By: Farah Standley and Letizia Perrino

You know what time it is… with the JV baseball team’s season coming to a hard-fought close, the Varsity team pushes onto Regional Quarterfinals, the second round in the playoffs. Your Eagles went completely undefeated in District with a record of 12-0, including huge wins such as,  a 22-0 win against Carrizo Springs, and a 11-0 win against Uvalde. The team swept Orange Grove in Bi-District 5-2 and 13-9 to advance to Area, and won 2 games to 1 against Zapata to advance to Regional Quarterfinals against Sinton. We are excited to see what the future holds for this very talented group of athletes.

Diego Luna and Ryan Benevides, two of our Senior starters on the team, both feel Pleasanton baseball has so far been an amazing experience in their lives. Both of their favorite things about their high school baseball career is playing with friends they grew up with and just enjoying every moment as team bonding, especially on trips. They also both agree that their biggest accomplishment in high school baseball is being able to make plays and cool diving catches in the outfield for their team. Diego’s goal for the season is to have his best batting average so far, and Ryan’s is to continue to contribute to the team the best he can. 

The team plans to not let off the gas and beat everyone that stands in the way, and we all sure hope that is exactly what happens. Every single player on the team is extremely pumped and ready to take on the Pirates. Really big things could be ahead, so be ready…because the team is!

By: Brian Avery and Dev Patel

Welcome to the last ROTC article of the year! This month, the ROTC participated in many different activities, so let’s not waste any time and get right to it!
The first thing we will be covering is the ROTC Drill team! They went to nationals last month. Nationals were held in Daytona Beach, Florida! Cadet Major Courtney Cearly was recognized as the best overall driller at the event, so congratulations Courtney! The Eagle Battalion was a part of the Battle of the Flowers Parade for Fiesta in San Antonio on April 28th. They marched with other battalions from different ROTC programs, and Valdemar “Val” Herrera marched at the front, carrying the U.S. flag. The Battalion had a blast participating in the parade, and it was great to spend time with other ROTC members!

  We asked several ROTC members about their thoughts on the ROTC program as the year draws to a close. Val Herrera, a Command Sergeant Major who graduates this year, praised the development of the ROTC program, “My first year is nothing like what we have today. A lot of competitions we didn’t place at, but compared to now, we have trophies in the lunchroom, lobby. These last two years we have really excelled.” Cadet Staff Sergeant also praised the growth the ROTC program has experienced, “It makes a difference on our performance, and how well we do. For being a small town, we really are excelling.” Val agreed, stating that he believed they were being held to a higher standard, which contributed heavily to their success. Colonel Wynder believes that the ROTC program has only improved since he joined 4 years ago, the program better than it was the year before. “When Cadets want to be here, they get involved, and it becomes a family atmosphere.” When asked about the performance of the Cadets, he said “I know that no matter what a cadet comes with when they come here, I know they are going to reach their max potential because we challenge them and encourage them, and they meet their goals.” 

Val is heading out for active military duty whenever he graduates high school. Good luck to Val, and the rest of the ROTC program in all their future endeavors!!

By: Alexandra Garcia 

This May of 2023 the PHS journalism staff would like to recognize Coach Salinas as our Teacher Spotlight. We had the opportunity to interview him and get great feedback about his teaching and coaching life here at PHS.

Coach Salinas first graduated from just down the road at Jourdanton High School, and when it came time for college,… he says, “After bouncing around to a few different colleges and taking some time away to just work, I finally decided to return to UTSA and finish my degree in Kinesiology.”

Coach Salinas has now been teaching here at PHS for 10 years. When he first started he only taught geometry, but after 3 years he started teaching Algebra 1 along with geometry to the freshman class.

Coach Salinas was also known for coaching football and basketball for the first 7 years here at PHS but eventually decided to take a step away from coaching to be there for his wife and kids.

He was first inspired to teach because he wanted to impact students and our Atascosa County. 

He says “I grew up in this community and feel that I can relate to many students on this campus.”

