Presidents Have Seen Better Days — By Akeem Heywood

QHS Girls Volleyball — By Donna Niosi

Cheerleading — By Johnny McDonough

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The Presidents Have Seen Better Days

By Akeem Heywood

The Quincy high football team did not seem to resemble the team the city of Quincy is used to seeing. The team began the season 0-4 for the first time in ages and fans knew that it would be a season beset with adversity. However, there were two qualities remaining in the team, a team that just a few years ago was a powerhouse that was feared by the ACL: the team’s toughness and the team’s determination. Coming off a 14-0 loss to Plymouth South, the team remained optimistic about its remaining games and diligently worked towards finishing the season on a good note.

Although the team refused to make excuses, there were many obstacles it faced. Losing most of the senior varsity starters due to injuries had a huge impact on the outcome of games, but the active players were unfazed. The underclassmen stepped up to the challenge and filled the roles quite well. This year’s team was small, with about 40 players on both JV and varsity, which hurt the team’s depth and limited the number of possible substitutions. This meant that varsity starters were usually in the game for just about every snap of the football game, a physically demanding task.

In spite of the devastating loss to North Quincy on Thanksgiving, at the end of the day the Presidents are still one of the toughest teams in the league. This year’s adversity will lead to next year’s many wins.

QHS Girls Volleyball

By Donna Niosi

The fans in the stands constantly had something to cheer about. Two words to describe this years Girls’ Volleyball team, “Boom! Reload!” or three more, State Semi-Finalists! This year the Quincy Girls’ volleyball team made it to the State Semi-Final match vs. Central Catholic on Tuesday, November 17th. The girls started off with a bang going undefeated throughout the season and going five rounds into tournament before being defeated by Central Catholic, 3-0, in a well fought out match. The squad became Central/East Division 1 Champs in a close five game match verse Newton South. They also beat cross town rivals North Quincy in the 3rd round along with two previous victories in the regular season. The team played well together this year, and always strived to work as one unit with a goal to win. The team’s motto going into the post season was “Confident not Cocky.” Being undefeated in the regular season gave the team an advantage, but they knew that in order to achieve their goals they needed to work hard and be dedicated. The squad was led by seniors: Kylie Kozlowski, Becca Shea, Julia Yee, Meghan McCarthy, and Bianca Blakesley, juniors: Kori Sorensen and Stella Edwards, and sophomores: Nicole Parry, Caity Lowry, Donna Niosi, and Samantha Albanese.

The team was recognized by the Patriot League coaches, with four Patriot League All-Stars and two Honorable Mentions. All Stars included Kylie Kozlowski, Julia Yee, Kori Sorensen, and Nicole Parry, and Honorable Mentions were Meghan McCarthy and Caity Lowry. The team also was recognized for their academic achievements in the classroom with the MIAA Academic Achievements award. Senior Tri-Captain Kylie Kozlowski also was awarded a Boston Globe All Scholastic. Head coach Jacqui Niosi was named Boston Globe Division 1 Coach of the Year. Though the team didn’t end the season with a state title, they still ended on a high note achieving many pre-season goals and a season that they will never forget.

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Quincy High School Cheerleaders Make It To State Regionals

By John McDonough

1, 2, 3, 4! Rivals, beware of the Quincy High School cheerleaders, who competed in their first competition on Sunday October 18 at Braintree High School. The team started back in August with a three-day camp at The Full House All-Star Gym in East Bridgewater. The veterans, warming up from their long summer break, helped the eleven new freshmen adjust and gave them advice on dealing with the owner of Full House, the choreographer Jason. The team worked to exhaustion and the members were crawling to their cars when the three days were over. The squad was determined to learn new and intricate skills in order to excel. For the past couple months, the team has been practicing over ten hours a week, working to make sure that their successes never come to an end. The team anxiously waited for a competition in which they could reap the benefits of their hard work.

Overall, the cheerleaders did a remarkable job hitting their routine. They ended up placing 2nd in the Co-Ed Division and went home with a trophy. The group was pumped with how well they did and was anxious for their league competition the following week, on Tuesday October 27. A long week of practicing followed their last competition but ended in a disaster. The night before the League competition, one of the team’s strongest members, Samantha McCardle, fell and twisted her ankle. With Samantha’s health on its mind, the team walked into the competition with a re-worked routine, but little confidence. However, when they got on the mat to perform, the cheerleaders were outstanding and everything gleamed with perfection. The team came in first place in its division and traveled to a regional competition on November 15.