By: May Smith

Aries – This is the time to enact change in your life. You are full of motivation and inspiration, ready to make fresh starts. What is holding you back from the success and happiness you crave? It’s time to take a risk and free yourself.

Taurus – you might experience some changes in your career. You can experience a sense of unreliability or dissatisfaction with your current job or working environment. It’s crucial to stick to your principles and take into account exploring new opportunities in keeping with your values and goals.

Gemini – a month of creativity, self-expression and exploration. Now is a great time to pursue your interests and seize new opportunities. This month, Gemini, you may see some positive changes in your career.

Cancer – you may face obstacles related to arrests or delays in your career. It’s crucial that you keep your focus on your goals and trust that the hard work you’ve put in will pay off in the end. This is a good time to focus on building a solid financial foundation for the future.

Leo – there may be some positive changes in your career. You may have the chance to demonstrate your skills and abilities, which could lead to fresh job offers or promotions. Be cautious with your money, but don’t be afraid to provide you some well-deserved favors or experiences.

Virgo – your career may require a little extra effort and focus. You can feel overworked or frustrated by your workload, but resist giving up. To maximize your output, be focused on your goals and assign priority to your activities. 

Libra – you might experience some positive changes in your career. You may have the chance to demonstrate your skills and abilities, which could lead to fresh job offers or promotions.

Scorpio – your career may require a little extra effort and focus. You might need to fight off certain arrest-related obstacles or battles, but do not submit. Financially speaking, now is a good time to review your spending plan and look for ways to save money. This is a good time to invest in your future, whether that means saving money for retirement or starting a new business.

Sagittarius – you might see some beneficial developments in your career. You might get the chance to demonstrate your abilities, which might result in employment offers or promotions. To accomplish your goals, trust your gut and take measured risks.

Capricorn – You might notice some good developments in your career this month. You might have the opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities, which might result in job offers from new companies or promotions. Whether you want to start a new business or save money for retirement, now is the perfect time to invest in your future.

Aquarius – This month, Aquarius, you may need to put in a little more work and focus on your career. Don’t give up despite any obstacles or setbacks you may encounter. To increase your productivity, keep an eye on your goals and order your work.

Pisces – your career may undergo a few positive changes. You may have the chance to demonstrate your skills and abilities, which could lead to fresh job offers or promotions. Trust your intuition and take calculated risks to accomplish your goals.

By: Jauslyn Ramirez

Geologists discovered 92 fossilized nests filled with 256 Titanosaur eggs, one of the biggest dinosaur hatcheries ever found. Six species of these, long necked herbivores laid eggs there, and more diversity than expected. The animals nested close together, like many modern day birds do. Scientist have been growing closer and closer to the discovery of how dinosaurs inhabited and everyday life. The nests also indicate that the Titanosaur may have had a similar physiology to modern birds, where they  laid their eggs. The close nesting of these dinosaurs is similar to modern day birds like great egrets, cormorants and brown pelicans. They are compatible to birds almost exactly. This great discovery is remarkable!!

True Crime Vol. XXXIII: Hisashi Ouchi

By: Kendall Zuniga 

How much do you know about Radiation? If you don’t know much about it, here’s a quick breakdown of radiation. Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels through space at the speed of light, this energy has an electric field and a magnetic field associated with it, and has wave-like properties also known as “electromagnetic waves”. When Exposed to too much radiation at once, radiation sickness will occur. This can cause skin burns, loss of appetite, Fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 

Hisashi Ouchi is a victim of a terrible mishap in a Nuclear power plant in Tokyo, Japan, But Ouchi is known as the man to live 83 days of hell because of the amount of radiation he encountered while working that day at the plant. The total amount of radiation a human can encounter is about 4-5 sieverts and even then that amount is considered lethal. This mishap took place when Ouchi was helping a colleague pour liters of uranium into a big metal vat at the Tokaimura Nuclear Power Plant in 1999.

 None of the men working alongside Ouchi had received any training prior to carrying out the delicate task that reportedly had 16 kg of uranium, this included Ouchi who had taken this particular job out of fear of upsetting his boss. 

When funneling the Uranium into the tank, Ouchi was taken aback by the bright flash of a blue light at the bottom of the tank. He didn’t know that the tank had reached a critical point and began releasing dangerous amounts of neutron radiation and gamma rays into the room’s atmosphere. After being exposed to the radiation, Ouchi was taken to the hospital even though he didn’t seem to be in any pain. When arriving at the hospital, doctors had found that Hasahi Ouchi had almost no white blood cells left in his body, doctors studied Ouchi to see and understand just how much radiation had attacked his body. Doctors discovered that Ouchi had absorbed about 17 sieverts of radiation into his body, the highest level of radiation for any living being to absorb Whereas the emergency responders of Chernobyl only encountered and died from 0.25 sieverts of radiation. 

Within a day, Ouchi’s condition had become worse. His abdomen had begun swelling and he now required oxygen for his breathing. As days went by Ouchis’ condition only continued to get worse, when nurses would remove medical tape from his body, Hisashi’s skin had begun coming off with it. He could no longer breathe, eat, or move on his own, two months after the incident Hisashi’s heart had stopped, though doctors were soon able to revive him, Hisashi’s heart continued to stop two times after that same day, both times spanning about 40-45 minutes. On Hisashi Ouchi’s 83rd day in the hospital, his heart would stop one last time and he was pronounced dead on December 21st, 1999 at 11:21pm, he was 35 years old. Throughout his entire painful journey, Hisashi’s wife and family were by his side doing their best to support him. They’d sit in the waiting room every day for all 83 days, folding paper swans as a representation of their prayers of hope. They folded an estimated 10,000 paper cranes. 

