November 11, 2019 Volume 57 Issue 2 XchangePius X High School 6000 A Street, Lincoln, NE PHOTO BY MEREDITH GAMET Junior Mason Warner rallies with his Lincoln Southwest opponent in the semifinals at State. Warner won the match in three sets to advance to the No. 1 singles championship. Boys tennis team brings “A” game to win state title Stacie Thompson crucial semifinal matchup with Lincoln “There was definitely a lot more depth our best. Also, it was more fun because of Staff Writer Southwest’s Joe Harris. Warner was down of competition, I mean there is still some the challenge,” O’Donnell said. 0-5 in the first set before coming back and really good competition in Class B but the The tennis team won by a margin of 3.5 The Pius X boy’s tennis team has won claiming the set in a tiebreak 7-6 (7-4). overall competition is greater in A and I points. State yet again. The team moved up to After losing the second set 5-7, Warner think even though it really shouldn’t mean “We knew before our final matches that Class A for this year and won after winning captured the third set 6-3 to book his spot anything different it’s just special to really we had already won the team championship. State in Class B last year. in the No. 1 singles championship. be the Class A champions,” Plachy said. It took a lot of pressure off us so that the The players were not sure what to expect His win also clinched the first Class A Woita gave his insight on state in class A. finals for us was just fun and just for us,” at State, but they had high hopes. team championship for Pius X. “Last year I felt like there was less teams Ulrich said. “I thought we were going to be one of “I was so proud of the fight and poise and so it was more laid back. We had a Woita explained how he felt after finding the top teams to finish but I wasn’t sure Mason showed during that tough semifinal,” first-round bye in Class B and this year we out the team had won the championship. if we were really going to win or not,” tennis coach Nolan DeWispelare said. didn’t have any byes so we had to bring “I felt relieved, there was just a sense junior Joseph Plachy said. “I was basically “Mason stayed calm and played his game to it all 100% from the first round, and the of relief after knowing all the work we going in thinking to do the best we can earn a spot in the Class A championship.” competition was definitely a lot better here put in this year has led to not only a state individually and hopefully everyone can Junior Jase Woita was the only player in Class A than Class B,” Woita said. championship for us but for our school,” do well and then we’ll see how we finish who did not play at State last year, but that Woita and O’Donnell began the Woita said. as a team.” did not affect his expectations coming into tournament as the fourth seed in No. 2 Winning the Class A championship made The players had their minds set on the this year’s tournament. doubles. it all the more memorable. team title, but they knew it would not be “Our expectations were just for us to play “Class A had a very different vibe “I was really happy. I wasn’t really sure easy to win. as well as we possibly can, maintain high because even in the earlier rounds you get we would win so just the validation that “I didn’t know for sure if we would levels of focus and play our best all the people, for lack of a better word, people we won was just really special and really win, but I knew it would be close because way through. Win or lose we just wanted to who can actually play and in class B there cool,” Plachy said. we were competing against [Lincoln] leave it all out on the courts,” Woita said. is not much competition until the last two Warner agreed. Southwest. I knew that we were in the The tennis team took the jump from rounds. That defiantly was not the case in “The jump to Class A was a little bit running and that we could do it if we pushed Class B to Class A in stride. class A,” O’Donnell said. tougher, so it made it more gratifying to ourselves,” junior Mason Warner said. “There are good teams in both Class A They knocked off top-seeded Creighton win,” Warner said. Senior Thomas O’Donnell told his view and Class B, but we knew Class A would Prep in the semifinals to advance to the of what he anticipated state would be. be harder. We knew we had to step up our championship match. “I was definitely expecting the rest of my games a little bit,” junior Will Ulrich said. “Thomas and Jase lost to Prep when they team to do very well, so it was on me and Ulrich finished the season with an played earlier in the season, but they didn’t Final State my doubles partner Jase [Woita] to take undefeated 39-0 record, winning the Class play very well in that match,” DeWispelare Tournament Results: care of business and get those points we A No. 2 singles championship after winning said. “We knew if they came out and needed to get as a team and to just take care the same championship in Class B last year. played their best tennis, they could upset of it,” O’Donnell said. The atmosphere was different from playing those guys.” No. 1 Singles: The team went into State with personal the Class B championships in Lincoln to the Playing in Class A changed the experience Mason Warner - 2nd and team goals. Class A championship in Omaha. for the team. No. 2 Singles: “My personal expectations were to “There was a lot better teams [in Class “It was a lot more fun because there Will Ulrich - 1st try and get into the finals and see what I A], and more fans watching so there was a were more people watching and more hype No. 1 Doubles: could do; to make it to the second day and lot more at stake,” senior Will Olson said. around it,” Olson said. whatever happened the second day I would Olson and Plachy teamed up to finish O’Donnell described his experience at Will Olson & Joseph Plachy - 2nd be okay with it,” Warner recalled. second at No. 1 doubles. State. No. 2 Doubles: Warner cruised through the first three Plachy explained the differences between “It made it a bit more stressful because Thomas O’Donnell & Jase Woita - 2nd rounds of the tournament, setting up a the two classes. those people can play so we need to play News & Opinion Features Sports Entertainment Annual food drive Students attend “Phantom” Softball visits Villa Marie Stereotypical Halloween party Page 2 Page 5 Page 6 Page 8 2 News November 11, 2019 Yearbook wins Student Council brings students Cornhusker Award DEWISPELARE NOLAN BY PHOTO together through food drive Sara Kreikemeier class that collected the most money in a week would not Sports Editor only receive donuts, but bragging rights. Social studies teacher Shiela Sievert’s first period class Each year, Student Council participates in the annual took first place with over $100. Lincoln food drive to help feed more than 57,960 food “It’s important for Pius kids to be involved in their insecure people in southeast Nebraska Lincoln. community and help out those who are less fortunate,” To kick off the 2019 food drive, Student Council went junior Gemma Larson said. trick-or-treating for food. A group of members went For the past four years, Pius X has won the food drive around in their parish neighborhoods and went door to against other competing schools, by a significant margin, door handing out flyers and collecting extra cans of food averaging about 14 meals per student in 2018. Kelly people had lying around. believes this is due to the nature of the Pius X building, “It was awkward at first, but then you would get being good stewards and living out the six core values of warmed up and realize that it is all for a good cause,” excellence, service, purpose, faith, integrity and charity. freshman Mariah Krings said. The food drive ended November 1. For this year’s food drive, Student Council focused KREIKEMEIER BY SARA PHOTO on the monetary side of the food drive. Student Council members held fundraisers Current yearbook editors pose after receiving the Cornhusker Award. They are working to win another Cornhusker Award for their efforts this year. at local restaurants around town including Slim Chickens, Hacienda Real and Yogurtini that donated a Andy Truong To get this award, Pius X had percentage of sales back to Pius X. Staff Writer to submit their yearbook to a The results of the money donated are yet unknown, judge in a different state and but the official results will be announced Nov. 14. The Pius X yearbook recently wait for their results. Student Council advisor Susan Kelly said, “It’s won the Cornhusker Award for The judge has to go through hard to know what to yield because we don’t have the last year’s yearbook.