![Walking through the tunnel created by the cheerleaders and Celebrities, senior Frances Tran smiles as the soccer team is sent off during DEN for their playoff game against Rouse tonight. Tran said the wins against Smithson Valley and Alamo Heights gave the team a morale boost to take on the Raiders tonight. “I know we were not 100% confident in those games,” Tran said. “But, Rouse is a big opponent for sure. We’re definitely going into tonight with a lot of morale [because of the previous wins].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/frances-tran.jpg)
![Holding a bucket of materials in one hand and a roll of tape in another, anatomy and biology teacher Tyler Terry prepares for a lab. Terry said his proudest moments are when his students are happy to see him. “When I take my wife to a football game or something and a bunch of students want to say hi to me or they like to smile and wave and it just makes me feel good that the students are really kind and supportive of me,” Terry said. “[I’m also] proud when I see students perform really well in their extracurriculars because I can see how hard they’re working in my classes, [so] when I see that they’re also working so hard in other things. Like they’re winning band competitions or they’re getting awards for their theater productions, or I see them put on their choir shows, that’s like, wow, you guys are incredible.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rags-6.png)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901.jpg)
![Holding her dog, Nova, senior Ariana Balakrishnan poses for her senior pictures while Nova wears a bandana with her college decision. Balakrishnan applied to 18 colleges in total, but she decided on Columbia in the end. “Right before I clicked the button to open Columbia’s letter, I literally looked at the camera and go ‘This is just gonna really suck because I wanted it so bad,’ and I clicked it and all of a sudden you hear trumpets,” Balakrishnan said. “There’s a video that plays when you open it and I actually didn’t watch the video, I just watched the screen go black, because every day of December before ED [Early Decision] I would go on YouTube and watch the acceptance video to manifest it, so immediately when the screen went black, I started screaming and jumping up and down. And my parents in the video are like ‘What are you doing, where’s the letter,’ and I was just screaming ‘I got in, I got in.” I just started crying, and it just felt like everything in the world came together.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ariana-2-300x217.jpg)
The Timberwolf varsity football team broke records and San Antonio Brennan 32-7 on Friday, Dec. 7 at the Alamodome. The team, one step closer to the Class 4A state championship game, made school history by making it to semifinals in playoffs.
The T-wolves also proved their ability to beat the unbeatable, tainting Brennan’s undefeated record with their first loss of the season.
“Each team is just another team to beat,” junior Sam Brock said.
Experience proved to be a defining factor between the two teams. This season marked Cedar Park’s third consecutive placement quarterfinals and Brennan’s third varsity season.
“At this point, everything is motivation for us,” Brock said. “Each time we practice harder, we improve as a team.”
The last two years, Cedar Park has seen their season come to a close with a loss against Lake Travis at this point in playoffs. Lake Travis moved to 5A this season.
“We’ve been working so hard this year,” junior Peter Manekis said. “We went into the season expecting to make it to state.”
With progressive games, the venues increase in size and support. Nearly 8,000 combined fans in attendance shouted and supported their teams.
“Bigger stadiums mean more excitement,” Brock said.
As the game came to a close, fans could be heard chanting “history” in celebration of the new feat.
“We made history,” junior Lane Waller said. “Having a good game is one thing, but making an impact as big as school history is monumental.”
If Saturday’s 4A Division II semifinal against Manor goes as planned for the T-wolves, the team will see their opportunity to win their first ever state title for Cedar Park.