After Hisashi’s death, an investigation was launched by the Japanese government to try and find an answer as to why inexperienced employee’s were working on such a dangerous task. Inadequate regulatory oversight, lack of an appropriate safety culture, and inadequate worker training and qualification were found to be the main causes of this accident occuring. Because of the company’s lack of responsibility, not only did Ouchi and his two fellow coworkers lose their lives but it was found that an additional 21 lives were lost due to the exact mishap occurring between 1953 and 1997. Six officials from the company that operated the plant were charged with professional negligence and violating nuclear safety laws. As of 2003, a court gave them suspended prison terms, and the company and at least one of the officials also were assessed fines. 

By: Libby Sanchez

From the very beginning of my junior year, it was apparent that Mrs. Breiten was on the verge of something amazing for what would soon be my senior prom. I witnessed firsthand as she bounced ideas off of her students, taking everything into consideration, and then slowly began putting things into place. She took time and preparation to make sure our senior prom was one to remember. The year-long preparation does not go unnoticed, and the Class of 2023’s last prom is forever memorable thanks to her. 

Taking place at the Botanical Gardens should have been the first hint that it would be beautiful. Flowers still in bloom during spring, there was no bad place to take a picture at this venue. Combine the floral scenery with the theme “Enchanted Forest,” and you’re getting one of the most memorable nights of your life. The weather made everyone skeptical, but thankfully it avoided our area entirely and we were even lucky to have an amazing sunset to begin our evening. With snacks and beverages available for everyone, I can’t remember a single unhappy person.

For seniors, prom is something we look forward to the most. We’ve looked forward to this moment since we grew up watching it happen in the movies. We went from 8th grade gala, to the real deal; s. So it’s something not taken lightly, some even going as far as taking the whole week before to prep. Grace Keylich got her hair colored for prom a week before the date. Slayde Huggins drove to Dallas to find her perfect dress. Jaelyn Morales panicked for weeks because she ordered online and wasn’t sure it would be in on time. Riley Clyatt wore the same exact dress her mother wore at her senior prom. Like I said, this event is not taken lightly and expectations are set high. This year’s prom overachieved those expectations by a long shot. With less than 40 days till graduation, us seniors are holding onto every moment before we go our separate ways from the people we’ve grown up with for almost our entire lives. A bittersweet night for many, but definitely one made memorable for the Class of 2023.

Most Athletic Boy : Jayce Krauskopf

Most Athletic Girl : Sadie McAda

Biggest Flirt Boy : Layne Dowdy

Biggest Flirt Girl : Brylee Miller

Most Musical Boy : Matthew Smith

Most Musical Girl : Michaela Anguiano

Class Clown Boy : Ayden Parker

Class Clown Girl : Trinity Garcia

Best Artist Boy : Toby Bird

Best Artist Girl : Angel Tucker

Best Case of Senioritis Boy : Giancarlo Garcia

Best Case of Senioritis Girl : Raylin Castillo

Best Bromance : Connor Lopez & Dylan Vaughn

Besties : Sadie McAda & Brooke Rankin

Couple That Never Was : Connor Lopez & Maria Huezo

Best Personality Boy : Timothy Klein

Best Personality Girl : Emery Gillespie

Most Spirited Boy : Tanner Hollis

Most Spirited Girl : Libby Sanchez

Most Dramatic Boy : Matthew Smith

Most Dramatic Girl : Riley Porter

Best Style Boy : Devon Clark

Best Style Girl : Yolanda Miranda

Best Hair Boy : Riley Mills

Best Hair Girl : Angel Tucker

Most Handsome : Riley Mills

Most Beautiful : Brooke Rankin

Best Physique Boy : Timothy Klein

Best Physique Girl : Angel Tucker

Most Transformed Boy : Bennack Conroy

Most Transformed Girl : Jazmin Bernal

Prettiest Eyes Boy : Cian Martinez

Prettiest Eyes Girl : Victoria Urbanczyk

Best Smile Boy : RJ Marquez

Best Smile Girls : Illeana Ochoa

Cutest Couple : Donovan Alaniz & Desiree Duran

Kindest Boy : Sergio Banda

Kindest Girl : Emma Poorboy

Mr. PHS : Timothy Klein

Ms. PHS : Victoria Urbanczyk

King & Queen : Donavan Alaniz & Desiree Duran

By: Alex Richter

On a dull, cloudy Sunday afternoon, an egg hunt takes place. As opposed to last year’s egg hunt, Toby was gloomy as his best friend Mark had moved away. Normally, Toby and Mark would be excited to watch as his little sister hunted eggs, and occasionally they would pitch in if she couldn’t reach one or failed to find one. This year, he didn’t want or feel the need to worry about helping the younger kids.

“Toby!”, his sister, Lani called.

“Yeah?”

“We can’t reach this one,” she said, looking at her best friend. Toby looked at them with hazy eyes, signaling that he was not getting it for them. Both of the children had looked at Toby, yet their strong gaze did not change his mind.

Walking away from the situation, Toby thought it best to head home, he still had felt gloomy. Once he had arrived, he knocked on the door, finding it locked.

“Yes, oh, what’s the matter with you?”, his mum had asked him politely. 

“Mum…I can’t seem to do anything without him, I just feel distressed.”, he says with his British accent seeming crackly due to the sadness in his voice.

“Toby, please go back out there and supervise the other children.”

Toby sighs, “Yes, mum,”

Starting his way back to the woods, Toby sighed and kicked a nearby rock. He saw a flash of a white figure woosh by him, yet he didn’t see anything clearly that would have caused that, unless it was the stone he had kicked. Toby decided to run back into the woods and begin to search for the mysterious being, he intended to find it.

“Hello?” Toby called out into the woods.

“Hi, Toby.”

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turns and sees a figure similar to his best friend. Except for a few crucial differences, he was too tall. Mark was tall, but this figure was much taller than Mark was. He was black and white, like a monochrome filter split down the middle of his body. The dark side looked like a gloomy creature, but the other side looked like a happy creature. It’s like something from a dream. 

