Hannah Stoughten In December of 2020, from the comfort of their own homes, Jacob Duriancik, Amber Earnest, and Hannah Stoughton filmed with the KDKA-TV team to produce an episode of Hometown HighQ. It was the contestants' first time appearing on the show, and each was extremely nervous to see the questions. After a rough start, the group of seniors managed to sweep the third round, scoring them bonus points – ultimately winning themselves the competition. “It was exhilarating to experience a win,” stated the trio. A win had never been clinched before by Apollo-Ridge, so another round of history was made in the 2020-2021 school year, adding to the plethora of history made in the year.
In April of 2021, the group of seniors were called back for the playoffs – unfortunately, Earnest faced the dilemma of a softball game occurring on the same day, so an alternate stepped into her place. Jeffrey Krug, another senior, filled her spot in the playoff round. They faced two challenging schools, falling in third with a solid score. The questions were significantly more difficult this time around, but the seniors found themselves answering quite a few correctly. The episodes are aired on KDKA-TV for all to watch. While the first has already been aired, the second was aired on May 1st at 11am. It was great to watch these seniors take on other schools and support our fellow Vikings!
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Hannah Stoughten There is no argument when people say, the Class of 2021 has faced a multitude of challenges during senior year. After missing a large majority of the traditional senior activities, including homecoming dances, normal Friday night football games, and many other senior activities, the school knew it was time to give these seniors something to do. Then, Mrs. Lukehart came to the rescue – let them smash some plates!
Mr. Consuegra gave the seniors free range on what they could write – anything was allowed. When he said anything, he meant ANYTHING, to help the class get their frustrations out. The shop classes built a booth and in the days leading up, the seniors were allowed to paint the inside of the booth with their names and other memorable drawings and words. Donations of glassware were made, and a table was set up. Then, on a wonderful Friday, the seniors were given permission to smash some plates, bowls, and mugs! “I enjoyed it, it was something unique, and as fun as it was, I really appreciated the thought from the teachers and those who organized it,” Amber Earnest offered. This is, of course, a sentiment shared by many others. Despite the pandemic having a large effect on the seniors, the staff at Apollo-Ridge has made much effort to make the senior class have a spectacular senior year – and we couldn’t be more thankful for them! Hannah Stoughten After much speculation on how PMEA would approach the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual auditions were held for District and Region concert bands. From Apollo-Ridge, Hannah Stoughton, Daniel Dunmire, Cole Rearick, Anna Sadowsky, Colton Nagg, Maddie Smoyer, and Adam Sproat played their best to try and advance onto the region band. Three students advanced – Dunmire, Rearick, and Stoughton.
The excerpts for the auditions were significantly more difficult than in the past, particularly for clarinets, with excerpts from Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger and Clarinet Concerto in A Major from Mozart for auditioning into state bands. Unfortunately, none of our region instrumentalists advanced onto state bands, but they submitted excellent auditions and played them quite well. Compared to the past, the “festivals” were quite different from the past, as there were no physical festivals this year. Multiple students had attended festivals in the past, and it is saddening for them, particularly the only senior, Hannah Stoughton. Band members did not get to experience them as students have in the past, but they look forward to the future of PMEA. Author: Hannah Stoughten After an extremely successful season, the Apollo-Ridge Vikings have made history. Once they claimed the section champions title for the first time since 2001, the mighty Vikes fought their way into the semi-finals – a feat never before done at Apollo-Ridge. “I think we knew coming into this season that this was going to be a pretty big year for us,” offered sophomore Nick Curci. Curci and his fellow teammates have some big shoes to step into after the current senior class graduates. ”The group of seniors we had this year were awesome, and it will be very sad not to have them [for] the next couple seasons. As for the next group of kids, I think we’ll be able to fill those spots lost by the seniors. Everyone’s already getting to work for next year,” he noted. These seniors are difficult to overlook; as Lucas Yard offered, these seniors made a dream team. “It’s all 11 of us on that field.” The memories from this season are unbeatable. Yard remembers his favorite moment during the first-round playoff game. “My favorite memory was when Curci and I drove a kid from Washington back ten yards and dumped him on his back.” Logan Harmon, a notable player, said, “I just loved being able to play with my boys for the last time,” a sentiment shared by many. Klay Fitzroy, another whose name has circulated for multiple sports, said that his favorite memory was making the semi-finals. Making school history is always a great feeling. The loss against Beaver Falls was a very emotional moment for every senior and senior parent there, including cheerleading and marching band members. Singing the Alma Mater after each game is a tradition that never fails to evoke tears from members, especially if it’s their last time on the field. Apollo-Ridge had an extremely successful season and made a statement for the next, and the community can’t wait to see what these boys bring to the playing field next year. |