Keith Oddo (’15), a star guard on the Raiders basketball team, does not play just to make friends, as he maintains a high level of intensity on the court at all times.
“Off the court I like him; he is funny,” said Jordan Lowery (’16), who has played with Oddo in the backcourt for three years. “On the court he is a totally different guy, but he should be that way because he is one of our better players. He takes control.” Head Coach Ed Green, who has coached Oddo for two years, sees Oddo, as the old saying goes, leaving it all on the court on a consistent basis. “Keith is an emotional player,” he said. “He comes to play every day and when he plays in the basketball game he plays 100 percent both offensively and defensively. It is a pleasure watching how he plays and how hard he plays.” Oddo attributes his approach to a mix of adrenaline and a burning desire to win. “When you get between the lines, a whole different person comes out,” he said. “It is more of a competitive edge and I just like to win so that is the main difference between me on and off the court.” Oddo’s intensity bleeds into practice, where he and Green, who brings an equal level of energy to both practices and games, constantly chirp at one another. To an uninformed observer the scene may look like tense, but Green sees it as a normal relationship between him and one of his star players. “I push Keith very hard,” he said. “He knows what I am going to do and he expects me to push him. It’s not personal; it’s never personal. I’m just trying to have him maximize his skills as a player.” Oddo appreciates the efforts of both Green and his assistant coach Gerald Holmes. “Coach Green and Coach Holmes have done a great job and both of them are very well qualified as coaches,” he said. “They have been a main part of our success this season.” Oddo has improved in each of his four years as what Green calls a “combo guard,” meaning that he can play both point guard and shooting guard. He has bumped up his points per game each season of his career and has reached a personal high of 14.0 this year. Oddo attributes a good amount of this improvement to being pushed by tough competition. “Playing against really good competition in the offseason has really helped me improve,” he said. “Playing against Thon Maker and playing against five top 100 players this summer has helped. Playing against that level of competition along with me getting stronger and physically developing has been really helpful.” The most noticeable improvement in Oddo’s game this year has been an increase in his shooting percentage, as he is shooting 47 percent from the field this year compared to 40 percent for his career. Oddo sees a simple explanation to this statistical increase in efficiency. “For the past three years I have been primarily a three-point shooter,” he said. “This year I have been working hard on my ball handling which makes getting to the rim a lot easier. The closer to the basket you shoot the higher percentage of them you are going to make and that is definitely the case with me.” Oddo’s assertion is clearly backed up by the statistics, as his two-point field goal percentage is up to 54 percent, 12 points above his career average. His three point percentage is down to 34 percent, 5 percent below his career average, but he has already made 49 two point shots in 14 games, only five less than his total of 54 in 22 games last year. While Oddo’s game is well rounded, averaging over 10 points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal per game in his four-year career, Lowery sees two clear strengths that have resonated for Oddo’s entire career. “Keith’s strengths are shooting and passing,” Lowery said. “Keith has stayed pretty much the same. He could always shoot and he could always pass and he still can.” Lowery and Oddo have made a dynamic duo over the last three years, sharing the point guard position while working together on the court. Oddo likes having Lowery at his side on the court. “To start the game I play off the wing,” he said. “Jordan is a really good ball handler. It is really hard to press us because together we complement each other really well. When Jordan goes out of the game I go over to point guard. Next year I will definitely have to run point guard because of the size difference in college.” As a man who complied a 260-83 overall record and went to the NCAA Tournament in eight of his 12 years as a coach at Roanoke College, Green knows what it takes to succeed as a basketball player in college. When Oddo leaves Willis Hall to attend the University of Richmond as a recruited walk-on to the team, Green sees him facing challenges similar to most high school players transitioning to the college game. “When you look at high school players and think about what they have to do collegiately almost every high school has to improve their defensive skills,” Green said. “They also have to work on their passing and be able to feed the post inside, making their teammates better players with their passing skills.”
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By Tanner Smith As William Shakespeare wrote in his famous play King Richard III, “Now is the winter of our discontent.”
