This past Friday, the swim team swam their way to victory against other Elk Grove Aquatic Center competitors.
They were welcomed to the Metro League Championship that same weekend which ended in a win.
Those who led the team were Raleigh White, from the girls, and Emerson Sutliff, Miles Murray, Liam Smith, and Lincoln Sabini from the boys.
Their coach played a big factor, training them and practicing to get to the championships. The coach didn’t just help 10 of them but over 70 of them that participated. The team worked together effortlessly.
Their competitors put up a good competition. They competed against Laguna Creek, River City, Kennedy, and others. But after laps, relays, free relays, etc. McClatchy secured a victorious win, especially against their main competitors, the Kennedy Cougars.
Mr. Ficker went on and quoted, “This past weekend both the boys and girls swim team won the Metro League championships. Both were amazing, and I can’t wait to see them do it again next year.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making waves in the NBA as the point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder. At a young age, he has already shown himself to be a key player by leading his team to the #1 seed in the Western Conference. However, while Shai’s leadership and skills are undeniable, there are areas of his game that I think still require improvement.
One thing Shai needs to focus on is his three-point shooting percentage. While he has shown that he can make the shot beyond the arc, consistency in this will elevate his game to a whole other level! Improving his three-point shot will not only make him more dangerous offensively but also give his teammates an opportunity because they’ll be so open trying to stop him.
Even though he has room to improve that shot, Shai’s strengths as a point guard are pretty evident. His ball-handling is quite smooth and well-paced, which is exceptional. It allows him to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Also, his court vision and basketball IQ are quite advanced, allowing him to make split-second decisions on the fly, smartly and effectively.
Offensively, Shai’s game is often shown by his ability to score from anywhere on the court, whether it’s driving to the rim or stopping and popping for a mid-range jumper. His skill set is very crafty and diverse, keeping defenders on their toes. However, if he consistently finds his outside shot, this will make him even more dynamic as an offensive threat.
Defensively, Shai has the potential to be a lockdown defender. His length and athleticism allow him to be there in passing lanes and have enough reach to contest any shot effectively. With focus and effort on the defensive end, he has the skill to become one of the league’s leading perimeter defenders.
In conclusion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a rising star in the NBA, leading the OKC Thunder with his work ethic, talent, and leadership. Even though he’s still young and has accomplished a lot, there is still room for improvement. By focusing on areas such as his three-point shot, Shai has the potential to become one of the league’s most elite point guards of the century.
On Thursday, April 18th, the McClatchy Lions played an away game against the Kennedy Cougars.
The game was a spectacular show of force from the Lions, with them crushing the Cougars and not even allowing them to score a single point. Parents, friends, and family showed up for both teams to show support.
In the first inning, McClatchy gained a staggering 5-point lead on Kennedy. McClatchy was up at bat first, and out of the box, #2 Antonio Barber hit the ball deep into the outfield, getting himself to second base. After that, #11 Ari Silva got himself to first base, and #2 to third when the next at-bat, #8 Jackson Halverson, stepped into the batter’s box and slammed the ball way out, getting himself a triple and allowing the two on bases to score.
When the Kennedy Cougars stepped up to bat, they only had two players on base before McClatchy got three outs, and the inning ended. The second inning went very similarly, with the McClatchy Lions scoring 4 while Kennedy scored nothing again. A notable moment in this inning was when McClatchy’s Antonio Barber stole three bases, scoring the first point of the inning.
The Lions slowed down a little, only scoring one point in the next two rounds, but they played an oppressive defense, locking Kennedy down and keeping them from scoring. In the Fifth inning, McClatchy continued to trample the Cougars, scoring 6 more points before getting 3 outs and swapping. Kennedy, unfortunately, wasn’t able to score a single point, and the mercy rule ended the game. The final score was 17-0, with McClatchy having a fantastic game. A big win for the Lions as their rampage continues to the Oakmont Vikings.
On Wednesday, the Lions track team attended the Metro League Track Meet at Burbank. The team arrived early in the morning at 9 and got ready to compete. The day’s first event was the 4x800m relay, which was set up with the boys and the girl’s races combined. Even though the situation was out of the norm, the varsity girls 4x800m team got second place and the boys placed fifth. The boys’ 4x100m team dropped the baton disqualifying them. The 1600m races went well as many runners pushed through the blazing heat and finished strong. The final event was the 4x400m relay, the girl’s team placed third, as well as the boy’s team. The team had many new amazing PRs (personal records) set that day and spirits were all high.
