SHS_Warrior_Oct

theWarrior

the

by Brianna Abercrombie ‘28

47th Year, Issue No. 1 October 23, 2025

Sherwood High School: 300 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

www.thewarrioronline.com

Newest Assistant Principal

Makes His Presence Known

There is a new face in the hallways

this year. Students may have seen him in

the hallway near the cafeteria standing at

his laptop on a mobile podium or on the

move throughout the school as he greets

students and encourages them to get to

class on time. Dirk Cauley came to Sherwood

this summer to fill an opening as assistant

principal and ninth-grade administrator

that resulted from Deyjah Campbell

being promoted to principal at Benjamin

Banneker MS about three days before the

school year began.

Cauley has 25 years of experience as

an administrator and has worked at several

MCPS schools including Argyle, Francis

Scott Key, Walter Johnson, Kennedy, and

Blair. He started as a math teacher, but he

became an administrator to have more of

an impact on students and to change the

communities from within.

“It’s always nice to hear from people

that are coming from different schools and

what they did at the other school, and he

comes with a lot of experience, both high

school and middle school,” said Principal

Tim Britton. ”It’s good to have fresh ideas

every once in a while. So he’s been great

Oliver LaRoche ‘27

Assistant Principal Cauley frequently interacts with students throughout Sherwood’s halls.

for that.”

As an administrator, Cauley oversees

the family and community science, counseling,

fine arts, and science departments.

He has spent the last two months getting

to know students and teachers alike, and

he wants to hear from students on ways to

improve Sherwood. Additionally, he hopes

to mentor ninth-grade students as their administrator

and make sure all of them get

on a path to graduate. To achieve this goal,

Cauley says it is important that students

have a dream school, whether it is a trade

school or a university, so that they have a

goal to shoot for that inspires them to do

well in school.

Cauley wants to achieve this through

kindness since he believes inspiration and

positivity, not punishment, change behavior.

He hopes to inspire others through his

own demeanor in the hallways and in other

interactions with students.

“When a person says to a person, I

see greatness in you and I believe in you,

you never forget the person that said that

to you, and it always inspires you to do

better,” explained Cauley. ”I’ve never seen

being kind to a person as anything that’s

been negative.”

by Andrew Fenner ‘27

In June, MCPS approved a new grading

policy that abolished the old rounding

system and pivoted to a less generous

but more equitable averaging system for

semester grades. In the new system, students’

semester grades are calculated by

the numerical average

of their two

quarter grades.

“We hope the

impact will be negligible,

but in reality,

there may be an

adjustment period,”

said math department

head Jordan

Bennett. The belief that grades may drop

is shared among students. In a survey of

550 Warrior students across grade levels,

48 percent of students predicted the new

grading system would make their grades

worse.

But students are not without teacher

support in response to the new policy’s

challenges. “As the department head and

speaking to the rest of the [social studies]

department, we’ve been way more on top

of students’ percentages,” Christine McKeldin

said. “We’ve been really encouraging

students to get their grade percentage

up from a borderline letter grade to a more

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Students Aren’t Reading Anymore

by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26 They provided thorough accounts

based on their experiences and if they did give a number, it

read outside of class readings,

Reading scores are the lowest

they’ve been in three decades,

in the classroom of how the literacy

skills of high school students

was around zero.

NAEP’s study highlighted

according to a test conducted by have declined over the years, a number of concerns, including

the National Assessment of Educational

Progress (NAEP) for the

2024-2025 school year; demonstrating

impacted by the pandemic, technology

use, and now AI, among

many other factors. Additionally,

that a third of seniors tested

nationally could be classified

as functionally illiterate, mean-

similar lows in math The Warrior conducted its own ing they have minimal capacity

scores as students continue to

struggle post-pandemic. Marginal

gains for non-English speaking

students in science are among one

of the study’s few silver linings,

illustrating a devastating trend reflected

across the country in nearly

survey, polling students from

the teachers interviewed from a

variety of course levels. These

students were asked a number of

questions regarding their perception

of their English education,

illuminating concerns highlighted

to comprehend basic texts and

their overall messages, as well

as a difficult time reading aloud,

or writing with proper grammar.

The New York Times reported on

the study’s results, determining

that “only about a third of twelfth


every school district—students by other sources nationwide. graders are leaving high school

aren’t reading anymore, and it’s The Warrior’s study confirmed

with the reading and math skills

Books sit in the English Department storage room, many going unused.

not only hurting their grades, but

their ability to succeed in college the data presented by the

national surveys, with about 65

necessary for college work.”

In an editorial piece for The

the standard for decades. In an

interview with Literature Humanities

“It’s not that they didn’t want to

do the reading, they didn’t know

and in the workforce. As a part percent of students—among most professor at Columbia Uni-

Atlantic, college professors at

how,” said The Atlantic.

of an in-depth investigation, The of which were AP students who elite universities noticed the trend versity Nicholas Dames, he recalled

In several interviews with

Warrior sat down for extensive would be expected to read more as well, with many of their students—even

one of his students coming Sherwood English teachers,

one-on-one interviews with four

Sherwood English teachers who

have decades of cultivated experience

across their careers.

on average—saying they read for

pleasure an hour a week or less on

average. Most students couldn’t

recall how many books they’d

those concentrated

in English-based majors—struggling

to uphold the rigorous reading

curriculums that have been

to his office hours and telling him

something incredibly disturbing:

she never had to read a full book,

cover-to-cover, in high school.

teaching across all levels, their

observations were similar. And

the data, along with their personsee

READING, pg 5

New Grading Policy Reflects

Return To Rigor for MCPS

solid percentage grade that will give them

more leeway next quarter.”

In the previous rounding system, a

79.5 percent for the quarter grade held the

same weight as an 85 percent when calculating

semester grades. Under the new

system, the actual percentage of a student’s

grade is what counts, meaning it is in the

student’s best interest

to strive for the highest

percentage they

can get each quarter

in order to have

a higher average

when it comes time

to calculate semester

grades.

For many

years, MCPS has been an outlier in the

state in terms of its grading system. While

other counties more quickly made a transition

back to a more rigorous grading system

after Covid, MCPS was slow to adopt

a more demanding system. “This policy

also put us on par with other counties in the

state,” Bennett said. “It will also help give

us a clearer picture of how our students are

performing.”

Like most school systems across the

country, MCPS has struggled with student

absenteeism, which is something that

“The former grading

policy was not preparing

students for the future.”

- Christine McKeldin

see GRADING, pg 3

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School Bathrooms Ordered

To Stay Open

by Charles Weigand ‘27

Over the past few years boarding and locking up the bathrooms

has been a common practice at Sherwood and other high

schools across Montgomery County. The intention was for security

reasons to try to prevent vandalism, to stop students from

vaping or using other drugs, and to deter students from skipping

class and hanging out in the restrooms. MCPS has decided that

locking bathrooms will no longer be allowed because students

need access to restrooms.

As of September 29, according to a MCPS memo that was

sent out to school principals, locking bathrooms is no longer

permitted unless the bathrooms are within an isolated area in

the school building or those that are not typically accessed by

students. “If this is the rule, we need to follow it,” said Principal

Tim Britton. “However, if a restroom is vandalized or items

broken, the restroom may still be locked until properly cleaned

and/or fixed.”

The reason for the change is to support student well being

so that students have consistent access to all restroom facilities

and that students feel safe in their school environment. The

memo concludes by urging school principals to foster a school

culture in which staff and students share responsibility for a safe

and respectful environment. “Empowering students to make responsible

decisions and treating them with dignity are essential

components of this effort.”

MCPS Scores Rise Marginally

by Nicholas Jones ‘28

During the 2024-2025 school year, MCPS students showed

increases in test scores in reading, math, and science, according

to data from the Maryland State Department of Education

(MSDE). In MCPS, 57 percent of students are proficient in English

Language Arts, while 35.7 percent are proficient in math.

Although the scores may not seem impressive, they showed a

2.9-percent increase in math and a 1.7-percent increase in English

Language Arts compared to the 2022-2023 school year.

“This is an important growth for our students,” stated

MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor. “I believe that these results

show that we are turning the corner and moving in the

right direction. However, we still have much work to do to get

to where we need to be and to ensure students will be Future

Ready. We are up to the challenge.”

MCPS wants to improve student outcomes by increasing

proficiency rates by at least 50 percent on the Maryland School

Report Card for students identified as Economically Disadvantaged,

Multilingual Learners, students receiving Special Education

services, Hispanic/Latino students, and Black/African

American students. Other indicators of success are that MCPS

annually graduates 95 percent of Grade 12 students, and all

schools earn four stars or higher on the Maryland School Report

Card.

Parents Provided Option To

Opt-Out of MCPS Curriculum

by Taylor Adams ‘27

MCPS has implemented new procedures as a result of a

Supreme Court ruling about LGBTQ+ books in schools. This

new curriculum provides parents with the names and themes

of the texts in their child’s course and allows them to opt their

children out if the themes go against their religious beliefs.

In 2022, MCPS included books with LGBTQ+ themes as

readings in elementary schools. Parents complained, and the

Board of Education allowed them to excuse their children from

instruction with LGBTQ+ books. However, a year later MCPS

reversed this action. Three couples sued claiming this infringed

on their religious beliefs, and this June the Supreme Court in

Mahmoud v. Taylor ruled with the parents in a 6-3 decision.

The Supreme Court required that parents be able to withdraw

their children from lessons with LGBTQ+ material for religious

reasons.

On the MCPS website, parents can access links to the curriculum

for the first quarter of grades K-12. These are supposed

to be one page describing the curriculum so parents can print it

out and stick it on their refrigerator. MCPS also provides a form

online for parents wanting to excuse their children from instruction,

where they must agree that they’re withdrawing their kids

because it substantially interferes with their religious beliefs.

Students will be given alternative material and assignments

when available.

The Warrior • News

October 23, 2025

Comp Assistants Offer Seniors

Help with Their College Essays

by Makenna Babcock ‘28

With college application

deadlines arriving as soon as next

week on November 1, seniors are

in the middle of a busy time. One

of the most stressful aspects of the

process is the one or more essays

that are a requirement for submitted

applications to most colleges

and universities. Sherwood’s two

English composition assistants,

Jenn Schorr and Jean Arthur, are

readily available to help seniors,

especially with personal essays.

Arthur, before becoming a

comp assistant at Sherwood, was

a lawyer and then a substitute

teacher at schools across MCPS.

Schorr is currently in her fourth

year at Sherwood and worked in

the past as a technical editor and

public information officer. They

saw a need in that a lot of students

are intimidated by the general

idea of writing an essay that can

show their strengths in full.

“For content, many students

do not reveal much about themselves,”

said Arthur. “Many students

write essays about a subject

they like but do not talk about

how it impacts their lives.”

Schorr also sees this problem

in which students are reluctant

or unsure to reveal more

about themselves, which is what

colleges want to see in an essay.

“[Students] don’t focus on who

they are now, instead focusing

on their early childhood. College

English composition assistant Jenn Schorr helps a student with their essay.

admissions officers want to know

your current personality, and this

essay is the best place to show it,”

explained Schorr.

Both Schorr and Authur are

available through email to set

up an appointment. Arthur also

takes walk-ins and is free during

lunch, advisory, or free periods.

By going to the English Writing

Center in room E256, students

can also schedule appointments

with Schorr. After initial meetings,

a lot of work can be done on

Google Docs as well as through

emails in which a student will get

feedback and suggestions. Schorr

and Aurtur both stated that grammatical

errors are fairly common

in students’ essays, and they can

help as proof-readers.

Schorr noted that often, students

are recommended to start

their essays around spring of their

junior year and over the summer

into their senior year. It’s a period

where there’s more time to focus

on it, and students have enough

growth to start thinking about

topics.

“Meet with me in spring of

junior year to figure out your best

topic,” Schorr recommends. “By

that time, the Common App questions

are out. Then you can work

on it the summer before your senior

year and we can meet up in

the fall to edit and finalize.”

Trump Goes on Attack Against

“Woke” Smithsonian Museums

by Molly Schecter ‘27

President Donald Trump,

members of his administration,

and supporters often use the term

“wokeism” to criticize what they

say is an over-emphasis on race

and social justice. On March 27,

Trump signed the executive order,

“Restoring Truth and Sanity

to American History,” which

claims that over the past decade,

American history has been rewritten

by ideological divisive

narratives rather than providing

the truth of the country’s exceptionalism.

Trump claims that museums

and exhibits which recognize

and memorialize adversities

and challenges faced historically

by minorities in America undermine

the achievements and pride

of the nation’s history, and construct

it to be racist, sexist, oppressive,

and flawed.

More specifically, the order

targets the Smithsonian Institution

and its museums located in

Washington D.C., ordering the

Vice President and the Director

of Management and Budget to

collaborate with Congress to filter

Smithsonian’s exhibits and programs.

On August 12, the White

House sent a letter to the Smithsonian

secretary, Lonnie Bunch,

requesting a review of eight of its

museums to be sure that the museums

align with the president’s

directive to celebrate American

exceptionalism, remove divisive

or partisan narratives, and restore

confidence in our shared cultural

institutions. The Administration’s

stated goal is to analyze everything

— exhibition texts, social

media content, exhibition planning

— and implement content

corrections within 120 days.

Since examining the Smithsonian

museums, the White

House has come out with a list

of exhibits it finds inappropriate.

For instance, on the list is an exhibit

from the American History

Museum, including a drawing

of migrants looking at Independence

Day fireworks through

an opening in the U.S.-Mexico

border. Next to the drawing is a

description, describing how for

a long time, U.S. leaders have

“feared non-white immigration”

and described them as “invaders.”

Around the same time in August

that the list was released, Trump

shared his opinion through a social

media post on Truth Social.

“The Smithsonian is OUT

OF CONTROL, where everything

discussed is how horrible

our country is, how bad slavery

was, and how unaccomplished the

downtrodden have been -- Nothing

about success,” wrote Trump.

“This country cannot be WOKE,


because WOKE IS BROKE. We

have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in

the World, and we want people to

talk about it, including in our Museums,”

he continued.

In an interview with Michelle

Martin of NPR, Georgetown University

Professor Lisa Strong

stated her concern that museum

personnel, who are often experts

in their fields, will face pressure

to shift towards ideology. “It’s

their job to know their collection

and interpret it, and it should be

done based on the collection and

not based on the government

standing over your shoulder and

saying, I think you should say

this or that … Museums need to

maintain the public trust, and they

do that through independence of

thought,” stated Strong.

Throughout the conflict, high

pressure has forced Smithsonian

employees and artists to step

back. Artist Amy Sherald, whose

artwork was listed in the White

House newsletter, cancelled her

upcoming show at the Smithsonian

Art Gallery. In another NPR

segment, art historian and Stanford

University Professor Richard

Meyer says that he fears that

up-and-coming artists will begin

censoring themselves — which

he calls the worst kind of censorship

because “you never see the

work or it’s never made.’”

Teachers Applaud New

Stricter Phone Policies

by Gabriel Esteban ‘27

and Ryan Green ‘26

For the 2025-26 school year,

MCPS has implemented a stricter

phone policy than previous years.

According to the official MCPS

website, high school students

are now allowed to use mobile

devices only during passing periods,

lunch, and before school.

At Sherwood, teachers across

departments have tightened their

policies and expectations about

students’ phones, with some

teachers using school-issued wall

pouches for students to store their

phones during class time.

Teachers appear uniformly

in agreement that students not

accessing their phones during

class is having a tremendous benefit

on learning environment. “I

believe it has increased student

engagement and performance so

far,” said social studies teacher

Katherine Jaffe, who requires

students to put their phones in

pouches. “Students are paying

attention and are more willing

to have conversations with one

another. Whether students realized

it or not, the cell phone was

always competing with the day’s

lesson and now that competition

is gone.”