Who is this? Why does he look like this? This isn’t Mark…I don’t think. 

“Mark?” Toby asks the creature. “How are you here? What-”

Before Toby could finish the sentence, the creature had teleported away. He felt a smile creep onto his face as he felt that wherever the creature was, he liked him. Toby realized at that moment that the mysterious creature wore a pair of Easter Bunny ears on its head. Easter was one of his favorite holidays, so the bunny ears made him happy. He closed his eyes and leaned on the tree behind him, lost in thought, no longer filled with the gloom and sadness that he had felt earlier.

“Toby…”

Toby heard the voice, yet he thought it was a part of his imagination. As he was still far too distracted to think rationally, he thought.

“Toby,”

Toby opened his eyes to find his sister in front of him, she had her eyes closed and looked like she was ready to shout at him.

“Toby!,” Lani shouts at him, “Who are you talking to?”

“No one,” Toby says, thinking about Mark and the strange creature. Maybe he was trying to cheer Toby up, he thought.

“Uhh…Yeah…Sure.”, Lani responds.

“Did you and your friends ever get that egg?”, Toby says, distracting her.

“Pfft, It’s not like you can reach it,” 

“I’ll try!”, Toby says. “Kids, leave this to the professional.” he says, rushing over to the group who had yet to reach the egg.

“Yeah right,”

Mark was watching his best friend make amends with his sister, and a sweet feeling hit him. The figure makes eye contact with Toby, yet Toby looks away and climbs the tall tree. Now that he knew that Toby would be okay on his own, he decided it best to leave soon. Smiling, he decided to not think about when or if he’d come back to the small town. 

Meanwhile, Toby retrieved the egg and climbed down, thinking of who was the strange creature that he’d seen today. Toby gave the egg to his sister, and noticed that the rain began to clear up and the sun shone down onto the woods and town where they’d stood. He walked into the gloom towards the creature, but stayed about 10 feet away from him. Toby noticed that it started raining, and as soon as it did, Mark disappeared, and Toby did not know when or if he’d see him again. 

Well, now I would hope that Mark will always be with me wherever I go; and at least he’s not dead, I know he’s okay. I hope he takes care of himself and visits me soon. I wasn’t planning on doing anything near that this Easter, but wow that was a cool experience to have. Huh, I guess I hunted for something after all. 

By: Libby Sanchez

Illiana Solorzano (left) and Slayde Huggins (right) posing in front of the sunset prior to home game.

The Pleasanton Women’s Soccer Varsity Team continues to fight through their district season, making their record 6-0-1. On January 31st, the girls hosted Hondo here at home for the district opener and made sure they knew who’s field they were on, taking the 5-0 win. It was quite the way to start district, and the girls were determined to keep the energy up. On February 3rd, the Eagles hosted Pearsall, a first year team. Taking charge was a no-given and the Varsity girls won 13-0, with nearly every player on the field getting a goal, including long-time defender Grace Keylich. Coach Joseph relented and decided to give the center back defender her time to shine, and she did not disappoint. Though this was a great game, they didn’t let this boost their ego too much before their big game the next week. On February 7th, both teams traveled to play against our longest and biggest rival, the Uvalde Lobos. “This game is one we look forward to every season, we haven’t been able to beat them yet, but we’re always close and we’re gonna work hard to win this game,” said senior, Grace Keylich. JV played first at 5pm, and unfortunately fell short by one goal that slipped through. As for varsity, early on in the first half Slayde Huggins got a break-away over the Lobo’s goalie and scored the first goal of the game. Putting us in the lead over Uvalde 1-0. Later in the first half, Uvalde was able to tie it up to 1-1 where it stayed for a majority of the game. Both teams fought to beat the other and midway through the second half, only one team gained the lead. One of two freshmen to make the varsity team, Emerie Lopez scored the game winning goal against the hardest team in our district. The girls were able to hold their own the rest of the game, playing phenomenal defense to bring home the win they’ve worked so hard for. The only other freshmen on the varsity team, Kathrin Banda, played her first full 80 minute varsity game, and did not let her team down with her performance. She stood her ground on the defensive line the entire time, not letting the Lobos deter her even as one of the youngest on the team. “It was a feeling like no other to beat this team, the rivalry tension has been here all four years of high school for me, and finally beating them is worthy of a celebration,” said senior, Brylee Miller. Days later on February 10th, the Eagles hosted Floresville as a new opponent. This time, the senior and freshman duo of Slayde Huggins and Emerie Lopez switched timing, and Emerie scored the first goal, and Slayde scored the game winning goal. Somewhere in between Floresville was able to sneak one in, but our girls came out on top once again, setting the final score 2-1. As for JV, it was a tough game and they came short 2-0, but are working hard to get them next time. On February 14th, both teams spent the holiday in long, tough matches against Somerset. Both games ended in a tie of 0-0, and the determination to not let that happen again has been showing at their practices since then. The following Friday, the varsity team traveled to Poteet for a 5pm game. The girls won with a final score of 10-0, continuing to dominate through district. The next week, they went back to face off against Hondo for the second time this season, ultimately starting the official countdown to playoffs. Emerie Lopez once again scored the winning goal that brought the final score to 1-0. On February 26th, Pearsall traveled to us for the second time, and the game ended with yet another win for our varsity girls, with a final score of 9-0. As of now, both teams are pushing it to their limits, training to go up against Uvalde for the second time this season on March 3rd here at home. Though proud of beating them last time, the girls plan to go into Friday’s game with a “down one mentality” and beat the Lobos on our home field this time. It’s a game nobody wants to miss, the adrenaline always runs high for both players and fans. We wish the best of luck to the Pleasanton Women’s Soccer Team on securing their first place district title!

