THE TALON SPRING 2021 YORK BAND AND CHORUS SHOWCASES AWARD WINNERS

On June 1, the York band had its last performance for the 2021 school year. Following the performance, the band also held an awards ceremony, mainly to recognize its graduating seniors.

The concert started off with a performance from the York High School chorus and featured many different types of songs under the direction of the chorus instructor Beth Davis. Because Davis is new (she replaced Courtney Weber), she only had eight weeks to select music and work with students to prepare for the concert. Davis and her students were able to put together a fantastic performance despite the obstacles.

Once the chorus finished, the band played four songs in a concert setting: Broadway in the 90’s, Redemption, You Can’t Stop the Beat, and God Bless the USA.

After the concert, the pep-band and its drumline were featured. The drumline played a solo feature, and then the band played Get Ready, That’s the Way I Like it, and Cold Hearted.

Directly after the performances, the stage was cleared for awards. Recognition was awarded to multiple students, such as the ability to play multiple instruments.

Two scholarships were awarded to seniors after writing an essay. Troy Williamson, who won a $500 scholarship said, “It was a breath of fresh air to finally be able to play in a full ensemble setting. It was a great experience to finally play together again.”

The final award was the John Phillips Sousa award. It is the most prestigious award a student can receive in band; this year’s recipient was Isabel Kosnar (Sr.).

Richard Purvis, the band director, said, “It was good to perform a live concert after all of the challenges experienced. The students did a fantastic job, considering we only did one rehearsal. I’m very proud of all of their efforts.”

Many seniors in the band shared Williamson’s sentiments. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the band will not be playing at graduation, making this performance the last for the 2020-2021 academic year.

GRAFTON FIRE/RESTART PLAN NEEDS FURTHER RESEARCH

In February 2020, Grafton High School was forced to close after an electrical fire that damaged most of the building. As a result, York and Grafton students both attended York’s campus and went to school three days a week. On April 27th, students had a similar scare. On the morning of the 27th, the fire alarm system was triggered at the Grafton Complex, sending high school students to York’s campus once again.

This time around, Grafton caught a break. The alarms were set off by an overheated HVAC belt, but there was no fire, and more importantly no damage done to the school. Unlike a year before, students returned later that day, and school returned to normal. One Grafton sophomore said, “I definitely had some flashbacks to last year. I wasn’t even that shocked when I heard there might be another fire.” Despite the rarity of a school being completely unusable, Grafton has shown that it is very possible. Students and parents should not be left out to dry in a situation like this, and there should be a plan to resume learning as seamlessly as possible. There was no plan in place for an alternate site of learning after the disaster. The school system, and other school systems in the state, should consider adding an emergency site for schools to resume learning within a few days of an emergency. Instead of scrambling to find a plan, which ends up inhibiting student’s ability to learn from two different schools, there should already be a plan in place.

With the recent use of online learning as a failsafe for the COVID-19 lockdown, that is a good candidate for emergency learning. However, if the 1:1 student to technology program does not continue after this year, that plan would not be certain. The more feasible plan is establishing a universal emergency site for learning. Whether it be a completely different building or using an existing school at a different time frame, there should be a plan that doesn’t inhibit any students from learning. Rather than the two weeks of haggling only to find a plan that hurts not only Grafton, but York and Tabb students as well, it should be considered in the future that some site should be in place to fill in for emergencies.

YORK LADY FALCONS TRAVERSE ROAD TO REGIONALS With one game left of in-season play, the York Soccer Lady Falcons are on a hot winning streak. They have won a total of seven games, six consecutively. They are quickly on their way to regional play in the upcoming weeks and are looking to put another regional championship banner in the York gym. The York Lady Falcons have played some intense matchups this season, most notably their redemption game against Smithfield in which they came back and defeated the Packers after their 2-1 loss. Most recently, the Lady Falcons played an intense, rainy match against their long-time rivals Tabb. It was York’s senior night and the pressure to give the seniors a win against their rival was immense.

York’s Krista Anderson (Sr.) scored the first goal of the game against Tabb, making the score 1-0. The score remained 1-0 until the last ten minutes of the match, when Tabb fouled York in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for York. York’s Anna Tornatore (Sr.) scored the penalty and York won the match 2-0. It was a big win for York, pushing them further towards regionals and the championship. Tornatore says after the win, “It meant a lot to us seniors to defeat Tabb on our senior night. Especially since both goals were scored by seniors.”

The York Lady Falcons have a lot to prove in upcoming regional play. Their last regional championship win was in 2018. Before that, they had not had a regional title in decades. Current senior Emma Brooks recalls the regional win in 2018, “I was just a freshman, but it meant a lot to be able to put a regional banner up in the gym for York. Coach Atwell put a lot into the team, and it showed. Now, we’ve just got to do it again.”

