On Jan. 26, the women’s varsity basketball team faced the Fallston Cougars, who in the past have provided JC with close games.  In a tooth and nail battle, JC came out on top 59-49.

Before the game started, senior Miranda Ripken was honored for scoring 1,000 career points in women’s high school basketball amidst last week’s game against the Institute of Notre Dame. This event also earned Ripken the titles Athlete of the Week at the Arena Club and Fox 45 New’s Prep Player of the Week.

“Getting 1,000 points was incredible for me. When I was a freshman, I viewed getting 1,000 points as something that would just be ‘cool to get,’ and never actually thought that I would get it,” Ripken said.

The team had decorated the gym with streamers and posters to congratulate Ripken.  She also received a basketball signed by her entire team.

“Miranda deserved the 1,000 points.  She is a wonderful teammate and amazing person,” long-time teammate and senior Maria Edwards said.

“The ceremony before the game was awesome. When the divider came down and the number 1,000 was on it, I couldn’t stop smiling. My team put a lot of work into making this ceremony something special and I am really grateful to them. The ceremony is something I’ll remember for a long time,” said Ripken.

With excitement filling the gym, the game began with JC gaining first possession of the ball and Ripken scoring an easy two points.  JC didn’t let the pressure of playing against Fallston get to them during the first quarter, as they moved the ball quickly from one side of the court to the other.  They ended the first quarter leading 11-8.

Both teams faced struggles during the second quarter with the referees, which caused frustration among the players on the court. The number of fouls JC committed began to creep up on them, but the team made up for it by scoring points.  Junior Mackenzie Reese was the leading scorer of the night and took charge during both the first and second halves.  JC ended the first half in the lead 27-22.

Throughout the rest of the game, JC and Fallston kept it close.  With the clock running out in the fourth quarter, JC committed seven fouls giving Fallston the advantage, allowing them to shoot foul shots every time a Patriot fouled.  With two minutes left in the game, Fallston pulled ahead by three points.  JC had one last play that could tie the game.

Soller made the three-point shot in the final play of regulation sending the crowd into an uproar of excitement and the teams into overtime.

“Even though we let the lead slip away, we didn’t give up and came out and played well in overtime,” Edwards said.

JC shut out Fallston in overtime keeping the ball consistently on the offensive side of the court.  The game became more at ease for JC as Fallston let up on defensive end giving JC easy foul shots, which helped them win the game 59-46, the first win against Fallston women’s basketball in the past four years.

“It felt amazing to win against Fallston. Even though it was out of conference, the game was a big one since we’ve had close loses to them in the past,” Ripken said.

Megan Battaglia is a Multimedia Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.org.

However, things started to look up as freshman CJ Skokowski and junior Devin Davis won their weight classes for six-point victories each. Skokowski, in the 106 pound weight class, created an 11-0 lead early in the third period against Marcellus Brown of Loyola.

At the 4:52 mark, Skokowski pinned Brown, winning his weight class. In the 113 pound weight class, Davis won effortlessly with a forfeit. These two wins tied up the score.

JC didn’t catch a break though, as the Dons answered back with three consecutive wins. Freshman Steven Jernigan lost 4-2 in the 120 pound weight class against defending state champion David Mohler.

Junior Artie Milner, in the 126 pound weight class, wrestled for 3:46 before being put away by Ben Smist. Loyola’s Walter Johnson finished the Loyola run with 17-5 point win over freshman Christian Scott.  Johnson had seven takedowns and three late back points to complete his win.

Those three matches placed the Dons in the lead, 26-12. The Patriots soon struck back, not allowing Loyola any more victories.

Junior Scott Strappelli began the seven-match win streak against Loyola that led to the Patriot’s win. Weighing in at 138, Strappelli had a 16-1 win that changed the momentum of the meet.

“I don’t really think when I’m out there. I’ve trained myself a lot so that over the years I have muscle memory and know what I want to do out there before I go out to the mat,” Strappelli said.

