CElEbRAtiNG LEGAciES - St. Pius X Catholic High School

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Golden Lions Roar Again! Volleyball The 37-15 Golden Lion volleyball team continued its recent success, advancing to the Final Four of the State Playoffs for the third consecutive season. Coach John Frederick’s team won their second straight Area 1-AAA championship, and cruised through the Area regular season undefeated. Frederick also reached a personal milestone by recording his 300th career victory, all at St. Pius X. Senior Emily Schultz led the team, as she was selected Area 1-AAA Player of the Year. In November, Schultz signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at the College of Charleston. Seniors Ellie Morrison and Brandi Tyson were named to the All-Area team along with freshman Emily Morrison. Senior Kayte Brinkman and sophomore Alex Bidgood were selected All-Area Honorable Mention as well. Softball The 17-7 Golden Lion softball team captured its second straight 5-AAA Region Championship and advanced to the second-round of the state playoffs. According to head coach Joe Winland, the highlight of the season was the two-game sweep over Johns Creek to secure the region title. Both games were decided in extra innings and by 4-3 scores. In Game One, sophomore Dylan Krause scored from second base on a throwing error after a beautifully executed bunt by senior Gabriela Sherrod in the eighth inning. Sophomore Liz Schneider then drove in Sherrod for the decisive run. Game Two lasted 12 innings before senior Lizzie Roberts hit a bases loaded double to plate two runs and rallied SPX past the Gladiators. The Golden Lion club captured several individual awards to go with their championship. Schneider was named Region 5-AAA Offensive Player of the Year, in addition to her selection to the All-State 2nd team. Rebecca Ponce De Leon, Becca Schaaf, Sherrod and Schneider were all 1st Team All-Region selections, while Lizzie Roberts was chosen for the 2nd Team All-Region, and Coach Joe Winland captured Region Coach of the Year honors. St. Pius X will graduate eight seniors, but many promising rising-juniors and seniors return to compete for another successful softball campaign next season. Boys’ Cross Country The Golden Lion harriers opened their season with strong showings in the Stage Races and the Berry Invitational before taking first place in the Altitude Invitational. Junior runner Brendan Hoban took his first varsity win, while Colin Martin won the junior varsity race. As the season progressed, Hoban emerged as one of the top runners on the team, helping SPX capture second place to the top team in the state at the Asics Invitational. Hoban became the first runner in St. Pius X history to run a sub-16:00 5K, while freshman Calvin Tyrell broke the 17:00 mark in the race. By placing second at the region meet, the Golden Lions qualified for the state meet under first-year coach, Ryan McClay. At the state meet, strong performances by Hoban, Colin O’Leary and Chris Beach helped the team to a seventh-place finish. With most of the top performers from this season returning next year, the Golden Lion Boys’ Cross Country team hopes to improve on their success of this season by taking the state crown. Competition Cheerleading The Competition and Football Cheerleaders made the Lions proud yet again! The Competition squad, made up of twenty girls from all grade levels, started preparing for their season last April after hearing news of making the team. Coming off of three Region Championship wins, the ladies worked exceedingly hard throughout the season, devoted themselves to perfecting difficult tumbling, and stuck a series of stunts and pyramids. After finishing with an impressive Region Runner-Up title, the Lions took their polished routine to the State Sectional Competition where they earned the highest point total in the school’s history! Kyle Snipes Associate Communications
Rekindling the Fire of Our Faith A Message from Msgr. Lopez I have told the story—probably too many times—of my first week as a newly ordained priest. I was in the kitchen of the Rectory when the secretary came rushing in and said, “Father, there has been a terrible accident, and they need a priest right away at Piedmont Hospital.” I said, “Oh, ok, I’ll go get one.” She looked at me strangely and then it dawned on me—I am a priest and I am about to have to deal with something horrible. It occurs to me that all priests should live in a mild state of terror when it comes to their responsibilities. The nerve of any man to think that somehow he might bring God to man and man to God through the Word and Sacraments! Yet that is what we are called to do. However, any parent, religion teacher or person of faith should have at least a similar terror. If you know Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and apart from Him and His Sacraments one is dead, how do you bring people to that Love we call Christ? Life would be much easier if there was a “magic bullet” to use to bring people to faith. This would be especially helpful for those we are close to, who seem so much at ease without faith in God. C.S. Lewis once said, “A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.” I have known people who have come back to faith through a book, “Mere Christianity,” by C.S. Lewis. One of my closest friends came back to the church through that