 By: Brian Avery

The last two months have been full of action for the Men’s Soccer Team, with two games almost every week. The Varsity team has played in two tournaments, and 12 since we left off in the last article, and the JV has played in 5 games since then. 

We pick up in the first tournament Varsity played in, which was at Ingleside. The Varsity won their first two games of the tournament, but lost the third game, which placed them in a game battling for third, which they won, securing a trophy. After that, on 11/10, both teams played Memorial High School, and unfortunately, the JV lost 1-3 and Varsity tied 3-3. Shortly after, the Varsity participated in their home tournament, but were unable to secure a top 3 ranking, as they won their first game but lost the other two. From there, the JV and Varsity went on to play Foxtech, where JV won 1-0 and Varsity tied 1-1. After that game, both teams played Eagle Pass, where JV (Missing), while Varsity lost 1-3. Next, both teams played JFK, JV winning 3-1 and Varsity tied 2-2. Next, both teams played Gonzales, with JV (missing) and Varsity won 2-1. Next, both teams played Hondo, where both teams lost 0-1. Then the Varsity played Persall in Persall’s first ever high school soccer game and the Eagles won 9-0. Both teams played Uvalde, where JV 1-0 and Varsity 2-0. Varsity lost to Floresville 0-1, won against Somerset 2-0, beat Poteet 8-0, and tied Hondo 2-2. 

The program held their Senior Night, honoring the Seniors of the program, which includes Stefon Torres, Morgan Garcia, Adriano Guitierrez, Sergio Banda, Brian Avery, Toby Bird, Timothy Klein, Donovan Alaniz and Alex Cabrerra. The Varsity team played Persall that night, winning 8-0. 

We got in contact with JV captain Louis Manzanares and Varsity captain Timothy Klein. When asked about the team’s improvements, both captains said that their respective teams were improving on communication and passing, but they still struggle with communicating. As Tim said “We struggle with communication and talking in certain games, and just showing up ready to play as well.” Tim went on to say that they struggled to clean up the little things, from passing in practice to showing up, ready to play and focused in, with Louis saying similar things. When asked what was going better than expected, Louis said communication once again, “The attitude has changed a lot, which improves the ease of communication and teamwork between them.” Tim mentioned that he was impressed with some individuals’ drive and work ethic, and how they’ve become better because of it.

Good luck to both teams!!

By: Farah Standley

Senior Captain, Mary Martinez, shows off her swift moves

The Pleasanton women’s basketball team ended their season round 1 in the playoffs, with an overall record of 16-21, and District record of 7-5. The Eagles had a fulfilling season, having lots of seniors on the team, and we are extremely proud of their determination and hard work. Though the season was cut semi-short, the girls made the playoffs, put up a fight against some really tough teams, and went out with their heads held high. When asked about the end of the season, Senior Captain, Mary Martinez stated, “It was a bittersweet feeling, because it was my senior year, but I’m glad that I won’t have to run 5’s anymore at practices”. With so many seniors on the team, there were a lot of team goals and accomplishments, and according to Mary, one of the goals of the team was to go further in the playoffs than the previous years, and one of the team’s favorite accomplishments was almost beating the #1 team in the District, Somerset. Mary’s favorite personal accomplishment of basketball was surpassing a former PHS athlete’s stealing record. Her favorite thing about the game of basketball is making new friends and simply playing the game. Mary has no certain favorite memory from high school basketball, because it was all amazing, but she says the rides home were always fun, as they always had fun together even after a loss. As for after high school, she intends to major in kinesiology/education to someday become a teacher-coach and to possibly continue her love for basketball and join a college basketball team as a walk-on athlete. Goodbye for now, Pleasanton Women’s Basketball. We are excited to see what you have in store for next year.

By: Jayden Palacios

State season is underway. The Eagles started this new track season at Holy Cross High School where the Eagles dominated in every event. In the field, the Eagles had six first place medalists (Kiley Wiechring, Layla Rodriguez, Megan Mayse, Ciarah Garcia, Preston Pilgrim, Evan Guardiola). In the track aspect, the men’s track team had no first place medalist, but would rack up points through relays winning the 4×1 and 4×4. The men’s team has some strong headed athletes like Daniel Coronado, who believes “No matter what, never back down from a challenge…You can achieve anything you put your mind to” Athletes like Daniel set the standard for this team. The women’s team would blow the other teams out racing up a total of 317 points total winning the overall meet. The women’s team had 5 first place finishes (Svetlana Martinez, Alexandria Balderas, Shalyn Gutierrez, Syrena Clark, Megan Mayse), the women’s team would also sweep the relays winning the 4×1 4×2 and 4×4. Coach Leal has helped turn the women’s team around with her first year coaching at PHS “A (coach) should be supportive and understanding, students have a lot going on in their lives, and especially in high school we need to be able to motivate students, not all of us have it on the inside so we have to provide it a bit.”

The Eagles would travel to St. Mary’s Hall to compete against twenty two teams in a relay only meet. The men’s team would start off strong winning the 4×1, and finishing second in the 4×4, they would place in several other events, but wouldn’t medal. The women’s team would have five medalists, three through field and two through relays. (Kiley Wiechring, Ciarah Garcia, Layla Rodriguez, 4×2 team, and 4×4 team) 

By: Libby Sanchez

The Pleasanton Eagles Boys Basketball team has been hard at work this month, pushing their limits into the playoffs. On February 3rd, the boys traveled to Floresville to play the Tigers in one of their last few district games. For the second time this season, they beat the Tigers by a final score of 57-41. A few days later on February 7th, they hosted Uvalde on their home court and won once again with a score of 84-53. For the last and final district game of the 2022-2023 season, Carrizo Springs traveled to us and had a disappointing bus ride back home when they lost 91-51. Varsity ended district with a 11-1 record, placing them second in our district. The Eagles were well on their way to the playoffs, and the team that consists of mostly seniors was determined to make their last one, the best one. “We’ve been here all four years of my highschool career but the excitement never goes away. Being there with guys I’ve known since I was really little made me stop and take it all in, more than I’ve done in the past,” said Layne Dowdy, senior.