“I thought we could win them all once we got to Strappelli,” coach Keith Watson said.

Freshman Chris Almony had the quickest win of the day pinning his opponent in 15 seconds in the 145 weight class. Junior George Weber kept the victories consistent when he pinned his opponent in 1:40 in the 152 pound weight class. Following suit, freshman Hunter Ritter pinned his opponent in 3:15 in the 160 weight class.

Weighing in at 170, senior Zach Donato took on Loyola’s Kyle Saunders. Donato overpowered Saunders with 5-4 win, taking down Saunders in the last five seconds of the match.

Finishing off the meet, juniors Rob Stahl, 182, and Daniel Kelble, 185, won their matches both in the second period. The seven-match win streak left the Patriots with a 50-26 win. The Patriots are 3-1 overall and 2-1 in conference action.

Emily Clarke is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

This shot set the tone for the rest of the game.  On Wednesday, Dec. 7, the women’s varsity basketball team faced the Institute of Notre Dame (IND).  The game began with JC’s quick advantage when they won the jump ball.  Within the first few seconds of the game senior Miranda Ripken scored the first basket.  JC was quick to score again with junior Mackenzie Reese and a fast break assist from senior Maria Edwards.

IND struggled to keep the ball off their defensive side of the court against JC, who dominated on defense by consistently boxing out and rebounding the ball.  JC used a full court man-to-man defense against IND to keep the ball on the offensive side.  Moving the ball swiftly across the court JC created an opportunity for Ripken to score a 3-point shot.  The first quarter ended with a 9 point lead over IND.

During the second quarter, Ripken, Johnson, and senior Emily Soller all scored 3-point shots within a few minutes of each other, keeping JC in the lead.  The second quarter ended with Johnson’s half-court shot putting JC ahead of IND 33 to 14.

“Honestly I couldn’t believe it. It felt like a dream. The main thing that went through my mind was how in the world did I throw the ball from half court without jumping, with two people guarding me, and hitting all net on a buzzer beater. I was really pumped,” Johnson said.

The third quarter was slow-moving for IND as JC continued to control the game.  JC let one fast break from IND get by them, but they were quick to get the ball back.  The third quarter ended with JC leading 53 to 32.

In the final quarter of the game JC worked hard to move the ball down the court in attempt to score more points.  Three consistent fast breaks by Reese and senior Talia Kahoe bumped JC up 68 to 40. Although IND put up a fight near the end scoring a final buzzer shot, JC was victorious against IND,  68-45.

“I was extremely nervous since it was our first in-conference game and I knew we had to come out ready to play with intensity.
We played a great all-around game and the outcome was what I expected and I think what the whole team expected,” said Soller.

JC continues their season with a game this Saturday against South River at Mello Center.

Megan Battaglia is a Multimedia Editor for The Patiot and jcpatriot.com.

The game started off with sophomore Kamau Stokes’s three-point shot, but after that, both teams struggled to put points up on the board. The score remained 3-0 until there were four minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter.  Near the end of the quarter, JC broke out with a three-pointer from freshman Justin Jenifer and a two-point shot from sophomore Lionel Owona. St. Maria Goretti’s only response was a three-pointer from senior Gavin Rajahpillay.

During the first five minutes of second quarter, not a point was scored, but they picked up the pace shortly afterwards. Goretti earned points from sophomore Martinas Geben, who knocked down a three-pointer, and through foul shots scored by other members of the team. Junior Mike Owona dunked the ball after Stokes stole it and lobbed it up to Owona. Senior Jarred Jones scored a three pointer, which helped stretch out JC’s lead, ending the first half at 23-9.

In the third quarter, Goretti began to pick up momentum. Senior Shae King hit two shots, but missed a foul shot that could have narrowed the lead even further. However, junior Tyrus Fleetwood made up for it when he scored a three-pointer.