The same could be applied to those wishing to see a varsity girls basketball team in 2014-2015, as the school decided to put the varsity program on a hiatus for this year. Athletic Director Eric Lawrence wishes that they could have fielded a team this year, but feels this is best for the future. “We simply didn’t have enough upperclassmen to offer any kind of competitive team,” he said. “We want to make sure the girls have a positive experience so we thought it was better to back up and regroup and work on building the program.” There are many reasons that people decide not to play sports, such as a heavy academic workload or injuries. Sarah Shaff (’15), who played varsity basketball since she was a freshman and averaged 5.4 rebounds per game last year, thinks the lack of interest is multidimensional. “It is a mixture of both our record and people not wanting to play,” she said.“We never had a very good record and people just don’t want to play if their friends decide not to play.” While there was not enough girls interested to field a team, Shaff is very sad to not be able to play her senior year, even if the team has only fielded a 28-42 record in her three years, including a 8-13 record last year. “I was really sad when I heard that there wouldn’t be a team,” she said. “I was sad that I had played without even knowing that it was my last game.” Katie Sayers, a 6-2 senior who averaged 1.5 blocks per game last year, had mixed feelings when she heard that there was not going to be a team. “I was kind of upset because I do love playing basketball,” she said. “At the same time I was kind of relived because I am hurt and I would be upset to have to sit on the bench while watching everyone else play.” Sayers is suffering through a cracked sesamoid bone under her toe, which she injured during this past soccer season. These injuries typically take 4-8 weeks to heal according to summitmedicalgroup.com, which would have knocked her out for a good amount of the season. Even though she would not have been able to play, Sayers says that basketball was not the only component to being on the team that she will miss. “I will miss the team bonding and the bus rides because it is good to hang out with everyone and have a good time,” she said. “Even though we didn’t win a lot of games, it was fun to travel with everyone.” While some may worry about the future of the program, Lawrence has confidence that the ship will be righted next year. “We have some specific goals for that program this year,” he said. “However, we will bring (varsity) back next year.” The goals for the program include a junior varsity team, which consists of a mix of seven middle school students and three upper school students. Those upper school students are Enhkbileg Dendev (’17), Zhishan Yan (’17) and Madison Charles (’18). Dendev has had a very positive experience so far. "Joining the JV basketball team has been great,” she said. “I’ve met some really amazing teammates and I am ecstatic to be on the team. So far the games and practices have been great and always have fun with the girls on the team.” Shaff thinks the junior varsity team is the key to the revival of the program. “They need to keep the interest of people coming up to the high school,” she said. By Dre Colston A born swimmer, Daniel Lorens joined the varsity swim team for a third year and provides veteran leadership. Lorens has been swimming for around 12 years. He started swimming for the Marlins in eighth grade. “My siblings started swimming for the Marlins when I was in seventh grade, and a year later, I decided to do it, too,” Lorens said. “Prior to that, I had swam for summer swim teams, which I really enjoyed. This also pushed me to start swimming year round.” Lorens adds years of experience to this year’s team and feels that the squad has added quality by quantity. “We have doubled the swimmers we had in the past,” said Lorens, “and the middle school team is huge now.” This team is full of capable swimmers. “I think the swim team will have a very successful season this year,” said Lorens. The team has a great amount of talent and is full of potential. “Daniel brings a strong leadership presence in which he leads by example through his hard work,” fellow junior Joseph Cartledge said, “his attitude is always refreshing and motivating.” Asst. coach Jon Sirko agrees. “Daniel is a very versatile swimmer and shows great leadership by his work ethic,” Sirko said, “I look forward to seeing him progress during the season. Coach Greg Lake has had much success in producing collegiate swimmers and pushing swimmers to their full potential. “I would like to swim in college, whether it’s for the club team or the competitive team,” said Lorens. “I would like to swim at Virginia Tech.” The swimming is not all competitive Lorens also enjoys the time he spends with the swim team and the relationships he has made. “I really enjoy the swim meets although it might not always go my way,” the swimmer said. “It’s a great time to bond with your other teammates and get to know them even better.” By Dre Colston and Emma Cartledge Margo