Social studies teacher Matthew

Schneider also agrees about

the benefits of no phone during

class. “Students are more engaged

in class activities, they talk

to their peers more and they participate

more regularly,” he said.

Similar results have been

seen in the English department.

English teacher Lori Leonard


October 23, 2025

Adding Windows to a Windowless Room

by Taylor Adams ‘27

Art students take on a new

project as English department

teacher Christopher Goodrich

hopes to enhance the environment

in his room. Goodrich’s

room has no windows, and he has

turned to the help of students to

paint a mural of trees on the walls

and brighten the room up.

Goodrich moved into his

room last year when the school

tried to arrange English teachers

to be in rooms close together. Immediately

he noticed the gloominess

in the room and wanted to

find a way to brighten the room

up. He has been thinking of having

a mural in his room since the

beginning and finally gathered

the people to paint it.

The climate of the room suffers

from the absence of nature.

“It’s depressing a bit. There’s

no natural light,” Goodrich remarked.

One of Goodrich’s students

and mural painter, junior

Karma Moore, noted that she

sometimes has difficulty focusing

when working in the room because

of its lack of light.

To combat this need for a

better environment, Goodrich

asked art students to paint a mural

in his room, and they began at the

agrees putting away phones increases

interactions between students.

“It is wonderful to see how

much more students speak to each

other, because they aren’t hiding

behind their phones,” she said.

Leonard also noticed academic

improvement. “More students

are doing well because they

are using their class time to get

work done,” she recounted. “Taking

away the distraction of the

phone is a huge help in allowing

students the time and space to focus

on work.”

As high schools in MCPS

and throughout the country turn to

no-phones policies, they face the

challenges of enforcing the rules.

“The social studies department

has implemented a Behavior Improvement

Collaborative plan,”

said Jaffe. “If a student doesn’t

comply, the teacher is able to give

a detention and the social studies

teachers are each taking a couple

of days during the semester to

monitor the detention room.”

Among departments and

Sherwood as a whole, teachers

are committed to stressing the

value of having a phone-free

learning environment. “We simply

cannot focus on learning or

engaging with others when our

phones are there begging us to

use them,” explained Schneider.

“Phones prevent learning and destroy

the overall classroom learning

environment.”

Despite high teacher approval,

among students the policy is

less popular, with over 50 percent

of 550 students surveyed reported

“no change” to their attention or

engagement during class.

A group of student artists begun painting murals for Christopher Goodrich to make up for a lack of windows and natural sunlight in his classroom.

start of the school year. The mural

involves a series of trees in different

seasons in each corner of the

room. While the base colors have

been laid down already, the heavy

amount of details and process of

finishing the paintings fully will

take longer. Moore reported that

progress can be made quickly

with artists coming in every day

at lunch to paint. However, with

Grading Policy Shifts Student Engagement

from GRADING, pg 1

theWarrior

surveyed over 550 students

teachers hope the new policy will

help remedy. “In past years, I had

a lot of students who would come

to class every day in the first quarter,”

McKeldin said. “They would

get an A or B, and then I wouldn’t

see them again until next semester.

This new policy will hopefully

combat that issue.”

The policy changes also include

a strict five-day submission

deadline across the board for all

coursework, which many teachers

feel has lifted a huge weight

from their shoulders. “Not only

does the grading policy have a

positive influence on the classroom

environment, but on teachers’

mental health as well,” World

Language teacher Jordana Smith

said. “Having a large number of

students turn in a bunch of work,

that is weeks old, while having

to grade current work at the end

of the marking period, is not just

overwhelming but exhausting.”

English department head Lynette

Evans-Williams isn’t totally

sold on the new policy. Included

in the new system is a rule that

requires all teachers to return student

work within ten days of the

date it was submitted. “It puts

pressure on teachers in terms of

detailed feedback and perhaps in

how much they assign,” she said.

“For example, in English classes,

instead of requiring an outline

and draft of a paper, the teacher

may only require one.”

Evans-Williams added that

while it means less work for both

students and teachers, it means

students will receive less detailed

feedback. In a class with a focus

on writing, less feedback can hinder

a lot of students’ work.

retakes, teacher meetings, and

college applications for seniors,

not every day is available. Students

working on it hope to have

it done by December, but it’s possible

it may extend into January.

Goodrich explained how the

lack of natural sunlight had been

having a negative effect on his

mental health. He revealed that

last year he and his students would

the

on their opinions about the new grading policy.

How has the new grading policy affected

your academic effort?

occasionally visit his neighboring

room, English teacher Patricia

Jasnow’s, just to see the light and

views through the windows in her

room. He has added lights and

many decorations that made the

room less bland. Even with this,

the absence of windows was very

noticeable and took energy in the

room down.

Both he and the students

No change in

efforts

Trying less

Trying harder

Not sure

How do you feel the new grading policy, taking

the average of numerical grade from both

quarters, will affect your semester grades

compared to previous years?

No change in

efforts

Trying less

Trying harder

Not sure

3

by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

Lilah Boig ‘26

working on the project expect the

mural to make the room a more

comfortable and enjoyable environment.

“It’ll just make me a happier

person,” Goodrich expressed.

The mural will add an interesting

element to the room and create a

more energetic atmosphere that

will encourage more interaction

when in the room.

4


October 23, 2025

MCPS Websites Leave Much To Be Desired

by Kenzy Duda ‘28

When comparing Sherwood’s

school website to its athletic

website, there are noticeable

differences in the appearance

between the two. This is surprising

since one might reasonably

assume that the athletic pages of

a high school would correspond

to the home website. Although

MCPS school websites utilize a

template from a provider called

Optimizely, the county’s athletic

websites utilize a third-party provider

called PlayOn Sports.

The home pages of MCPS

high schools all follow the same

general format of having space

for a horizontal image at the top

of the page with information below

it in three columns that are

labeled from left to right: School

Information, Announcements,

and Upcoming Events. The format

creates a continuity from one

school website to the next, but

it also significantly limits an individual

school’s freedom to improve

its own site.

“It is my understanding from

past people who have overseen

the website that we all have to use

the MCPS template and while I

see the reasoning for consistency,

I would like to have more flexibility

to build a website that is a

better fit for our community,” said

Assistant Principal Jennifer Herman.

Local Leaders Encourage Further

Resistance Against Trump Admin

by Ziv Golan ‘26

In midst of the Second Trump

Presidency, local leaders have

grappled with how to respond to

the administration. Many actions

of the President have specifically

affected Montgomery County,

such as mass layoffs of federal

workers and increased ICE raids.

In a Democratic stronghold like

Montgomery County, leaders

have largely taken an approach to

push back against such actions.

“Trump’s policies are creating

real fear and anxiety here

in Montgomery County,” said

County Councilmember Evan

Glass, who is a candidate for

County Executive. “Residents are

worried about family separation,

healthcare access, firing federal

employees and climate change. I

will continue to use my voice and

position to fight for our diversity.

I’ve responded by strengthening

our local safety nets and ensuring

Montgomery County remains a

welcoming and inclusive home

for all.”

Impacts of the President’s

agenda have taken an emotional

toll on locals. “There was that student

at Blair who was deported,

that led to walkouts,” said former

Student Member of the Board of

Education and Sherwood graduate

Matt Post, who last month

announced his candidacy for

State Delegate. “Recently at Eastern

Middle School, an ICE agent

chased down somebody during

MCPS guidelines require all public schools to follow the same website templates, with the exception of Blair.

Sherwood Registrar Michelle

Stevens, who also is responsible

for managing Sherwood’s website,

said that MCPS controls a

lot of the site’s appearance and

functionality. “I don’t have a lot

of creativity or a lot of possibilities

to change things because

they have so many guidelines in

place,” said Stevens. “I feel like

each school is different and the

website should reflect how different

the school is.”

Some high schools have tried

to tweak and improve their school

websites. Almost every MCPS

school uses the Optimizely platform,

although some using the

drop-off, so witnessed by the

kids. What you’re seeing is panic

and concern among people.”

Such events have led the

county to take precautionary

measures. A planned Hispanic

Heritage Month Celebration was

cancelled by county officials out

of fear ICE agents could raid the

event. The culture of fear in the

community has concerned leaders

who believe defiance is necessary.

Fears have been particularly high

after Trump sent, or threatened to

send, the national guard to several

Democratic cities nationwide under

the premise of cracking down

on crime, and removing illegal

immigrants.

“You see courage from many

of our state leaders, and at the

local level. The courage to take

on the administration when they

seek to dismantle our Democratic

institutions when they rip apart

our Democratic norms. If we lack

that courage, then they will get

away with it,” said State Delegate

Joe Vogel, who encouraged

further resistance in the face of

national guard deployments to

several metropolitan areas, and

threats by the President to do the

same in Maryland.

In terms of concrete action,

the Maryland General Assembly

has taken measures to curb the effects

of several Trump initiatives

leaders have deemed harmful.

State Senator Craig Zucker touted

the passage of legislation preventing

warrantless immigration

enforcement in public spaces, including

schools. Zucker also noted

a policy initiative to assist laid

off federal workers, providing

them with emergency assistance

and allowing them to more easily

transition to state government

jobs. Such action has sparked

both praise and discontent among

fellow Democrats. Some contend

that more needs to be done to enact

genuine change.

Post believes that in addition

to combatting current issues

the state must prepare for the

future, as a future President may

enact similar policies. “Looking

forward we have to diversify the

economy in Maryland. Figuring

out a way to continue funding our

schools, and provide basic services

to our residents regardless

of what happens in the federal

government.”

A possible push to bring in

more industry to the state may

be coming, with Post mentioning

Maryland as a prime location

for companies to relocate due to

what he calls the esteemed public

services the state provides, namely

education and public transit.

Bipartisan action has been taken

within the state to protect residents,

with a Joint Federal Action

Oversight Committee created to

monitor and respond to federal

decisions that impact Maryland.

However, any direct collaboration

between local leaders and

the Trump administration itself

seems unlikely at the moment.

template have made them look

better. For example, Magruder’s

website is unique in that it uses

the basic MCPS template but

adds an aesthetic flair of its own.

These include circular icons and

a block-letter font. Springbrook

also has a more appealing look

for its school website, including

crisp colors and a Google Calendar

embedded within the homepage.

One relatively new item that

Sherwood added to its website is

a graphic in the right column linking

to extracurricular info.

Blair appears to be the only

high school in the county that

uses its own platform with students

under the guidance of a

teacher creating the school’s website.

The website has quick link

buttons to the attendance info,

calendar, directions to the school,

lunch menus, and the media center.

Other notable features include

listing unusual schedules, important

upcoming dates including the

homecoming football game, and a

link to buy Blair spirit wear.

Sherwood Media Specialist

Stephanie Flaherty creates

the Weekly Principal’s Newsletter

The Warrior Update that

is emailed to community members

each Sunday, which is also

a ‘Quick Link’ on the school’s

by Nisha Khatri ‘26

homepage. The newsletter began

in 2020 during the COVID-19

pandemic as a way to keep families

informed about the happenings

at school. Flaherty said another

reason the newsletter was

created was due to complaints

over the MCPS website templates

as well. The newsletter contains

many important links, such as the

school calendar, various links to

extracurricular information and

fundraisers, and to the online

Warrior Newspaper.

According to Athletic Director

Jason Woodward, this school

year MCPS moved athletics onto

the PlayOn Sports platform to

have a specific universal provider

for all the MCPS athletic websites.

This allows for easy integration

with the ticket website

GoFan, and in the future, county-wide

rankings.

“MCPS offers the same

athletic programs at all 25 high

schools,” explained Woodward

about why high school athletics

are on a different platform than

high school websites. ”Whereas,

at Sherwood, we may offer an

IT program that’s not offered at

Magruder. For example, Gaithersburg

High School offers Information

Technology and Cybersecurity

classes, so their website

needs to be a little bit different to

advertise and get out information

about those specific classes.”

MCPS Considers Addition of

Regional Academic Programs

MCPS Board of Education

is expected to vote by the end of

December on a plan that would

create geographic regions offering

similar programs for high

school students. According to the

plan, Sherwood would be placed

in a region with Blake, Springbrook,

and Paint Branch.

If the changes go into effect,

they would be fully executed by

the 2027-2028 school year. According

to Superintendent Thomas

Taylor, each region would have

to offer comparable opportunities.

“This is not just about the

next few years … this is about

designing a long-term system—

one that is equitable, relevant and

sustainable for decades to come,”

said Taylor while introducing the

regional programs model.

MCPS would determine

where effective programs currently

reside, according to MCPS

Chief Academic Officer Niki Hazel.

By doing so, MCPS hopes to

provide more opportunities for

students closer to where they live,

with high-demand programs such

as advanced STEM pathways

also having shorter wait lists. A

number of program themes, such

as medical careers, education,

and public service, are additionally

based on student interest in

regional programs through an

analysis by MCPS.

If this regional programs

model is approved, the decision

would effectively end highly selective

magnet programs at Blair,

Richard Montgomery, and Poolesville.

Students enrolled in these

programs would have the chance

to complete their high school careers.

MCPS would also eliminate

the two current consortiums

of local high schools.

“It’s our recommendation

that we move to the regional

model and [implement] that over

a multiyear period,” Taylor told

the board in late June. “As one

[program] is sunsetting, the others

are ramping up. What we’re

going to find is that a lot of our

programs can continue that may

have been in a countywide model

that we would recommend continuing

in a regional model.”

This past spring, an academic

programs analysis was part of a

continuing boundary study to determine

attendance areas for three

high schools expected to open

in 2027. These include the new

Woodward high school in Rockville,

the new Crown high school

in Gaithersburg, and an expanded

Damascus.

In a Warrior survey of 550

students, 25 percent of respondents

liked the idea of Sherwood

being in an academic region

with Blake, Paint Branch, and

Springbrook, and another 35 percent

stated that the proposal was

“okay.” Thirty percent of respondents

were unsure about regional

academic programs, with only 12

percent of students not approving

of Sherwood being part of an academic

region.


October 23, 2025

Decreased Student Literacy Comprehension Is Showing in Class

from STUDENTS, pg. 1

al testimonies, indicate that the

problem isn’t just at universities

far, far away, but right on our

doorstep.

Honors English 10 and AP

Lit teacher Patty Jasnow recalled

a time when she could assign

novels to her AP students that

contained complex language as

well as challenging literary elements.

As a part of a curriculum

change, many of those novels

have been phased out for more

contemporary ones that contain

simpler prose and less challenging

diction. Like she and many of

her colleagues corroborated, this

shift is a part of a larger trend of a

decline in student literary skills.

“The tendency [for many students]

is to just look up and get

a quick fix rather than trying to

muscle through, or work the brain

a little bit and sit and try to dissect

something for a couple seconds,”

said Jasnow. While she believed

some of the changes made to the

book choices for English courses

were in part due to a shift to

more modern prose to adapt to the

trend among students to not read

the texts given as a result of their

less approachable vocabulary and

structure, Jasnow defended many

of the newer titles for their virtues.

The new titles were far more

diverse and inclusive, as well as

containing more approachable

language to appeal better to students.

“I stand by a lot of [the

texts] because they offer a variety

of experiences, a variety

of social, racial, and political

backgrounds,” Jasnow told The

Warrior. “We have a better cross

section of different writers from

different time periods and different

continents and different styles

… it was in service of getting less

represented choices a chance to

be heard,” she added.

AP Lang and English 10

teacher Lynnette Evans-Williams

agreed. Contemporary novelists

bring new ideas and life experiences

to the stories that they are

delivering to their audiences. And

for teachers, that’s their greatest

goal. With hundreds of students

in their classes every day no one

student is the same and the books

they are reading can not assume

that of them. “If the goal is to analyze

language, does it have to be

this text where there are voices

that are absent … Just because

you think [students] should get

the classics, you’re isolating your

students who can’t relate to those

books,” said Evans-Williams,

who also heads the English Department.