JC began to lag behind a little, but still managed to put some points on the board. Jones made a shot and Jenifer made four foul shots and a three-pointer, making the score at the end of the third quarter 32-18.

As the game began to wind down, Fleetwood and Geben kept Goretti alive. Fleetwood knocked down two successful foul shots and a three-pointer, while Geben added another six more points. Owona blocked one of Goretti’s shots, but it was deflected right back at the offense, who failed to take advantage of it. Junior Rodney Elliot was fouled frequently enough to take 10 foul shots, making six of them, and added his own two points afterwards to make a final score of 49-33.

“We didn’t play as well as we expected, but it’s the first game and we still have a lot to work on. I think the team got off to a rough start because it was the first game and we all are getting a feel playing with each other and working on our team chemistry,” senior Marcus James said.

The next game will be played at St. Paul’s School, Nov. 22 at 6:00 p.m.

Imani Love is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

JC emerged victorious, 3-2.

Although JC shut out IND the last time they faced them, the game quickly started off in favor of IND, as they defeated JC in a close match 23-25. JC and IND, ranked 19 and 20 in the state respectively, took turns winning matches. Losing 2-1, JC started off in the fourth match with an 11-7 deficit. They responded quickly with a 15-3 run, ended by senior Alyssa Goheen’s ace, to create a 22-14 lead. JC won the fourth match 25-20, tying the game at two matches each.

Dunn said the Patriots were able to find balance between nerves and overconfidence.

“We trust each other,” Dunn told Varsity Sports Network. “You got to know who’s going to be there for what. It just has to come together.”

It did come together for JC in the fifth match when senior Emily Soller’s kill at the net came prior to an ace by junior Elise Adamson which put the Patriots ahead 12-6. JC had four opportunities to finish the match but was unsuccessful until Dunn’s hit over the net won JC the match and the championship.

“You can’t beat that experience in a pressure situation,” head coach Greg Cullison told Varsity Sports Network. “We maintained our composure and never got flustered really bad. We had spells where we didn’t play well.”

Adamson led the Patriots with 21 kills, while Dunn added her own 14 . With their third consecutive championship, JC joins McDonogh and Mount de Sales as the only schools to win three straight IAAM titles.

Miranda Ripken is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

The first quarter of the game was uneventful, as neither team had a scoring drive. In the start of the second quarter, JC took the lead when junior Montell Martin received a 24-yard pass from junior Brandon Lewis. St. Mary’s quickly came back when a simple pitch-and-catch turned into a 70-yard
touchdown pass. JC left the score 7-6 at the end of the first half when the St. Mary’s extra point kick was blocked.

In the start of the third quarter, Martin ran to the end zone for 43 yards and junior Alex Gambrell kicked the extra point. St. Mary’s tied the game up, however, when the team drove all the way to the 3-yard line during their possession and scored on a short run. The St. Mary’s successful two-point conversion pass caused the 14-14 tie.

The fourth quarter started off with St. Mary pushing ahead with a 24-yard field goal kick. JC immediately retaliated when junior Austin Markley received the kick off and returned the ball for 70 yards to score. Again, St. Mary’s scored when their halfback ran the ball for 26 yards. Losing 21-24, JC had one final opportunity to score.

“Whenever we were losing, we focused on the next play,” senior and captain Jon Galarraga said. With seven seconds left in regulation, junior Alex Gambrell kicked the tying field goal, making the score 24-24.

The game went into overtime and each team was given the opportunity to score with four downs from the 10-yard line. On the first down of JC’s possession, Martin scored the game winning touchdown. The JC defense held off St. Mary’s for their four down opportunity and, ultimately, the rest of the game. JC had five interceptions, three of which by junior Walter Roche, plus 255 rushing yards.

“We played as a team and played our hearts out on Friday.  It was the most memorable game in JC history for me,” Galarraga said.

