![Musical theatre class runs through “Footloose” during their dress rehearsal. Senior student director Mia Morneault says how much she’s enjoyed working with the cast and crew. “I am very proud of all the cast and crew who worked as hard on it as I have. A lot of people care about [this show],” Morneault said. “I have a lot of friends on the cast and on the crew, but I’ve also grown and gained friendships through the show, even as director where I may be a little more stricter than normal. And I am very grateful for everyone I’ve gotten to work with.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0657-1200x800.jpg)
![Sitting in a line of artwork, senior art student Kaemon Kato’s painting titled “Right Side of History” is displayed for attendees of the district’s art showcase. Kato’s painting is a political piece inspired by a photo of elementary schoolers in the street protesting against ICE. “I think it's also symbolic because they're surrounded by snow, which can represent ICE, and they are still marching,” Kato said. “[The kids] are not stopping until equality or justice is served, which I think is really important to represent and show.” Photo by John Pinion](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-26-114740.png)
![Broadcast, yearbook and newspaper combined for 66 Interscholastic League Press Conference awards this year. Yearbook won 43, newspaper won 14 and broadcast took home nine. “I think [the ILPC awards] are a great way to give the kids some acknowledgement for all of their hard work,” newspaper and yearbook adviser Paige Hert said. “They typically spend the year covering everyone else’s big moments, so it’s really cool for them to be celebrated so many times and in so many different ways.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/edited-ILPC.jpg)
![Holding up the bi-district champions trophy, junior shortstop Hudson Cuevas cheers alongside his team. The varsity baseball team played in the bi-district round of playoffs against the Boerne Greyhounds April 30-May 2, where they won Game 1 6-4, lost Game 2 2-1 and won the last game 5-2, allowing them to advance to area. “Honestly, [my favorite] big moment that wasn't even part of my moment was Dom's grand slam,” Cuevas said. “That was a big game changer in Game 1 of round one that ultimately helped us win that game and even move on. It set the tone for the games after and has really impacted and sparked this whole playoff run.” Photo by Allie Tseng](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/allie-boerne00159-1200x800.jpg)
![After he takes the handoff, senior running back Trae Hill runs down the field in search of a first down. Hill rushed for three touchdowns in the 43-36 loss against Frisco Wakeland last Friday, but the Timberwolves were eliminated from playoff contention. “[I’m] just happy I got to experience the game with my brothers,” Hill said. “I’m going to remember how close and how enjoyable everything was with these guys. They are my brothers for life. Just waking up and grinding together, and proving the naysayers wrong [was my favorite part].”
Photo by Kyra Cox](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/trae-hill-wakeland.jpg)
Dancing Without D
Celebs Move Forward After Losing Director of 17 Years
Music fades and applause fills the PAC at another performance from the Celebrities dance team. As the girls wait for the curtain to close, they hold their poses and look off to the side to see their director, Coach Stacy Danielson- one of the a pairs of clapping hands that matters most.
Danielson had been with the team for 17 years, and was referred to by the dancers as ‘the heart and soul of Celebrities.’ In June of 2016, Danielson was diagnosed with colon cancer. Throughout her chemotherapy, Danielson continued to attend every morning practice, show and football game. She battled her cancer for two years, but in late July, Danielson passed away in hospice care.
“It’s like those stereotypical heartbreak stories where once you lose somebody, your heart is missing a piece,” senior Celebrity Kate Klement said. “I never really believed in that until she died, and now I completely understand.”
There may be no moving on from the loss of their beloved coach, however the Celebs have been trying their best to move forward since July.
“We all know when it’s a hard day, and nobody hesitates to try to lift each others’ spirits up,” Klement said. “That’s what D loved the most about us.”
Poms up high, Celebrities officer Jenna McQueen lines of her dancers at the Vandy game on Aug. 31. This was the first time on the field since the passing of their dance director, Stacy Danielson. “It was definitely a very emotional time, when we circled up right before to do our team prayer,” McQueen said. “We all just had the same idea in mind, to make her proud.”
Apart from missing their coach during morning practices, football games and pep rallies, part of what makes this all so difficult is when little things remind the dancers of Danielson. Klement said it could be seeing the color blue, the color for colon cancer, or coming across deer, which Danielson notoriously loved to feed in her yard.
“The other night I was driving home and saw a deer,” Klement said. “I slammed on my breaks just completely in awe. It was like she was watching me to make sure I got home safe.”
The current line officers are the last who were chosen by Danielson. Celebs captain, senior Caiti Dodge, said that this pushes the officers to do everything in their power to keep their team strong.
“While our team will be struggling a lot emotionally, we just want to be the best cheerleaders for our girls and be the closest family we can be,” Dodge said.
Nikki Evans, the new the new Celebs director, said that over everything, she wants the girls to leave this year thankful for their experience on the team.
“[I am] just keeping in mind that these girls need love, they need support,” Evans said. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is that they are enjoying this experience- the friendships they are carrying on, the memories they are making, [and for the] seniors, the legacy they are leaving.”
Last year when Evans started on the team as the assistant director, she shared an office, and sometimes even a desk with Danielson. In just one year, Evans said that they became close friends who went out to dinner, walked their dogs and fed the deer in Danielson’s yard during their spare time. While Evans said that it is unlikely she will live up to the impact that Danielson made, she will definitely try.
“Her shoes are completely impossible to fill, there is absolutely no way I can touch these girls in the same way that she did,” Evans said. “She is such a special person to them, but as I move forward leading the team, I am trying really hard to just keep that standard that she would expect and would make her proud.”
Among the many reasons that people are missing Danielson, former Celebs manager senior Calissa Garbaccio said that what many remember her for was how important she made others feel. The last time Garbaccio talked to Danielson was before curtain call at Spring Show when she was debating on whether to bow with the other managers.
“Being the shy person I am, I didn’t want to go out on stage to bow because everyone would look at me and that’s too much attention,” Garbaccio said. “D came up next to me and grabbed my hand and pulled me on stage. I pulled back, not wanting to go, but she looked at me and told me in her hilarious, sassy voice, ‘I’m not going up there without you’ and I smiled and just walked on holding her hand.”
Looking back on her time on the team with Danielson, Klement said that she thanks her former coach for always being her biggest cheerleader.
“She was there for me when it felt like time couldn’t go by any slower, when I felt that I wasn’t good enough for people or for being on the team,” Klement said. “Every single time I needed guidance, knowledge or motivation, she did not hesitate.”
Throughout this year of Celebrities, there will be tears, there will be hugs and there will be plenty of high kicks. Evans said that no matter what it will take, they plan to become the best versions of themselves.
“I see a bright future for the team and I’m really excited,” Evans said. “I’m prepared and ready to make Stacy proud.”
Deana is a senior going into her fifth year of yearbook and second year as Editor-In-Chief of The Wolfpack newspaper. In her junior when she joined the paper, Deana found her passion in journalism and now plans to study it at UT Austin. She loves spending time writing long feature stories, editing articles and improving the look of the site in any way she can. Apart from the paper, Deana loves peanut butter and saving bugs from fatal catastrophe. She also loves making earrings and dying her hair fun colors. If you are looking for Deana, check Lab 7!