Still, she noted her own conclusions

about the state of her

students, and how many of them

are missing foundational skills

they would have been expected

of them a decade ago. The simple

things, like italicizing the title

of a book in an essay, had her

students looking up at her and

asking what the word ‘italicized’

even meant. Some students, Evans-Williams

says, are missing

those basic skills that would

have been the norm prior to the

pandemic. “I have students who

come in and ask, ‘Wait a minute,

what’s a claim?’ In terms of

just creativity and style in recent

years, it’s lacking. Knowledge of

current events, what’s going on in

the world around you, not many

students seem to have that. It’s

concerning.”

Alexandra Green, who

teaches Honors English 9 and AP

Lang, has similar concerns about

her students’ reading comprehension

skills. “[Teachers] ask a

question that has critical thinking

embedded in it, and [students]

stop at that surface level. They

don’t dive deeper into what they

think it means. I’m not saying everyone

is in that category, but it’s

more than it used to be,” Green

observed. Post-pandemic she noticed

a lack in intellectual curiosity

and the passion it takes for

students to really explore deeper

in their classes, damaging her students’

abilities to understand the

texts they analyze or perform as

well as she knows they could be

on assignments.

“When I consider the lexile

levels and the complexity of the

texts we’re reading now, there

is a noticeable lexile decline,”

Brianna Palomo, who teaches

On-Level and Honors English

9, said. She believed it was a

result of a broader shift to contemporary

young adult fiction,

that — though they peak student

interest—lack the complexity and

rigor of the so-called ‘classic’

fiction novels more commonly

taught in previous years. “On one

hand, I see it’s great that we’re

reading books that are contemporary,

but on the other hand, I

worry that it is sometimes at the

expense of rigor,” she said.

Over past years, Palomo noticed

an immense shift in student

focus and rigor. For many of her

classes, she realized she couldn’t

trust her students to do reading

outside school, which led her to

utilize precious class time to read

almost all of the book. Over the

summer, she knew she needed to

make a shift. She opted for—like

most of the other teachers interviewed

did as well—a new routine,

reading about 40 percent of

the book in class and the rest assigned

as at home reading.

“I just wish students were

reading or at least doing audiobooks,

even TV,” commented Jasnow.

“I keep pressing upon some

students that there’s some great

shows on streaming and they are

complex narratives with juicy,

messy characters and you can

get good analytical stuff … but I

don’t see a lot of that.” The short

sound bites found on Tiktok and

Instagram, Jasnow said, are more

appealing to some students, with

technology absorbing attention

spans and focus.

These trends are not just

concerning to these teachers, but

in their view are outright devastating

for many students today.

For them, AI and technology are

some of the biggest culprits for

this learning loss on top of other

uncontrollable factors, compounding

the foundational crack

in skills evident after the literal

learning loss of the pandemic.

“It’s heartbreaking … that people

are utilizing AI in … unethical

methods. I think it bodes very

badly for the state of our culture

and our society as a whole, because

of course what’s lacking is

critical thinking, and what I like

to call the productive struggle,”

Evans-Williams said mournfully.

Palomo agreed wholeheartedly.

Not only were the students

choosing to utilize these tools

shying away from their own education,

but preventing themselves

from learning and understanding

beautiful stories. Her disappointment

lies in the future of her

students’ journeys with reading,

and how for a significant portion

of her students, the texts being

given to them in class “are some

of the [only] books they’ll ever

read. And I want them to be good

books, and rich texts,” she noted,

tears welling in her eyes.

While there were many outliers

to the heartwrenching trends,

Jasnow confirmed that she is seeing

fewer and fewer students with

the full set of advanced skills

needed for an English class. She

still sees students who are excelling,

but the lows are just as

low. “The problem is the preponderance

of kids are sometimes

missing skills, and it’s not even

the writing skills. It’s just sitting

down and attention span skills,”

Jasnow said.

All four teachers concurred

that using and abusing AI for

schoolwork will only hurt students,

and the long-term effects

of not fully comprehending the

texts they are reading and having

poor writing skills will damage

their abilities in college in the

short term and in their careers in

the long run. And yet, real policies

on AI have taken a long time

to filter down from MCPS’s central

office. For the most part it’s

a matter of understanding and an

ethical question of what students

really need to be getting out of

their education, which is a confounding

issue across the board

5

even at elite universities. With

the advent of software tools like

Lightspeed, teachers have been

provided with a stronger sense

of security for in-class assigned

writing. English teachers at Sherwood

and high schools across

the country—as well as professors

at universities—are pulling

back from assigning essays for

students to write outside of the

classroom. Despite this, there are

students that still slip through the

cracks. “It’s like a Band-Aid for

[students],” Palomo said.

“I would rather [students]

turn in an idea that’s [theirs], that

maybe lacks a little bit of complexity,

but it’s still [theirs],” said

Palomo. “Give me something as

your teacher to work with, and

then we can work on making it

complex and have that practice

of becoming a stronger critical

thinker.”

For Sherwood teachers, they

are not entirely averse to using AI

for themselves or their students.

Instead of using it to bypass real

learning, they argued, AI and

technology should instead help

supplement students’ education.

Rather than attempting to replace

teachers’ roles in the classroom,

AI tools should take the workload

off so they can spend more time

developing necessary skills for

and upholding relationships with

their students. Still, uncertainty

remains about implementation of

AI into curriculums, and whether

teachers should move with the

tide, or continue to push against

it if they believe it’s harmful for

students.

“My philosophy as a teacher

since I started is that I want every

student who is in my class to walk

away becoming a more informed

citizen, and more curious, to critically

question what’s in front of

you,” said Evans-Williams. “To

lead with curiosity, to really find

out, is this really happening? Or

is this AI? That has always been

my teaching philosophy is that

every child can learn, and that every

child should become a critical

thinker and a critical citizen.”

The Warrior Thanks its Wonderful Patrons...

To become a patron, donations can be made through SchoolCash Online, available

from the Sherwood High School website. The Warrior newspaper is a largely unsubsidized

publication that offsets printing costs through advertising sales and the financial

support of its patrons. The Warrior and its staff rely on the tremendous support of

Sherwood’s generous parent community.

For a minimum donation of $25, you will support the efforts of 40+ students on the

2025-26 newspaper staff. The Warrior prides itself in delievering local, state, and

national news directly to Sherwood’s classrooms. Support the efforts and enthusiasm

of the students on The Warrior staff who make The Warrior one of the best school

newspapers in Maryland.

6

theWarrior

the

Editors-in-Chief ................................... Evelyn San Miguel‘26

Ziv Golan ‘26

Managing Online Editor ................................... Cara Farr ‘27

Print

News .......................................................... Andrew Fenner ‘27

Opinions ................................................ Deepika Shrestha ‘27

Spotlight ...................................................... Maya Dorsam ‘27

Humor ................................................................ Lilah Boig ‘26

Entertainment ............. Lilah Boig ‘26, Matilda Hawkins ‘27

Sports ................................ Cara Farr ‘27, Chase Sondike ‘26

Copy and Content

Director of Copy & Content ......................... Nisha Khatri ‘26

Business and Social Media

Directors of Social Media............................. Emma Link ‘27,

Molly Schecter ‘27

Photography

Photographer ........................................... Oliver LaRoche ‘27

Staff Writers

Brianna Abercrombie ‘28, Taylor Adams ‘27, Madelyn

Awwad ‘27, Makenna Babcock ‘27, Maddie Baron ‘27,

Tyler Boone ‘27, Chloe Cha ‘27, Emma Cosca ‘27, Kenzy

Duda ‘28, Gabriel Esteban ‘27, Violet Fujimoto ‘27, Ryan

Green ‘26, Kenley Jacobs ‘28, Nicholas Jones ‘28, Roman

Khrizman ‘27, Finian Kocsis ‘27, Chloe LaRoche ‘27, Ryan

Lichter ‘27, Leslie Majkrzak ‘27, Kaitlyn Nardo ‘28, Yasmin

Sheikh ‘27, Owen Smith ‘27, Rachel Themistokleous ‘26,

Charlie Weigand ‘27

The Warrior Newspaper serves as Sherwood’s

primary news source, receiving numerous state

and national honors over the 46 years it has been

in circulation. With a staff of 37 students under

the guidance of Peter Huck, The Warrior keeps

the Sherwood community informed about local

and national events. All opinion pieces represent

the viewpoint of the writer.

The Warrior invites feedback and corrections

to printed inaccuracies in editions.

The Warrior reserves the right to refuse advertisements

and other promotionals.

The Warrior • Opinions

October 23, 2025

Staff

MCPS Needs To Commit to

Improvements for Schools

by Owen Smith ‘27

When people think of Montgomery

County, a common perception

is of a diverse area with

exceptional schools. However,

recent years have tarnished

MCPS’s academic reputation,

and some wonder if the county

will rise out of the hole that it’s

put itself in.

MCPS has always been well

known as an educational powerhouse,

widely regarded as the

best school system in the state of

Maryland. Unfortunately in the

past few years since the covid

pandemic, many have questioned

if MCPS is in decline and now

trails behind some neighboring

school systems, such as Howard

County Public Schools, in terms

of academic achievement and rigor.

It’s a shame that despite having

a total 2025 Fiscal Year budget

of $3.3 billion, many students

in the county test particularly low

on a variety of assessments. Superintendent

Thomas Taylor has

taken steps to address academic

accountability and demand better

results, and it will take fullfledged

commitment for MCPS

by Chloe Cha ‘28

And just like that, it feels like

slurs are a thing heard on a daily

basis. The hurtful words and

gestures that were used to make

minority groups feel inferior, or

“less than,” are now back as a

more normal thing to hear. Why

is it so normalized? Why do we

hear at least one slur in school or

see it in social media comments

regularly? Social media and influence

culture has a lot to do with it.

A study from Kantar Social

Listening reviewed 50 million

social posts in the U.S. over two

years about people with intellectual

disabilities. Over two-thirds

of posts were negative and nearly

29 million contain slurs. Honestly,

this is a total step backwards

for this generation.

The use of slurs or offensive

indications have gotten so regularized

to the point that celebrities

are okay with mocking, saying,

or using certain gestures that

are hurtful towards marginalized

groups. For example, this year

on April 10, famous American

podcaster Joe Rogan stated “the

r-word is back and it’s one of the

great culture victories,” not even

45 seconds into his show, The Joe

Rogan Experience. He even has

the nerve to say it with a laugh,

apparently thinking it hilarious to

use an offensive word for people

with intellectual disabilities.

Also this year in July, President

Donald Trump faced criticism

after using a common antisemetic

slur to describe bankers in

the Iowa rally. During the event,

Trump celebrated the passing of

to earn back a national reputation

for excellence.

One of Taylor’s benchmarks

for success is the graduation

rate. Although it is important

that nearly all students receive a

diploma, it needs to mean something.

Of the 91.8 percent of

seniors graduating in 2024, according

to the MCPS website, a

significant number of them got

that diploma without truly showing

that they’re prepared for either

college or the workforce.

The county’s test scores strongly

suggest that too many students

are scraping by during their four

years of high school. Data was

announced by the Maryland State

Department of Education and reported

by Bethesda Today magazine

where it was found that only

57 percent of MCPS students are

proficient in Reading, and just a

measly 35.7 percent of kids are

proficient in math.

In an interview on ABC

7News, Taylor stated that he is,

“preparing our kids to do some

high-level mathematics and to be

able to address some of their numeracy

needs.” However, since

Taylor has made this claim, the

his budget bill by saying, “Think

of that: No death tax, no estate

tax, no going to the banks and

borrowing from, in some cases, a

fine banker - and in some cases,

Shylocks and bad people.” This

term comes from the character

Shylock, who is a ruthless Jewish

money lender in Shakespeare’s

play The Merchant of Venice.

Trump later claims he’s “never

heard it that way” as a slur. However,

Amy Spitalnick, head of the

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

(JCPA), stated that Trump’s statement

was “deeply dangerous …

Shylock is among the most quintessential

antisemitic stereotypes;

this is not an accident.”

Thanks to “influencer culture,”

high profile figures think

it’s okay to use these slurs normally

to “test the waters” in a sense,

seeing how far they can push the

boundaries of social acceptance.

county has not made any noticeable

changes to its math curriculum,

as it remains on the current

Curriculum 2.0 plan which has

been in use since 2019 and has

proven to be a letdown.

For this upcoming school

year, Taylor has implemented a

new grading system that grades

students upon a numeric average

rather than the old letter grade

system that had been more lenient

to a student’s overall grade.

Taylor has also cracked down on

phone use in the classroom with

the new policy, which should likely

increase student engagement.

Despite these efforts, it still

won’t be enough to get the school

system out of the deep hole that

it’s currently in. Some students

will still utilize their phones despite

the introduction of phone

pouches in most classrooms, and

the new grading system will only

expose the academic problem

that should already be apparent

to MCPS supervisors. Our county

has been struggling with academics

and rigor, and it doesn’t look

like things are getting better until

MCPS leaders truly commit to demanding

more of its students.

Stop Normalizing Derogatory Language

Targeted to Marginalized Communities

A slur is an insulting and derogatory

remark or name specifically

targeting a person or

group based on characteristics

such as race, ethnicity, gender,

sexual orientation, or religion. It

is a form of hate speech because

it uses demeaning language to

dehumanize and attack people

simply for their identity.

This all can trickle down to young

students, who now think it’s acceptable

and okay to use these

offensive words for “fun” or because

they think nobody will care

because even the president of the

United States can get away with

using slurs so easily.

The recent rollback of DEI

demonizes any form of political

correctness, even if it’s calling

out someone using a harmful

slur. People should still be held

accountable for saying or posting

words that are offensive. Slurs

historically are used to make minority

groups feel inferior and

high profile figures using them

can influence our generation but

also future generations as well.

Using slurs shouldn’t be okay, especially

in school environments.

We need to take steps forward to

be more inclusive and respectful

as a generation, not backwards.


October 23, 2025

Gerrymandering Endangers Democracy

by Emma Cosca ‘27

American Elections have

never been fair. From gerrymandering

to poll taxes and racial exclusion,

those in power have always

sought to tilt the rules. The

Constitution assigns the responsibility

of redistricting to state legislatures,

with Congress and the

courts intervening only to enforce

civil rights or preserve the integrity

of elections.

By pressuring Texas Gov.

Greg Abbott and Republican lawmakers

to “find five seats” in Texas,

President Donald Trump has

turned redistricting, a state-based

task usually done once a decade,

into a national campaign to manufacture

a Republican congressional

majority before a single

ballot is cast.

On July 9, Abbott called for

a special session to draw a map

more favorable to the Republican

party. Texas Rep. Todd Hunter

declared on the Texas House

floor that “the underlying goal

of this plan is straightforward:

improve Republican political performance.”

On August 29, as he

was signing the new Texas congressional

map into law, Abbott

celebrated that the state is “now

more red in the U.S. Congress.”

Their candor might seem

reckless. In another era, politicians

might have cloaked their

motives in neutral language,

fearful of lawsuits. But in the

5-4 ruling in Rucho v. Common

Cause (2019), the Supreme Court

decided that federal courts could

not intervene to stop partisan gerrymandering.

This has created a

new strategy: by loudly emphasizing

that their maps are drawn

for partisan advantage, politicians

insulate themselves against lawsuits

claiming racial discrimination.