Additional reporting by Miranda Ripken

Megan Battaglia is a Multimedia Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

The win against Archbishop Curley was the first for the team, and as of now, stands alone.  Despite the men’s varsity volleyball 1-15 record, the team as a whole seems optimistic. “We will improve as the season goes on,” Collins said.

“Everyone is positive and hoping to win some more matches,” senior captain Dino Profili said.

Coach Julian Maliszewski is not discouraged by the losses. “I am optimistic as the season reaches the halfway point . . .  the season has had its ups and downs, but they are good kids and want to learn and are a pleasure to coach,” Maliszewski said.

The light, positive atmosphere and team chemistry is apparent, according to the team.

“We get along very well.  Not only are we teammates, but we are all friends too.  This is really important because a team who doesn’t really get along will never succeed or have a good time,” senior Matt Zoltoski said.

“I don’t exactly mind not winning because most of the time we are playing teams better than us, but regardless we all have fun with it,” senior A.J. Stewart said.

According to the team, Maliszewski seems to be a vital part of their attitudes.

“We all realize that we play volleyball not to win every single game, but rather to have fun.  Whenever we lose a game, our coach asks us if we had fun,” Zoltoski said.

“Last year’s team was very intense.  This year’s team is a bit more reserved, so the dynamic of the team determines how I am as a coach,” Maliszewski said.

As for any obstacles that stand in the team’s way of succeeding, Maliszewski said that it’s simply “the players themselves.”

“The team needs to be energetic and make minimal errors on the court,” Profili said.

The future is bright in the players and Maliszewski’s eyes, and enjoying the game is the focal point. “If everyone can take something away from the season and look back on the season positively, then I have done my job,” Maliszewski said.

Additional reporting by Cara Reilly.

Kailey Tracy is a Copy Editor for the Patriot and jpatriot.com

JC played St. Paul’s School for Boys on Sept. 30 under the lights for the first home game of the season.  St. Paul’s defeated JC 35 – 9.

The game started with junior Alex Gambrell kicking the ball off to St. Paul’s senior London Fitzhugh, who ran the ball to the 30 yard line. With a few quick plays St. Paul’s managed to get the ball into the Patriots’ end zone. Tacking on the extra point, the score became 7- 0 within the first five minutes of the game.

Gambrell kicked the ball downfield to JC, where Markley received it and ran to about the 35 yard line. On the next play, quarterback and junior Brandon Lewis handed the ball off to sophomore Gus Lane who carried it to the 45. The referee threw a flag against St. Paul’s moving the ball up to the 50 yard line, adding to the Patriots’ progress.

“When I received that first long kick return, I knew that we had a chance of coming back against St. Paul’s and answering with a touchdown of our own,” Markley said.

Lewis passed the ball to junior Montell Martin who received it and was tackled on the St. Paul’s 40. After a few unsuccessful plays, JC was forced to punt the ball.  St. Paul’s ran the ball up the field to be stopped by senior Jon Galarraga. JC’s efforts weren’t
able to stop St. Paul’s, who scored again, making the score 14-0. The rest of the first quarter passed without any more points scored by either team.

The second quarter began with Gambrell kicking a 37 yard field goal, bringing the score to 14-3, St. Paul’s still in the lead. Gambrell kicked the ball back to St. Paul’s where senior Spencer Parks ran the ball all the way to the Patriot two yard line before being pushed out. St. Paul’s junior Dale Harris was able to score a touchdown for the Crusaders, raising the score
to 21-3.

The rest of the quarter followed with a few unsuccessful drives by both teams, until finally St. Paul’s scored again. The score at half
time was 28-3 with St. Paul’s in the lead.

“The best moment in the game for me was at halftime in the locker room. Luke Navin sparked our defense with his inspirational speech,” Lewis said.