The York Lady Falcons will enter regional play after their final game against Lafayette on June 10th. They have been dominating play this season, but regionals will challenge them beyond the teams they have faced so far. LADY FALCONS SOCCER TEAM BEATS TABB

Last Wednesday, the York High Lady Falcons beat the Tabb High Tigers at home on Senior Night with a 2-0 win. It was an historic and exciting win for the Falcons.

Before the game, the Lady Falcons held Senior Night to help honor the graduating seniors of the class of 2021: Emma Brooks (Sr.), Krista Anderson (Sr.), Anna Tornatore (Sr.), and Abby Brown (Sr.). Each senior had her family walk them down the field, give a hug to the coaches, and then take lots of pictures. Immediately after the festivities ended, both teams began warming up for the rivalry game.

As the referee blew the whistle to commence the beginning of the first half, the York High Lady Falcons and Tabb High Tigers faced off. After many defensive and offensive plays by both teams, Krista Anderson (Sr.) scored a goal that was assisted by Audrey Atwell (So.).

Half-time soon arrived and passed and the second half commenced with a downpour of rain that continued for a large part of the game. Towards the end of the second half with less than 10 minutes to spare, the referee called penalty and it gave the Lady Falcons an opportunity to score. Anna Tornatore (Sr.) took the kick adding another goal to the Falcons’ score. Ultimately, the team beat the Tabb High Tigers 2-0.

Sophomore Jenny Calderon said, “During the game, it was extremely hard to stay focused because of the downpour and the flood of emotions from the spectators and the players. Yet we finished our chances and worked as a team to win.”

With a 2-0 win at home, the York Lady Falcons are currently 7-1-1, putting them in the Top 3 ranking for the 3A Bay Rivers District. The Lady Falcons will be playing the Lafayette Rams in their last in-season conference game.

KAIA BRUCE OBTAINS MEDICAL ASSISTANT CERTIFICATION

Earning a Medical Assistant certification has been a goal for many years, and this spring, senior Kaia Bruce finally earned her certification from New Horizons Career and Technical Education Center.

Bruce attended New Horizons Career and Technical Education Center at the Butler Farms campus as part of her senior year of high school. Bruce took the certification test May 28, 2021 and passed with an 84% overall.

“The test was really hard, but with the support of everyone around me, I was confident I would do well,” said Bruce. Bruce has now graduated from the New Horizons Career and Technical Education Center and plans to apply for jobs as a Medical Assistant in the upcoming months.

York’s Art Honor Society Draws to Honor Frontline Workers

In December, York High School’s Art Honor Society went to Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital to write messages with sidewalk chalk to encourage its hardworking and exhausted medical staff. COVID-19 has been devastating to all affected, but nurses, doctors, and scientists were flagging by December. In response to these hardships, York High’s art students worked together to thank frontline workers.

While York High’s NAHS felt this was a special way to thank the nurses and doctors for their long, hard hours, it was also a way to get the students out of the house and talking to their friends again. Megan Burch (Fr.), a member in NAHS, said, “It felt so good seeing their reactions and knowing we gave back to the people trying to make our world normal again.”

The reactions from staff varied: students witnessed some of the nurses crying, laughing, taking pictures, and just stopping to just take it all in. It was more than just scribbles of chalk; it truly spoke to how thankful everyone is for them.

A nurse walking past said, “As a nurse, seeing this many deaths at such a fast rate makes me question whether we are even making a difference. This makes us feel like we are making a difference in our community.” Shortly after this event, vaccines became available, ending some of the impact of the epidemic on exhausted hospital staffs. The students felt good being able to see each other after months and being able to make a difference during COVID-19.

STARRY NIGHT PROM CELEBRATED AT YHS

York High was able to make Prom Night possible for the class of 2021. The seniors at YHS enjoyed their “Starry Night” underneath a venue tent set up outside behind their school near the baseball fields.

It was an amazing night for the Prom Queen, Adrienne Byrum, but not so much for the King, Owen Fisher. About thirty minutes before they announced who won king and queen, Fisher lost half of a tooth while doing the worm on the dance floor.

According to the class sponsor Jeremy Conrad, 275 tickets were sold to YHS seniors and their dates from other classes and other schools. Although face masks were required for the event, students were all-smiles when they were able to see peers whom they haven't seen since quarantined started.

Class treasurer Anna Tornatore said, “It was really nice to reunite with classmates that I hadn't seen since the first semester of junior year. COVID has taken away so much, but prom gave us a little bit back.”

After a long night of dancing, breaking teeth, and seeing old faces, students were able to say that they enjoyed a night they didn’t think they were going to be able to have.

Principal Shannon Butler crowned Adrienne Byrum and Owen Fisher queen and king, respectively.