Winn, a dominant force on the girls swim team, qualified for the state meet in her first swims for the Raiders with a 59.49 in the 100-yard free and a 107.91 in the 100-yard backstroke. Winn started swimming competitively at the age of 6 and stopped at 13. “My older sister always swam, so I started,” she said. “Being the little sister I just felt like I should swim too. I’ve always loved being in the water.” Winn stopped swimming because she felt like her old team took the “fun” out of swimming. “My old team took swimming way too serious,” Winn said. “I mean swimming isn’t the most fun sport but I mean I just stopped enjoying swimming and we were always at each other’s throats.” This team is more of a “family” according to Winn. “I don’t regret quitting because I feel it was the right choice for me, but I miss it a lot,” the which stroke is her best said, “I was really close with the girls on the team and miss the atmosphere.” “We all support each other and want each other to win,” Winn said, “its really nice having that support.” Winn’s favorite stroke is the backstroke. “I love competing in all the meets, I really like the competition in the sport,” Winn said, “especially with this year’s team the meets are always fun.” The girls swim team is currently undefeated, with a record of 7-0. As a critical part of this team, Winn has made three state cuts: 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 200 individual medley. “Coach Sirko is an amazing coach with a lot of expertise that he passes down to us,” Winn said. “He pushes us to be the best we can and really wants us to succeed.” “Margo is an excellent swimmer and very versatile as well,” said Coach Jon Sirko, “in this past swim meet she showed how versatile she is by swimming the 500 freestyle and doing very well, I look forward to see how she does during the remainder of the season.” Winn has been a pivotal part of the girl’s success this year. She loves the atmosphere of this year’s team. “Margo is a great addition to the team,” Swim Team Captain Maddie Robinson said, “she’s really helped out our relay team and she really helps out with points.” “I started again because I remembered why I loved it in the first place,” Winn said. “The high school team is about the swimming and doing the best we possibly can.” By Nathan Seidel Varsity basketball hit its stride lately, with three wins in a row following a tough 64-60 loss at Liberty Christian on Dec. 9.
The Raiders’ won again last night against the quick Tigers of Hargrave Military Academy. After a shaky start in which the team was down 13-12 at the end of the first quarter, North Cross pulled ahead by 20 by the third quarter. Shooting guard Keith Oddo, who recently committed to play at the University of Richmond, said the team picked up its intensity, but then saw the lead go away. Hargrave cut the lead to 46-40, when point guard Jordan Lowery fouled out with about three minutes left. “It hurt us when Jordan got in foul trouble,” Oddo said. With a six-man rotation, the Raiders seemed tired late in the game when The Tigers fought back with a constant press, forcing numerous turnovers, but to no avail. The Raiders hit their free throws down the stretch and managed to secure the W at the end, with a final score of 49-40. “We hit our final shots,” coach Ed Green said, “and that definitely was a help.” This win gives the Raiders a 5-1 record on the year, in prime position to do some damage as they enter the thick of their conference schedule. Coach Green is optimistic about this team’s possibilities. He feels it has the talent and potential to reach great heights. “I think our chances right now are as good as anybody’s,” Green said. “Thing is, we won [the conference] last year, so everybody in our league is out to knock us off.” One reason for the team’s continued success is Peyton Bailey (‘16), a starter at power forward, who transferred from Dayspring Christian Academy. He is a big fan of our community and basketball program. “The transition has been smooth,” Bailey said. Bailey likes Coach Green’s style of play and his new teammates. “I like to run,” he said about liking Coach Green’s system, “I like that a lot.” The Raiders’ next game will be Saturday in a rivalry game versus the Celtics of Roanoke Catholic. Forward Bennett Holley (‘15) is leading the Raiders in points per game (17.0) as well as 5.5 rebounds. Shooting guard Oddo also pours in 14.5 points per game and five assists per contest. In addition, Lowery contributes 3.3 steals and center Kennedy Nwabia (‘15) pulls in 9.8 rebounds every game. “It’s a team game,” Nwabia said. “Five guys pass the ball around. We move the ball a lot. Everyone does their part cleaning the boards and scoring, which makes our teamwork effective.” By Meagan Pruitt Field hockey made North Cross history on Oct. 7, when they won 4-2 against Foxcroft in the state semifinals, making them the first Raider field hockey team to make it to state finals. However, the Fredericksburg Falcons, No. 2 in the state, redeemed an earlier loss at home to the Raiders by defeating the No. 1 team 3-1 at the