Originally he wanted to become a coach before he wanted to become a teacher because of the impact his coaches had on his life. But not long after he says he believed he had fallen in love with teaching as the side job of coaching, and feels that he still can make a difference with every student he teaches along with students he coached. 

Coach Salinas says “When things are tough, I like to look at this Dr. Seuss quote which hangs in my room. It reads, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It’s not.” My goal here is to ensure that students feel like I care about who they are, besides being a student in my class.”

“I also really enjoy Algebra and working with Freshman students because I feel that I can make a stronger impact on their high school experience and understand expectations on our campus.”

He states that one of his favorite parts of teaching here is “seeing the growth of my students every year. Every student has something special about themselves, and I enjoy having a year to watch my students grow and find their way here at PHS.”

Even with teaching, Coach Salinas stays busy outside school as well. He says “Since I have kids, most of my weekends consist of kid activities, like the Zoo or Sea World. But when I have free time to myself, I enjoy playing golf with some friends/coworkers. I’m also in grad school to one day become an Assistant Principal/Principal, so that takes up most of my time outside of here.”

PHS is so fortunate to have Coach Salinas here and wish to thank him for all that he does!

Welcome to the last Poll of the 2022-2023 school year! This month, we asked you a slew of different questions, so lets get into it!

We asked you about what you would miss when the school year would draw to a close, and the popular answer was “My Friends!” It’s great to have such strong bonds, and we hope you are all able to stay in contact and spend time together over the summer! After that, we gave everyone a chance to shout-out someone or multiple people who made an impact on you! Here are our answers!

A Warm Summer Breeze-

The trees whisper in the breeze

The forest peaceful, quiet, and serene.

The warm breeze like a soft caress,

Momentarily eliminating all stress.

Without delay it carries on

Leaving the place in silence when it’s gone.

A summer day, a summer breeze.

Softly whispered through the trees.

The summer breeze, softly it comes,

Quickly it leaves,

Causing soft whispers in the trees.

It came and soon left, a summer breeze.

By: Christina Rossetti

Summer is almost here and the times we share in school are coming to an end. The seniors are getting ready to start the next chapter of their lives. Most will be going to college, the work force, or the military. Friends will have to say goodbye, yet still can hang out in the summer and make some more memories before school starts again.

Sincerely,

The Passionate Poet

By: Savannah Valdez

Are you looking for a sweet treat that will sweep everyone off of their feet? Then you came to the right place! For this month’s issue the sweet treat is Strawberry cake cookies! These are a great summer treat for you and your friends.

Here are some ingredients you’ll need:

• 1 box of strawberry cake mix
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup of powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup of flour (for rolling dough)
• Cookie sheet

Let’s start baking:

1. To start you will begin preheating the oven to 375 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone liners.
2. In a medium sized bowl insert the 2 eggs and vegetable oil and whisk till combined well.
3. Add into the medium sized bowl your box of cake mix and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Once added, mix all ingredients together well.
4. Pour the ⅓ cup of flour mixture into a bowl. Using a cookie or ice cream scooper, you will make balls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Once you roll the balls of dough, you then place them in the flour mixture then once coated, you can place them on the cookie sheet.
5. Once you have all the dough balls on the sheet, you can then insert them into the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes till they slightly rise.
6. Once risen, you will take them out of the oven, let them cool, and enjoy!

There you have it guys, all it takes is 6 simple steps to make these delicious cookies. You will be the one they won’t forget this summer! Enjoy!

By: Aaliyah Herrera 

Summer is just around the corner and this month’s issue we have mainly summer questions for this month’s advice column. All questions will be anonymously by students here at PHS. Let’s get right into it!

Here to start us off, “what are some fun things to do during the summer if you have no money and you have no transportation? – anonymous” some ideas are taking a walk in your neighborhood, having a picnic or camping out in your backyard, or even inviting friends over for a sleepover at your house. 

