![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 tension hangs thick in the air as the whole team sits on the benches nervously. Legs bouncing, nails and lips being chewed on, but no one is as nervous as the one on the court. The one who determines the cheers or the tears, the one whose match hangs in the balance of a win or a loss. It’s all on the line, and with a quick breath and swing of the racket, they knew it was time to deliver the win.
For the 12th year in a row, the varsity tennis team has made playoffs. With a win against Southwest Legacy High School, the team advanced to the Regional Quarterfinals Monday.
“Personally, this is the best season I’ve ever had in my whole high school career,” senior Julie Richter said. “I think this is the furthest I’ve ever gone in the playoffs. We’ve only made it to Bi-District the past three years, so we’re doing really well. We’ve just been growing and learning as a team and for me it’s really cool to see people younger than me love the sport that I do and grow with me.”
The team finished second in district after a loss against Leander in district finals. Despite the loss, senior Gaby Coutts said the team was still excited for the chance at a playoff run.
“[It] was really heartbreaking [losing to Leander], and there was a lot of emotion going on the court,” Coutts said. “Even though we didn’t win district champs, I’m still really proud of us for moving on to playoffs. It’s a super big deal, I’m really proud of us for that.”
Before facing Leander for the district title, the team played Liberty Hill in the semi-final match. Both Coutts and Richter said it was a big match for the team due to the fact they fell 9-10 to the Panthers earlier in the season. Junior Ethan Nyugen played the final match of the night, which determined if the team advanced or not.
“I was really nervous,” Nyugen said. “I was cramping up and everyone was just watching me. [But] my coach was there, and that really helped me [during the match]. He was just there helping me go through this, and my team was also cheering me on too, which was really nice.”
We really have to mentally prepare ourselves, because I feel like 90% of tennis is the mental side. You have to be so mentally strong out on the court, and no matter how many points you lose, no matter how down you are, you still have to keep fighting and keep trying.”
— Gaby Coutts (12)
The fall season, or sometimes referred to as team season, primarily involves team matches, meaning the players participate in both singles and doubles matches. Richter said the fall season allows players to prepare for the individuality the spring season brings on.
“Getting ready in the fall, it gets you ready for supporting yourself in the spring,” Richter said. “We all get split up at different sights. You could be the only person at your sight on your team, and you just have to mentally get through it. Team season really prepares you to be there for yourself, and it gets you ready skill wise as well.”
For Nyugen, he said he feels the fall season has brought improvement on the court, as well as off the court.
“Fundamentally my whole game has improved,” Nyugen said. “I feel like I’ve gotten so much ground on the court. Just my intelligence on the court has gotten better. This season [has also] really helped me build teamwork with other people and really showed me what I need to work on as a teammate myself with stuff like communication.”
The team is currently practicing to figure out the best lineup for the next match. Coutts said as important as the lineup is, the most important preparation is the mental prep before a match.
“We really have to mentally prepare ourselves, because I feel like 90% of tennis is the mental side,” Coutts said. “You have to be so mentally strong out on the court, and no matter how many points you lose, no matter how down you are, you still have to keep fighting and keep trying. Even if the player is a match point against you. You just have to keep the energy high and just mentally prepare yourself for any circumstance that could possibly happen.”
The team will face Alamo Heights on Monday in a must-win match in order to advance to Regional Semifinals.
“I’m just reminiscing and trying to hold onto all these matches [we’re playing] in the fall because fall season is always my favorite,” Coutts said. “The fall season is just primarily a team sport, we’re all together at all times, which is what I love about tennis. I love being with my teammates so I’m definitely holding onto all the memories we’re making, and I’m just really proud of everything we’ve been able to accomplish together.”