For the first round of playoffs, the Eagles traveled to Kennedy High School Gym to play against the Ingleside Mustangs on February 21st. At the end of the first quarter of the Bi-District matchup, the Eagles were short to Ingleside 15-13. Max Sauceda didn’t let this slide for long, and tied the game in the second quarter, making the score 26-26 with only a few minutes left before half time. Trey Martinez then got hold of the ball and sank a 3 pointer at the buzzer to officially give the Eagles the lead in the game, sending the score 31-30 into half time. Picking up their game up into the third and fourth quarter, the Eagles ended the game as Bi-District Champions with a final score of 68-60 over Ingleside.  An intense and well fought game, sending the boys well into the second round of playoffs. Jake Casias, a four year varsity player, surpassed 1,000 career points in this game, an accomplishment not taken lightly in this sport. 

Round two of the playoffs took place on our home court, and the gym was loaded with lots of green and Eagle Pride! The boys were set to play the Calallen Wildcats on February 24th and they were just as amped up, if not more, than their previous game. Luke Thornton got a hold of the ball early on and started the Eagle’s game off on a good note with his point. Throughout the first quarter, Luke had collected 6 rebounds, while RJ Marquez led the Eagles with nine points of his own. Going into the second quarter the Eagles and Wildcats were neck and neck with a score of 15-14, the Eagles barely leading. Second quarter went by in a breeze for our boys as RJ Marquez sank one 3 pointer after another, leaving the score 33-21 in the Eagle’s favor. Third and fourth quarters flew by as the Eagles continued to dominate, sending them onto round three with a final score of 55-42 and earning their title as Area Champions. Luke Thornton was recognized for his amazing game where he finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. 

Just like that, the Eagles were round three bound and they had every campus supporting their send off from Pleasanton to Cuero where they would play the Sinton Pirates on February 28th. Early in the game, the Eagles jumped at the chance to take the lead in the first quarter, and secured it 20-10. Come the second quarter, the Pirates had also stepped up their game, but the eagles were determined to keep their lead up by a few points. The score between the Eagles and Pirates was 34-25 going into halftime. Both teams fought hard well into the third and fourth quarter, but once again our boys came out on top with a score of 62-52, this time as Regional Quarterfinal Champions! This win was sending them straight to the Regional Tournament!

The Regional Tournament took place at Steinke Center at Texas A&M Kingsville on March 3rd. The Eagles record was now 31-6, and they were up against another tough team, the Stafford Spartans, whose record was 30-7. Round four for both teams, and the thrill could be felt in the gym. Both sides were packed with team spirit and encouragement. The first quarter they kept it close, and the Eagles knew this was gonna be their toughest match yet, so they gave it their all. The quarter ended 5-6 in Stafford’s favor. The Eagles began to trail the Spartants at the end of second and third quarter with a score of 19-34. Unfortunately, after fighting hard all season and investing four years into this program, the basketball season for the 2022-2023 Pleasanton Eagle’s came to an end after losing to Stafford with a final score of 25-50. Though a majority of the team is graduating this year, the future of this program looks beyond bright. Senior, Layne Dowdy, leaves the future players of the Pleasanton Eagle’s Basketball Team with these words of advice, “Take it all in. There’s going to be good and bad moments but they’re all learning experiences. It’s bittersweet to be leaving the program, but I’m so thankful for every memory. Cherish it.” The PHS Journalism staff looks forward to writing about next year’s season, and we thank this year’s team for giving us the opportunity to write about such a great run!

By: Carol

The PHS spring tennis season is started with a bang. The first game of the season took Pleasanton to the Somerset Varsity Invitational where Pleasanton won overall as a team. On January 27th Pleasanton hosted the first home tournament of the new year with over 5 teams in attendance. Our team took a full sweep placing 1st and/or 2nd in all brackets. On February 3rd Pleasanton attended the 44th annual Uvalde Varsity Invitational, no teams placed but head tennis Coach Everett said he could not be more proud of his players and their effort in such a competitive tournament. On February 17th Pleasanton played at the Navarro Varsity invitational, where boys doubles number one took home gold. Most recently our Eagle Tennis team played at the Cecil Vasquez Varsity invitational, placing second main draw with girls doubles, first main draw boy doubles, and first in mixed doubles. 

This month the PHS journalism staff had the opportunity to speak with the Head and Varsity Coach Everett as well as varsity girls doubles player Evelynn Caraway. Coach Everett the head tennis coach here at PHS for the past 2 years, has an amazing passion for tennis and wishes to pass that on to his players. The coach said he felt confident in the upcoming matches, the team was coming together and pushing each other to get better and better every day. He notes that there is progress to be made and the tennis program is nowhere near perfect but he is more than proud of his players and their commitment to the sport. 

Evelynn Caraway is part of the varsity girls number one team. As a junior, she is looking forward to the time the team still has with seniors and the major tournaments yet to come. Every day from 3 to 5:30 Evelynn is at the practice putting in the hard work. She says “This year we are coming together as a team. Everyone supports everyone and no matter what we can always have a great time.” Evelynn wishes the best for her and her teammates as they move further into their spring season. 

By: Jaelyn Morales

Varsity Eagles at Llano Tournament.

The season of Spring is almost here which means baseball and softball season is starting as well. The varsity softball and jv-varsity baseball teams are all looking forward to having a great season full of new memories and new traditions. The lady eagles started off their season with a game against La Vernia on Feb 13th and unfortunately lost to the bears with a score of 18-5. The team then participated in the Navarro Tournament, Feb 16-18, to get more practice before district. Their next game was on Feb 21st against George West and the lady eagles came out with the win, 11-10. They then had their last tournament in Natalia, Feb 23-25, and then had their first district game on Feb 28th against a tough contender, Floresville, and unfortunately the lady eagles lost 17-0. “I’m looking forward to just having fun and doing what I love, which is playing softball,” said Abby Sosa. 