finals. All of the goals were scored off corners. “I think the hardest part about playing offense is making the right decision in the circle,” Lawrence said, “and always getting back on defense, because every player has to play defense in field hockey.” The starting sophomores, Shaida Campbell (left forward), Margaret Lawrence (center mid) and Morgan Sturm (left mid), form a pact that inevitably results in many of the field hockey goals. Passing to Avery Sturm ('15) on her right or Morgan Sturm on her left, Lawrence acts as the distributor in the middle that allows the ball to transition smoothly from one side of the field to the other. A quick push pass (ball pushed on the ground) or a lift (ball flicked high enough to get across blocking sticks on the ground, but not above players' hips) are sure to complete the transfer. Once on the sidelines, either the Sturms or a defensive midfielder can carry the ball toward the opposing goal. If everything goes smoothly, it can be passed back to the midis or forwards. The forwards dribble (run with the ball) to the corners of the field, and drive (hit) it to the receiving mids in the circle, who hopefully deflect it into the goal. Of course, this is based on the theory that each pass is made and the opposing defenders do not intercept or block the transfers. Within the circle surrounding the goal, if an obstruction occurs (most often this includes hacking (hitting the other player's stick while not in possession of the ball) or touching the ball with one's foot) then a corner commences. However, this isn't like soccer. The ball is not kicked (in this case hit) in from the corners of the field. Logically that would be assumed based on the name, but that is called a long hit in field hockey. No, corners in field hockey occur within the goal circle. Four defenders stand in ready position in the goal, along with the goalie. Each takes the role of fly, trail or post. Fly accelerates out of the goal once the ball is hit, and attempts to block the play by rushing at the receiver. Most often than not, the fly is actually there to put pressure on the receiver than actually take the ball away. The trail hangs behind the fly to block the ball if not blocked by her. If the receivers make an intricate play or if the ball simply gets pass the fly and trail, two posts stand on either side of the goal to act as mini goalies. The rest of the team hangs behind the 50-yard line, and has to rush towards the goal to help once the ball is hit. On the offensive side, every player except two or three participates in attacking the goal. One player push passes or drives the ball to a player positioned at the top of the circle. Depending on the play set up, the receiver either drives it or passes it to another player. This is the most common way to score, as seen in the state champion game. In state finals, juniors, Colleen Norair scored and Carolyn Topps assisted on, all three goals for Fredericksburg Academy off the same corner play. Topps push-passed the ball to Norair, who drove the ball into the back of the goal. Morgan Sturm assisted on Avery Sturm's lone goal in the exact same way. Both defenses were tough enough to allow only goals off of these set plays. By Tanner Smith While some high school athletes plateau during the course of their high school career, the gun slinging quarterback of the 3-2 Raiders, Max Revercomb (’15) continues to improve. “This will be my third year with Max and I have known him since he was a freshman. He has definitely gotten a lot better,” offensive and defensive lineman Brett Jones (’16) said. “He is making smarter plays, reading defenses a lot better and he has grown into a overall quarterback.” Each quarterback has his own style of playing the position, and Revercomb, who has thrown 20 touchdowns this year against seven interceptions, is no exception. While some quarterbacks prefer to play cautiously, Revercomb’s instincts have no such inhibitions. “Max is a guy who wants to go for it all,” Jones said. “He always wants to try to make a big play. He expands the pocket and scrambles outside just to find the big play.” While in some cases this gung-ho attitude is a great attribute, Revercomb admits that at times he needs to try to make the shorter, safer plays. While he still does not like yielding in any way, he realizes that he has matured and needs to continue to mature in this way. “A lot of it is in-game experience and the mental part of the game,” he said. “The physical part comes pretty easy for me but now in my third year as a starter I definitely have a much better feel for the game.” This “feel for the game” has shown up in his completion percentages, as he has went from completing 49.8 percent of his passes his sophomore year to 59 percent through five games this year. Defensive coach Shannon Taylor, who played at UVA and then went on to play four years in the NFL, has nothing but praise for Revercomb. “Max is our best player hands down. He is a defensive guy, our quarterback and our captain,” he said. “I have been very impressed by Max and what he has done while I have been