IN THE WINGS: THESPIAN AWARDS NIGHT

On Friday, June 4th York High’s drama department wrapped up its year with an awards night, celebrating and performing in front of friends and family. Drama teacher Ryan Doster coordinated with his theatre students to present the ten page plays and he inducted new members into the International Thespian Society. The evening began with an introduction and the first few awards going to the best technical theatre kids in the fall and spring shows, and transitioned to episode nine of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, performed digitally. Then the events continued into the first student written and directed show. Between all four shows, awards continued to be passed out, and there were cheers and speeches delivered by all awardees. After winning an award for Best Ensemble Member, David Henrie (Sr.) said, “When he called my name, I was overcome with gratitude—gratitude for the countless hours I spent in the auditorium, grateful for the hours I spent memorizing lines, for the hours spend standing on stage in the hot lights and all the hard work myself and many others have put into this department.”

When the last of the shows concluded, the induction of underclassmen into the International Thespian Society began, and student voted officers were bestowed their pins to begin their positions for next year. Taylor Conner (Sr.) said, “I would have to say my favorite part of the night was seeing the newly inducted members of the thespian society on stage together. Seeing them there filled my heart with joy and I can't wait to see what they do in the future.” The night ended with seniors earning their graduation medals and delivering speeches describing their years in the department. There will be another awards night the following year continuing the tradition.

AN UNCOMMON SEASON FOR AN UNCOMMON TEAM: FALCON FOOTBALL 2021

Despite only going 1-3 in the season, the York High School Varsity Football team fought hard, even if it was a season like the myth of Sisyphus. The first week of the season, York put Grafton away with a swift victory. After the week one win, York fought a hard battle against Smithfield. Even if they came up short in the end, with a 28-29 loss, it was on to the next week – or so they thought.

The following week, the team had to quarantine due to COVID exposure. They would be out of commission for the next two games against Poquoson and New Kent.

Adam Martinez, one of the team’s linemen and a junior, said, “COVID hit us hard. We had no idea what was to come during the quarantine or after it. All we knew was to keep our heads up and get back to work.”

Then, it was on to Tabb. The heated rivalry was in action. Coach Doug Pereira calls the week prior to the rivalry “Tabb Week.” Tabb Week dealt York a harsh loss, one many of the younger players would not forget.

The last and final week of the season, Lafayette faced York. Despite what happened the previous season in which York beat Lafayette 24-28, it would go the other way this time with Lafayette blowing out York, with no chance of the season ending on a happy note.

Devin Lockheart, a senior on the team, said, “It was a fun season, but not the one I was hoping to end with.” Thirteen other seniors on the team are departing after this abbreviated season. GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL OPTION OPEN FOR JUNIORS

While many York High students participate in clubs and after-school activities, those who attend Governor’s School do not get the opportunity because of later dismissal times and a long commute. The Governor’s School has solved this dilemma by providing clubs to participate in. The Student Advisory Board is a club that helps to plan events like spirit week, holiday parties, and a graduation ceremony. Dr. Mary Patterson sponsors the club, which meets on Wednesdays. This year they put together 4 spirit weeks with days like favorite scientist day, ugly sweater day, and pajama day. It is also a competition between the three strands (Engineering, BioChem, and Computer Science) to inspire a healthy sense of competition and to incentivize participation. They also hosted a Halloween costume party and a holiday party. These events included activities like themed Kahoots, teacher trivia, and fun conversations with a popular teacher Seth Buffkin. Myles Badami (Sr.) said, “I really enjoyed the parties the SAB hosted this year because it gave us an opportunity to come together as a school and have fun. It really helps fuel school spirit and makes me feel at home at governor’s school when we have events that bring us together as a class.” The Student Advisory Board is currently working on a ceremony for the Governor’s School Students attended the SAB Halloween Party. graduating seniors. In a normal year, the ceremony would take place at CNU, but due to COVID this year it has changed to a drive- up ceremony on the Governor’s School campus. Even with the pandemic, they are still trying to make sure to celebrate the seniors’ achievements. Gov School Students attended the SAB Holiday Party The Yearbook Club is another club at the governor’s school. They meet on Wednesdays throughout the year to create a Yearbook for students to purchase and memorialize their year there. Also sponsored by Dr. Patterson, the yearbook club has created another yearbook this year, making sure that there is a way for graduating students to remember on this year as they head off to college. Jennifer Zhang (Sr.) said, “I am so glad to be a part of the yearbook club because it allows me to work on a memento that students will be able to take home at the end of the year. It makes me happy to think that I am able to contribute my hard work towards something that students will keep for years to come, and can use to reflect upon their fond memories of the governor’s school.” Yearbooks will be distributed to students at the graduation ceremony with their diplomas. Student Advisory Board and Yearbook Club are two of several clubs that Governor’s School has. They also have a science bowl team, a math club, a robotics club, a pre-health sciences club, and many others. Despite serving a hodgepodge group of ~150 students from 12 different school districts, the Governor’s School offers lots of opportunities to make students more involved. Seth Buffkin (Comp. Sci. Instructor) dyed his beard at the SAB Holiday Party. York High School Falcons Wrestling Team Has Historic Performance

At this year’s division 3A wrestling state championship in Roanoke, Virginia, the York High School wrestling team had its best performance in over 30 years. The team, qualifying 8 of its 11 wrestlers from the starting lineup for states, finished with a fourth-place finisher in senior Hunter Teeson, a third-place finisher Jordin Lennon (Jr.), and three runners-up in seniors: Jacob Seale, Bradyn Waddell, David Reid, and state champion Joshua Evans (Sr.). This led to a fourth place team finish, York’s highest team placing since the late 80s when York had its best wrestler in school history, three-time state champion Terry Channy.