The varsity baseball team started off their season with a win against SA McCullum, 8-6, on Feb 20th. The team then had their first tournament in Cuero on Feb 23-25 and with a record of 4-0-1 they tied for 1st place. Their next game was on Feb 28th against Jourdanton, Pleasanton’s rival team, and they won with a score of 5-0. The boys played next in the Llano tournament on March 3-5 and ended the tournament with 2 wins and 2 losses. “ I’m excited for District play to begin and hopefully we can win every game and be district champions,” Ryan Morales quoted. 

While the season has started, both teams still have plenty of time to progress and get better and stronger before District and playoffs. Good luck to both teams this season and if you have time, come on down to the fields to support and cheer them on. Pride! Pride!

By: Ariana Johnson

The Percussion Ensemble playing for the judges

Mikayla Anguiano and Matthew Smith went to the Henry B. Gonzalez Center on February 9th, going up against many kids who also had the honor to have a spot in the All-State Band. Mikayla Anguiano got first chair in the Symphonic Band and Matthew Smith got fifth chair in the Concert Band. Matthew Smith said, “I spent one to two hours a day practicing, and a week before my audition I put in twenty-five hours of practice towards my music.” He also states that if you want to make it to the All State Band, “Don’t procrastinate until the last minute. I promise you won’t be able to put out your music in a week. I worked for nine months and it got me to state.” Matthew’s obstacle was a burnt out feeling when auditions were approaching. There’s only so much a person can take listening and playing the same music for nine months. It was hard for him but he kept on pushing through it and he can still play his audition music from the heart. Matthew went to the paper in anticipation of the results and saw that he got first chair. The feeling he got when he saw it was pure joy. 

Some students in the band went to TFME on February 10th, to see if they want to pursue a path of music once they graduate or become a conductor. Mr. Solis explained more on what TFME is about, “Texas Future Music Educators supports high school students who have an interest in a music education career. Chapters meet at least four times a year, and members provide service to their schools music programs and prepare for the entry into college music programs. Active members receive a Southwestern Musician magazine subscription, TFME patch and certificate, and a free registration to the annual TMEA Clinic/ Convention. Texas Future Music Educators is established by the Texas Future Music Educators Association to promote music education as a profession.”

Solo and Ensemble happened on February 18th at Southwest High School, and The Eagle Band earned 46 first-division medals at the UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest. 16 students  qualified for the Solo and Ensemble Contest in June. The people going for a solo are Michaela Anguiano, Matthew Smith, Kamryn Kendrick, Steven Minniear, and Dylan Vaughn. The Flute Trio which consists of Emily Bernal, Maria Huezo, and Pearl Sosa. The Brass Quintet consists of Monique Flores, Cesar Garica, Michael Lister, Conner Lopez, and Kevin Tucker. The Percussion Ensemble which consist of Nathan Din, Kamryn Kendrick, Steven Minnear, and Esteban Smith. 

The Symphonic and Wind Ensemble went to Pre-UIL at Lytle on February 23rd. The Symphonic Band got a 2 on their performance which is a good rating based on the scoring sheet, and the Wind Ensemble got a 1 which is a superior rating. Mr. Solis also stated, “Both bands did well at the Lytle contest. We received very positive comments in our preparation for our UIL contest on March 7th.” Both bands will be playing for UIL on March 10th at the Pleasanton Performing Arts Center, so good luck to both bands, and hope you do well. 

By: Jauslyn Ramirez

BPA or Business Professionals of America is an organization of students striving to become an innovator in career and technical education, providing their members opportunities for growth through education, competition, community service, and personal development. 

Mrs. Olivari is the sponsor of the school’s business program and strives to make students better and excel. 

BPA members competed at Medina Valley High School for their regional conference this past weekend; Individuals qualifying for state:

Jadyn Swan – Economic Research – 1st place

Elynore Hernandez  – Digital Media Production  – 1st place

Delanie De La Fuente – Prepared Speech – 1st place

Alexis Ramos – Presentation Individual- 1st place

Stefon Torres – Health Leadership Topics – 1st place

Michaela Anguiano – Administrative Support Project – 1st

Alexandria Balderas – Administrative Support Project – 2nd place

Lauren Miles – Fundamental Word Processing  – 2nd place

Bennack Conroy, Elynore Hernandez,  Gage Pawelek – Video Production

Team  – 1st place

Tanner McDougal, Maribel Cerrillo, Sophie Zeng – Global Marketing Team – 1st place

Adyson Pawelek, Geneve Turner, Isabella Trapp – Presentation Team – 1st place

Other competitors earning State Alternates placings are:

Alejandra Martinez – Banking and Finance – 9th place

Preston Pilgrim – Banking and Finance – 8th place

Alexandria Balderas, Preston Pilgrim – Podcasting Production Team – 3rd place

Emree Adamitz, Sadie Hartmann – Small Business Management Team – 4th place

In addition, Alexandria Balderas has been installed as the next Area 2 Region 2 President!

Starting March 2nd these candidates will travel to Dallas for state to compete their hearts out. Lets go eagles!

By: Kassidy Vickers

Pleasanton FFA Agricultural Mechanics sweepstakes winners

Back in January, Atascosa County held a livestock show in which many Pleasanton FFA members participated in. Everyone worked really hard to get to where they were with their SAE projects and their progress showed. With hard work and a little friendly competition, this year’s show was very successful and overall great.

