Path to Victory
Battle on Blanding
by Dallas Orbe
Mud, Mud, MUD! Cheering from the stands, the “white-out” did not disappoint; a whole section full of students was shouting what the Ridgeview Panthers now take as a nickname, “Major UnderDogs.” The Orange Park Raiders thought it was going to be an easy game with their county rivals, so much so that the pre-game jitters caused some unfriendly nicknames- no hard feelings though, especially with the 42 to 21 victory for the Panthers on home turf. The Panthers’ quarterbacks Jordan Franco and Jennings Jackson made quite the impression on their foes, scoring the majority of the game’s points, and Jacob Moore’s kick always remained true for the PATs. Not to mention that our defense remained strong throughout the game, with the Raiders not even scoring until the third quarter; even then, not even ten minutes later, the Panthers turned the tables and scored another touchdown for Ridgeview. The tension of the game was palpable and the buzz in the air could be heard from either end of Blanding as the teams clashed. The Ridgeview Panthers are left with a resounding victory over Orange Park, at least until next year, when the rivalry is tried again. I’ll see you there.
“Run. Eat. Sleep.”
by Dallas Orbe
These are some words to live by if you’re a Cross Country Panther; if you’re not well… we aren’t too crazy (our reality is just different than the rest of the world). The words are taken to heart by Coach Bice, Coach Mochowski and Coach McNider, and are currently becoming the motto of the team’s captains: Rachel Louviere, Joey Stair, Rain Stidham and Elise Tanner. The favorite activity of the three was realized at “The Bob” (Bob Hans Invitational) meet at Ridgeview in early September, taking place in your own backyard. The 3.1 mile course winds through both Ridgeview High and Ridgeview Elementary; it includes long open straight-aways as well as dense and enclosed trails (however brief and spider filled). The Ridgeview course is the opening meet for the season, and though the Panthers did not place as a team, individually there are some notes that need to be taken: Nathan “Jamaica” Degoutte, Greg Kersey and Shawn Sutton all ran around six minute miles and finished within thirty seconds of each other! For girls’ varsity, Elise Tanner and Joey Stair both finished among the top 25 runners, both in fewer than 23 minutes! It’s amazing what the human body can do, especially when you just: “Run. Eat. Sleep.”
Lady Panthers Volleyball
by Megan Rizer
The girls’ volleyball team is off to a great start after an impressive win against Orange Park High School! The team this year has experienced several new changes, including all new coaches for both varsity and junior varsity. Destiny Brightman, the varsity coach, actually came from Orange Park High School, where she was the JV volleyball coach. Erika Parks, the junior varsity coach, played college volleyball for a year at Pensacola State. Sophomore and defensive specialist Anyssa Guzman said “The coaches have improved our program. They’ve made our team stronger and well known and ready for any team that is coming at us. This program is like a family. We treat each other like sisters and that’s a feeling that will never change whether we win or lose.” This season looks very promising for the Lady Panthers. Senior captain and right side hitter Rachael Castelli says, “I expect good team chemistry and a winning season.” The girls play every Tuesday and Thursday so make sure that you come support your Lady Panthers! As sophomore and outside hitter Jauhna Smith says, “People should come to our games because they’re basically part of the team. When they’re hype, we’re hype.”
Ridgeview’s Swim Team Makes a Splash
by Joey Stair
The swim team’s first meet of the season went swimmingly! They competed in a dual meet with the Palatka Panthers on September 11. Both the girls’ and the boys’ teams claimed a substantial victory with scores of 102-36 and 136-20, respectively. To add to this success is the outstanding performance of Izzy Cioffi, a freshman who broke Ridgeview’s 500 m freestyle record. Congratulations to all of them on such a strong start to the season!