Facing a shortened and complicated season due to Covid-19 protocols, the Falcons only had two months to prepare for the state championships, and at times, it seemed as though their season would be cut early. Jacob Seale (Sr.) said, “Every match could be our last, so we trained hard and made the best of what we had and, in the end, it paid off.” It did pay off, with such an historic performance from the team.

One of the most impressive performances of the tournament on York’s team came from Seale (Sr.) in the 126 lb. weight class. Going into the tournament, he was ranked fifth in the state, and Derek Burton of William Byrd High School, along with Hunter Salomon of Skyline High School, (the third and first ranked 126 lb. wrestlers in division 3A), were on his side of the bracket. Seale knew he could come out on top, saying, “I went in with the mindset that no one can beat me. I just needed to do what I had been practicing for the past ten years of my life.”

This mindset led him to great results. In the first round, facing Burton, he came up clutch with two takedowns in the third and final period, leading to a 6-3 final score. In his second match, facing Salomon, he came up big once more with an overtime victory, throwing Salomon to his back. In his finals match he was unable to overcome New Kent’s Trace Ragland, but regardless, his performance was a testament to York’s challenging season, and the great ending to it.

Jacob Seale took to the podium after his second place Senior Joshua Evans won the class 3A 195 lb. state championship. performance. YHS GREEN TEAM SPRINGS INTO ACTION

With the Arctic melting quickly and global warming threatening dozens of species, it is no surprise the York High School Green Team sprang into action this year to battle climate change. Following the previous year’s tradition, the club designed a sticker. This year the sticker was of a polar bear and was created by Allena Flowers (Sr.). It was sold for one dollar and all proceeds were donated to the National Resource Defense Council. When the year began, clubs were online, so it was difficult to have regular meetings and gather new members, but teacher sponsor and AP Environmental Science teacher Amber LaMonte and Green Team president Flowers were determined to get people involved in Green Team. Sticker designing began in December with the club deciding that a polar bear or other winter animal would be appealing in the cool weather. Brainstorming ideas began next, with several different rough drafts emerging before deciding on a polar bear sitting on an ice-floe. The other challenge for the club was a slogan; thankfully the Green Team historian Michelle Nguyen (Sr.) came to the rescue with the slogan of “more ice is bear-y nice.” Nguyen said, “I decided on it because I was thinking of fun saying that would go with the theme.”

As the stickers arrived from the production company and began to be sold, they were a resounding success. On the first day, more than 50 stickers were sold. Bella Kimbel, a senior Green Team member can attest to the high sales. She says, “Allena’s drawing was very well done and the stickers were very cute, so they appealed to a Pictured is the sticker. lot of people.” She added, “The polar bear was also a good symbol for the fight against climate change.” Teachers bought an especially large number of stickers. Due to the pandemic, there were several ways to pay for the stickers, including Cashapp and Venmo. Students could buy stickers online or in person.

The Green Team hosted a hot chocolate day in March to sell more stickers, and on Earth Day they had a mask tie-dye station where stickers could be purchased. Green Team events also proved successful at selling stickers. The York High Green Team accomplished its two most important goals: gathering new members to keep the club thriving and raising money to help the global environment.

Pictured are Allena Flowers (Sr.) and Anna Boyarinova (Sr.). Photo credit: Amber LaMonte. FALCON FIELD HOCKEY SEASON ENDS WITH VICTORY OVER GRAFTON AND ALL-REGION HONORS

The Falcon field hockey team beat the Grafton Clippers 1-0 in a rainy overtime match on the Falcons’ senior night.

On March 23rd at 7:00 pm, the game started. Senior night celebrations began before the game with Shannon Gaffney (Sr.), Peyton Keller (Sr.), and Megan Tatum (Sr.) receiving applause and recognition for their academic and athletic achievements at York High School.

“Our seniors had one of the toughest challenges this year and they worked their hardest every day. When senior night came, the best thing to do was to celebrate them and give them a night to remember. They were the glue of the team, and it was emotional to see each of them leave,” said Lacy Parrish (Jr.), one of the organizers of senior night.

