![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)
Cedar Park baseball has struggled in the past, fighting hard to overcome all obstacles in their way. The talent has always been present but sometimes the team falls short of expectations. This year is no exception with the guys having another hurdle to overcome; inexperience. With only four returning starters, the guys lost half of their team and the chemistry that they had.
“We were all close friends and had been on varsity for two years,” Charlie Seesselberg, senior first basemen, said. “Right now [the chemistry] is not that great.”
The guy’s lack of familiarity with each other showed on the field in their first few games. They gave up 33 runs and lost two of three games which makes this year a rebuilding season. However, this isn’t the first time the Timberwolves had a rough start to the season.
“[Last season was] frustrating because we had a lot of talent but fell short,” Nathan Thornhill, senior pitcher, said.
What they do have going for them is the hard work the team is willing to put in. In the offseason alone they lifted weights and ran nearly every day. The grueling workouts made the team stronger and fast which will translate on the field. They also have diversity within the team.
“[Our strength is] depth. We have lots of players that can play different positions,” Seesselberg said.
That ability for players to be switched in and out can be deadly against unsuspecting teams. It could be the key to taking down the Georgetown Eagles, the first district game of the season and the one team that the Timberwolves haven’t been able to defeat in the past four years.
“Our biggest opponent is probably Georgetown because they’re always good and have strong players,” Thornhill said. “They’re also the first game of district.”
The team has also improved since the start of the season. Their offense has gotten better by working on their batting skills and their practices have become more serious. The more the guys play together, the more they’re likely to gel on the field.
“As the season goes on and we become better friends I think [the chemistry on the field] will improve greatly,” Seesselberg said.
Their main goal for the season is the same as most other sports – playoffs. Last season they went 7-7, barely missing the fourth spot to advance.
“It was disappointing. We started off well but didn’t finish off how we wanted,” Collin Raddack, senior center fielder, said.
With that as motivation, the guys are more then willing to put in the extra effort to be the best and make it to playoffs. The team may be young, but they are willing to listen to each other to improve. There are six seniors leading the team, guiding the underclassmen in playing varsity ball. The team last year fell short of expectations driving them to be the best this year.
“We’re about the same [as we were last year] but we play better as a team so hopefully we’ll end up further along,” Raddack said.
The team has high hopes for the season, wanting to make it to playoffs and maybe even the state championship. The seniors are looking to leave the team with a winning season and start living up to their potential. They continue to grow and work hard to exceed expectations and reach their full potential.