The Lions track and field team set out to Davis Senior High School last Saturday, with the sprinting events starting at 8 am and the distance carnival starting at 5 pm. There was a range of prizes to win, but the Lions won many socks! Each runner came out in the freezing cold and did their absolute best. The sprinters had it pretty hard in the morning due to the rain, but the boy’s 4x100m team got second place. The distance carnival went well, besides the fact that the runners were freezing during their races. The Lions showed up and competed very nicely. Go Lions!
The McClatchy Varsity baseball team played an away game against the Folsom Bulldogs on Friday the 15th. The game was close until the end.
In the first inning, the Folsom Bulldogs scored the first point when a runner attempted to take second, and an unfortunate pass from the McClatchy pitcher went over the second baseman, and the runner on third took home. Folsom maintained this one-point lead up until the top of the fifth inning.
The fifth inning was the most lengthy game, with over 10 batters taking the plate. In the top of the inning, McClatchy was up to bat. The first two batters, #18 Jacob Lyons and #2 Antonio Barber, both managed to secure a base, landing them on first and second. #11 Ari Silva went up to bat and bunted the ball, advancing the two bases but getting out himself. With players on second and third, #24 Austin Aten took the plate, hitting the ball to the outfield, letting #18 take home and tie up the score. With a runner on third, #8 Jackson Halverson hit a single, advancing the runner on third to home plate and putting the Lions in the lead.
The bottom of the fifth had Folsom up to bat. The Bulldogs managed to hit two singles, making them have two runners on first and second. At their fifth batter, #5 Logan Hutton slammed the pitch deep into the outfield, allowing the player on second base to make it home, tying up the score. Their next batter got walked, leaving the bases loaded, but their next at-bat hit the ball, and as the runner on second was taking third, the McClatchy catcher threw the ball to third but, unfortunately, the baseman missed the catch, letting the runner take home. The Lions were unable to make up the point in the sixth and seventh innings, making the final score 2 to 3, Folsom taking the game.
An unfortunate loss for the McClatchy Boys Varsity Baseball team, but there is always hope for winning their upcoming matches.
McClatchy‘s track and field team had a busy weekend, with the sprinters attending the Jesuit meet and the distance runners heading down to Dublin on Friday evening, with some races on Saturday. According to reports, the Jesuit meet went well for the sprinters, achieving many personal records (PRs) and the 4×1 relay team securing second place. In the Dublin race, some of the 1600m and 3200m runners competed on Friday. Despite receiving short notice about the race being moved up a day earlier, they performed great. On Saturday, many runners came out and had good races.
The following interview was with Coach Watkins:
“So Coach Watkins, how do you as a coach feel about how your runners’ performance today?”
“I’m just really proud of everyone for showing up and doing their absolute best. Really proud of the runners that came out on Friday and ran even though it was short notice.”
“Yeah, the schedule change probably really knocked everyone off. But, they came out and they did really well! How many PRs do you think were set overall?”
“There have been 20 PRs”
“Woah that is amazing, 20 PRs!”
“Yep 20, some of them by a lot!”
“That’s right, Maelys PR’d by four seconds in her 800m!”
“Yeah and the 800 m when you are already really fast? That is crazy!”
The following interview was with Maelys Garros:
“Yeah, Maelys, you finally got some spikes. How do you think they affected your race?”
“Oh, they made all the difference. I felt like I was flying with those!”
“Oh yes, you were!”
The remainder of Saturday’s race went well, with Hugh Heyer setting a new PR by a second in his 800m, in a fast heat where many runners finished under two minutes. All runners gave their best at this highly competitive meet. Look forward to the team’s upcoming Metro League meet this Wednesday, March 20th, at Burbank High School.
On Saturday night, the Varsity Girls’ Basketball team played against the Carondelet Cougars in the 2024 CIF State Girls’ Basketball tournament. McClatchy had a large turnout of friends and family cheering them on.
It was a nail-biter. At the end of every quarter, both teams were within 5 points of each other. McClatchy’s starting five were #1 Sianna Squires, #3 Norret Lewis, #5 Kaela Stancil-Williams, #22 Nina Cain, and #24 Daisy Throckmorton.
The first quarter started with McClatchy winning the tipoff, the ball going to #22 Nina Cain who promptly scored the first points of the game setting the Lions ahead. Both teams truly brought their A-game, but the Lions pulled ahead in the first quarter, leaving them ahead 12 to 8 going into the second quarter.