The score was 0-0 after 60 minutes of competitive play. Rain started to fall harder and both teams were worn out after a hard-fought game. In a field hockey game, overtime can last 15 minutes and the first team to score wins.

“We had our overtime lineup decided, but a couple minutes in we realized we need more senior power, so we put Peyton Keller in with fresh legs and she was able to send the ball to Shannon Gaffney who scored the game winning goal,” said Head Coach Dani Warters, an English teacher at York High.

Captain Shannon Gaffney scored the game winning goal with two minutes left in overtime. Had she not scored, the winner of the game would have been determined in a round of shootouts.

Captain Shannon Gaffney (Sr.) and goalie Maddie Miller (Jr.) were awarded with the first team all-region honor. Megan Tatum (Sr.) was awarded second team all-region. Mallory Holup (Jr.) and Grace Katzer (Fr.) were awarded with an all-region honorable mention.

FALCON FOOTBALL SENIORS RECOVER FROM UNCOMMON 2021 SEASON, PREP FOR GRADUATION Football at York High has always been a point of pride for both students and teachers. In the 2019-2020 season, the York Varsity team went undefeated during the season and made it to round 2 of the playoffs. When that school year ended, the team lost 22 seniors, a serious hit to the talent and morale of the team.

From left to right: Michael Elkins, Matthew Martinez, Devin Lockheart, Cody Thompson, and Harrison Horne.

When the Coronavirus lockdown occurred, the 2020-2021 seniors did not know if they would have a final season of high school football, but as time progressed and vaccinations became available, they were given the go to have a six-game season plus playoff games. The team started strong with a 41-6 win against Grafton High School. The following week they suffered a last-minute 29-28 loss to Smithfield. During that game, it is believed that some members of the YHS Varsity team were exposed to and subsequently contracted Coronavirus. The team quarantined for two weeks. Patrick Mallon (Sr.), the starting inside tackle of the offensive line said, “Throughout the season we felt like we had a good chance to make a run in the playoffs, but COVID killed our chances as the team couldn’t find a rhythm after we came back from the break.” After a two-week lockdown, the Varsity team suffered both a loss to Tabb and to Lafayette, signaling the end of the 2020-2021 football season. The seniors persevered, and some plan on playing football in college. James Wade (Sr.), the starting center for the York Varsity team, says “I’m really excited to do what I love for another 4 years and I can’t wait to get back on the field again.” The seniors on the York Varsity Football team suffered a tough season but they persevered and are moving on to college. They will always treasure the memories made during their last uncommon season.

From left to right, starting in the back row Christian Crockett, Matthew Martinez, James Wade, Patrick Mallon, Grayson Garner, Morgan Living, Jonathan Kellum, Kase Butler, Ollie Schlosser, Rashad Stepney, Michael Elkins, and Joseph Morris.

YHS LADIES LEAD KIDS TO A MORE DEFENDED FUTURE

Three York High seniors, Anna Boyarinova, Amber Osypowski, and Leeann Rowe are hard at work at Wolf Martial Arts teaching confidence, leadership, and perseverance. Wolf Martial Arts is a Hapkido martial arts training facility in Yorktown, VA, and is run by Brian Ulsh, founder of the Wolf Martial Arts Academy. Wolf Martial Arts believes in boosting self-esteem, confidence, and bringing out leadership Anna Boyarinova received her provisional black belt from qualities in its students with a instructor and owner Brian Ulsh in front of her students during comprehensive leadership program aimed at a Covid-safe belt testing ceremony. bringing teens and students to the level at which they can help others and teach. This program also invites many York High School students who study Hapkido, a Korean martial art, to assist in teaching lower level and younger students for both part-time jobs or for volunteer hours. Boyarinova is one of the three tied Salutatorians for YHS, a provisional black belt, and plans to study either biology or environmental science at UVA. She will continue her martial arts education. Osypowski is an accomplished York High student, a black belt in Hapkido, and has been learning martial arts for many years. Rowe is also an accomplished student at York High school, a provisional black belt in Hapkido, and has been teaching Wolf’s students since she was 13 years old. Boyarinova said, “It's awesome to be able to boost kids' confidence by teaching techniques they never imagined doing. Knowing they could kick my butt keeps me humble too.” This mindset, helped cultivated by years of Hapkido, permits for a better growth mindset, as these leaders, trainers, and friends to the students are not afraid to learn from those younger than themselves, allowing for a brighter and more innovative future and next generation. By listening to the ideas and thoughts of the next generation, Wolf Martial Arts and the seniors who work there bring out more leadership qualities from YHS’s seniors, more confidence in the students, and a better defended future from those who feel as though they can take on the world from their time at Wolf Martial Arts. Rowe said, “I feel that martial arts and self-defense in general is very important to learn, especially at a young age. It can be very difficult to defend yourself if you are smaller and don’t know that fighting strength with strength is a weakness. Using techniques rather than strength can be a very important lesson in several ways and works very well.” At Wolf Martial Arts, the kids are taught to not only defend themselves, but each other. This strength in community will provide a better foundation for tomorrow. The perseverance and leadership being taught to and by the YHS seniors will follow both the seniors and their students for the rest of their lives, bringing about a better defended future, both physically and mentally by the skills taught at Wolf Martial Arts. The ideals taught to students and teachers alike at Wolf Martial Arts have created memories that will follow them for the rest of their lives, allowing for more understanding of others in the future.