Next, “what are some ways to keep track of your memories for this school year? – anonymous” what could help is vlogging or even writing down about your memories or fun experiences from this year! Having them fresh in your mind would help out even more to get exactly every detail right in that particular memory. 

Furthermore, “what is a good way to plan out a summer trip – anonymous” a good way that could help you plan is communicating with the people you are traveling with to figure out a good date to schedule the trip doing so will help a lot and make things easier when it comes to the day of the trip. Assign who will bring what on the trip so everybody could pitch in for the trip. And find a place to stay as soon as possible for the trip. 

Following, “what can keep me occupied during this summer? – anonymous” some options are taking a week long vacation whether it be a beach trip or going camping doing this will keep you occupied and exposed to outdoor activities. Also taking a trip to another state or city is a great way to get out and explore new places!

Last but not least, “what are some indoor activities to do during this summer? – anonymous” If you’re wanting to keep cool this summer some indoor activities could consist of going to a museum or indoor attraction such as, arcade, skate rink, or even an aquarium! These are just some ideas there are so much more you could find online or near you!

These were such great questions for this month’s issue. If you enjoyed this and want your questions answered in the next advice column next year go to your class in google classroom and go to the POLL where you can ask your questions there!

By: Myame Lara

A new addition to the Evil Dead franchise has recently hit screens worldwide and made $40 million alongside its debut. Gaining a rating of 4 stars out of 5 on Rotten Tomatoes, and  6.9 stars out of 10 on IMDb, the movie also gained mixed reviews from the public. Evil Dead Rise follows sisters Beth and Ellie, played by Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland, reunion as it gets cut short by “the rise of flesh-possessing demons.”

This movie is definitely not for the faint-hearted, as it is packed with gore and uncomfortable scenes. Evil Dead Rise wastes no time to get the show started, and as much as I loved it, it quickly became obvious why this movie received mixed reviews from critics all around. Along with the movie’s quick start, I expected a clear storyline to play a part in it, but to my disappointment there was none. Though a failing storyline, this movie was a great addition to the Evil Dead franchise and has introduced us to new characters that are quickly becoming fan favorites!

If I had to put a rating on this movie, I would rate it a solid 6/10. The movie had great potential and I would recommend it to any gore-loving horror fans. Just keep the snacks in the cabinet for this one!

By: Alex Richter

Under the summer sun, one afternoon I was sitting on the beach. My brother had been entirely buried in sand, as I stood on top of him in victory. Even though he had let me do it, I liked the feeling of winning something, even though I wasn’t really. His brown hair was dropped toward the center of his face, and he looked up, smiling.

“This is actually way better than sitting in the sun, thanks Tom,” my brother, Will said.

“Wait what? That’s not fair, you weren’t supposed to enjoy it,” I spat.

“Eh, don’t worry about it. I’m going to unbury myself anyway,”

“The water looks rough, I kinda want to go out… Will you come with me?”

“Yeah, just give me a moment,” he strained. 

I watched as he pulled his torso slowly out of the sand, struggling to get out. Of course, I didn’t help, yeah sure I buried him, that doesn’t make me responsible for unburying him. Placing his hands on either side of him, he lifted one leg after the other out of the sand, panting slightly. I was beginning to question if it was really as hard as he was making it seem.

“Oh, please. It’s not that hard coming out of the sand ‘innit?”

“And you’re actually watching me struggle, not doing anything about it, don’t tell me anything like that. Tom, you’re a spoiled brat,” he breaths, lifting himself fully out. “You know, if you weren’t my brother I’d probably hate you, but unfortunately you are.”

“Uh-huh, yeah sure.” I spoke, thinking. I have an idea… “Race me, one lap around that big rock over there.”

“That’s too far, Tom. You know that.”

“You’re pretty scared even though you’re… What? How old are you? Thirty?”
“I am 21, Tom. Old is not a way to describe me just yet.”

“Please, just come on,” I had said, laughing. 