The effects are stark. Vince

Perez, Rep. for House District

77 in El Paso, said that with the

new map, “it would take roughly

445,000 white residents to secure

one member of Congress, but

about 1.4 million Latino residents

and 2 million Black residents to

secure the same.” Politicians can

argue that even though a map

seemingly disenfranchises people

of color, it is mere political coincidence.

Texas is hardly alone. At

President Trump’s insistence,

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe called

lawmakers into a special session.

Republicans in Indiana, Missouri,

and Florida have discussed

reworking their maps ahead of

the 2026 midterms. Democrats

have responded, with California

Gov. Gavin Newsom leading the

charge by proposing a statewide

ballot to allow mid-decade redistricting.

New York Gov. Kathy

Hochul has proposed exploring

options to redraw state lines, and

Maryland and Illinois have suggested

similar moves.

When one party makes an

Google Images

www.Wikimedia.com

Maryland’s Third Congressional District is considered Gerrymandered.

unprecedented move to manipulate

the makeup of the U.S. House

of Representatives, the opposition

party has little choice but to

retaliate. Yet, this is no real fight.

It is a race to the bottom, where

the weapons are district maps and

the casualties are voters.

Gerrymandering is nothing

new, but federalizing it is. When

a president treats congressional

seats as bargaining chips, the public

is correct to feel their voices

are slipping away. A democracy

that allows its leaders to choose

their voters is a democracy in

name only. If presidents can engineer

congressional maps through

pressure campaigns on governors

and statehouses, then no district

lines are secure, no rules are stable,

and no election is fair.

Legality should be the floor,

not the ceiling, in elections. Almost

all these redistricting moves

are technically legal, but legality

alone is far from ethical. If

Americans want better, it will not

come from courts or legislatures.

It must come from voters, across

party lines, who demand a system

where elections reflect the will of

the people, not the power plays of

politicians.

Alarmed about a declining

birth rate in the United States,

there is a growing trend in the

conservative/MAGA movement

to return to traditional gender

roles in which women are encouraged

to get married, have

children, and stay at home to care

for them. According to an article

published by the conservative

Heritage Foundation, which produced

Project 2025, women have

their own sphere of labor that is

more rooted in the household.

There have been many shifts

in culture from decades ago about

marriage, children, and work, so

it’s not surprising that women are

now choosing not to have children,

or having fewer of them, or

having them later in life. However,

in this emerging conservative

worldview, women are supposed

to feel bad if they want to pursue

professional careers, because

men are the ones who should

have the demanding jobs. These

conservatives want men to be the

sole provider and women to stay

home.

Prominent voices in the

MAGA movement have emphasized

traditional roles for women,

like the late Charlie Kirk

who pushed for women to get

married young and start having

kids. He encouraged young women

to get what is called “MRS

degrees,” which is going to college

only for the goal of finding

a husband. There are members

within the Trump administration

pushing for traditional roles. JD

Vance, in 2021, made a comment

on how the country was run

7

Let Women Have Choices

About Marriage and Children

by Deepika Shrestha ‘27

by “childless cat ladies who are

miserable at their own lives and

the choices that they’ve made,”

referring to female Democratic

politicians who did not have their

own children. As vice president,

Vance has continued his fixation

that women’s selfish choices are

the main cause of declining birth

rates.

Women should not feel

ashamed for not getting married

or having children, and there are

many reasons why they choose

not to. Some women do not want

to be married because they want

independence and to focus on

their own goals. The cost of living,

uncertain maternity leave,

and medical restrictions to abortions

in the case they are needed,

are all reasons why women

choose not to have kids. There

are also women that just can not

have a child due to various health

reasons and shouldn’t be made to

feel bad for something they can

not control.

Getting married or having

children does not automatically

make someone happy. Traditional

masculinity that conservatives

push can easily slip into toxic

masculinity, which can promote

men having control over women.

Now, there is nothing wrong

with women choosing to get married

and having children. It can be

great and wonderfully fulfilling if

that’s what a woman wants with

her life. However, choosing not to

get married or have children can

also be a great path in a woman’s

life. Women should not be made

to feel less-than for their choices

in life and instead encouraged to

find what makes them happy.

Keep Conversion Therapy Banned

by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

Kaley Chile, a licensed therapist, filed a suit in a Colorado

district court claiming that her freedom of speech

is being violated. The head of Colorado’s Department Of

Regulatory Agencies, Patty Salzar, ruled talk therapy is

different from other forms of speech and that Chile cannot

violate legally mandated standards of care. After she failed

to demonstrate how this affected her rights and lost her

case, Chile appealed to the Supreme Court.

If Colorado’s law is overturned, this will jeopardize

the safety of LGBTQ+ youth. Conversion therapy has

been proven ineffective in changing one’s sexual or gender

orientation. However, this type of therapy has been

linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and

more. Minors who undergo conversion therapy are also

much more likely to run away. These regulations restricting

conversion therapy are extremely important to keep to

support the well-being in LGBTQ+ youth. If the Supreme

Court decides to strike down these bans, which looks likely

based on the statements by its conservative majority

during arguments, it will be one step in the wrong direction

regarding LGBTQ+ rights.

Dangerous Free Speech

by Maya Dorsam ‘27

After Jimmy Kimmel’s jab at MAGA supporters after

Charlie Kirk’s death, he was suspended from the air after

pressure from the Trump administration. It is awfully

concerning that a late-night host is silenced, but President

Trump himself continues to make misinformed claims.

If anyone should be restricted from their free speech, it

should be the President after voicing that Tylenol directly

causes autism when taken during pregnancy.

Trump has consistently shown his hypocrisy by

choosing to silence others when he spews unsubstantiated

claims concerning serious matters. Even his own Food and

Drug Administration quickly walked back his statements

about the risks of Tylenol due to an obvious lack of evidence.

Trump speaks in extremes, telling America to avoid

taking Tylenol at all costs, and Health Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. supported these declarations, citing only an

unreviewed paper that has yet to be published in a scientific

journal. Free speech is a Constitutional guarantee, but

that shouldn’t mean that the most powerful voice in the

country gets to put people’s health at risk with unreliable

and downright false declarations.

Go to the Youth Town Hall

by Brianna Abercrombie ‘28

Young people often might feel that their voices go unheard,

but MCPS students can gain two SSL hours at a

Youth Town Hall at 100 Maryland Avenue in the Council

Office Building on November 5, from 7-8:30 PM. In addition

to the County Council being there as an audience,

members of The Board of Education and Superintendent

Thomas Taylor also will be in attendance to hear student

observation and concerns. Students can attend either in

person or virtually and may submit their questions beforehand

or ask them live at the meeting.

Students should register to attend the town hall since

it provides a unique opportunity to express their opinions

on MCPS. It also would be a good way for the SGA and

other student-leaders to inform both the county council

and board of education members about specific issues or

concerns regarding Sherwood. Additionally, student organizations

could use this to inquire about funding, or individual

students could express worries about issues ranging

from the grading policy to AI in schools. The Youth Town

Hall is a great opportunity for students to step into activism

and start advocate for themselves.

8


October 23, 2025

Trump Threatens American Cities by Sending in the National Guard

by Yasmin Sheikh ‘27

and Elise Yang ‘27

President Donald Trump

in recent weeks has expanded

the deployment of the National

Guard to cities as he claims to address

what he calls the emergent

issues of illegal immigration, protests,

crime, and homelessness.

However, in reality, the National

Guard has been busy with beautification

efforts like picking up

trash and patrolling highly trafficked

tourist areas with very little

crime. Trump’s use of the National

Guard in American cities is not

only unnecessary but extremely

concerning. By normalizing the

federalization of local policing

and the weaponization of the U.S.

military against Democratic cities

and states, Trump aims to intimidate

locally elected leaders and

voters who put them in office. In

effect, Trump is taking actions

that threaten democracy.

In June, Trump deployed the

National Guard in Los Angeles

to stop protesters opposed to the

Trump Administration’s targeted

crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

He ordered 2,000 troops

to “protect federal immigration

officers” from the so-called ‘riots’

against deportation. This was

done without the California governor’s

approval, which violated

a federal law, prompting California

to sue Trump and his administration.

A U.S. district judge

ruled that the deployment of the

National Guard was in violation

of the Posse Comitatus Act, an act

that forbade the use of the military

when dealing with domestic

issues without the approval of

Congress.

The Trump administration

has not been deterred by the fact

that its policies have violated federal

law, as Trump continues to

threaten more cities with National

Guard deployment. Beginning

in the summer, Washington, DC

looked noticeably different with

hundreds of troops dispersed at

Members of the National Guard patrolling the National Mall amidst the busy August crowds near the United States Captiol in Washington, D.C.

Metro stops and the National

Mall. National Guard members

patrolled Union Station and other

areas with firearms. Residents

and tourists at restaurants with

outdoor seating on the Wharf

ate their meals as groups of the

National Guard patrolled up and

down the waterfront walkway.

Tourism rates in DC have since

dropped, affecting businesses.

Restaurant reservations, hotel

bookings, and overall foot traffic

in DC has seen reductions, according

to an article on Fox Business.

The first six weeks of the DC

deployment were expected to cost

$75 million; the big payoff being

Guard members seen at a park

downtown clearing leaves. The

effects of this deployment on the

relationship between citizens and

the military are huge. Eighty percent

of DC residents are against

Trump’s takeover, according to

a poll by the Washington Post.

A CBS News poll conducted in

September showed that 57 percent

of Americans oppose the deployment

of the National Guard

in DC and to other cities.

On September 15, Trump announced

that he would be sending

the National Guard to Memphis,

Tennessee, a city whose

population is 63 percent black,

according to the U.S. Census Bureau,

in order to ‘combat crime’.

Trump’s effort to deploy the National

Guard to Memphis has the

support of the state’s republican

governor but faced significant resistance

from the Memphis City

Council. Even though Trump

has continually claims that cities

like Memphis are “disasters,”

members of the National Guard

were not spotted in Memphis until

October 1. Trump’s use of the

National Guard acts as leverage,

allowing him to threaten their deployment

on Democratically led

cities, rather than as real solutions

that address any of the issues

Trump claims are posing critical

threats.

Details about Trump’s plan

to send the National Guard to

Portland were unveiled in a memo

sent to the Department of Defense

on September 30 ordering their

deployment. Soon after, the plan

was blocked by federal Judge

Karin Immergut from Oregon.

Immergut, a Trump appointed

judge, ruled that Trump’s claims

about how dangerous Portland

had become as a result of protests

were not backed by any real

evidence. The White House’s response

was to send the National

Guard troops from California to

Oregon, which was countered

again by an expanded ruling by

Immergut that limited all National

Guard deployments in Oregon.

At a speech given to the top

generals and commanders in the

U.S. military in Quantico, Virginia,

Trump recalled a conversation

with Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Defense

Secretary. He told Hegseth

that the urban areas of the United

States should be used as “training

grounds” for the military. Trump

and Hegseth suggest another reason

for deploying the National

Guard is to reform the military

itself, and “declar[e] an end to

“woke” culture at the Pentagon”

as mentioned by Hegseth. In the

same speech, Trump said that

the military will be used to fight

the “enemy within.” Let’s state

the obvious, Trump isn’t talking

about violent criminals; he’s

talking about American citizens

in American cities who resist the

actions of his administration.

After weeks of threats about

deploying the National Guard

to Chicago, Trump authorized

the deployment of 300 National

Guard troops to Chicago on October

1 shortly after alleged violence

that broke out between immigration

officials and protesters.

Trump is receiving significant

backlash from Chicago mayor

Brandon Johnson, who expressed

a strong opposition against the

deployment of the National

Guard in Chicago, describing it as

unnecessary. Trump called for the

jailing of Mayor Johnson, as well

as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker,

through social media for “failing

to protect ICE officers.”

Both military and constitutional

experts are correctly

expressing alarm about the normalization

of sending the U.S.

military into American cities and

what it could lead to. As one legal

expert put it, this is new “uncharted

territory” by a president, one

who has sworn to preserve, protect

and defend the Constitution

of the United States.

What does this mean for the

future of the United States and

its citizens? With Trump’s ongoing

plans to deploy the National

Guard in St. Louis and discussed

possibilities in Baltimore, New

York City, and New Orleans,

Trump is continuing to deploy

the National Guard to Democratic-run

and democratic-voting

cities where he claims there is a

public safety emergency of “complete

and total lawlessness” and

“horrible crime.” Let’s be honest;

the purpose of Trump’s deployments

are to assert his authority

and intimidate anyone who stands

against him.

Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize for Negotiating the Ceasefire

by Reid Duvall ‘27

On October 9, a historic step

toward peace was taken when Israel

and Hamas agreed to phase

one of a ceasefire proposed by

President Donald Trump. Under

this agreement, Israel has committed

to pulling its troops from

most of Gaza, and all remaining

living hostages have been released.

This breakthrough offers

hope, not just for the region but

for the world.

The Israel-Hamas war has

been one of the most destructive

conflicts in recent history. Nearly

1,200 Israelis were killed in the

attack by Hamas on October 7,

2023. In the two years since, reports

estimate up to 70,000 Palestinian

deaths in Gaza, including

as many as 20,000 children. Tens

of thousands more have been injured.

The humanitarian in Gaza

toll has been staggering and includes

displacement, hunger, and

the disruption of basic services

like healthcare, clean water, and

electricity.

The agreement brokered by

the Trump Administration marks

the beginning of the end of the

war, and even those who do not

necessarily support Trump acknowledge

the significance of

this achievement and its implications

for the world.

In the face of international

logjams and repeated diplomatic

failure, the president has succeeded

in bringing the two enemies,

caught in what felt like an endless

cycle of violence, to a point

of negotiation. Yes, there are still

a number of sticking points to

work out, such as what authority

will govern Gaza in the short- and

long-term as well as if and when

the Israeli military will fully

withdraw from Gaza. Too often in

the past, however, diplomatic efforts

failed because both sides required

all the details to be figured

out. Trump and his team deserve

credit for taking a more pragmatic

path to get what is achievable

now and worry later about more

intractable issues.

Some may argue that giving

a Nobel Peace Prize to someone

like Trump might be too divisive.

Even himself claiming that he deserves

the award may sound like

another one of his bombastic and

provocative statements. Peace

should not be about pleasing

someone; it’s about the results the

Google Images

Google Images

President Donald Trump joins 20 world leaders in Egypt on Oct. 13 to sign the first stage of peace agreement.

world observes. The release of

hostages, the halt of violence, and

the creation of a path toward resolution

are substantial outcomes.

This is what peacebuilding

looks like, often imperfect and

initiated by unexpected people.

Trump’s role in creating and

fostering this agreement demonstrates

diplomatic skill, perseverance,

and a commitment to finding

solutions in a world too often

divided by political ideology and

hatred. The ceasefire is not the

end of the journey, but it marks

the beginning of a new chapter.

President Trump deserves serious

consideration for the Nobel Peace

Prize based on his accomplishments.

The Warrior • Pulse

October 23, 2025

9

Politics &

The Pulse

the World

The Warrior surveyed 550 students in early October regarding various hot button topics in

the news today, from the Trump Administration to the current political climate.

Does it feel harder to discuss

politics in class because of

the current political climate?

Yes, because there are a lot of people with

different political views and speaking up about

your political beliefs can cause conflicts and

heated discussions between students.

- Senior

Absolutely not. With this political climate

it’s even more important to talk about it in class.

These issues directly affect most of the students

in our school and these students deserve to talk

about how they feel about it.

- Junior

Should the Trump Administration

use the national guard to patrol

American cities?

* If state and local leaders do not request them

33.6%

Yes

No

Not sure

* If state and local leaders do request them

In my opinion, it does not feel harder to discuss

the current political environment because

I know that my self value won’t change and politics

really don’t affect me mentally, even in any

environment.