here. He has always been a kid who has stood out to me.” Along with being an incredible natural athlete Max takes his preparation very seriously. “Max didn’t miss a weight lifting all summer; he was always there,” Taylor said. As a result of his intense preparation both in the offseason and during the season, Revercomb’s durability has become one of his strengths. He has yet to miss a start since becoming the starting quarterback as a sophomore. Despite this ironman approach, it would be foolish to think his effort level ever drops in order to maintain. “Max plays hard every play and never quits,” Jones said. “Every single play on both offense and defense if you watch him, he is doing something to help the team.” Taylor agrees with Jones’ assessment. “Everything he does is 100 percent,” Taylor said. “He never takes any plays off.” One of the biggest challenges for the Raiders this year has been to jell with new dynamic players such as Maurice Garrison (’18). Taylor sees Revercomb as a pivotal part of that process. “Max’s football IQ is one of his strongest traits,” he said. “Max is a football guy who is always watching the game and always knows what is going on around him. His awareness has helped the team and he has been able to get all the young guys lined up.” Revercomb rarely talks about himself within interviews, preferring to use “we” to “I.” In terms of “we,” Revercomb is trying not to look too far ahead. “We are taking it game by game, but our ultimate goal is to definitely get into the state championship,” he said. Taylor sees no lack of effort in these Raiders in their drive to a championship. “We are very young and very talented,” he said. “I think our youth has actually been our strength. Even with the inexperience, the guys are playing really hard and fast.” While Revercomb is one of the main focuses of the offense, Taylor knows that the offense is far from one-dimensional. “A lot of people might think we just want to pass the ball, but we have a run first kind of offense with Ryan Dent, Isaiah Harris, Maurice Garrison and Lucas Arnold,” he said. “From time to time though we have to stretch the defense using the width of the field and our speed in order to take advantage of all of our skills.” These Raiders will have a chance to display those skills in their Homecoming game vs. St. Anne’s Belfield on Oct. 3. By Campbell Lake Jaime Dooley, a former William Byrd Terrier, arrived to be a huge asset to the varsity soccer squad.
The Raiders, who are the No. 1 seed in the state, played an exhilarating match on Sept. 26 against the Eastern Mennonite Flames. The boys varsity soccer team dominated most of the game, however it resulted in their first tie of the season when the Flames netted a goal in the last minute of the match. The Raiders fought hard throughout two overtimes, but both defenses held their positions with vigor. The ending result was 2-2, after a long and tiresome battle. Dooley scored one of the two goals for the Raiders in the first 10 minutes of the game, with an assist by Christian Entleitner. "He had such a great goal," said Coach James Brown, who has been leading the soccer team to success for 10 years now. "Jaime has been quite the addition to the team, and has been leading in assists," Brown said. Dooley is currently ranked No. 1 in the state for assists with ##. "He fits in really well with the boys, and likes to share the ball, which is something we needed with the seniors that we graduated last year," said coach, reflecting on the loss of graduate Christopher Pollock ('14), who now plays soccer at Dickinson College. Coach Brown also noted that he sees potential in Dooley not only leading in assists, but even in goals as the season progresses. Dooley alternates between playing center-mid and striker for the varsity squad, which is the same position he played at his former school, William Byrd. "I like this team a lot better than my former team because we are much closer, like a family," Dooley said. Dooley has been infatuated with the sport since he was just 6 years old. He plays for the Roanoke Star club, and has been dedicated to the club for six years. Dooley wishes to continue his passion for soccer, as he plans to play in college, and even dreams of making it into the professional world. Dooley reflected on what he loves most about soccer. "Everything,” he said. “The ball, the way it feels on your feet, everything." Teammates Brandon Campbell ('16) and Christian Entleitner ('15) are ecstatic about Dooley's skills and contributions to the team this year. "He is a great goal scorer and ball handler," Campbell said, “which is shown by his number one ranking in assists.” As a key defender on the varsity team, Campbell really appreciates Dooley's help as striker in their games. Entleitner had nothing but positive things to say about Dooley's personality, both on and off the field. "He's a great guy and a great student athlete," Entleitner said, “and has his heart in the right place.” By Dre Colston The girl’s field hockey team has a different dynamic this year with their seven seniors leading the team.
