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Thursday, February 27, 2014

RRHS Wrestling Team Brings Home Historic State Championship

The Rural Retreat High School Wrestling team won the 1A Classification Team State Championship on Saturday night.  Needless to say, it was a very exciting time for the Indians! Not only did they have a school record of four total individual state champions, but they captured the school’s first team state championship-- not just in wrestling, but in any sport. The team’s individual medalists include: Cade Rouse 7th place, Harley Mitchell 6th place, Trent O’Neil 5th place, Hunter Ward 4th place, Josh Penuel 3rd place, and Leighton Powell 3rd place. Individual State Champions include: 106lbs Trey Boyd, 113lbs Ty Boyd, 120lbs Jacob Wynn, and 145lbs Senior Dakota Snider. For Coach Boyd and Coach Osborne, the night could not have been better.
Coach Rick Boyd congratulates a senior winner on his state championship win.

Saturday night, after the team won its first State Championship, the team was given an escort to downtown Rural Retreat, where they were given a party and recognized for their accomplishments. The wrestling team is already looking forward to next year, as they hope to bring home another consecutive State Championship!


-Jacob Wynn

If I Go Crazy, Then Will You Still Call Me Superman?

--3 Doors Down. If you haven’t heard of this band, then you’ve at least heard of the song "Kryptonite," or if you’ve listened to a lot of early 2000’s songs, then "Here Without You" or "When I’m Gone" might ring a bell to you as well.

Just last week, reports CNN, 3 Doors Down bassist Todd Harrell was arrested for driving under the influence. Last April, Harrell committed vehicle homicide while drunk. While under the influence of alcohol, he also admitted to using hard cider and prescription pills.

Due to all his illegal activities, 3 Doors Down suspended Todd Harrell from participating with the band. He’s gone crazy, and nobody’s calling him Superman.

-Catherine Cober

The Panhandles Return to the Gridiron . . . Kind Of

In 1904, a Pro Football Hall of Famer by the name of Joseph Carr started up a semi-professional football team in Columbus, Ohio. This team, the Columbus Panhandles, was named after the original sponsor of the team, the Panhandle Division workers of the Pennsylvania Railroad (the idea, however, struck the railroad workers in 1901). When the National Football League was formed in 1920, the Panhandle team was one of the charter members. Also, the first famous football family, the Nesser Brothers, made Columbus one of the more popular teams of this time period for almost 20 years.

Since the fall of Joe Carr’s team after the 1926 season, no one seems to care much for the historic background of the former Columbus football team. Although, that has somewhat changed of late. In the newest edition of the Madden NFL video games, Madden NFL 25, the Columbus Panhandles have the chance of a comeback. With the relatively new feature of relocating a struggling franchise in this year’s game, the player has the power to move the controlled team to Columbus and play as the Panhandles. Is this a sign of what’s to come in the future of the real National Football League?

-Isaiah Addair

All He Does is . . . Wynn?

Rural Retreat High School sophomore Jacob Wynn set school records as a freshman, becoming the school’s first to go to the State Championship in his first year (a match in which he ended as the runner-up). Ending that year with a record of 39-7, Wynn gave this small-town school something to look forward to for years to come.

Fast forward to the next season and Wynn is the favorite to take home that championship win. Corbin Woods, the then-junior that defeated Jacob 4-2 in the final match, decided to move up a weight class, seemingly leaving the Rural Retreat sophomore alone at the top. However, not everyone believes the title leans in his favor. North Hampton wrestler Charley DeMarino is on a roll of his own, sometimes being called the “pinning machine.” As of February 11, 2014, Wynn stands at about 32-2. A guy that one usually wouldn’t call “big”, he sure has proven to pack a punch. Go Wynn!

Enjoy!

-Isaiah Addair

Michael Sam Becomes a Household Name

Photo Credit

     On Saturday, February 8th, 2014, Michael Sam took Americans by storm when he announced that he will potentially be the NFL’s first openly gay player. Fans were all surprised, yet the people close to him weren’t. The LA Times reported that Michael Sam came out to his teammates during the season, and it seems that his coming out made no negative impact on his Missouri football team. Sam has gathered respect all across the world, but it’s left to wonder if he’ll fall down draft boards across the league. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks, one coming in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, and led a 12-2 Missouri Tigers defense that simply dominated most of the time. Sam’s sack total is similar to Alex Okafor’s when he left Texas a year ago, and Okafor was drafted in the 4th round.  In today’s NFL, games are won by blocking for the QB, or getting to the QB. Number 52 all but mastered the latter at the college level.