On November 16th, 2019, after-belt testing speech made by Brian Ulsh, students provided lessons. Amber Osypowski (appears to the left with a braid and white instructor’s top) and Ashton Pavloc assisted with instruction. SWIMMERS ACHIEVE ALL-STATE HONORS Several All-State titles were earned by York High Swimmers at VHSL Class 3 State Swim Meet. The event was able to successfully run during Covid-19 mandates. Bella Kimbel (Sr.), Casey Tingen (So.), Laura Gaffney (Sr.), and Kendall Butler (Fr.) all earned All-State honors after placing third in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Kimbel also received All-State titles for being runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle and her third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle. Gaffney finished fourth in the 200-yard Individual Medley, Tingen came in seventh in the 100-yard backstroke, and Addison Kramer (Jr.) was sixth in the 200 free. The girls’ team placed third overall, missing runner- up by just five points. Nick Barrows (Sr.) also earned an All-State title as second place in the 100-yard breaststroke, and he was fourth in his 200 IM. The boys’ 200-yard freestyle relay consisted of Barrows, Daniel Liang (Jr.), Elijah Fields (So.), and Brodie Persson (Jr.), who worked together to earn sixth place. Liang earned another top-eight finish in his 100 breast. The boys came in eighth overall.

Barrows posed after his win with Coach Reggie Moore.

“The state swim meet was really fun. They split the girls and boys into different sessions because of COVID and made it timed finals. The Lady Falcons did really well and placed third. It was a great last meet!” said Gaffney. The swim meet was conducted under various COVID-19 restrictions, including mask enforcement, one-way paths around the pool, and laundry baskets for swimmers to keep their personal items in while swimming. The baskets were meant to prevent cross- contact of the swimmers’ items, and there was no known spread of COVID-19 at the meet. “The basket we had to carry around everywhere was helpful, and I took it home after the meet,” said Tingen. Gaffney will be swimming for Towson University, Barrows will represent Miami University on their swim team, and Kimbel will attend the University of Miami in the fall. They leave Tingen, Liang, and Persson to represent York High next year.

Tingen and Gaffney at the state meet.

YORK GIRLS LACROSSE TEAM HAS RECORD-BREAKING SEASON

The York Girls Lacrosse team had a record-breaking season, beating out all York County schools for the first time in years.

With the season being condensed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the girls had a late start to their season compared to previous years. Additionally, the 2020 spring season was cancelled right before games began, so the girls were eager to play again. Many of the girls participated in a fall lacrosse league to keep up their stick skills until the season began in April.

The girls started the season with a 16-13 win against Jamestown. This win was a huge confidence boost for the girls, as Jamestown had an incredible record and were 2017-2019 division champions. After the Jamestown game, they had a tough loss to Maury 7-11, but this loss pushed them to work harder, leading them to a 18-2 victory over Menchville.

“My favorite part of the season was beating Grafton because we were down the whole game and then at the end we came through as a team. It meant a lot because we had never beat them before,” said Bri Anderson (So.). The team came ahead to defeat Grafton 12-10 after a nail-biting game. This was another major win for the girls as it was the first time beating Grafton in many years.

The girls came together as a team to finish the regular season with a 5-3 record, and defeated Tabb, Grafton, and Jamestown for the first time. They played their final regular season game against First Colonial, winning 16-9 to advance them to the playoffs. The girls played Maury for their playoff game, and although they came close, they lost 9-11, finishing their season.

The team had a great season with a lot of new players. Camille Jenkins said, “I’m so glad I decided to play this year, it was so much fun learning a new sport with a great team.”

With the team losing eight seniors next season, they are taking a major hit to their roster of 18. However, the team is full of younger talent.

The boy’s lacrosse team included players Cam Edwards (Sr.), Jack Katzer (Jr.), and Will McLaughlin (Jr.).

YORK BOYS SOCCER TIES COMPETITIVE TABB HIGH TEAM

The York High Boys Soccer team tied the Tabb team in a tight Bay Rivers District competition. After a rough start to the season, the Falcons finally got a goal in the fourth game of the season. This came after a tough loss to Poquoson just days before. York’s Alex Cote (Sr), played goalie this season.

The Falcons netted their first goal of the season against the Tabb Tigers, scored by Joel Mahaffy (Jr.). This came after a quick breakaway from a counterattack with an easy finish. Mahaffy almost made it 2-1 in the final minutes from a penalty kick, but it was narrowly saved by the Tabb keeper.

