![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 Cedar Park varsity football team shut down Harker Heights for a 10-0 victory on Friday, Sept. 14 at Killeen’s Leo Buckley Stadium.
After two lost games, the Timberwolves were prepared to secure their first win in the 2012 season. With 219 total rushing yards and 65 total passing yards, the offense rose to the occasion.
The Timberwolves scored all their points in the second quarter. Thomas Middleton scored a touchdown with an 8-yard run.
Black rain defense sacked Harker Heights quarterback Troy Smith for a safety in the last five minutes of the first half.
Junior safety Lane Waller claims that a week of fast-paced practice was the remedy for turning the season in the Timberwolves’ favor.
“When we focus and practice at a quicker tempo, everything goes faster,” Waller said.
Waller had an 11-yard fake punt run on fourth-and-5 to extend a 12-play scoring drive. Junior fullback Thomas Middleton capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown.
Junior offensive lineman Austin Bryant agreed with Waller.
“The game was great,” Bryant said. “We had a good week of practice and proved it on the field.”
Sophomore running back Chris Hutchings rushed for 104 yards. He attributes the team’s win to improvements on offense and better strategies on defense.
“We got to do stuff on defense that we couldn’t do before,” Hutchings said. “We’re constantly improving. Having less penalties and blocking better made the game a success.”
Senior wide receiver Chris Vaughn has predictions about this week’s homecoming game against Westwood, a 5-A team.
“We’re going to have a crazy offense and stifling defense,” Vaughn said.