book. Obviously, the best books to jump start faith are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Even still, every so often I come across a book that I wish I could give to every young student I have ever taught. Such a book is “Gut Check” by a young man named Tarek Saab. I have bought copies for alumni and they have raved about the reality of the book and its wisdom. Mr. Saab is a young man of Lebanese and Portuguese background who had a spell on the TV show “The Apprentice.” All I can say to any of my past and present students and their families is please buy it—you will like it! Be careful what you read. It might change you and challenge you forever. Th e Tr u e Le g a c y o f St. Pi u s X Below is part of an address given by St. Pius X alumnus David J. Hungeling ’91 to prospective students and parents during the school’s Open House on November 1, 2009. His words reiterate the true meaning behind the work of our school—to ensure that each of us will live forever with our Father in Heaven. In 1987—22 years ago—a skinny, carrottopped, freckle-faced kid arrived on this campus. He was five-foot nothing, a hundred nothing, with barely a speck of athletic ability. Four years later that smallish boy graduated from St. Pius X. You will not read about him in the St. Pius X newspaper archives. You will not see his name on any of the banners hanging in gymnasium or on the trophies in the trophy chest. No, mine is not a story about overcoming adversity, or about athletic or academic accomplishments. It is not about triumph in the face of impossible odds. My story is not extraordinary at all. So, why then would St. Pius X ask this ordinary student to come back 22 years later to share a few thoughts about this school. Why? Because we belong to the Lord. Domini Sumus—We are the Lord’s. What a brilliant motto! We are the Lord’s. Whether we are great athletes or not so great. Whether we are a star student or struggle with our studies. Accomplished and unaccomplished artists, actresses, and musicians. At St. Pius X, we are the Lord’s. St. Pius X, like all elite schools has a Web page and a mission statement. I checked out the Web site this morning. Did you know that we also have a “Supernatural Vision?” How many other schools have one? Let me share it with you. “We foster the growth of good human beings who love God and neighbor and thus achieve their eternal destiny of heaven through the teachings of the Catholic Church.” Let me repeat that: “achieve their eternal destiny of heaven.” Getting into Notre Dame, or Harvard or Yale, yes, that would be nice. But, for me at least, I want my daughters to aim a little higher. If St. Pius’ faculty, staff, students, parents, friends and families all believe this and aspire to this—if we truly believe, Domini Sumus, we are the Lord’s—then why would anyone NOT want to send their children here. Coach Bird, you asked me, as an alumnus and former St. Pius X customer, did I get my money’s worth? Was I prepared for college and beyond? If I had to do it again, would I choose St. Pius X? Absolutely. Was I prepared for college at Notre Dame? Yes. Can St. Pius X alumni go onto graduate school and law school and have successful careers? Sure. Would I do it again? Yes. And I hope one day to send my own daughters here. 31 Of course, receiving good academic training is important. We all want our kids to go to a high school where they will be well trained, well educated and ready to attend fine universities and become productive citizens. But just about every high school in Atlanta can do that. So then, why St. Pius X High School in Atlanta? What makes us different? We are not only training future doctors, lawyers, CEOs, teachers, nurses, and civic leaders, we are training future Saints. And how appropriate it is for you to be here at this open house on November 1st—All Saints Day? This morning I attended Mass at Christ the King. Fr. Neil Dhabliwala ’97 was our celebrant. Fr. Neil reminded us that All Saints Day is meant to honor and celebrate ALL of the Saints: the Hall of Famers (like Gabriel, Michael and Joan of Arc) and the lesser known Saints (like Joseph of Cupertino). He noted that many of the saints were just ordinary people who were extraordinary in the way that they loved God and His Church. He challenged all of us in the congregation to aspire to be saints. Let’s inspire our kids to do the same. Thank you for your attention. Thank you for considering St. Pius X.
Page 1 and 2: S T . P I U S X C A T H O L I C H I
Page 3 and 4: From the Alumni Association Preside
Page 5 and 6: George B. Maloof, legendary footbal
Page 7 and 8: “Schools are more than hall ways;
Page 9 and 10: program,” Samantha explains. The
Page 11 and 12: Alumni Association Events Summer Al
Page 13 and 14: 2nd Annual Career Forum A Success!
Page 15 and 16: The inaugural running of The Finish
Page 17 and 18: A Letter from Principal Spellman De
Page 19 and 20: St. Pius X 2009 - 2010 Annual Fund
Page 21 and 22: Don’t forget! Annual Fund FAQs: Y
Page 23 and 24: The Campaign Explained Why is there
Page 25 and 26: Alumni Join Our Faculty and Staff S
Page 27 and 28: A Big Year for SPX Girls’ Cross C
Page 29: The team’s next challenge would b
Page 33 and 34: Lion Lines. . . keeping up with alu
Page 35: In Memory of Elizabeth Messner “S

CElEbRAtiNG LEGAciES - St. Pius X Catholic High School

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