This season the team is projected to be one of the favorites in their conference. The team’s record is 5-3-1 and coming off a large win against Carlisle. “It felt like we had just won the state championship,” said Coach Kelly, “scoring on a last minute goal by Morgan Sturm (’17) was the best feeling ever.” Sturm agrees with her coach’s sentiment. “It felt really good to score that goal,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and I am really grateful to them that they set me up for that opportunity.” That win would not have been possible without the seniors, who are Sarah Shaff, Annie Elwell, Meg Evett, Avery Sturm, Madison Bloomfield, Kerin Daly, and goalkeeper Anna Robinson. Shaff in particular has taken her leadership role to heart. "Sarah is a great captain, she keeps us focused and keeps our energy up," said Annie Elwell who also plays defense, "She's like a wall on defense, she's always where she supposed to be on the field and she's got great hits for transferring the ball." Shaff is a captain on the team who anchors the defense. “Sarah has been a leader on the team as long as I’ve been here,” said Head Coach Katherine Kelly, “Sarah plays in the back of the field which makes me feel a lot better with having her back there to stop the ball.” Shaff joined the varsity field hockey team as a sophomore adding to the team dynamic right away. "I've been playing field hockey seven years," Shaff said, "I have enjoyed every moment of it." Shaff finds field hockey more enjoyable than any other sport, even though she does play soccer and basketball. "I like field hockey because it's unique," she said, "Not many people can play field hockey considering it is a foreign sport." Shaff has been playing field hockey for three years and has worked her way to a captain spot. "I feel good that people actually have trust in me to be the captain," she said. "I'm actually surprised I was voted captain. It felt really good that my teammates have faith in me." Shaff has been starting on the defense for two years and been contributing greatly with her leadership and teamwork. "I like defense because that's what I'm good at well that's what I'm the best at," she said. "I also play with one of the best defenses in the conference in my opinion." Avery Sturm, who has been playing with Shaff for four years, has loved every year with her. "Sarah is not only a great friend and teammate but also an amazing captain,” Sturm said. “She always puts herself before others and she encourages us all to play our hardest every game." The girl’s next challenge will be to take on Trinity Episcopal on homecoming day at 12:00 p.m. By Nathan Seidel Chester Pruitt ('18) is new to the sport of cross country, but he is already making an incredible difference for the Raiders this season. Pruitt is confident that cross country is a sport in which he can excel. "It's a different sport, it's a little challenging," Pruitt said, "but I think I can be good in the long run if I keep practicing and working hard." The cross-country team is off to a promising start this season. Their most recent meet was Friday, September 26. The Raider boys finished first, second, third, fourth, and sixth, thoroughly dominating, while for the girls, Audrey Lemon finished second and Margo Winn and Rebecca Benson both had solid runs. Walter Mann was victorious with a strong time of 19:50, and Pruitt finished second with a time of 20:12. Pruitt played soccer all through middle school, but once he reached his high school years, he decided to pursue the less popular, though difficult, sport of cross country. This year, he is a member of the Raiders' varsity cross-country squad. The varsity team consists of around fifteen people this season. The Raiders were victorious in their first meet this season, defeating runners from Virginia Episcopal School and Hargrave Military Academy. In this meet, Pruitt emerged as a talented new runner, finishing first out of all boys participating. In cross country meets, Pruitt runs 5ks, a race that amasses a distance of just over three miles. He likes this distance, and feels that it is working well for him. "A mile would be a little short," Pruitt said, "and five miles would be a little long." Every day, the runners gather at the CAC for practice. After they meet, the team stretches and they receive their assignments for the day. Pruitt usually runs up near the head of the pack, with Coach Dickenson. The team usually covers about two miles every day. They run all over campus, including the trails in the woods. The varsity cross-country team at our school is coached by Ed Dickenson, the head of Eaton Hall. He has been leading the Raider runners since 1989. Coach Dickenson is a runner himself, and he delights in passing on his passion for cross country. He also enjoys running with the team and getting to know them as people. In addition, he loves the feeling of pride when he watches his runners compete in the final meets of the season. "I want the team to enjoy practices even on days when we are training extremely hard," Dickenson said, "I want for them to enjoy the routine of running because it is a lifetime sport." |
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