- Isaiah Addair

Friday, February 21, 2014

Miss RRHS 2014 and Miss RRHS Womanless Queen Pageant Approaching- Enter by March 10!


Marcus Smart Suspended for Three Games

Marcus Smart, the primetime point guard out of Oklahoma State, has been suspended for three games due to pushing a fan after their loss against Texas Tech. According to ESPN, Smart was trying to block a layup by Texas Tech with 6.2 seconds to go, but he happened to fall into the front row of the stands, and as he was helped up, he exchanged words with a fan wearing a black Texas Tech shirt. He didn’t respond well, pushing him with two arms, and almost sending him to the ground. "Mr. Smart's actions were a clear violation of the Big 12 Conference's Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Policy," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said on the subject of the Smart incident. Marcus Smart apologized with sadness and regret, "I want to apologize to the fan, whose name is Jeff Orr. I want to apologize to him. I want to apologize to my teammates, to my coaching staff, Coach Ford, my family, Oklahoma State University. This is not how I [conduct] myself; this is not how this program is ran. This is not how I was raised. I let my emotions get the best of me.” Smart, who is a top five point guard in the nation going into his sophomore year, needs to learn to control his emotions. There will be people like that everywhere in the NBA, so this isn’t a brand new thing. The Cowboys have #15 Texas, #21 Oklahoma, and Baylor in Smart’s suspension. This is the worst time of the year for him to do this. These teams will play Oklahoma State rough, and without Smart, will they be up to the challenge?

-Blake Holmes

Signing Day Doesn't Disappoint!

Signing Day in NCAA Football has come to a close, and the top ten recruiting classes have been announced. According to SB Nation, these are the top ten in the nation:

1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Ohio State

4. Florida State

5. Texas A&M

6. Auburn

7. Tennessee

8. Georgia

9. Florida

10. Notre Dame


Will their recruiting efforts pay off this season? Guess we will just have to watch and find out!

-Blake Holmes

Rural Retreat Wrestling Team Wins Sub-Region

The Rural Retreat wrestling team made its first step towards their goal of winning a State Championship as a team. Their first step was to win the Conference North Sub-Region, and they did just that! The Indians had a total of eight champions, after bringing eleven to the finals. Champions were Trey Boyd (106lbs), Ty Boyd (113lbs), Jacob Wynn (120lbs), Hunter Ward (126lbs), Trent O’Neil (132lbs), Josh Penuel (138lbs), Dakota Snider (145lbs), and Leighton Powell (152lbs). Second-place medalists were Jackson Sowers (who picked up his first medal of the season at 170lbs), Harley Mitchell (182lbs), and Cade Rouse (195lbs). Also picking up his first medal of the season was Will Montgomery, who placed fourth at 160 pounds.

The wrestling team performed very well last night, as every wrestler on the team medaled! The wrestling team wants to thank all of our parents and fans for coming out and supporting us.

-Jacob Wynn 

Seniors Make All-District and All-Virginia Chorus

On February 7th and 8th, seniors Jessica Robinson, Mackenzie Mulkey, Courtney Miller, and Hannah Mills all performed in a Senior High All-District Chorus. 




In April, Hannah Mills will go to Harrisonburg to participate in All-Virginia Chorus. We would like to congratulate these four seniors for their achievement in participating this year, and we wish Hannah Mills the best of luck as she performs in All-Virginia Chorus this spring.





-Dylan Crigger

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Big Night for NBA!