As we lined up at the same distance from the water, I yelled and swiftly took a deep breath, diving into the warm ocean. Swimming was not a hobby that I often did, but I was feeling confident. Clear waters were in every direction, I had already made it out pretty far. Veering upward, I spotted Will, swimming as fast as his legs could take him.

Morning would’ve been a more suitable time for swimming in the ocean, because it would’ve been cooler. Questioning my distance, I stared in wonder, in the distance.

Wait, where is Will? 

Ten seconds prior, I had not noticed Will hitting the rock on accident; he was then slipping further into the depths of the sea. I wish I would have noticed him sooner, I might’ve been able to save him. I watched him perish in the summer of 2018, not knowing what to do. Of course, I was only 14, naive and stupid.

Please come back, please.

As if I was a god with the ability of resurrection, I had wished with all my heart that we would see each other again. During that time, I was just watching, he was probably looking right at me. Just as I was starting to grow up, I had been hit with a wave of sadness and depression that no words would be capable of describing. Knowing Will, he would not wish grief upon me, he would say: “Listen to me, Tom; because of you I am dead, yet I felt so alive when it happened. Mourning me is unnecessary if you were the best brother anyone could ask for, and I’ll always thank you for that.” He’d say something poetic like that.

Nevertheless, I am successful in my life, and I wouldn’t let the death of a loved one change that. We all experience loss at some point, but it’s a part of life. Rolling with it can be necessary at some point when that happens. The point is, not to forever mourn them, but to move on and continue to be happy.

Hello PHS,

the Quill has officially gone social. Find us on Facebook and Instagram as “PHS the Quill”.

We hope you enjoy our April Issue #45!

By: Brian Avery

Welcome to the last Soccer article of the 2022-2023 school year! For this article, we are combining the Women’s and Men’s soccer articles into one! Without further ado, let’s get right into it.

First, let’s check in on the Men’s Soccer Team. Both teams traveled to Uvalde where the JV tied 1-1, and the Varsity lost 1-3. After that, both teams went to Floresville, with the JV losing 0-1, and the Varsity tied 1-1. Both teams played Somerset, and the JV won 3-2, with the Varsity the varsity winning 2-1. Now, the varsity boys were in the play-offs, and the boys played La Vernia in the first round. It was a long tough fight, and with the regular time of the game ending 0-0. They went into overtime, an extra 20 minutes, and they were still tied after that, so they went to penalty kick shootouts. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost 3-5 in shootouts, and the boy’s season was over.

Picking up where we left off , the varsity team played Uvalde at home, unfortunately losing 1-2. Dusting themselves off, they traveled to Floresville, tying the home team 0-0. They came home to play Somerset, and lost again 0-2. After all these losses, the girls picked themselves up and beat Poteet 5-0 at home. The girls were now in the playoffs, going against Gonzales in the first round. After a long game, the girls were barely beaten 0-1, ending their season. 

To conclude both seasons, I reached both head coaches, and a varsity player from each team. For the Women’s team, I spoke with Coach Joseph, but unfortunately was unable to get in contact with one of the players. When asked about the lady’s season, Coach Joseph said “Overall, I am happy with the season. Coaching a young team with over 50% first-year varsity players as a first-year head coach proved to be a challenge, but I felt as though we handled the challenge well and began building something special this season.” He also praised the leadership of Grace Keylich and Paige David, “Those seniors truly upheld both the program’s core values and their coach’s standard on and off the field.” Coach Joseph did express his disappointment that the ladies didn’t get as far as he hoped, but held his head high, stating that he feels good about the future. “That loss will continue to serve as a reminder that we have work to do this off-season and next pre-season. Humility fuels hunger!” Looking forward, he spoke of his excitement for next season, as the majority of the team will be at PHS still next year, and he expects another level of understanding and drive next year, “I am retaining nearly my entire squad who now has an excellent understanding of what I expect from them in their play and conduct.” 