First off is Agriculture Mechanics. In this event, people build or make their own project. Pleasanton overall where the sweepstakes winner and got 1st in ag mechanics. Some participants were Evelynn Caraway, Micheial Castio,Mathew Gudea, Mallory Fey, Tanner Hollis, Brady Stevens, Wyatt Tom, and Kassidy Vickers. Wyatt Tom on top of that also earned Grand Champion for showmanship. 

Moving on to the Livestock show which had many participants. In the swine classes, there was lots of success. In senior showmanship, Jayce Krauskopf got Grand Champion and Kinsley Barker received Reserved Champion for showmanship. Kinsley also earned Champion in the senior light cross class. In the steer classes, Jayce Krauskopf also won sr. cattle showmanship as well as Champion Brahman Steer. Grayson Chessher was also Reserve Champion for Sr. British Steer class. For Turkey Hen, Ally Sherley received Reserved Champion Turkey. 

Class 3 Other Cross: Kinsley Barker- 8th, Brooke Rankin- 4th and 3rd, 

Class 2 Hampshire: Kinsley Barker- 4th, Corgin King- 5th, Luke Smith- 10th

Class 1 Light Cross: Kinsley Barker- Champion, Jayce Krauskopf- 4th, 

Class 3 Duroc: Kinsley Barker- 7th, Jaxson Bryan- 2nd, Corgin King- 5th

Class 2 Duroc: Jaxon Bryan- 9th, Brayden Ratliff- 14th

Class 1 Duroc: Jayce Krauskopf- 3rd, Brennan Lopez- 13th

Class 1 Hampshire: Kaydin Olle- 2nd

Class 2 Light Cross: Corgin King- 3rd, Jayce Krauskopf- 1st

Class 1 Other Cross: Jayce Krauskopf- 3rd

Class 2 Yorkshire: Brennan Lopez- 1st

Class 1 Light OPB: Connor Lopez- 4th

Class 2 Dark OPB: Connor Lopez- 4th, McAda Rutherford- 5th

Class 1 Yorkshire: Bryndan Olle- 2nd

Class 3 Hampshire: Sadie Schimelpfening- 5th

Class 2 Market Goats: Caylee Durbin- 7th

Broilers: Lillian Krause- 11th

Turkey Hen: Ally Sherley- Reserve Champion

Turkey Tom: Ally Sherley- 4th

Class 2 Charolais: Jayce Krauskopf- 3rd

Class 2 Brahman: Jayce Krauskopf- Champion Brahman Steer

Class 1 Brahman: Brooke Rankin- 3rd

Class 4 ABC: Sadie Schimelpfening- 6th

Class 5 ABC: Sadie Schimelpfening- 2nd

Class 1 British: Grayson Chessher- Reserve Champion

By: Savannah Valdez and Aaliyah Herrera

Coach Schorsch at the Llano baseball tournament winning on a lottery ticket.

For this month’s issue we had the opportunity to interview the one and only, Coach Schorsch! Coach Schorsch is an amazing geometry teacher here at PHS who has been teaching for 15 years. He has fulfilled many positions including assistant coaching, PE coach, and a fantastic role model for his students. 

Coach Schorsch started his career by attending many colleges including Texas A&M, Temple Jr college and A&M Corpus Christi, Where he played baseball and ran track. He started out in electrical engineering then moved on to sports management with a minor in business.

Coach Schorsch didn’t choose this job, instead it chose him. He was fresh out of college and didn’t have a set direction to go. He had a couple of friends who worked here at PHS and they decided it would be a good idea if he started coaching here, so they called him over and he gladly accepted. After coaching he moved up to being an assistant coach in PE, after this he decided he had an interest in teaching, so he switched to teaching geometry and now he has so many students and teachers that appreciate him. 

When Coach Schorsch mentioned he assisted in coaching we thought it would be best to ask him what his motto is for all his athletes. He replied by saying that “the only thing I want from my athletes is for you to always try to be your  best and you will succeed.” His motto has inspired many student athletes here at PHS!

Even though Coach Schorsch is always determined to work, outside of school he enjoys many outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, golfing, and even enjoys watching sports. Coach Schorsch is very outgoing and does not like to waste a minute of time in his daily life.

We are very appreciative to have Coach Schorsch here with us, he is a very important contributor to the PHS family and we look forward to seeing all he accomplishes throughout the years!  

By: Kassidy Vickers

For this month, the journalism staff has chosen Isabela Osorio. Isabela is a Freshman here at PHS and is already involved in so many activities. She is kind to everyone and is always there to lend a friendly hand. We had the opportunity to meet with Isabela and interview her for this month’s article and learn more interesting facts about her. 

Isabela is not only a great student but also an amazing athlete. As a freshman, she was a member of the women’s varsity cross country team as well as a member of the tennis team. She enjoys running and is always trying to better herself in all aspects. Her main goal for high school consists of being a good student and athlete and making sure she always puts in her best efforts. Being a freshman this year, one of the most shocking things since coming into high school for Isabela, was becoming good friends with many people that she never really got the chance to communicate with.   

The journalism staff is very appreciative to have this opportunity to get to know more about Isabela and we are looking forward to all of the amazing things she will accomplish as she continues her career at Pleasanton High School. Pride, Pride! 

By: Carol

For this month’s staff spotlight the PHS journalism staff selected Mrs. Yarnell. With this being said, we had the opportunity to interview her and ask her some questions about her journey here at PHS. Mrs. Yarnell went to high school at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Columbus, Ohio. Receiving her Bachelors of Music Education at Harding University and Masters of Music in Percussion Performance at the University of Central Arkansas. One of her favorite things about working with the students here at PHS is getting to see them grow from the time they were in junior high barley counting rhythms till when their seniors performing at state. It is very clear to see how passionate Mrs. Yarnell is about teaching and directing here at PHS. She told us that each year brings something new, something different. The seniors graduate and incoming freshmen are finding their places in the high school band. She states “ It’s really exciting to watch the band learn about each other and how to work together at the beginning of the year.” Every year she looks forward to seeing her upperclassman grow into leadership positions showing a newer maturity than in previous years. 