Monday, February 3, 2014, was a huge night for the National Basketball Association. Two games ended on game-winning three-pointers. The first game was the Knicks traveling to Milwaukee to face the Bucks. This game was huge, considering that the Bucks were last in the eastern conference, and the Knicks are trying to make a playoff run. Milwaukee actually beat New York, thanks to a three point shot from Brandon Knight with 1.4 seconds remaining. The final score was 101-98. This took down Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks to a 19-29 record on the season, good enough for the tenth seed as we move closer to the All-Star Break. They need to move up two seeds to make the playoffs. Aside from this game, Milwaukee is really struggling this year, with a 9-39 record. They are in the last seed, and will probably not make the playoffs. Up next, the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. There were a few stars in this game to mention before we talk about the buzzer beater. ESPN says Blake Griffin had a phenomenal night, with 36 Points, 11 Rebounds, 4 Assists, and 1 Steal. Kenneth Faried wasn’t too shabby either, with 28 Points, 11 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Steal, and 2 Blocks. This game was a roller coaster, as it was first believed that the Clipper would win it, when Matt Barnes made a clutch three point shot with 6.2 seconds remaining. On a normal day, that would win it, but Randy Foye had other plans. He put up a 25-foot shot from three and got it to go for the win at the buzzer. The final score was 116-115. Denver is 11th in the Western Conference, with a 23-23 record. Los Angeles is the opposite; they are fourth in the conference and are 34-17. Big games coming out of the NBA, and as we head into the All-Star Break, one can only wonder, who bring the championship home this year? Will it be Miami for a three-peat? What about Indiana, the new upstart in the Eastern Conference? Let’s not forget about Oklahoma City, Portland, and San Antonio. We will just have to watch and find out!


-Blake Holmes

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Animal Bowls

Everyone knows that the Seahawks wrecked the Broncos in the Super Bowl on Sunday. But, the real competition was between not two, but THREE species of animal bowls.

First, on Animal Planet, longtime running Puppy Bowl had its 10th bowl, with penguin cheerleaders and kitten halftime shows with guest appearance by Keyboard Cat (not the original one, he died sometime in the 90's). The event is the first running of the animal bowls, with many various breeds of puppies tackling and running around each other. All puppies shown on TV have been adopted, thanks to the shelters they came from.

Second, on the Hallmark Channel, newcomers Kitten Bowl air to compete with the Puppy Bowl. Where the Puppy Bowl has mainly puppies, with penguins and kitten half-times, the Kitten Bowl is 100% pure kitten. Coincidentally, this was the Puppy Bowl’s 10th year running. Just like its puppy counterpart, all kittens have been adopted weeks before running, making it more than ‘puppy-kitten rivalry’ for kits and giggles.

Third, a more sarcastic airing comes on Nat Geo, which is the Fish Bowl. It’s literally just a fish, swimming around in a bowl. No piranhas jumping into the bowl, no other fish plopped in, just four hours of a fish swimming. It’s mainly for those that really don’t want to watch football or furry animals. Just like the Bowls, there are "countdowns." Spoiler alerts: The bowl gets cleaned two minutes before it ends.


-Catherine Cober

Super Bowl: What Happened?



Blake: The Broncos did terrible. Peyton Manning had one of his worst games as an NFL quarterback, with two picks, one of which was taken back for a touchdown, a fumble, and just didn't look like himself with his passes. He may have had the worst Super Bowl performance by a quarterback ever. It was a great effort by the Seahawks, not the Broncos. Omaha.

Jacob: The Broncos picked the wrong time to have a bad game! C’mon Man! The Broncos could not catch a break during the game! Fumbles, interceptions, you name it, they probably did it! But on a positive note it was a great game to watch. The Seahawks dominated from the beginning until the end of the game!

Isaiah: Playoffs? That was playoffs?! What’s Peyton Manning’s favorite vegetable? Artichoke. I wonder if the Robertsons were in East Rutherford because Manning was throwing ducks! DangeRuss Wilson took total control of the offense, ending the game with one of the best (if not the best) Super Bowl quarterback ratings. On the other side, Manning looked worse than Trent Dilfer. That sums it all up. Oma-Who? Peanut Butter Tebow Time?

Super Bowl Sunday Special

Isaiah Addair: Seattle-28 Denver-24

In a close game, Russell Wilson and “Beastmode” Marshawn Lynch push Seattle over the top in a game when Richard Sherman is humbled by the likes of Eric Decker and D. Thomas. The top defensive players will be Champ Bailey of Denver and Earl Thomas of Seattle. Players both bound to at least defend a couple passes and potentially snag one for a game-changing INT, these underrated defensive backs will make a case for the Defensive MVP race of 2014 before the year even starts. What Seattle needs to do to win is hit Peyton and fly to the football. It would probably even be better for the team if Sherman is humbled himself.