As for the Men’s Team, they had similar things to say. Coach Breiten expressed satisfaction with the season’s results, praising the team’s chemistry on and off the field, but had a hunger for more. Stefan had similar sentiments, stating “I didn’t have any regrets, it was a process going through the season with all the younger guys, and I think that we didn’t finish too bad.” Coach Breiten was impressed with Keeton Diaz, a Freshman, and his rapid improvement throughout the season, “I didn’t know he had that type of ability as a Freshman.” Coach Breiten and Stefan were very happy with the last game of the season and stated that even though they lost, it was an amazing game. Stefan mentioned that he wished that more pressure was placed on the players to focus up and take things seriously, such as drills during practice, which Coach Brieten agreed with, “Some of the little things added up and caught us in the long run.” Stefan believes that if the upcoming team gets into the right mindset and follows the new process and training that Coach Brieten has set out for them, they will do well. Coach Brieten felt optimistic about the team for next year but admitted that the remaining players have a lot of work to do, “It’s going to be interesting, we’re going to see who steps up.” He wishes the Class of 2023 success in their future endeavors!

By: Jaelyn Morales

Kayla Salazar at the State Meet with her coaches.

On Feb 15th, the Pleasanton Girls Powerlifting team took 4th place at the Texas Strength Systems. Kayla Salazar finished 1st place in her respective weight class and qualified for regionals! Laura Deleon and Yasmeen Diop finished 3rd and Abigail Hotchkins, Alyssa Castellar, Anna Castillo, Kylie Breier, Karina Perez, and Makenna Pelle also had excellent lifts.

On March 2nd, the team took 2nd place at their regional meet in Edinburg, Texas. Kayla Salazar finished 2nd place in her respective weight class. Abigail Hotchkins and Makenna Pelle finished 8th in their respective weight classes. 

The Pleasanton Boys Powerlifting team took 2nd place at the Texas Strength Systems on Feb 16th and Diego Valdez and Sebastian Aguilar placed 1st in their respective weight class. Roman Hernandez and Zeke Gonzlaes finished 2nd, Kaydin Olle finished 3rd, Andrew Murillo finished 4th, Paul Bernal and Keagan Holes finished 5th, and Damon Morales finished 6th. Valdemar Herrera also had excellent lifts. The boys then placed 2nd at the Regional Meet in Kingsville, Texas. Diego Valdez placed 2nd in his respective weight class and qualified for the State Meet in Abilene, Texas on March 24th. Sebastian Aguilar placed 3rd in his respective weight class, Roman Hernandez, Andrew Murillo, and Zeke Gonzlaes also represented Pleasanton at the Regional Meet and had excellent lifts.

Kayla Salazar proudly qualified for the State Meet on March 17th held in Frisco, Texas and capped off her season with a 7th place finish at state! Diego Valdez also qualified for the State Meet on March 24th held in Abilene, Texas and finished his season placing 5th in his respective weight class. Both Kayla and Diego ended their historic season on a great note and made everyone at PHS very proud. Congratulations to the powerlifting team on their incredible season. They all competed very well and had many accomplishments throughout the season! Pride! Pride!

By: Ariana Johnson 

Mark Thornton making his swing at the Devine Tournament

On February 13th, the Pleasanton Varsity Boys Green and White teams played at the Devine Tournament. Pleasanton Green scores are: Brandy Steven 80, Mark Thornton 85, Grant Moos 86, and Levi Turner 93. The Pleasanton White scores are: Aiden Contreras 103, Holden Hagen 105, Pablo Lara 105, Max Rangel 109, and Nathen Din 118. 

April 19th, the boy’s golf team competed in a two-day tournament on our home course at Pleasanton Country Club. The Green Team shot a team total of 699 and finished 1st. They also had Brady Stevens finish 2nd and Mark Thornton finish 3rd individually. Brandy Steven scored 80-87 total 167, Mark Thornton 85-84 total 169, Levi Turner  93–91 total 184, and Grant Moos 86–86  total 179. There were also two medalists, Pablo Lara 105–103 total 208, and Holden Hagen 108–111 total 219.