- Sophomore

39.9%

Yes

No

Not sure

Yes, I’m overly cautious not to offend someone

or say something wrong with the charged

and intense political situations occurring.

- Junior

I feel as if it is more challenging to talk politics

in class because a lot of the political topics

are very complex and many people share different

views. You want to be careful with your

word choices because everyone is from different

backgrounds and cultures.

- Senior

It almost feels more necessary. The topic

of politics is never the difficult part, it’s being

able to walk away from the conversation with

the same respect and patience you should have

walked into it with.

- Junior

Was it right for Disney/ABC to suspend

the Jimmy Kimmel show after pressure

from the Trump Administration?

Yes

Not Sure

No

34.9% 8.3% 56.8%

RUNNING OUT OF

TIME

Learning to balance

life, extracurriculars,

hobbies, and school as

a high school student

AP Classes’ Effect on Students

by Chloe LaRoche ‘27

At Sherwood, many AP classes

are known for their difficulty due to the

workload and expectations. Students

have trouble finding balance in their

lives, while the pressures of succeeding

in their AP classes create added stress.

AP classes regularly have a

heavy workload, and students receive

homework almost every day. “I assign

5-10 hours of homework per week, on

average,” said AP Physics teacher Glen

Gerhardt. “This amounts to 1-2 hours

per night, on average.” He said that AP

courses are supposed to be challenging

and rigorous, and that students should

carefully consider how many of these

courses to take at once.

“It is important to balance AP

courses with everything else you have

going on,” explained Gerhardt. “Filling

your schedule with AP courses means

you’ll either have to sacrifice your sanity

or your GPA. You shouldn’t have to make

that choice.”

Although many AP classes are

difficult and time-consuming, not all are

as intense. For example, AP Gov a class

taken mostly by underclassmen. Being

one of the only AP classes that freshmen

and sophmores can take, many choose

to take this class to introduce themselves

to the AP environment. Due to this, the

workload is significantly lighter than that

of some other advanced AP classes and

much more manageable. Mike King, one

of the two AP Gov teachers at Sherwood,

explains that a goal of the class is to

acclimate the younger students to an AP

workload.

“It’s a good starting AP class because

Mr. [Scott] Allen and myself make

sure to help students as they adapt to

being AP students,” King said. “It’s like

AP training wheels.” Having a class like

this can be helpful to students new to AP

classes because it teaches them how to

write notes, do the writing assignments,

and guides them through the steps to get

a good score on the final AP test.

ACCORDING TO A WARRIOR SURVEY OF MORE THAN

500 STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-12...

40 % OF THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS STATED THAT THE

AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK THEY RECEIVE FROM THEIR AP

CLASSES IS “A BIT TOO MUCH”

18% stated that the amount of homework in their AP classes

is “way too much”

nearly 70% of them take at least one AP class this semester

When School Star

How Students Learn to Cop

by Emma Link ‘27

Once the school year kicks up

again, students have to let go of their

non-stressful summer activities and get

back to schoolwork and school activities

that frequently take up most of their free

time. All the available moments in the

summer doing the things they love is cut

down and restricted due to the overload

of schoolwork, extracurriculars, and possibly

a job. Students’ social lives go down

while their stress levels go up. They feel

like they must let go of what they want to

do, so they can get what they have to do,

done and complete. To add to the stress,

they are graded on how well they do.

All of these things piled up on

top of each other during the school year

can lead to higher stress levels and anxiety

because students lose sight of their

healthy activities. They also may have less

motivation because they can only focus on

things they must get done. With little to

no time getting to do what they want, they

may experience social isolation

BIG PICTURE QUICK FACTS

55% of students are unsatisfed with the amount of

free time they have

82% get less than 7 hours of sleep on school nights

25

66% take at least one AP Class

30% have a job

64% Play at least one sport

422 play a fall sport

The Cost of Academic Success

by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

ts, Stress Follows

e with a Season of Stress

because they are unable to spend time

with friends or around other people

outside of school time.

However, there are some steps

that students can take to keep a better

balance during the school year. Making

an advance plan, such as completing

your homework right away when you get

home, can set a standard for success.

A good idea is to purposefully not have

your phone next to you as you complete

homework or study, which will make it

easier to stay on task. Another helpful

solution is to take advantage of free

time that is given at the end of a class

period to complete work from other

classes, as well as occasionally using

Advisory or portions of lunch periods

to do homework. This will hopefully

ease the burden of what you have to do

at night and give you that hour or so

before going to sleep to have stress-free

time to do whatever you want. Just like

summer.

MCPS has drilled into students’

heads that the only way to truly succeed

is by having the best high school

transcript possible. This expectation

leads many high achieving students to

work tirelessly in order to appeal to the

best colleges, causing them to overload

their schedule and work themselves to

the bone. Especially if students want

to attend a four-year college, they face

extreme levels of pressure to succeed.

Sherwood is no different, and many

students here take advantage of the

rigorous courses, clubs, and activities

offered. A packed schedule may indicate

that a student is doing well academically,

but how is the student doing emotionally?

For upperclassmen and ambitious

students overall, overscheduling

is common in an attempt to appear

impressive or “better” than the average

student. Striving to be as productive as

possible is admirable, but it can have its

drawbacks when it comes to health. The

pressure from a demanding schedule

can lead to burn out, anxiety, depression,

and more. Without the time to decompress,

many teens will lose time and

motivation to complete their work, which

can ultimately lead to a decline in their

academic performance.

Many teens come to school ex--

hausted, running on less than six

hours of sleep as they face another full

day of school and extracurriculars. It

has become normalized for high-achieving

students to feel that they have to

dedicate every free afternoon to something

they can put on their college

application.

Though academic pressure can

push students to be the best they can

be, many students feel forced to ignore

their limits in order to keep up with

their peer group. Not only does school

and teachers put a burdening weight

on students, the expectation to keep

up with other highly successful students

can be overwhelming. Students

are constantly comparing test scores,

GPAs, extracurriculars … a neverending

battle on who is taking on the most

and doing the best at it. When a student

notices that their performance is

lower than their friends, it can cause

them to feel insecure and like they aren’t

doing enough.

As students progress through

high school, the pressure and expectations

rise as they prepare to depart for

college. Pursuing a higher education

is the next step for many after high

school, but trying to shoulder an extreme

amount of extracurriculars and

classes can do more harm than good.

12

The Warrior • Humor

October 23, 2025

HUMOR DISCLAIMER: This section is is intended as as satire and uses the tools of of exaggeration, irony, or or

ridicule in in the context of of politics, current trends, recent school events, and other topical issues.

Fantasy Owners in Crisis

by Rachel Themistokleous ‘26

With the 2025 NFL season

nearing the midway points, devastation

strikes as players selfishly

continue obtaining season-ending

injuries on the field. During

week 4, millions of Fantasy Team

Owners (FTOs) were left feeling

forsaken after receivers Malik

Nabers and Tyreek Hill both

tore their ACLs and meniscus in

their respective games. Despite

FTOs suffering severe mental

health problems as a result, there

has not been a single apology or

show of compassion from any of

these egotistical players. Guess it

shouldn’t be surprising that NFL

stars getting paid tens of millions

per year don’t care about the little

guys whose entire happiness and

contentment depend on how their

fantasy teams do each week.

Nabers of the Giants was

ranked high on fantasy, being

drafted by many for his incredible

speed and strong catching skills,

not his ability to rip every ligament

located in his knee. FTOs

are outraged that both him and his

team have stayed silent since the

incident.

“My team was projected to

get at least 150 points this week,”

said a FTO, who asked to remain

anonymous because of concerns

that he might come off as insensitive

about another human being

suffering a serious knee injury.

“But after Naber’s injury, my boss

ended up beating me with a backup

WR nobody has even heard of.

I haven’t returned to work since--

the shame is too much.”

Some other notable injuries

have been QB Joe Burrow with

turf toe, RB Omarion Hampton

with an ankle injury, and TE

George Kittle with a hamstring

injury. If the league doesn’t start

demanding accountability for

the emotional devastation their

players are causing the rest of the

world, a lawsuit may be in order.

A few of their athletes get to sit

on the sideline and relax, while

FTOs are suffering every Sunday,

Monday, and Thursday as they

lose big matchups.

Not only are people losing

matchups after bragging about

how good their fantasy team is,

but they’re also losing their only

enjoyment in life. Depression

rates are skyrocketing as FTOs

wonder whether their athletes

Google Images

Countless Fantasy players lost their week 4 matchups after Tyreek Hill’s injury.

will be fine to play by next week

after being carted off the field.

Across the country, the fantasy

community has responded to this

crisis by creating support groups

and holding vigils for those who

have been deeply affected by

such heinous tragedies. A local

support group, Fantasy Football

Anonymous (FFA), meets every

Wednesday to stare at their

phones and mourn the words

“QUESTIONABLE” and “OUT”

listed above their players.

“These sessions provide a

safe space for us to scream, cry,

and feel seen by others,” said a

member, who also asked to remain

anonymous so his fantasy

league members don’t see how

much his recent loss is affecting

him. “We are often judged by outsiders

for our strong parasocial

relationships with these players.

But they just don’t understand the

connection you build with someone

after they score 40 fantasy

points for you in one game.”

The director of FFA, Phil D.

Roster, described a new five-step

recovery process that he urges all

participants to follow. The first

step begins with experiencing

extreme denial. Then FTOs move

on to the crash-out step, where

they are permitted to throw their

devices at the nearest object and

rage-text their fantasy league

about the most recent news. After

that, they move on to the reckless

waiver searching step, where

FTOs are given time to claim

random players ChatGPT listed

as having “potential.” Then, a reflection

step is encouraged, where

FTOs are allowed to express

their deep concerns and anger

towards the healthy players on

their team. Why didn’t the kicker

score 20 points in one game?

Why did their RB1 only score 3

touchdowns when he could have

scored at least 7? And the final

step is acceptance. Acceptance

that they are, in fact, bad at drafting

a fantasy team, and should try

harder next year.

“So far, we’ve seen immense

success in this process,” said Roster.

“People say ‘it’s just a game,’

but they don’t understand the

trauma that comes with watching

your star players limp off the field

after an awful play. We hope more

FTOs engage in this process and

are inspired to find peace during

these tough times.”

TRUE STORY: Surviving the Halls of

Sherwood Prove Life-Threatening

by Lilah Boig ‘26

“AGH.” Clash Royale was

down; my worst fear had come

true. I stared at my phone, trying

to reset the app. This was a route I

always took to class, and I didn’t

think anything of it. Suddenly, I

heard a loud rumble similar to that

at a bullfight. I looked up, bewildered.

I had taken a wrong turn,

and now, I was stuck smack in the

most dangerous intersection in

all the school. Where no sensible

child would dare be caught. Directly

outside the Media Center.

The 5 minutes I had before class

turned into what felt like the longest

5 hours of my entire life.

Hour 01: I try to back out,

but the entire boys’ JV basketball

team spawns behind me. Their

horizontal backpacks barely miss

my head. If I don’t start moving

soon, I will surely be squashed to

death.

Hour 02: I have begun my

treacherous venture forward. I

leap over a fallen drink and feel

my socks slosh. I cannot tell if I

have landed in a chilling Pumpkin

Spice Latte or if my feet are

sweating from fear. Laughter so

loud it shakes the ground fills

my ears, knocking me vigorously

to the ground. I’m on my knees,

riling in the loss of any hope of

getting out. But I’m not a quitter

and will not go out on these

soul-breaking tile floors. I harness

my earliest skills and crawl forward.

Dear MCPS,

Hour 03: My hands have

turned pitch black from the floors,

and I fear now they may never go

back. As I navigate through the

crowds, I encounter my first casualty

of the journey. Someone

fell backwards over me after their

friend “playfully” shoved them.

But in this area, there is no time

for play. He was foolish, and I

pray that one day I might see him

on the other side.

Hour 04: I pull myself up to

my feet as I reach what appears to

be a wall. But I was so wrong. As

I look closer, it’s all students, and

I think to myself, “ I have never

seen these people before.” I’m

afraid I have gotten so lost that


The scene of this grievous event is still public: waiting for its next victim.

I’m at another school. I turn, but

someone who looks like he should

be currently in the NBA starts

walking through me, as if I’m

imaginary. I get pressed against

the wall of people with no way

out. My body is shoved through,

and I start to see stars; this must

be the end. As I hear a loud POP

of my body splitting through the

masses, my eyes shut, and I prepare

for my fatal collapse.

Hour 05: My eyes fully open,

and I am somehow alive. Maybe

by pure fate or perhaps somebody

up there has bigger plans for me

in the future. The warning bell

rings like angels bringing me

back to earth.

Letter from a concerned MCPS parent

Nearly every single one of my daughter’s teachers has sent out requests asking

for money to support the class, claiming that the county is broke and has no money.

The school itself is also falling apart. My daughter has told me endless horror stories

involving smelly bathrooms, air conditioners that make scary noises, and outdated

computers, as well as rampant bugs and vermin. Knowing that MCPS is one of the

richest districts, I figured that they couldn’t possibly have no money to fix things. I

did some research and discovered a list of all of MCPS’ expenses in the past month. I

was horrified by what I found, and the list is as follows:

• A gold-plated office chair with Thomas Taylor’s name written in rhinestones on

the back- 25,000

• A $600 espresso machine for every central office employee - $1,680,000

• A fleet of Lamborghinis, Bugattis, and Ferraris - $720,000

• A Nintendo Switch 2 bundle with Mario Kart World for the break rooms -

$4,999.90

• Guaranteed iPhone 17 for the SMOB - $799

• One elephant - $100,000

• White copy paper - $4.00

• Ceiling tiles - $3.00

• Pencils - $0.25

This egregious spending pattern cannot continue. We must come together as a community

to fight these wasteful financial practices.

Submitted to and reported by Kenzy Duda ‘27

The Warrior • Humor

October 23, 2025

13

HUMOR DISCLAIMER: This section is is intended as as satire and uses the tools of of exaggeration, irony, or or

ridicule in in the context of of politics, current trends, recent school events, and other topical issues.

HHS Announces Return to “Time-Tested” Medical Practices

by Emma Cosca ‘27

The U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services

(HHS), in coordination with acting

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy

Jr., today announced a new initiative

aimed at expanding “holistic

and historically informed” approaches

to national healthcare.

The program, titled the National

Integrative Hemotherapy and

Leechnological Advancement

Initiative (NIHLAI), seeks to reintroduce

a traditional medical

practices “backed by centuries of

success” into modern treatment

frameworks and make bloodletting

leeches a standardized option

for treating common ailments

such as headaches, anxiety, socialism,

and fatigue.

“There’s even some data

suggesting that leeching reduces

autism,” said Kennedy at a press

conference. “There was no autism

in the 1800s at the same time

that leeches were a very common

remedy. There’s obviously

causation there.” When asked

about specific evidence supporting

the claims, Kennedy stated,

“the data speaks for itself.”

Kennedy claimed that numerous

members of the medical

community were excited by the

therapeutic and treatment possibilities

offered by leeches. One

doctor did offer his support on X.

Dr. Joseph Granola, a podiatrist

in Flagstaff, Arizona, posted that

the NIHLAI was a “significant

step towards further promoting

traditional values. This is what

the great founders of our country

envisioned.”

It is confirmed that the

FDA has already approved over

12 new “medical-grade leech

farms,” which are still pending

environmental review. Across the

country, hospital administrators

are scrambling to determine how

many leeches can legally fit in a

Google Images

biohazard fridge. CVS has confirmed

plans to introduce “Leech

Clinics” between the MinuteClinic

and the candy aisle. The startup

company Let Leeches Heal Us

saw a 150-percent spike in orders.

Some pharmaceutical companies

are reportedly pivoting to “organic

leech subscription models.”