Blake Holmes: Seattle-35 Denver-28

Yes, I have decided to side with the Seattle Seahawks as Russell Wilson is looking for his first Super Bowl as a QB in this league. This defense is looking good, and is without a doubt, one of the greatest defenses in the NFL this season. Peyton Manning might have been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this year, but this secondary, led by Richard Sherman, who made big news by a rant he had recently about Michael Crabtree, a San Francisco 49er. I feel that he has calmed down and is solely focused on bringing Seattle their first Super Bowl victory. Marshawn Lynch is a big factor as well, as you have to stop him fast, as he could break open a run to paydirt. Seattle is just the better team this year in my opinion, and Denver just can’t compete.

Jacob Wynn: Seattle- 24 Denver-23

I have decided to go with the Seattle Seahawks. To me, the Seahawks have looked good as a team this season, and I feel that they are the better team. As they have dual threat quarterback Russell Wilson and a great running back in Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks also have the number one defense in the NFL. But the Seahawks defense will have to be on its “A” game, as they go up against the NFL’s best offense. Which consists of future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning ( who broke the record for the most touchdowns in a season-55), Wes Welker, Knowshon Moreno, and Eric Decker, just to name a few!


I feel this game is going to be decided by one point. I think the super bowl will be decided by a field goal! The game is going to come down to which team “leaves no bullets left in the chamber.”

Another Blizzard Coming?

     According to WDBJ7, the entire southwest region of Virginia is now under a severe weather warning. Now the question is, how much snow will we have? According to WDBJ7’s severe weather warning, we should expect anywhere from 4 to 8 inches, but that could change come Wednesday. Different weather models are showing different things. One meteorologist even commented that “anyone who doesn’t get a foot of snow will be extremely lucky.” 

Below is an exert from the report:
        Winter Storm Warning:
Issued at: 6:28 am EST on February 11, 2014, expires at: 6:00 PM EST on February 13, 2014
o    ...Winter Storm Warning in effect from 6 am Wednesday to 6 PM EST Thursday... The National Weather Service in Blacksburg has issued a Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow...which is in effect from 6 am Wednesday to 6 PM EST Thursday. The Winter Storm Watch is no longer in effect.
o    Locations...areas of North Carolina...Virginia and southeast West Virginia along and south of Highway 460.
o    Hazards...heavy snow.
o    Timing...late Tuesday night into early Thursday afternoon.

o    Accumulations...snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible west of the Blue Ridge...with 6 to 12 inches possible further east across the Piedmont. Locally higher amounts possible.


-Jacob Wynn

Monday, February 3, 2014

The Ball Broke! Wild Sales Ran Away!- Nintendo Continues to Grow

Video game company Nintendo, creator of the biggest-selling video game franchise, Mario, has new plans for the future. Whereas some companies release smartphone apps (see Minecraft), Nintendo is trying to increase sales of the WiiU with more "active" video games and "boosting your life." An average video game fanatic will think "boosting your life" is getting mushrooms in Mario or catching a shiny in Pokémon, but Nintendo is thinking of games similar to their Wii Fit systems.

However, the WiiU has very slow sales, at only 2.5 million systems sold. If anything, the 3DS has more sales, because their most popular franchises have more 3DS-available titles for fans (Luigi Mansion remade, X and Y, Ocarina of Time). Nintendo, unlike Microsoft and Sony, is trying to branch out with more "lifestyle" activities, which causes negative backlash since most video gamers prefer to sit around all day trying to hit the prestige in COD.

To compare, Nintendo has been more "family-friendly" compared to Sony and Microsoft. Where Microsoft releases most games with "M" and Sony has "T-17" and "M," Nintendo aims on more "E" series.

-Catherine Cober

Colton Moore Wins Gold at the X-Games!

Yeah, I know what you are thinking, “Why is this so important?” Well, the reason why is the back story of Colton Moore and the tragic passing of his brother Caleb. According to Gazette.com, at the last X-Games, these two were racing in the snowmobile freestyle, and both crashed. Colton recovered from his injuries quickly, and was back on the course, but his older brother unfortunately had more serious injuries than he, and passed away one week later. After this happened, Colton was hesitant to race, but he decided that he would try to win one for his brother, and did, while wearing Caleb’s number, 31. When asked if he would return to participate, he said that he would compete, since racing made him feel closer to his brother, and he felt that he was there. What an inspirational story coming out of Aspen!

-Blake Holmes