February 22nd, the Pleasanton Golf Team went to Devine and they finished 3rd with a team total of 359. The boy’s scores for the Devine meet are as follows: Brady Stevens 85, Mark Thornton 87, Levi Turner 85, Grant Moos 102, and Pablo Lara 104. They also had one medalist, Aiden Contreras 103. 

March 2nd, the golf team went to Jourdanton golf tournament and finished second with a score of 348. The team’s individual scores are: Brandy Stevens 86, Mark Thornton 83, Levi Turner 91, Grant Moos 88, and Nathen Din 114. Mark Thornton finished 4th overall and Holden Hagen was a medalist with a score of 118. 

The boy’s Gold team competed in a golf tournament on March 10 & 11th in Uvalde which was their District meet and came away as the tournament Champions. They shot a two day total of Day 1: 336,  Day 2: 326, with a score total of 662: 1st place. The boys individual scores are as follows: Jake Casias 75, Mark Thornton 75, Luke Thornton 81, Levi Turner 84, and Brandy Stevens 88. Jake Casias got first place and Mark Thornton got second place with medalist Grant Moos with a score of 91. They are going to Regionals in Colony Creek in Victoria April 19th and 20th. Make sure to wish our Eagle Golfers good luck! 

Keep up to date on PHS Golf scores by following the “PHS Tee it Up” Facebook page, and read our next issue!

By: Libby Sanchez

This month has been crazy busy for the Pleasanton High School ROTC group. They ended March with one of their biggest events, the Military Ball. They hosted it at Strawberry Pines in Poteet on March 25th, and had a magnificent turnout. Cadets did a phenomenal job planning this event and following through with a very successful night, full of laughs and a good time. They went as far as reaching out to a guest speaker, Colonel Phil Palmore, and inviting him to this event. His speech is something for these young cadets to hold on to for years to come. Students dressed to impress for the Ball, and many went home as winners of the Royal Court. Daylan Aguero and Taliah Garcia won Lord and Lady. Rion Ochoa and Leah Torres won Dutch and Dutchess. Wally Ramirez and Alyssa Castelar won Prince and Princess. The role of King and Queen was given to Valdemar Herrera and Natalia Jones. A huge accomplishment given to these cadets who deserve it!

The first weekend of April was a competitive one for the Eagle Battalion.. They took their all to the Central Catholic High School Military Skills meet against 16 JROTC programs from across the region. Krista Gutierrez took charge of the unarmed drill team and led them to finishing 2nd overall. They also finished 2nd and 3rd places in two sub categories of the competition. As for the male and female physical fitness teams, they both finished 1st place! Of the male team: Captain Valdemar Herrera, Roman Martinez, Rion Ochoa, and Jayden Herrera. Of the female team: Captain Alyssa Castelar, Yasmeen Diop, Abigail Hotchkin, and Lillian Krause. Both teams competed their hearts out and it definitely showed in the end! Honorable mention to the Academic Bowl team that finished 4th out of 18 teams. Alana Moczygemba, Hailey Yoho, Mason Outland, and Lane Ciomperlik did a phenomenal job representing our school!

The Pleasanton High School JROTC is honored to announce that one of our very own cadets, Krista Gutierrez, was selected to receive the Military Officers Association Scholarship! She worked extremely hard to gain this award of $1,000 to help with future endeavors. They look forward to seeing what amazing things Krista will accomplish!

Pleasanton High School’s JROTC program continues to stay on the move, participating and helping everywhere they can. On April 11th, the Eagle Battalion Color Guard presented the colors at the Special Olympics in Poteet. They continue to show their neverending honor in all that they do. 

One last congratulations to the most recent Eagle Battalion Cadets and NCO of the month. Cadet CPL Justine Resendez and CPL Madison Nunley were selected for Cadets of the month based on their hard work. Cadet Staff Sergeant Jealousey Oliva was announced NCO of the month of April. A huge congratulations to all and, keep up the good work JROTC!