropriate, so he must continue taking further steps to clarify what we all saw.”³

2 minutes left on the clock. The Lady Tigers had the ball on their own 15-yard line protecting a 14-8 lead… or so they hoped. As the center tried to snap the ball, she was deafened by the crowd and her opponents yelling at her. WHISTLE! False start. The difficult task ahead of the Lady Tigers just got much tougher. With the clock running down, Jalyssa Guerrero⁽¹⁰⁾ had one shot to burn the clock to take enough time away from a possible last minute Wildcats comeback. For what felt like a year to the players on the field, Jalyssa⁽¹⁰⁾bolted between the end zone boundaries until she was forced out. But the clock had only burned 10 seconds. The Wildcats had more time than they needed for their comeback now. The Lady Tigers survived the last 1 minute and 28 second defensive nightmare to maintain their undefeated record. As of May 4th, 2023, the Lady Tigers Flag Football team secured their reputation as a top team in the 23’ season. But there is more than their 6-0 record. This is the first flag football team in Gilbert High School history to ever exist. The team was officially formed in March of this year and has held their position as one of the most successful rookie teams in the league. With multiple triumphs against schools like Campo Verde High School and McClintock High School, the Gilbert Tigers have seen it all. But this past Thursday, Gilbert seems to have met their match and their possible future rival in Mesquite. The Lady Tigers only have four days to fix their mental errors and recover from the carnage of broken nails, torn skin, and tired muscles they had accrued up to this point. They must succeed in this recovery to face the Williams Field RedHawks on Tuesday. Losing is simply not an option for this team. Not just their undefeated record and a better playoff seeding, but the reputation and support that they have gained over the season so far is on the line. The Lady Tigers have fought tooth and nail for every point on the board and they are sure to not let up now. But as the saying goes…only time will tell.

Tryouts have ended. Rosters have been made. Schedules have been released. It’s on. Kicking off the spring sport season, the GHS softball organization has already gotten a head start on practicing for the future. With the team under new management this year, there are things to be expected of the new Head Coach Pederson. Pederson comes from a long line of legacy in the ball game. She grew up with a father who was one of the top picks for the Kansas City Royals and played in the minor leagues for four years and has since been a professional baseball coach for the past 45 years. Not to mention her mother Ann Pederson being a hall of fame, long time standing coach for GCU’s softball team. Pederson started playing softball when she was 3 and has since made a name for herself. She played all through her school years and eventually joined her mom by playing at GCU. Coming from all of this certainly gives her the eye for the game. “Both of my parents have very strong personalities and are not afraid to tell their players what they need to hear as long as they knew it was good for the player in the long run. I definitely think that’s something that has carried over to not only my coaching, but also my teaching as well. I’m not afraid to have those difficult conversations because I’d rather communicate and fix the issue than leave it,” Pederson said. “But on top of that, both of my parents cared immensely for their players, they were their players’ biggest cheerleaders. I also feel like I have that in me as well. I want nothing more than for all of my girls to succeed on and off the field,” Pederson said. The importance of bringing every aspect of the game into reality for these girls is obviously not lost on her. Pederson also makes sure that the girls have a bond on and off the field as well. She is making current changes to make sure that the GHS softball organization builds a stronger culture. This culture will not only support Gilbert as a school, but also other athletic teams. Pederson also pushes for better grades on her team by shifting the requirements so that all players have to have above a 65% in all of their classes.“ Something that I have expressed to both parents and players from the very beginning was that I would rather make these players the most productive people in society once they're done with high school, than just making them the best player on the field,” Pederson said. Some other changes she is making towards the organization are an increase in community service participation on both teams as well as a “big sister” system. The system requires one varsity player to be assigned a junior varsity player so that they can get to know one another better and exchange gifts every other week to help bridge the gap between the teams. While having a new coach with so much experience is great for the team, upperclassmen find their own way to adjust to the change. One senior, Skylar Williams, has been with the team since her freshman year at Gilbert High School. Making the transition from junior high ball to high school ball was a change of its own. But now, she must go from playing her last three years with the coaching staff led by former Head Coach Morgan Zebe, to the many new coaching techniques coming her way from Pederson all within her last year at GHS. “A big difference now is how connected we are now. We’re bonding more as one team than varsity and jv separately. Being one of the upperclassmen, Pederson pushes us to show more leadership with the junior varsity girls. We do things like talking to them, teaching them some of the things we know, stuff like that,” Williams said. She is also happy to announce her commitment to playing softball at Idaho State. Girls that tried out for the GHS softball team also chose to use this change to their benefit. They must set the tone for themselves and make the impressions of how they will perform in the future for the season. Needless to say that this change is surely an opportunity for all softball players at Gilbert High School. But the students aren’t the only ones to worry about making a good first impression. Becoming the new head coach means that all eyes are now on Pederson. Judgment and questions from fans, parents, and other players have already started to make their mark. How will she improve the program? What new training techniques will take this team to the top? Will she fulfill all of the promises that were made? Time will only tell. This “new team” must prove themselves to be the greatness that they aspire to while they still have time to fully make that first impression. Not only to themselves or the fans, but also for the new coaches. Because now, not only does the GHS softball team represent their school, but the new coaching management put in place.