Drew Lightner (Sr.) said, “I am excited about our result, but was hoping for a win. I hope we can build off this improvement and turn our season around.”

The York players wore orange wristbands during their warmups, seen in the picture above. This comes out of solidarity for the three boys from Tabb killed in a car crash in October 2019. One of these boys, Conner Guido, played goalie for the Tabb Varsity boys’ soccer team. Patrick Hooker (Sr.) said, “I’m glad that we are able to put our rivalry aside so easily and come together as a community in the face of tragedy.”

The York Boys team will play again on May 19th against Lafayette at Warner Stadium. YHS NJROTC MILITARY BALL TAKES PLACE AFTER COVID SETBACKS

The York High school NJROTC held a military ball at the Waterman’s Museum on the 28th of May. A military ball is to show respect, uphold military traditions, and to have a little bit of fun.

The tickets were 10 dollars per person and the event started at 1730 or 5:30PM. It was held in a large tent with splendid lights, a DJ, and cupcakes. Usually there’s a cake, but due to COVID-19, changes for safety were made.

Grayson Garner (Sr.) said the event was “very fun, with lots of interesting people.” Garner is not a NJROTC cadet, but rather a guest. He went with little to no knowledge of how military balls are conducted at high schools. He was greeted with a sword arch to welcome couples, a speech from a guest speaker, a waltz of the staff, cupcakes, and finally the go-ahead to dance.

Eiley McDonald (Sr.) and Grayson Garner (Sr.) attended the ball.

The guest speaker, active duty ARMY Colonel Timothy McDonald said, “The military ball is a time honored military tradition which York High NJROTC cadets celebrated as a demonstration of Esprit de' Corps.”

The event was a traditional yet lighthearted festivity that brought together many of the NJROTC unit for the first time since the 2020 quarantine. Masks were worn for safety and other procedures were in place to keep the health of the cadets and guests. Overall, it was a wonderful way to send off the school year as the event took place in late May to the school year's end in June.

Image: Cadets ate the provided cupcakes

YORK HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TAKE THEIR CLASS BACK IN TIME For the annual senior skit, where the graduating class typically just pokes fun at their teachers and different events that happened throughout their senior year, the York High School Class of 2021 put a new spin on the production by taking their audience on a trip through the four years of high school.

Owen Fisher (Sr.) (pictured left) wrote the script for this project, using his four years of attending the York County School of the Arts theatre department and plenty of years of experience in the arts prior to his high school career. Fisher combined elements from the class’ freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years, referencing teachers and important events.

Emma Strope (Sr.) and Ollie Schlosser (Sr.) say, “It’s a Grafton day!” in unison after realizing that they do not recognize anyone in the halls at their beloved York High. This referenced the Grafton fire that caused York and Grafton students to share York High School during the class of 2021’s junior year prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 – ironically back when students thought it was crazy to go to school every other day.

Junior Ayden Landsittel said, “Coach P was funny.” Julia Skinner (Jr.) said, “I loved the English scene with my coach (field hockey coach Dani Warters). That was hysterical.”

Fisher ends his piece with, “This year may have been a joke, but the rest of our lives aren’t, and we’ve still got a lot to look forward to” in an homage to the iconic ending of the movie The Breakfast Club.

CLASS-DAY ASSEMBLY HELD

With just ten days left until graduation, York High School held one last assembly on June 4, 2021. The class of 2021 is the largest graduating class in York High’s history; they lined up wearing their caps and gowns in the John P. Wornom auditorium with juniors seated to the left of the seniors and the rest of the school watching virtually from the classroom or at home. Starting the assembly off with the pledge of allegiance was Michelle Nguyen (Sr.), class Vice President, followed by the Alma Mater sung by seniors of the YHS choir. Nguyen took the stage again to thank the guidance counselors and other faculty. A special thank you was given to Jeremy Conrad, the class of 2021’s advising teacher who leads senior class activities and events. After all the thank yous were distributed, the chosen class day poem was read by Kyleigh Parcell (Sr.). An attending student, Jillian Parcell (Jr.) said, “I really liked the poem; it was deep and made me really think about where I am at as student and how next year I’ll be in the same boat as Kyleigh, a senior, confused on how time flew by.” As the last senior sits, the streaming camera readjusts, and the lights dim, the projector turns on to show York High’s 2021 Senior Skit. Directed and written by Owen Fisher (Sr.), the skit had the auditorium bursting into laughter as Ollie Schlosser (Sr.) found himself in a time- traveling bathroom stall and visited the past three years of the class of 2021’s high school career, before COVID-19 took the classrooms from the students. With students portraying teachers in the video, many light-hearted jabs were made at the faculty, but most notably at chemistry teacher Justin Keyes, depicted as hosting massages in his classroom. Parcell said, “I’ve never even been in one of Keyes’ classes and I still laughed so hard I nearly cried! It’s clear that the seniors put a lot of effort into their skit, and everyone did a great job of acting.” The skit was followed by the 2021 Senior Slideshow, displaying each senior’s baby photos alongside the now grown-up counterpart. The crowd gave many “awes” and “ahhs” as the slideshow progressed. Principal Shannon Butler ended the assembly with a speech that left many in tears. With the seniors walking out in caps and gowns and ropes and tassels, one thing was clear: this was a year like no other. SENIORS WALK AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