The second half began with Markley charging down the field to the JC 15 yard line. The Patriots made it halfway up the field before the drive came to an end. St. Paul’s returned with a run down to the Patriots’ ten yard line before scoring a touchdown, making the score 35-3

In the fourth quarter JC got the ball back, but soon kicked it off to St. Paul’s. They drove it down the field where JC freshman Allen
Bryant intercepted the ball and was tackled at the St. Paul’s 40 yard line. JC continued the drive, which ended in Lewis making a 10 yard touchdown pass to Martin. JC went for a two-point conversion, but was unsuccessful, the score becoming
35-9.

The rest of the fourth quarter passed with little success by either team, with the final score being 35-9.

“Looking back at the game, it was definitely a disappointing loss, but our team doesn’t have time to look back and grieve about this loss with more games still left in our season. We have a very good chance to win out the rest of our games and make it to the four team playoff this year,” Lewis said.

Emily Clarke is a Managing Editor for the Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

“It was great because the shortest person on the team made the block,” Zoltoski said.

Collins is a sophomore on a team that is mainly seniors. As one of the youngest players on the team, he was among the players who earned the most minutes played.

“It’s different [to play with the seniors] because I’m the youngest and they’re bigger than me and have more authority,” Collins said.

As match one progressed, the lead shifted from belonging to the Patriots to the Crusaders. It was a slow start due to the short rallies. Eventually, a time-out was called leaving the score 6-13, Crusaders. Coming out of the huddle, senior Dino Profili spiked the ball, which then ricocheted off a Crusader’s arm into the ceiling.

St. Paul’s had no time to react, giving the point to the Patriots. The game progressed in favor of the Crusaders, but the Patriots rallied back to narrow the lead down to 18-16.  In the end, the Crusaders won the first game 25-23.

The challenge in today’s game was “to not ‘Rob Smash,’” according to volleyball coach Julian Maliszewski  This refers to junior Rob Stahl, who has the tendency to smash the ball out of bounds.

That is exactly what the Patriots did in the second game, as they started off with a 4-1 lead in the first two minutes. St. Paul’s responded quickly by shutting down senior Patrick McGuirk’s spike. The Crusaders pulled out the win in this match, 25-19.

The third match between the two teams was the most intense part of the game, according to Collins. St. Paul’s earned an early lead 2-0, but the Patriots battled back to take the lead 3-2. Again, it was looking to be a close game, until the Crusaders started pulling away.

A diving save by senior AJ Stewart propelled JC to catch up to St. Paul’s, 11-12. For the rest of the match, the lead alternated between both teams, until finally the Crusaders pulled out their third match win 27-25.

The men’s volleyball team now has to prepare for their next game against Gilman on Oct. 5. Coach Maliszewski has one piece of advice for Wednesday, acknowledging a team inside joke.

“They need to make sure they had matching socks for the next game!” Maliszewski said.

 Miranda Ripken is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

Then comes the sound of their collective voice as they cry, “JC!”

The women’s varsity volleyball team is in its third season as IAAM champions.  With a winning record
of 8-1, the team has its eye on championships.

“It’s tough to compare [seasons] year to year,” said Cullison.  “I’d like us to compete in the A conference.”

As it stands, JC is ranked first in the B conference. The team has played against A conference teams such as St. Paul’s and lost, but that it hasn’t stopped their hopes of moving up to A conference next season.

“We try to make practice more intense than what we see in a match,” Cullison said about the team approach to preparing for games.

Junior Rosie Sedney describes the team as, “winning like Charlie Sheen,” but, they still have to overcome little mistakes.  Co-captain senior Heather Dunn explains that poorly demonstrated skills, like passing the ball, can hold a team back.

Co-captain senior Alissa Buettner echoes this mentality. “We try to have fun while working hard,” Buettner said.

The team is no stranger to winning, but win or lose the team ends each game on a positive note.  After
every game, the team stands in a circle and each player points out something that another player did well.

“This is my 25th year coaching here and I love it more and more,” said Cullison.

Chioma Iheoma is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.