Just in time for women’s history month, the Gilbert Tiger Girls Tennis team is making their own mark as women in sports. With a current record of 5-5, the Lady Tigers strike again with another winning match against Maricopa High School. The score? 9-0. Even with a neutral record that they have now, this team has been absolutely phenomenal with the level of intensity and focus that goes into each match. From always keeping your eye on the ball to predicting your opponent’s next move, this team has been focusing to get each skill down to a T. Yet even with all of the talent, the Lady Tigers know not to get in their heads. Though if they do, that neutral record will become a losing one. Brynlee Cluff, a sophomore on the team, understands the power that comes with staying level headed and working when no one is watching. “I like playing this game because it requires me to have control on the court. I think that it is really important to have a good outlook on things and try your best at all times so that you can focus better,” Cluff said. It’s all in the level of vigorous training for this hard working team. Like most other sports, tennis is not only about the agility and physicality of the match. Having the right mentality is also an integral part of playing this game. Understanding the balance between the brain and the body is the holy grail of athleticism. There is also an underestimated amount of difficult strategic work that goes with understanding the opponents that this team faces. While the hard work pays off with the wins, there still appears to be something that the Lady Tigers are missing. It seems that tennis is a sport that is often overlooked and doesn’t seem to get as much attention as others might. This does take a toll on the player’s mindset. Brynlee Cluff also knows how much power an audience can have on an athlete. “I know that tennis isn’t the most popular sport but it would be nice if more people showed up. For me, having an audience gives a good confidence boost depending on how I am already doing in the match,” Cluff said. This is an issue that can be easily solved by the Gilbert High School student body. Every athlete on this team does the work and the wins that are earned are not to be overlooked by any means. Because while winning and trophies are great, appreciation and acknowledgement is sometimes a better reward. Article by Glory Ruiz Jones Photo by Andrew Hooper

Dangerous. Intimidating. Powerful. All things that the GHS Wrestling team has made themselves out to be. Spending their weekend at the Liberty Classic Invitational Tournament, the Gilbert Tigers received 3rd place. But what people don’t realize is the amount of work that it takes to get where they are. One teammate, Gabriel Leivas, has been a competitor for GHS since his freshman year. “One thing that I think goes unnoticed is the work we have to do. People say that it’s easy and then they get in there and end up quitting. It’s just a lot of effort you have to put in,” Leivas said. He also made clear that the GHS wrestling team is still hoping for more support in the stands, despite the busy holiday season. “I think it would be really great if more people showed up,” Leivas said. Wrestling is visibly a complicated sport from the point system to some of the advantages of weight class. While wrestling may be frequently overlooked, it can serve as a backbone for other major sports. Breyben Werner, an offensive lineman for the GHS football team, recognizes the power that wrestling has when it comes to staying in shape during the offseason. “The whole reason I started wrestling is to get better at football. I wanted to learn how to use people’s momentums against them. As an offensive lineman, my job is to just stand up and wrestle with the other lineman for 4 seconds straight so it really helps; I thought football was pretty intense until I went to wrestling conditioning. It’s a straight 3 hours of hard-core cardio. You can’t compare it to anything else,” Werner said. The constant hours of intense conditioning and hard work leading up to only 6 minutes in the match could determine their standing in the final top 3. In the past week, Gilbert High School hosted a meet of its own against Sunnyslope and Alhambra High School. The Tigers had an excellent opening against Alhambra winning 42-18 and a close loss against Sunnyslope with a score of only 36-39. While the meet had a mix of wins and losses, the Tigers prepare to continue training during the winter break to come back even stronger than ever.