MHS exPRESS Lady Outlaws pitch a start to the season Tyler Hertzler, Tamara urges the players to stay strong McConnell and through chaos and to be each Brookelynn Taylor other’s rocks. When asked about their year- Writers ly goals, Assistant Coach Julie Turner describes the girls’ hopes Swinging for the fences, Marlow High School’s Lady to apply their theme to push be- Outlaw softball team has set yond their limits. their aspirations high after a “With only one senior to homerun start to their season. help us this year, their hope is The Lady Outlaws have been to come together,” Turner said. known as fierce competition for “They want to be the best they District Tournaments, especially can be at the end of the season.” after earning District Runner- With high hopes and strong Ups this past season, and they mindsets, the Lady Outlaws have set the bar high to continue competed in their first tourna- a successful season. ment on Friday, August 28 and Hoping to top their past sea- Saturday, August 29 at Plain- sons records with a win count of view High School against strong 24 with only 9 losses, the Lady competitors such as the Durant Outlaw Softball team has strived Lions, Lexington Bulldogs and to beat their team performance. the Valiant Bulldogs. Having played their first With their first game against game of the season against the the Ringling Blue Devils soft- Lexington Bulldogs on August ball team, the girls dominated 10, the Lady Outlaws ushered in their opponents in securing the an 8-3 victory that set the stage win 5-1. for their future successes of the Continuing their winning season totaling eight wins and streak, the girls were then four losses. Photo taken by Lanie Leach pitched against the Durant Lions Pictured above is Kenlee Wilson up to bat for the Lady Outlaws. While the team lost against softball team and the outlaws schools such as the Kingston consistency at bats.” Jenna Wade said. “We’re all ready to swing for gained a victory of 7-0 Redskins and the Comanche Chiefs, the group drew motivation from the fences.” The Outlaws competed in their third game during the Plainview the losses and strived to continue developing their techniques. With the players having their own aspirations towards honing Being the only senior on the team, committed senior and left their abilities, the team had multiple practices during the summer to tournament against Lexington, who they had previously been defeat- fielder Jenna Wade explained what she learned from their bumps in troubleshoot their perceived weak points such as consistently hitting ed by earlier in the season. the road and how it instead built the team’s determination towards the ball. Following their history with the Lexington Bulldogs, the girls improvement. They also focused on team chemistry. came out on top, yet again taking the win 7-3 and securing their spot “I think what we learn from our losses is that we need to persevere As the center fielder for the Lady Outlaw softball team, sopho- in the fourth and final game of the tournament. to become successful and that we are capable of even more success,” more Whitney Wade mentioned the deep bond the members have for Teamed against the Valliant Bulldogs, the girls were victorious Jenna Wade said. “I think that if we didn’t lose earlier this season, we one another, citing it as the backbone of the players’ incentive for with a 7-6 win, earning them the title of Plainview Tournament wouldn’t be where we are right now.” success. Champions. The spirited left fielder also described the group’s perseverance “I think that we have a great team bond, and it shows that we can With a promising season ahead of them, the MHS Lady Outlaw as their greatest strength and how they plan to use their grit to reach do anything we put our mind to,” Whitney Wade said. “We know that softball team aspires to grow in their talents and spirit, one home-run their goal of being top three in the District Tournament which will be good or bad that they are there for us in the end, and it pushes us to at a time. held Sept. 25. be better.” The Lady Outlaws will return to the field swinging at 5:00 p.m. “Some goals our team has set for this season are to become at least Every year, the Lady Outlaws choose a certain theme to base their on Monday, Sept. 7 in a game against Lindsay at the Outlaw home top three in our district, to get a little better everyday, and to have mentality and goals on, this year’s being “anchor down,” a theme that softball field. COVID- 19 tests the nation Sullivent hopes toto useinspire in her adult life from her tests, the state-paid ACT with for assessments and move them Merideth McNair Madison Contreras experience of being on the team. writing for the class of 2021 will on to the next level.” Writer Writer “I think being a Bootlegger remain waived, due to students As many students across will help Shiloh with her lead- being out of school and lost Marlow, Oklahoma, and the na- Going into her fourth year as Having extended its reach to ership and time management funding during the pandemic. tion are getting back up to speed a Marlow High School Bootleg- all areas of life, COVID-19 has skills,” stated Crowson. “I think While the WorldBank has with their learning, the 2020-21 ger, senior Shiloh Sullivent con- insurmountably affected the way her teamwork skills will help her set the percentage of students school year is said to be “as usu- tinues to grow as a leader and schools administer testing. get along well with others in her who will not attain basic learn- al” in terms of testing, as of now. dancer. After students across the na- future workplaces.” ing structures at 40-50%, the Therefore, the OCCT, CCRA Growing up in Marlow, Okla- tion were sent home in March Taking on her senior year one Marlow Public School District and ACT will be given, along homa, Sullivent knew exactly during the 2019-20 school year, step at a time due to COVID-19, is focused on assessing where with the goal of having the what she wanted to do in the the Oklahoma State Department Sullivent shared what pushes her students are located currently in Oklahoma Academic Standards spring of her eighth grade year of Education waived all testing and helps her to never give up. their academic career to assure (OAS) met throughout the year. - try out for the Marlow High for schools across the state. SHILOH SULLIVENT “I know God has a plan for excellence in their peers. With the 2020-21 school year School Bootleggers. These include, but are not whatever it was that she was do- me, and I trust him fully,” said Speaking on assessments be- set to be “business as usual,” this Sullivent shares the person limited to, the Oklahoma Core ing. Every now and then, I get to Sullivent. “God is constantly ing used at Marlow Elementary also allows for district mandated who lit the spark in her ever Curriculum Testing (OCCT) for talk to her as a friend and fellow working and doing his part, so I School, Assistant Superintendent testing such as a pre-ACT for since she was a little girl to try third, fifth and eighth grade stu- bootlegger.” work to meet him halfway.” Brenda Parker-Tillian discussed the Marlow class of 2023 and a out for the MHS Bootleggers. Now Sullivent is currently Nearing the end of her high dents; the College and Career Calvert Learning, a part of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude “Growing up I have al- living her childhood dream of school career, Sullivent has Readiness Assessment (CCRA) governor’s program for making Test (PSAT). ways looked up to Miss Ad- being a MHS Bootlegger and started thinking about her plans for high school juniors; and up lost instruction time. Also countering the missed die Wortham,” stated Sullivent. getting to inspire little girls just the American College Testing “We have added some assess- opportunity of taking a state- “She was a bootlegger while I outside of high school. like how she once was. Sullivent hopes to be led on a (ACT). ment curriculum that will mea- paid-for ACT, MHS is offering a was still in elementary school. I Bootlegger coach Leesha path to attending a dental school Among waived tests, are ex- sure in great detail and will show discounted ACT on October 6th. always noticed how her face was Crowson shared qualities Sulli- and continuing her journey in emptions, such as, but not lim- you exactly where students are With school districts across constantly lit up and how she vent has adhered to and can put dance. ited to, the class of 2024 not hav- academically,” said Parker-Til- the globe adjusting to the new was always excited to be doing ing to prove literacy to obtain lian. “It absolutely shows where normal, Parker-Tillian said it a drivers’ license and the class they are, and then it quickly gets best, “The only thing we can of 2021 not having to take the them up on level. If they are on keep holding on to… we’re MHS offers Modern History through the eyes of the narrator. School before returning to her CCRA to earn a diploma. level, it quickly accelerates them all in this together.