The impacts of Kennedy’s

reordering of medical practices

are being felt at medical schools,

where staff are having to relabel

every anatomy model with phrases

like ‘melancholic zone’ and

‘phlegm chamber,’ or risk the loss

of federal funding grants.

Some critics have called the

decision “a historic setback for

medical science. “This represents

a complete abandonment of modern

medical science,” said President

Dr. Susan J. Kressly, president

of the American Academy of

Pediatrics. “We’ve spent centuries

moving away from medieval

practices, and now we’re told to

keep leeches next to the stethoscopes.”

Notwithstanding the substantial

costs demanded by such

a significant change in standard

medical practice and care, President

Donald Trump has seized

on the opportunities for leech-related

U.S. economic growth by

imposing a 100-percent tariff on

the import of leeches from China

as well as a number of countries

in Southeast Asia.There already

is an effort to create a list of U.S.

lakes, streams, and ponds that

will be ideal habitats for leech

farms in the fture, said an official

representing the U.S. Department

of Commerce said, in an official

statement to the press.

by Lilah Boig ‘26

14

The Warrior • Entertainment

October 23, 2025

Global Girl Group Rises to Fame

by Makenna Babcock ‘28

Katseye is one of the newest

additions to the modern pop

world, consisting of six members

from around the globe. The group

was put together by the K-pop

company HYBE in a collaboration

with Geffen Records. HYBE

has produced groundbreaking

groups like BTS, Le Sserafim,

and Enhypen and is exploring

new territory with Katseye, consisting

of girls from many different

ethnic backgrounds who are

based in LA. The group features

Lara Raj who’s Indian, Sofia Laforteza

who’s Filipino, Megan

Skiendiel who is Chinese-American,

Yoonchae Jeung who’s South

Korean, Daniela Avanzini who is

Cuban-Venezuelan, and finally

Manon Bannerman who is Swiss.

This group is one the newest

examples of the development of

the music industry in modern day.

Because of the way the company

puts together groups like this, it

is becoming more common for

survival and competition reality

shows to create groups with talents

across the board. Rather than

being an undiscovered artist waiting

for a record deal, these groups

are set up for success with choreographers,

song-writers, and

social media teams.

Manufactured groups are actively

becoming more common

in today’s music industry. While

these groups are very common

inside of the world of K-pop,

American audiences are starting

to see more of these groups be put

together in the U.S. Katseye is

one of the first global groups to be

manufactured by HYBE inside of

the U.S., but another one of these

groups under the project name

PRELUDE: The Final Piece, is

set to debut by the end of 2026.

Instead of the usual forming of a

band with the idea of finding band

mates and producing your own

music, groups created by companies

are becoming more and more

common.

Taylor Swift’s Most Recent

Album Captivates Listeners

by Nisha Khatri ‘26

Early this month, singer-songwriter

Taylor Swift released

her twelfth studio album,

The Life of a Showgirl, breaking

records and setting waves

through the music industry. Becoming

Spotify’s most streamed

album in a single day this year

in less than 11 hours, the highly

anticipated release was an immediate

success.

The Life of a Showgirl

comes nearly a year after the

end of her record-breaking Eras

Tour. With several of the same

producers as her hit 1989 album,

the new album delves into the vibrant

world of live entertainment

and life beyond the spotlight with

the same glittery energy. Swift,

from the first track, takes fans on

a journey, combining history and

modern references through her

storytelling and lyricism.

“The Fate of Ophelia” incorporates

timeless themes of

fate and love and has a classic,

catchy pop tune. As the album’s

first single, it has also become the

most-streamed song in a single

day on Spotify. Swift additionally

highlights other “showgirls” like

famous 20th century Hollywood

actress Elizabeth Taylor. Through

a song in her name, Swift dives

into how timeless showbusiness

has always been and how perceptions

keep celebrities fighting to

stay at the top of their game.

She then dives into the

present culture, with “CAN-

CELLED!”, which is rumored

to be about Swift’s close friend,

Blake Lively. Lively’s reputation

was largely tarnished following

the It Ends With Us controversy,

and the song revolves around how

there’s some value and knowledge

to be gained from getting

cancelled.

The album even contains

sampled music for some tracks,

including “Wood,” which sam-

Film Studio A24 Reshapes Horror Genre through Recent Films

by Maddie Baron ‘27

As an example of company

manufacturing, Katseye was developed

from the survival show,

Dream Academy, where the final

six girls were selected through

judge and fan voting results.

Overall, about 120,000 people

auditioned for the program, 20

candidates were selected, and

six were in the final lineup. With

record-breaking hits from their

debut EP, “Soft is Strong,” with

light pop songs such as “Touch”

and “Debut,” Katseye has captivated

audiences across the globe.

This summer, the band released

their new EP “Beautiful Chaos”

which launched the group in a

whole new direction with their

new genre and feel showcased in

their single “Gnarly.”

Social media and the Internet

has gone a long way in promoting

Katseye and showcasing

the group’s talents. The group’s

growing popularity is because

in large part they are able to be

Google Images

recognized due to their immense

online presence and following

on socials such as Instagram and

TikTok. Their team is consistently

posting on socials throughout

the week, keeping up with trends,

and promoting new music and

collaborations to promote the

group and enhance their popularity.

Following their recent Nickelodeon

Kids Choice Awards and

their MTV Video Music Awards

performances, Katseye seems to

only be going up. The group has

performed at huge shows such as

Lollapalooza-Chicago, and even

set a record for the most people

at a daytime performance with

about 85,000 attendees. While

performing at several huge festivals

across the world, Katseye

will begin their “Beautiful Chaos”

tour this November, taking

place in the U.S., Canada, and

Mexico, as well as feature shows

throughout Asia.

Over the past few years,

teens have moved away from oldschool

horror movies filled with

jump scares and monsters. Instead,

they’re turning toward psychological

horror, which focuses

more on the mind than on gore.

A big reason for this change is

the film company A24, which has

built a reputation for making horror

movies that are deeper, smarter,

and often scarier in a lasting

way. The indie film company,

headquartered in New York City,

has produced numerous popular

movies within this genre, such as

Midsommar, Hereditary, and Talk

to Me.

In the past, when people

thought of horror, movies like

Scream or Scary Movie usually

came to mind. Those films leaned

on blood, violence, and loud

scares to get reactions from audiences.

A24 takes a different approach.

Their horror movies often

deal with grief, trauma, and psychological

struggles. For many

teens who face stress, anxiety,

and uncertainty in their own lives,

this feels more real and relatable

than a predictable slasher film.

Psychological horror works

differently than traditional horror.

Instead of shocking people

with sudden scares, it builds tension

slowly, using paranoia and

emotional tension to keep the

audience uneasy. A24 movies

like The Lighthouse, It Comes at

Night, and The Killing of a Sacred

Deer don’t just try to scare

people in the moment, they also

leave viewers unsettled long after

the credits roll. Even box office

numbers show this trend. Movies

like Smile and It, which rely

heavily on psychological tension,

performed better than many of the

films in The Conjuring franchise.

This indicates that audiences,

particularly younger ones, are increasingly

preferring stories that

emphasize psychological depth

over predictable frights.

Founded in 2012 by Daniel

Katz, David Fenkel, and John

Hodges, A24 has become the face

of this new wave of “elevated horror.”

Its films stand out for their

artistic cinematography, unusual

storytelling, and sometimes even

confusing endings that prompt

people to think. These creative

choices set them apart from traditional

horror and make their movies

more engaging for teens who

want something beyond cheap

thrills. Instead of handing out

answers, these films often leave

audiences with questions, which

many younger viewers actually

find more exciting.

Many critics argue that A24

has completely changed what horror

means today. Its movies often

highlight big themes like grief,

identity loss, and mental instability.

For example, A24’s most

recent horror movie, Bring Her

Back, follows two step-siblings,

Andy and Piper, who are fostered

by a mother grieving the death of

her daughter. Crushed with grief,

the foster mother, Laura, played

by Sally Hawkins, attempts to kill

Piper to bring her late daughter,

Cathy, back, demonic ritual style.

Rather than only scaring people

for a moment, these stories stick

in the mind because they feel

closer to real life. Teens are connecting

with that, since the idea of

ples “I Want You Back” by the

Jackson 5. Her interpolation of

other songs cleverly makes the

album feel like a compilation of

what it feels like to be a part of

the music industry through the

decades.

The title track, which comes

at the end of the album, includes

a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.

Carpenter was an opener

on the Latin American leg of the

Eras Tour, and her feature on the

album contains audio from their

final Vancouver show. The song

itself details the challenges that

come with a life in show business

and encapsulates the carefully

curated vibe of the album as a

whole.

Compared to some of her

past music, including the most

recent, The Tortured Poets Department,

this album serves as

a return to her pop domination.

Some of the tracks like “Eldest

Daughter” have a calmer tone,

but the majority of the songs are

high-energy and upbeat.

What sets Swift apart from

other artists is the thought she

puts into each lyric and every

aspect of her songs. “Opalite,”

which is about making your own

joy, is represented by how opal is

a man-made jewel. Her lyricism

also continues to be insanely

poetic and clever, with lyrics of

songs like Father Figure expressing

complex themes in simple

words and images.

From start to finish, the album

is close to perfection. Highlighting

historical figures, books

of the past, and music that came

before and crafting it into a cohesive

album displays her distinctive

combination of skill and hard

work. Be it her lyricism or tunes

and production, each component

works in harmony and Swift’s

dedication and talent definitely

shine through.

Grade: A

Google Images

losing control of your own mind

is a lot scarier than a masked villain

in the dark.

It’s clear that A24 has reshaped

horror for a new generation.

For teens, the scariest thing

isn’t a monster hiding in the shadows,

it’s the thought of their own

fears and emotions taking over.

With psychological horror on

the rise, it seems like movies that

mess with the mind are here to

stay, shaping the way horror will

look for years to come.


October 23, 2025

Lazarus Brings a Passion for Theatre

by Kaitlyn Nardo ‘28

New this year to Sherwood,

Julian Lazarus has dedicated 25

years to teaching theatre across

many different schools, including

Wootton and Linganore High

schools, Towson University, and

UMBC. His extensive experience

has shaped him into a passionate

teacher, devoted to providing

students with opportunities to express

themselves on stage.

Currently, as the director

of the theatre program, Lazarus

oversees the enchanted edition

of Cinderella for the fall musical.

After holding auditions for the

new fall musical, he was pleasantly

surprised by the number of

talented students and outstanding

voices. “There are some really

fantastic voices in the building,

like a lot of them,” said Lazarus.

He aims for the production

to be a fun and interactive atmosphere

where both performers

and audience can enjoy the

show.“I would love for it to have

a fun energy throughout it, almost

like a Disney animated movie

coming to life. I want to have little

kids waving light-up wands,

and I want everyone to be clapping

and cheering, and I want the

performers to be proud that they

did a good job.” said Lazarus.

As much as Lazarus enjoys

teaching high school students,

it’s often difficult to juggle his

many tasks. In professional theatre,

everything is its own job:

directing, creating sets, lighting,

sound plot, and costume design

are all worked on individually by

different people. However, as a

high school theatre director, all of

these jobs merge into one. Therefore,

Lazarus has appreciated

the help he’s received from music

teachers Emily Chu and Alex

Stranger Things Final Season To Drop

by Madelyn Awwad ‘27

Get ready to spend your holidays

in Hawkins. After years of

waiting, Stranger Things is finally

dropping its fifth and final

season, and Netflix is making it a

full-on event. Volume 1, with episodes

one through four, premieres

November 26. Volume 2, with episodes

five through seven, arrives

on Christmas Day, and the grand

finale hits on New Year’s Eve. All

episodes go live at 8 p.m. Eastern

time, so fans better clear their calendars.

Since its debut in 2016,

Stranger Things has become one

of the biggest shows on Netflix.

It mixes creepy monsters, government

secrets, and psychic powers

with the everyday drama of growing

up. Set in the 1980s in the

small town of Hawkins, Indiana,

the show follows a group of kids

who discover a terrifying world

called the Upside Down, a dark,

twisted version of their own town

filled with deadly creatures.

The first season kicked off

with the disappearance of Will

Byers, which led his friends to

meet Eleven, a girl with mind

Silverbook. “Ms. Chu and Mr.

Silverbook have been wonderful,

and everyone has been really

great towards me,” said Lazarus.

Even though Lazarus enjoys

his job as a teacher, he still misses

his days working on Broadway.

His journey in professional theater

began at TADA Children’s

Theatre in Manhattan, one of the

most famous children’s theatres

in the country. While working at

TADA, Lazarus discovered his

fondness for working with young

audiences, leading his focus from

professional theatre to teaching.

His experiences on Broadway

not only honed his skills but

also taught him the value of kindness.

Working in such a small industry

where everyone knows everyone,

people are held to a very

high standard.“Always be kind

because it’s a very small industry.

Welcome Back to Hawkins

(Everything to know before Season 5):

Upside Down: A creepy mirror world full of monsters

Eleven: The main character with psychic powers.

Demogorgon: The first monster to attack town of Hawkins

Mind Flayer: A shadow creature that controls others

Vecna: This season’s main villain with a dark past.

powers who escaped from a secret

lab. From there, things got wild.

Demogorgons, shadow monsters,

Russian spies under the mall, and

finally Vecna, a super-powerful

villain with a creepy voice and a

haunted past. Every season raised

the stakes, and now Season 5

promises to bring it all to an end.

What makes Stranger Things

so special is how it connects with

fans. People who started watching

in middle school are now in

college, and a whole new generation

of teens is binge-watching it

for the first time. The characters

like Eleven, Dustin, Max, and

Hopper feel like real friends, with

Emma Karcz

Prior to coming to Sherwood, Lazarus taught freshman English at Wootton.

When you get up to that top level,

you’re talking about 1,200-1,500

hundred people, which is smaller

than Sherwood. So everybody

knows everybody, or you know of

someone. And if you’re not kind,

and you’re not doing the things

you’re saying you will do, people

will find out,” said Lazarus.

Lazarus has taught all over

the world, including Ireland and

London. His experiences there

greatly impacted his style as a

teacher and director, and he adopted

a process-over-product approach

to learning and theatre,

aiming for high-quality productions.

In his experiences of American

theatre traditionally incorporates

much more of a product

over process approach. These

experiences have shaped him into

the passionate and hardworking

person he is today.

Season 5: Set in 1987; Hawkins is under military control and the

group must stop Vecna for good.

the show’s mix of horror, humor,

and heart keeping people hooked.

Season 5 takes place in the

fall of 1987. Hawkins is still damaged

from the rifts Vecna opened

and although he has vanished, the

group knows he is not gone for

good. The military has taken over

the town and is hunting for Eleven,

forcing her into hiding. With

the anniversary of Will Byers’

disappearance coming up, that

creepy Hawkins feeling is back.

The Duffer Brothers, who created

the show, say they have saved

their biggest twists for the end, so

fans should expect jaw-dropping

moments.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

theWarrior

the

Pop Radar

15

Popular culture, widely known as “pop culture,” is

the collection of media that is widely seen and enjoyed

by a large group of people. This entertainment

milieu includes music, film, TV, fashion, slang,

and more. Spreading among teens through popular

apps like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter),When

items have keywords that attract large

audiences, the algorithm spreads this different pop

culture news rapidly through society’s social media.