Mrs. Yarnell is a valued teacher here at PHS who cares deeply for her students and is always willing to do her best to make sure her students succeed. She has shown to be very committed and attentive. Her good deeds never go unnoticed, she’s making a huge impact on students  and we at PHS can’t wait to see what she has planned for the future.

By: Myame Lara

Our spring sports are finally underway, which means it was only fitting that we focused on a spring athlete for this month’s athlete spotlight. Pleasanton High School junior, Bryan Jones, was our candidate for the athlete spotlight due to his constantly improving track skills. I gratefully got the chance to interview Bryan during his busy track schedule to get to know more about his love for this sport. 

Bryan, who is also currently running for Alamo City Track Club, started running track for Pleasanton in the seventh grade, and the sport ultimately stuck to him. Going into his fifth year of running track in Pleasanton, he has definitely faced many challenges along the way. Some of these challenges include injuries, dealing with self-doubt, and even having confidence troubles along the way. Bryan has stayed motivated throughout his track career by being able to be 1% better every day. He lives up to these statements, and broke one PR for this season at the Pleasanton Brush Country Relay in the 200-meter dash, at 11.74c, coming in the first place. 

With Bryan’s mentality to stay one percent better every day, he hopes his hard work will pay off to continue his track career in college. Bryan is an all star athlete and definitely deserves all the recognition he gets. We can’t wait to see what he has in store for his track career next. Pride, Pride!  

National Cancer Prevention Month 

By: Letizia Perrino

National cancer prevention month was established in 1938 by president FDR. He proclaimed April as National Cancer Control Month. 

Now February is the month dedicated to the raising of awareness for cancer prevention and treatment throughout the United States.

This month is an opportunity to spread the word and take action in order to live better, healthier, and happier lives.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, causing millions of deaths every year. 

Thanks to this month people had learn ways to prevent cancer like:

• Reduce or eliminate the use of tobacco, smoking is one of the main causes of mouth,lung, throat, pancreas, voice box and bladder cancer.  
• Eat healthy, it’s recommended to eat fruit and vegetables, limit the use of processed meat and alcohol. 
• Do physical activities and maintain a healthy weight.
• Protecting the skin from the sun, using suncream, staying in the shade or covering your skin will prevent skin cancer. 
• Get regular medical care, this could help cure a possible cancer as soon as possible.  

Be aware of these tips that will prevent cancer, will reduce both the incidence of cancer and the mortality.

Researchers have in fact showed that at least 40% of all cancer diagnosed can be attributed to preventable causes, like smoking, excess body weight, physical inactivity, and excessive exposure to the sun.  

Therefore National Cancer Prevention Month is important because it teaches people simple ways that will keep them away from cancer and it also highlights the fact that cancer is one of the main causes of death nowadays.

By: Brian Avery

We had two questions for you guys this month! The first one was about your Valentine’s Day activities, the one that seemed to be most popular was taking care of themselves. After that, we asked about your spring break plans, and it was quite an even split, with vacationing barely squeezed out on top. Now, for your questions!

What is the best thing to do when starting your summer?

What are some good ways to keep us motivated until summer? 🙂

How do you cope with a long distance relationship????

How do I become less controlling over things in my life?

What is the best thing to do to reduce stress

If friends are acting more distant than they used to, should i just let them go instead of trying so hard to keep them?

How would you know if you’re doing the wrong thing?

How to manage time at home and work

How can you have friends for so long that did nothing but be there for you and almost completely ignore them or turn them away for a whole “man”. Why does this happen? Is it worth it?

Why is working after school so stressful.

Email your answers to ajackson@pisd.us!

Dear March – Come in –

How glad I am –

I hoped for you before –

Put down your Hat –

You must have walked – 

How out of Breath you are –

Dear March, how are you, and the Rest –

Did you leave Nature well –

Oh March, Come right upstairs with me –

I have so much to tell –

By: Emily Dickinson

The weather is warming up, and it is time to be wearing shorts, skirts, and dresses. The trees are growing their leaves and started to bloom again after the colder days of this season. There are many things that are going on right now before Spring Break comes like the Blood Drive, the National Women’s Day clothing drive, track meets, soccer games, basketball games, softball, and baseball games. Hopefully, the weather will not hinder the fun, but will let it bloom.

Sincerely,

The Passionate Poet

By: Alexandra Garcia

A Banana Cake with banana pudding frosting and banana slices placed on top! 

An excellent Spring dessert for all. 

If you have bananas sitting on your counter and aren’t feeling banana bread, you should make this easy banana cake! 

Many people love to bake from scratch, but sometimes there isn’t enough time that is where this cake comes in. 

Some ingredients you would need are: 

• Bananas 
• White cake mix (Ingredients from the cake mix box)
• Milk
• Cinnamon
• Baking soda

Ingredients Info:

Cake – You will need the ingredients listed on the cake mix. Also note that some white cake boxes have different versions, and this cake version should be with the whole egg, not just the egg whites. 

Frosting – For the frosting, you will need an instant banana pudding mix, milk, and whipped cream. If you have different preferences like buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting, both can be used. 

Instructions to make Banana cake: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Be sure to grease your baking pan. 
2. Mix the cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. 
3. Use milk in place of water on the back of the cake mix box, and use eggs instead of egg whites. Use oil as instructed on the box.
4. Add milk, eggs, oil, and bananas to your mixing bowl. Blend all together until it becomes a batter.
5. Pour your batter into the cake pan and bake preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool down before applying it to frost.

For frosting: 

1. Whisk together milk and pudding in another bowl, then place into the refrigerator.
2. Mix whipped cream until you see a stiff form. Fold the pudding into the whipped cream and spread it onto the cake. 
3. Add banana slices if desired.