York High Students at their Elementary Schools (left picture credit: Jenny Wagner; right picture credit: Katherine Zickel) York High Seniors visited the elementary schools they had previously attended on June 1, 2021. The aptly named Senior Walk allowed the seniors to reminisce before their graduation and the elementary school students were given the opportunity to see what they could become in a few years. Seniors rode busses to either Seaford, Yorktown, or Dare Elementary, or Yorktown Middle School. They walked through the halls of the schools as the younger students watched before returning to the high school. Anna Boyarinova, a senior, said, “I loved seeing the kids I work with in the community waving at me in the halls, as if they were sending me off to a new beginning.” Though the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way schools operated during the past year, seniors have experienced many of the exciting last-year activities that lead up to graduation. Masks are still mandatory in Virginian schools, but many other normal activities have resumed; the Senior Walk in particular being one of those activities. Katherine Zickel, another senior, said her favorite thing about the Senior Walk was “seeing all my old teachers because I probably won’t see them again, so it felt very surreal.” Senior walk was only the beginning of the Senior Week that ran June 1-4, organized by York High School. There is a College and Career Day, Senior Citizen Day, the Senior Award Ceremony, Senior Breakfast, and the Class Day Assembly, all occurring this week. The final school day for seniors is June 11th, and graduation for York High will be held on June 14th on Bailey Field. YHS GOLF SEASON VERY CONDENSED York’s golf season was very condensed this year, and the team only played four matches. The York team’s best finish was second at Kiskiack on March 18. The team was backed by three seniors – two of whom are committed to Division 3 teams, both of which compete in the same conference. Trevor Green, Jackson Twiggs, and Brody Smith saw scores which backed the team’s third place finish, which is its best finish at a regional tournament since 2016. Trevor Green, a Ferrum College golf commit, posted an 84, +12. Jackson Twiggs, who is attending NC State next year but is unfortunately not playing collegiate golf, also posted an 84, +12. Brody Smith, a Hampden-Sydney golf commit, tied for first, with an even par, 72. Smith went on to play a playoff hole for the individual title but lost on hole 9 with a score of bogey. He finished a solo 2nd but still qualified for the state tournament. The team’s fourth score they took was from freshman Lawson Pope; Pope joined the team this year and earned his spot on an extremely competitive six-man starting roster. The program this year practiced and received amazing hospitality from The Pines Golf Course. The York High Golf team also had two home matches and had a very solid outing the first match, but in the second, conditions were very tough. Brody Smith, Trevor Green, and Coach Tim Green all traveled to the tournament, played at Glenrochie Country Club in Abingdon, Virginia. Smith endured cold and gloomy conditions to start off the day, but he came out flying with an even par 36 on the front nine, which was backed by one bogey and a singular birdie on the second par 5, hole 7. He then experienced a tough stretch from holes 11-14. After those four holes, he was eight over par, but then recorrected and finished strong through the last four holes to remain at eight over for the whole round. Smith ended up tying for eleventh place, shooting an 80 (+8). Coach Tim Green has been in the golf business for 15+ years and offered a lot of guidance for all the players. To vouch for his coach’s excellence, Smith said, “Coach Tim was amazing; he helped me become a better player and really helped me understand that golf is not about just hitting great shots and shooting low scores – it is about being honest and having the right outlook on the sport. It will help you grow as a person.” SENIORS PAINT TILES TO LEAVE MARK ON YHS

Painting ceiling tiles in Rachel Reid’s classroom during the last week at York High School has always been a way of leaving a mark. Since 2018, students who take Reid’s photography course have been permitted to take down a ceiling tile, splash colors and phrases across the blank canvas, and leave one final message for future students at York.

The daunting task can take up to one week to complete, and includes multiple steps, such as sketching the image before, and adding water to allow the paint to soak into the tile. Of the project Reid said, “It gives students a chance to be creative and express themselves.”

While some classmates value writing a quote for others to live by, others prefer going an artistic route. Norah Yi (Sr.) said, “I was browsing Pinterest and found a cool design that I liked, and that was simple and direct.” The ceiling tiles also add originality to classrooms. In the Biology rooms, students have painted plants and animals, and in the photography room, multiple students have painted cameras.

Learning how to engage in self-expression may be a challenging task to complete, yet it seems students at York have mastered this craft with the support of their teachers and friends.