Quarter two had Carondelet inbounding the ball. McClatchy kept their cool and played some excellent defense, while still being able to rush down the court and keep themselves in the lead. The Lions went into the 3rd quarter 22 to 16, but at this point in the game, the Cougars began to pull themselves back. Both teams played very well, but the Cougars picked up their tempo, scoring 15 points to McClatchy’s 7.
The Fourth Quarter was when the game got serious. Although the Lions were down 2 points going into the fourth, they never stopped fighting for the win. So many free throws were shot in this quarter, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for the win. As time ticked down, both teams continued to battle, and with seconds left, a single foul from McClatchy put one Carondelet player up to the free-throw line. Scores tied 48-48, all that was needed was a single point. The silence was deafening as the player shot their shots, but the pressure was too much as they missed both, taking this game to overtime.
Overtime was the straw that broke the camel’s back for McClatchy. A few open three-pointers and a couple of unfortunate layups led to McClatchy being down 54-62. As the game drew to a close, so did the season. Having made it so far McClatchy keeps their spirits and reflects on a great season.
McClatchy’s track and field team kicked off the first meet of the season with their annual red and white meet. The meet itself wasn’t a typical meet where other teams from other schools came to compete; it was just a meet amongst the team. The meet was done so the players could get a feel for what an actual meet entails. The runners showed up bright and early at eight o’clock last Saturday to help set up the meet and some of the equipment needed for their events.
The team consisted of 113 people, differing from field events, sprinting, and distance. Coach Watkins, also a chemistry teacher, coaches the distance kids and the throwers. Coach Dale coaches the pole vaulters. Coach Johnson, also a math teacher, coaches the hurdlers and high/long jump. Coach Mo’ coaches the sprinters, and was a college student-athlete, who ran track at Sac City College.
Before the meet started, I had the opportunity to talk with Coach Mo’:
“So if I heard correctly this is your first official year being a full-time coach?”
“Yeah, it’s my first time coaching through the school district.”
“That’s so exciting! Going into this first meet, technically more of a warmup meet, what do you look forward to your runners doing today?”
“I look forward to seeing all the preparation that we’ve worked on in the past few months. We just ran the timed four hundred last week, which was super successful! Today most of the sprinters will now be running the 100 and 200 meter, which we have been preparing for. It’s a great way to start our season!”
“Yes, it is! What do you look forward to achieving as a coach this season?”
“I look forward to achieving more PRs, more banners of course, and just aspiring all of you to keep being active and staying out here.”
Coach Mo’ has such a positive outlook, and so do the rest of the coaches. Many of the runners had amazing races, setting new personal records (PR). Hugh Heyer ran PR’d in the 800m race, coming in first place with a grand time of two minutes and six seconds, basically running a minute and three seconds on each lap.
Many of the girl varsity runners PR’d in the 1600m. Madeline Zimmerman, only a sophomore, ran a 13-second 100m, and she had never run track before. We can expect to see a lot out of all the newcomers on the team, along with the returning veterans, like the super-fast sprinter Jada Lawson and crazy fast distance runners Owen Anderson, Sam Rounds, and more.
As the season progresses, we as the audience, parents, or supporters, should anticipate the greatness the track and field team will accomplish. Whether that be getting a new banner to hang up or just having a good time, the Lions will set out to do their absolute best and on those days where they might not, it will be okay because they will have so much support from their teammates and the community around them. You go Lions!
Pictures from the event photographed by Francisco Escobar:
On Saturday night, the McClatchy boys varsity team played in the CIF Sac Joaquin finals against Jesuit. They had a great season, and everyone was excited for this final game.
The first few minutes of the first half were a close battle between both teams; all the boys wanted this win and did everything they could to get it. With 23 minutes left in the first half, Jesuit scored, making it 1-0.
Starting the second half, both teams seemed tired, but they did not give up. McClatchy students, family, and staff did not stop showing support and still had hope they could win this game.
The intensity of the game picked up, with both Jesuit and McClatchy attempting shots but missing. Time kept getting shorter, and McClatchy was losing their chance to make a comeback.
With only two minutes left, Jesuit scored again, making the score 2-0 and McClatchy losing their chance at winning the title.
Although they did not win, McClatchy had a great season, ending at #1 in the league with 11 wins and only 1 loss. It wasn’t the ending everyone was hoping for, but McClatchy fans showed love and were extremely proud of how far they made it this season.