Here’s a recap of what’s you might’ve missed on the

trending tab since the school year started:

9/8/25: Actress and singer Debby Ryan

announces pregnancy with Twenty-One

Pilots’ Josh Dun

9/9/25: Decomposed body found in

singer D4vd’s impounded Tesla in Los

Angeles

9/14/25: Actor Owen Cooper became

the youngest winner of an Emmy for Outstanding

Supporting Actor at age 15 for

his role in Adolescence

9/23/25: Zuza Beine, an Instagram influencer

who documented her battle with

childhood cancer, dies at 14

9/28/25: NFL announces Bad Bunny as

its Super Bowl LX Halftime performer

10/3/25: Taylor Swift’s studio album

The Life of a Showgirl releases to the

public

10/6/25: Barbie unveils Women’s Rugby

star Ilona Maher doll to “reflect the

build of many strong athletes”

10/8/25: Zach Bryan responds to backlash

over song “Bad News” amid claims

of anti-ICE messaging

10/11/25: Diane Keaton, known for

roles in Father of the Bride and The Godfather,

dies at 79

10/13/25: Bridgerton reveals release

date for season 4 and drops new teaser

16


October 23, 2025

Album Cover Stirs Up Debate about Female Empowerment vs. Sexualization

by Matilda Hawkins ‘27

Last July, Sabrina Carpenter dropped

her new album Man’s Best Friend promptly

after the release of the single “Manchild.”

The album cover features the singer

herself, depicted on all fours, with what

appears to be a man holding onto her hair.

Because of the sexual connotations of the

pose, social media blew up with a range of

responses, including many people believing

that the cover was degrading towards

women and glorifying the sexualization of

women. Fans of Carpenter defended the

photo, expressing that it was meant as a

satirical commentary on how women are

viewed and treated. Some fans countered

that, whatever Carpenter’s intentions, it reinforced

negative sexual stereotypes.

After the album’s full release, Carpenter

eventually spoke out regarding the controversy

surrounding the cover. In her eyes,

it was not meant to be seen as degrading

to women but rather as empowering. She

explained that the cover correlates with the

songs, which highlight the satirical parts of

her music in which she utilizes sexual innuendos

to poke at male behavior. “This is

something that women experience in such

a real way, becoming comfortable with

themselves and who they are,” Carpenter

said in an interview with Interview editor-in-chief

Mel Ottenberg.

Musical and cultural commentators

have differing opinions regarding whether

the album cover should be seen in a negative

or positive light, but most align around

the same opinion. Although the public had

an extremely negative connotation towards

it, expressing the harm it showed towards

women’s empowerment, many critics saw

it as empowering rather than harmful. Leora

Taenbaum, who is an author of a female

empowerment book, Sexy Selfie Nation:

Standing Up For Yourself in Today’s Toxic,

Sexist Culture, noted that “Carpenter’s

lyrics are sexually explicit and may not

be appropriate for the Disney audience of

children she used to cater to, but her sexual

frankness is shocking in this day and age

only if you believe that women who are

open about sexuality are sluts.”

The Man’s Best Friend album cover

isn’t far off from what Carpenter usually

puts out regarding her music, as recently,

the sexual innuendos have become pretty

on-brand for her. In her previous album

Short and Sweet, several of the songs have

either outright sexual lyrics or subtle play

on words. Although it can appear to be

Wikipedia

sexualizing women, Carpenter’s main intent

appears to be to normalize the ability

to discuss these topics. Not only that, she

utilizes her sexual lyrics to almost get back

at men who exhibit toxic masculinity.

Carpenter does realize that her music

is open for interpretation and not everyone

will appreciate it in the way she intends.

She understands that although she intends

for her music to be seen as uplifting for

women, others may interpret it differently.

In the interview with Ottenberg, Carpenter

shrugged it off about trying to please everyone

and quipped, “But I’m glad you like

my sexual content.”

Google Images

Jeans or Genes?

Sabrina Carpenter is not the only

young female star making headlines for

how she is visually depicted to audiences.

Controversy swirled over an ad

campaign that actress Sydney Sweeney

did with the clothing company American

Eagle. The ad depicts Sweeney in

a sexualized position, putting her jeans

on, talking about how she has “great

jeans.” The ad’s play on words about

“great jeans” appears to refer to genetic

makeup that she has “great genes.”

Some online commentators complained

that Sweeney’s characteristics

of being a blonde with blue eyes

and therefore as having “great jeans

(genes)” could be seen as perpetuating

stereotypes about what is beautiful.

Although both the Carpenter and

Sweeney controversies brought up the

debate of whether these celebrities

are normalizing female sexualization,

the response to the backlash differed.

While Carpenter was upfront about

what she believed was the meaning

behind her album cover and explained

the empowerment behind it, Sweeney

mostly ignored the controversy and

expressed that she saw no issue with

it. This difference in response to how

each advertisment was recieved made

Sweeney’s far more divisive compared

Carpenter’s.

The Warrior • Sports

October 23, 2025

17

Flag Football Prepares

For Potential Playoff Run

by Leslie Majkrzak ‘27

Junior captain Tate Atanda steps in front of a player dribbling upfield.

Boys Soccer Rallies

Ahead of Playoffs

by Ryan Lichter ‘27

and Chase Sondike ‘26

Boys’ soccer has started to piece

together some wins in the latter

part of the season, heading

towards playoffs. Coming off a

great stretch, the boys looked dialed

in. Heading into the playoffs,

where it is win or go home, the

team has been steadily gaining

momentum. They currently sit at

a 7-3-2 record after finishing off

their regular season with a 2-1

win against Poolesville.

The team, led by Coach Paul

Homon, has changed its play style

this year, as it often does, to better

match its players. Homon assesses

his team’s strengths, weaknesses,

and everything in between,

and develops the tactical game

plan for the season. “This year

I’ve changed it to be more possession-based

and patient with

the attack team, whereas in past

years we’ve been more of a highpress

transition-based team,” said

Homon. He added that the team

needs to continue to work on being

connected and creative out in

front third of the field to create

high-scoring opportunities.

After a bumpy start to the season,

the team has pulled it together

and won or tied in nine of their

last ten games prior to suffering

a 1-0 loss to Kennedy in their

penultimate regular-season game.

This includes a major 2-1 victory,

toppling a stellar Quince Orchard

team, and a hard-fought 3-3

stalemate against Blake, who has

looked like one of the best teams


in the state this year. “At times,

we performed pretty well, and at

times we have been very inconsistent,”

said Homon. The team is

undoubtedly heading in the right

direction now, and their capability

will be tested in the playoffs.

“I think if the team plays up to

its potential, we can make a significant

run like last year,” said

Homon.

Senior captain Nick Kindred

has been leading the way for the

team, with both his stellar play

and vocal leadership. The striker,

is averaging almost a goal a game.

“As one of the captains, it is my

responsibility to lead the team

through challenges both on and

off the field,” he said of his role.

With the help of young players

stepping up to the challenge, the

Warriors have started to see more

success. Center Midfielder Mateo

Doldan has been a prime example.

The junior starter is having

a breakthrough season, contributing

with his solid play up and

down the field, putting in quality

minutes for the team. Players like

Doldan show the depth this team

has and why Homon believes

they can make a run in states.

“Everyone on our team plays

a key role in our success, and it

would be difficult to pick a select

few from the numerous talented

players,” said Kindred. The team

will start its playoff run tomorrow

after getting a first-round bye.

With faith in his teammates, the

team will continue to play loose

as they set their sights on the

playoffs.

The flag football team is on

a roll this season, with only one

loss, moving into their last regular

season game and the playoffs.

In their inaugural season last year,

the team finished with a heartbreaking

loss in the semi-finals to

Damascus. After a strong season

this year, the Warriors are looking

to go further in the playoffs,

with the goal of reaching states at

M&T Bank Stadium.

The team has been solid

on defense from the jump, with

many experienced returning players.

On the offensive end, the

Warriors took a little longer to get

settled after graduating key seniors

last season, including their

starting quarterback. However,

a combination of returning and

new players have stepped up to

fill their shoes and put the pieces

together to be successful and

score touchdowns. Beginning the

season with a bang, the Warriors

earned a strong 38-0 win against

Wootton. Ever since, the team has

continued to bring home wins.

Across the county, every

team is stronger this year in the

second season of flag football in

MCPS, which the Warriors have

seen throughout their season as

they face teams that are much

improved from last year. Despite

this, Sherwood players are confident

going into the playoffs after

an impressive record of 7-2, with

only one remaining regular-season

game. Throughout the season,

they have worked hard to

develop key skills and use their

knowledge of the game to design

strategic plays.

The team has had several

outstanding wins this season,

including multiple shutouts.

Against Springbrook, who initially

looked good on paper, the team

played well all around, leading to

a victory of 32-0. The defense recorded

4 interceptions, with great

effort from juniors Maddie Slavin

and Braelyn Woods. Not to mention,

junior twins Melanie and

Courtney Payne had a pick-six

each. The team had a closer game

Junior Melanie Payne running a route to get open in a victory at home.


against an across-town rival, Magruder,

whom they lost to last

year. After being tied 7-7 for most

of the second half, junior Grace

Buffington put the Warriors ahead

by a touchdown with a clutch

pick-six.

The coaching staff has built

a powerful team culture, emphasizing

values that will help their

team not only in football but also

in life. “Coach [Rob] Hiller and

I believe strongly in hard work

and teamwork. We both want to

create a positive environment for

our athletes where they can grow

on and off the field,” said Coach

Caitlin Thompson. These values

instilled by the coaches have

helped the team bond, building

strong connections that help them

gel on the field.

“Since my main sport is lacrosse,

flag football gave me another

opportunity to play with an

amazing group of girls,” explains

captain Melanie Payne. “Joining

the flag football team definitely

enhanced my high school experience

by the close-knit team atmosphere

it provides,” explains

captain Melanie Payne.

The Warriors faced a tough

loss against Paint Branch towards

the beginning of the season, with

a final score of 12-0. After analyzing

the game, the team noted

areas in need of improvement.

“Our plan to beat them in the

playoffs if we come across them

again is cleaning up small mistakes,

like catching passes and

not missing flag pulls,” shared

senior captain Maryam Habib.

The team has been putting in the

work to refine these skills since

and has high hopes of beating

them, should they meet again in

the postseason. The team also suffered

a tough loss, 18-6, against

their rivals, Damascus on October

14. Payne scored a touchdown

late in the game to put the

Warriors on the board, running 66

yards to the end zone after catching

a pass from junior quarterback

Cara Farr. The Warriors are

using the game to study the things

they need to work on, so they can

be at their best for the playoffs.

Want to Read More?

To hear more about your Sherwood teams, check out The Warrior Online. Pictures and

stories of your favorite Warrior athletes representing Sherwood across the county can

be found at www.thewarrioronline.com.

18

Senior XC captain Maddy Quirion hustling to the finish line at a meet.

Standout Runner Maddy

Quirion Finds Motivation

Despite the Challenges

by Ziv Golan ‘26

The cross-country team has

had a very strong season so far. A

number of athletes have medaled

in high-stakes invitational meets,

and both the boys’ and girls’ teams

have beat out several other MCPS

schools at divisional races. A few

stand-out athletes, notably senior

Madeline (Maddy) Quirion, have

led the way. Quirion has excelled

as an athlete in her four years,

running cross-country along with

winter and spring track.

“First and foremost, I run for

fun. It’s exciting to push myself to

the limits and see improvement,”

said Quirion. “Running can get

pretty frustrating; there have been

months where it feels like I’ve

completely stagnated- or even

regressed. These are really hard

times for me, without that pride

and sense of accomplishment it’s

hard to stay motivated. But working

through those times is its own

sort of win, and there are several

other things to keep me motivated

when it gets tough. I’m so grateful

to have my team, coaches, and

family to help me believe in myself

and keep fighting.”

Quirion has a long history of

leadership within the Sherwood

running program, initially attaining

the role of captain during

her sophomore year winter track

season. She has since become

a captain in cross-country and

spring track as well, working to

advise coaches on workouts and

lead the team through practices.

Although her exact role may differ

depending on the season, she

consistently maintains an active

presence in guiding the team. A

major struggle Quirion faces is

time managment. Juggling practice

after school every day on top

of schoolwork and other activities

can prove difficult at times.

“I’ve given up a lot of things,

mostly socially, but also other

extracurriculars and the classes

I can take to run, “ explained


October 23, 2025

Gary Peters

Quirion. “For all the things I’ve

given up and hard work I’ve put

in, I’ve earned amazing opportunities

and become elite at something-

not every highschooler can

say that! I love my team. They’re

my best friends, and I’m more

than happy to spend 15 hours a

week with them or more. It’s also

strengthened my persistence, and

ingrained in me a work ethic I

didn’t have before high school.

Cross country took a girl who

might turn two assignments in on

time per quarter, and didn’t really

put much effort or practice into

anything, into someone who will

literally devote her body and soul

to running a couple seconds faster.

I’m lucky to have found this

passion.”

As Quirion’s running career

has progressed she has entertained

the possibility of furthering

her career by running in college.

The process is challenging

and not every school she reaches

out to is interested, but she has

found success in making contacts.

“I’ve gone on three visits

this month, two overnight and

one that was just a day trip. I visited

two D3 schools, Emory and

Tufts, and one D1 school which

is Fordham,” said Quirion. “It’s

super fun and exciting to meet

the team. I get to spend all day or

days shadowing them in classes,

getting to know them, touring

campus. I also get to sit down

with the coach and talk through

next steps and what they’re looking

for.”

Quirion has yet to make a final

decision on the future of her

running career, but it is clear that

running has made a positive impact

on her life. “Every time I do

something that once felt impossible:

winning a race, getting a PR,

being proud of myself is the best

part. I can struggle with my self

esteem at times, so it’s incredible

to prove myself wrong and show

myself what I am capable of,” explained

Quirion.

World Series Preview: Dodgers vs Blue Jays


The 2025 World Series features

the Los Angeles Dodgers

and the Toronto Blue Jays, with

one team aiming to repeat as

champions and the other making

its first appearance in thirty-two

years. After a surprising regular

season in which Toronto earned

the top seed in the American

League, they defeated the New

York Yankees. Then they rallied

from a 2-0 series deficit against

the Seattle Mariners to claim

the AL pennant. LA has glided

through the postseason, making it

clear that they have plans to get

back-to-back World Series rings.

With how the Dodgers have

looked so far in the postseason,

it’s hard not to see them as the

favorites. The four-man rotation

of Snell, Yamamoto, Ohtani, and

Glasnow has been superb, pitching

66 of LA’s 92 innings this

postseason. Snell and Yamamoto

have been workhorses, especially

with Yamamoto throwing a complete

game against the Brewers

and Snell with an eight-inning

start. Also, against the Milwaukee

Brewers, the Dodgers saw Shohei

Ohtani’s bat wake up. With players

like Mookie Betts, Teoscar

Hernandez, Enrique Hernandez,

and Tommy Edman all notching

double-digit hits through the

postseason, this is a scary offense.

It’s tough to find a weakness

in this Dodgers team, but if you

had to point out one, it might be

their bullpen, which can get a

little shaky. The Dodgers have

turned Roki Sasaki into a closer

for the playoffs, and he’s been

nails in the back end of the bullpen.

The other two arms LA has

relied on are Blake Trienen and

Alex Vesia, both of whom have

been solid. These three have appeared

in seven games for the

Dodgers, while their next mostused

bullpen arms have only been

in three games. So, if Toronto

could get to one of the Dodgers’

starters and chase them from the

game early, it could get interesting.

Despite being the one seed,

the Blue Jays have seemed to be

the underdog in the postseason.

It appeared their regular-season

magic might run out. However,

Toronto’s gutsy pitching and

strong offense helped them handle

business in both the ALDS and

ALCS leading them ultimatley to

the Dodgers. This team might not

look or feel like a great team on

paper, but they did win 94 games

during the regular season.

Toronto’s offense is for real.

In their seven wins this postseason,

they’re averaging 8.4 runs

per game while leading all playoff

teams in home runs and average.

With bats like Vlad Guerrero Jr,

George Springer, and the possible

return of shortstop Bo Bichette,

they have enough firepower to

make it interesting. If the bats can

get going early on in games, they

could cause some chaos for the

Dodgers’ pitching rotations.

With all this in mind, I don’t

see Los Angeles losing this one

and am picking the Dodgers over

the Blue Jays in five games. I

could see Toronto sneaking one

out early in the series, but with the

Dodgers’ four ace-caliber starters

and their productive lineup,

they are simply too good and can

overwhelm Toronto. Expect some

close games, but the Dodgers will

win the 2025 World Series.

Spiking Their Way to Victory

by Rachel Themistokleous ’26

The girls volleyball team is

having an exciting season so far,

currently holding an outstanding

11-1 record. One of the team’s

biggest successes was beating

Magruder on September 24 when

both teams entered the contest

with undefeated records. The

team remained undefeated until

October 9, where they suffered an

unfortunate loss against Wootton.

This season, the Warriors were

placed in a new Region and faced

schools they had never played

against before. However, they

were able to emerge triumphant

in their Division, and are determined

to win the Regional title as

well.

“I think we are fully capable

of winning the regional title,” said

senior captain Sophia Salcedo. “If

we continue to work hard and improve

our game I am hopeful that

we could possibly make it far into

playoffs and potentially go onto

the journey to states.”

Despite the graduation of

seven seniors last year, and the injury

of potent junior hitter Maya

Dorsam, there is no absence

of talent on the court this year.

Leading the offense is sophomore

setter Ariel Callwood and junior

outside hitter Kenley Jacobs, having

a strong dynamic on the court

and even earning All Tournament

honors at the Magruder Invitational.

Callwood also earned

Sherwood Athlete of the Week as

she led the team to a strong finish

at the tournament, earning second

in the county for most assists per

set. Juniors Daniela Sokolakova

and Gianna Mobley are also big

contributors on the offensive side,

with powerful passes and hits,

keeping the energy high the entire

time. Also, junior Libero Claire

Strosnider helps lead the defense

to success, joined by freshman

Offensive player Gianna Mobley serving a hard hit ball to other team.

Elissa Fields, Salcedo, and junior

Taylor Adams.

“The team has done a great

job of working together and

supporting each other,” said

Coach Kaitlyn Jain. “We have a

well-rounded team with five girls

on the county leaderboard (hitting,

setting, blocking, defense,

and serving) and strong senior

leadership at practice. The lineup

changes nearly every game and

the girls coming in bring great energy.”

Jain’s determination and

confidence in her team greatly

inspires her players, with her

positive attitude motivating them

to stay consistent and do great

things this season. “We all have

the same goal for this season,

Azariya Kelay ‘26

and that’s to win,” said Salcedo.

“No matter who our coach puts

in, we are able to play our game.

We have a [great] chemistry with

one another and that helps us play

well together.”

The Warriors have a tough

matchup coming up today against

Richard Montgomery, who have

a 11-2 record and are ranked

3rd in the county. This is the last

game of their regular season, and

will determine if the team makes

county championships.

“RM is a two-time defending

state champion, so we will

have to play our best volleyball to

win,” said Jain. “It’s a new year,

and I think we’re up to the challenge.

We [just] need to want it

more.”

The Warrior • Sports 19

October 23, 2025

Senior captain Chase Jenkins hitting a forehand return in a home match 5-0 victory against Walt Whitman.

High Hopes for Pickleball Team

by Tyler Boone ‘27

and Charlie Weigand ‘27

After having a successful

first year as a varsity sport, pickleball

is bouncing forward with

another great season this year.

They look to build off of their

previous success from last year

when the team went 4-0 in the

regular season and finished second

in the playoffs.

This season, MCPS pickleball

offers a new format and is no

longer considered a fully corollary

sport. “Each high school has

up to five competitive corollary

teams that compete in matches

over a 5-6 week period,” explained

Coach Rob Campbell.

“Any matches played outside of

the format are considered exhibition.”

This keeps the game friendly

and builds positive sportsmanship

over the course of the regular

season, while building in extra

competitiveness for playoffs.

The team started off their

season 4-0 and finished with a

dominant 4-1 win against Poolesville

on October 15. The team

will cruise into the playoffs with

a very solid record. The playoffs

are a multiple day process, the

divisional playoffs took place

on Tuesday, October 21, and the

championships begin today. The

playoff atmosphere changed drastically

this year. A pair from the

“open division” will be entered

along with two corollary teams.

“We will have our six strongest

players competing, giving us the

best chance we have in order to

win,” said senior captain Chase

Jenkins. Campbell held an invite-only

meeting to announce

the six players selected for the

playoffs. Competition levels will

rise while keeping the sport fun

by having everyone compete together

for a championship. As

the sport grows more popular, it

works to include everyone and

create the best environment for

students to show their best selves.

Pickleball is a paddle sport

that combines elements of tennis,

badminton, and ping-pong. The

goal is to hit the ball over a low

net and keep it in play until the

opposing side cannot return it.

Points are scored only by the serving

team, and games are played to

eleven points, with a team needing

to win by two points. Pickleball

is known for being fast-paced

and easy to learn, making it very

popular for all people.

In practices, Campbell has

the team working on the core

fundamentals of pickleball. Skills

such as forehand, backhand, and

serving are key to the game and to

the overall success. However, the

mental side to the game proves

to be just as important. Campbell

noted that pickleball is more

about strategy than skill-level.

Field Hockey Finishes Strong

by Kenley Jacobs ‘27

Varsity field hockey is trending

in the right direction after

finishing the regular season with

an 8-4 record that concluded with

a 1-0 win over Rockville. Now

going into playoffs, they will be

playing Westminster on October

24.

The season opener was a

rough start with a 5-0 loss against

Damascus. It was a hard way to

begin the season, but the team

was able to move past it. Instead

of focusing on their loss, the Warriors

turned it around and got fired

up for their next game, which was

the home opener against Walter

Johnson. The team pulled off an

unforgettable 3-2 victory. Varsity

field hockey hasn’t beaten WJ

in seven years, so this win was a

huge moment that kickstarted the

season. Against WJ, junior Sophia

Kaser netted two goals, showing

why she has been the team’s top

offensive weapon. Senior Mikayla

Springer added another goal

with an assist from Kaser.

Coach Walter Velasquez says

that the team’s success this season

has led to having a mindset

based around objectives. “Like

every season, we always strive

to go as far as we can chasing the

state title,” explained Velasquez.

“One thing we do is break it down

Team’s leading scorer Sophia Kaser, a junior, ready to receive the ball.

into small, short-term goals that

we can do consistently to help

us get there. This season, we are

first looking at being undefeated

in our division. To do that, we are

focusing on the fundamentals, so

we are consistent and persistent

in each game.”

Velasquez also emphasized

how the team has built a culture

of hard work, commitment, and

the players really supporting each

other this season. The team’s

senior captains are defenders

Charleigh Robinson and Emily

Ruane, and goalie Lilah Boig.

The chemistry is clear on the

field. Robinson and Ruane are

Gary Peters

Gary Peters

anchors on defense, keeping the

team steady. While the seniors are

paving the way, the underclassmen

are stepping up too. Freshman

midfielder Carson Frye has

already earned her starting spot

on the team and has been key to

keeping the team on offense and

appears to have set the foundation

for the program over the next

three years.

“Carson Frye and junior

Sophia Kaser have had a great

season so far, working on and

off the field,” said junior Ashlyn

Hambrecht. “They contribute to

the team with amazing goals, ball

stops, and hustle.”

Chandler Morris is the Best ACC

Quarterback

After a win against then No. 8-ranked Florida State in double overtime

and another overtime win against Louisville, Virginia has catapulted

itself into the top 25, led by quarterback Chandler Morris. Through his

first six games, Morris has a quarterback rating of 80.7, making him

the 17th-ranked quarterback in the league by this metric. Considering

the fairly lackluster supporting cast around Morris, it’s clear that he is

the best quarterback in the ACC and deserves more recognition in the

conference but also nationally.

- Andrew Fenner ‘27

NIL is Ruining College Athletics

As if NIL deals for college athletes weren’t bad enough, it’s only gotten

worse now that universities can directly pay athletes. It’s ruining

college sports when athletes, especially in major sports like football

and men’s basketball, either commit to or transfer to schools primarily

for the reason to make more money. In this unfair system, the strongest

teams only get better and better as players transfer to them, while the

lesser teams see their best players take off for the big-time programs.

No wonder the same universities are ranked in the top ten year after

year.

- Ryan Green ‘26

Niners Should Stay With Jones

The San Francisco 49ers should stick with Mac Jones even after Brock

Purdy returns from injury. In four games as the Niners’ starter, Jones

has demonstrated complete control over the offense, leading them to

victory in two of them. His two narrow losses came against very good

teams, and the Niners are struggling with injuries to other key players.

When Purdy was playing, he was inconsistent, turning the ball over too

much. Jones has simply outperformed him, stepping in when asked to.

- Chase Sondike ‘26

NFL Teams Should Invest in Better

Backup Quarterbacks

NFL teams need to stop overlooking the need to have a quality backup

quarterback. Every year, some teams lose their starting quarterback

and struggle. This year, the Bengals and Ravens, who were viewed as

playoff teams going into the season, both lost their starting quarterbacks

for a good amount of time and have gone a combined 1-6 record

so far with their respective backups.

- Reid Duvall ‘27

WNBA Deserves More Representation

The WNBA needs stronger leadership that is willing to fight for the

players who face gender discrimination through unequal pay, especially

while generating revenue for the league. WNBA players share 9.3%

of the league’s revenue, while NBA players get 50% of their league’s

revenue. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier criticized the

WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert’s dismissive efforts in solving

the issue. The WNBA is not nearly as prosperous as the NBA, but star

female players deserve a bigger piece of the pie as the WNBA grows

in popularity.

- Molly Schecter ‘27


October 23, 2025

Varsity Football Makes Final Charge Before Playoffs


and Roman Khrizman ‘27

On October 10, varsity football

took its first loss of the season

against state powerhouse Quince

Orchard, 35-28. Sherwood gave

QO its hardest test of the season,

putting up the most points against

the Cougars since 2023. Early in

the second half, QO got out to a

21-0 lead, but the Warriors came

storming back with three passing

touchdowns by junior quarterback

Matt Larsen. Sherwood

marched back to make it 28-21

and closed the deficit to seven late

in the fourth quarter.

“In the first half, we stalled

completely. At half we adjusted

and came out in the second half

and executed really well, establishing

the run, which opened up

huge plays down the field,” said

Larsen. However, a late turnover

killed the Warriors’ comeback

chances, resulting in their first

loss of the season in a hard-fought

defeat.

The valiant effort demonstrated

that Sherwood has the opportunity

to compete with anyone

in the state. “It was a well-fought

loss; we battled hard and fought

back and showed a lot of grit and

Junior quarterback Matthew Larsen scans the field for an open receiver in a close 35-28 shootout loss to an undefeated Quince Orchard team.

fight,” added junior wide receiver

Caleb Hollowell.

The players have no reason

to hang their heads as the loss

puts the Warriors at an impressive

6-1 record and a plus-195 point

differential as they’ve blown

through much of their competition

thus far. Sherwood is starting

to gain recognition as one of the

best teams in the state, thanks in

large part to their defense. Before

the QO game, the defense was allowing

a staggeringly minuscule

3.8 points per game.

“The defense has been our

strong point this year and continues

to get better,” said Coach

Pat Cilento. Cilento’s arrival

seemed to have marked a turning

point in the program, with a run

to the state semifinals last season

and with this year’s team looking

poised to make noise again at the

state level. Despite the success,

Cilento added that the players

must continue to get better every

day and avoid complacency with

Girls Soccer Displays Potent Offense

by Cara Farr ‘27

playoffs just a couple of weeks

away.

The Warriors will compete in

the Class 4A/3A playoffs this season,

a change from the past two

seasons, which were both in 3A.

Right now, Sherwood is tied for

second place in the 4A/3A South

Division with Oxon Hill, trailing

Potomac, who sits at 6-0.

Sherwood has two regular-season

matchups left: Damascus

tonight, and finishing the season

with Richard Montgomery on

20

October 30. Damascus has struggled

as of late with a 43-0 loss to

Oakdale and a 28-7 loss to Westminster.

Damascus always seems

to have a team that can compete,

and when they host Sherwood, it

should be a challenge for the Warriors.

Last is RM, who sits at 4-2

right now, with a high-powered

offense putting up over 33 points

a game. RM has the potential to

be dangerous in what should be

an intriguing matchup in the final

week of the regular season.

Upcoming Games

Gary Peters

After losing six seniors last

year, many of whom started and

had big impacts, girls varsity soccer

entered this season having to

fill some vital positions. Adding

to the uncertainty is that Sherwood

teams got new teams on

their schedules, and girls soccer

faced new competition like Richard

Montgomery and Poolesville

while not playing teams such as

Wootton and Churchill.

As girls soccer turn their attention

to the playoffs, the team

already successfully answered

the questions en route to a 10-2

regular season, with a strong 8-0

win against John F. Kennedy and

a 9-3 win against Poolesville in

the final two games. After losing

a holding midfield, an attacking

midfield, an outside back, and

another midfielder to graduation,

these starting positions have been

filled by senior captain Maya Petrash,

sophomore Lucy Schwam,

senior Tamra Fluellen, and junior

Yasmin Sheik.

After a close 2-1 loss in their

season opener to Richard Montgomery,

the Warriors cruised past

many teams, going on a six-game

winning streak before losing

3-0 to a strong Quince Orchard

team. The Warriors’ defense has

shown their strength, notching

five shutout wins in a row. Along

with the stout defense, the girls

have outscored their opponents

50-11 during the regular season.

Notable games include a 9-0 win

against Springbrook and a 6-0

win against Paint Branch, both of

which are new additions to Sherwood’s

schedule this year. They

have also had strong wins against

teams that they have normally

Gary Peters

Senior captain Maya Petrash dribbles the ball upfield looking to score.

faced in past seasons, including a

6-0 senior night win against Damascus

as well as an earlier 1-0

win against nearby rival Magruder.

Petrash said that the team

took away positives even from

their two losses because they

were competitive games against

top-tier teams in the county, “After

some close losses, it shows us

that we are right there,” she said.

“One thing we need to work on is

finishing. We do everything right

to get to the goal but we don’t actually

score, which is a problem

when we play really good teams.”

Despite scoring a number of goals

overall, most were tallied against

weaker teams.

As region runner-ups from

last year, with an electric win

in the region semi-finals and a

tough loss in the finals to a strong

Wootton team, the Warriors look

to head deeper into a playoff run

this year. Petrash said they are

trying to, “continue playing the

way we are right now and to keep

that momentum going so we have

a better chance of making it to

states.” The Warriors are currently

sitting at second place in their

region, falling short of first to a

9-1-1 Atholton team and sitting

in front of a 6-5 Reservior. Petrash

and the team seem optimistic

about their chances of making it

to the state championship. “I believe

this year we can make it,”

said Petrash.

For the first time ever, the

Warriors reached the county

championship game held at Seneca

Valley on October 20. They

played a strong Blair program,

falling just short. At the end of

regulation time, the game was

scoreless. At the end of the first

overtime, the game was still

scoreless. With two minutes left

in the second overtime, Blair

scored, securing the championship

win. Despite the loss, the

Warriors still have a first round

bye in the state tournament and

are set to face off against Reservoir

on October 24, at home.

Football

Boys Soccer

Girls Soccer

Flag Football

Field Hockey

Volleyball

Hockey

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

10/23

TBD

10/24

10/24

10/23

10/23

10/24 @9:10

10/23

10/23

SHS_Warrior_Oct

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