The Southern Eagle

           This year’s South Hunterdon Regional High school cross country season began the same as the ones before it.  Long runs, intervals and track practices pushed the team to be their very best.  The season’s beginning was seemingly conventional; no one could have predicted its outcome. For the first time in SHR history, the boys cross country team placed 3^rd in Sectionals, making it to States.

           South Hunterdon Regional High School is a small, close knit community of merely 200 students.  It is the smallest public high school in the state which presents some challenges, especially for its sports teams. The cross country program is especially small. With boys and girls teams made up of only seven and six runners respectively, there is no room for absence or injury.

 “A small team definitely has its disadvantages. If we have less than five girls, which happened quite a few times, our scores aren’t counted,” said senior girls captain Brielle Cameron. 

While small numbers proved to be a challenge, they were also a gift. “We are like a family,” junior Juli Riggs said. 

“We’re all in different places time-wise. Some kids are faster than others, but it doesn’t matter. When we get together for a practice or a race, we just run. Everyone supports you whether you’re first or last,” said boys captain, Jared Bogdan.

Those who do not participate in cross country often think that it is a sport of … well… simply running.  Those assumptions could not be more untrue. Running is a sport that challenges the athlete mentally as well as physically.

“You have to be stubborn in order to be a good runner. Running is almost never fun; you have to have to push through the pain to get the reward,” said Riggs.

The incredible accomplishments of the team were not simply handed over on a silver platter. While many sports have a short pre-season in August, South runners could be spotted on early morning runs on the tow path as early as June.

Many ask, “Why would anyone want to do that?” after hearing of the strict practice schedule, and hundreds of miles run throughout the season. Sophomore Joey Quinn answered that question perfectly, “I run because I like the feeling of accomplishing something truly significant.”

            Hard practices got the team physically prepared for difficult races; however, the entire team agrees that they wouldn’t have accomplished anything without the superior leadership and dedication of head coach, Scott Ward.

 “Mr. Ward is the most dedicated person that I know. He is really hard on us, but that’s what makes us better runners. We all respect him,” said Riggs.

 “His commitment inspires me,” said Quinn. Driving a great distance from his home to early morning Saturday practices, balancing a demanding academic schedule with coaching two teams, and providing great opportunities for his runners was not always easy, but Ward always made it work.

 “Mr. Ward pushes me to become greater than I expect to be. Our team wouldn’t be anything without him,” said Cameron.

The success of South Hunterdon’s cross country team is well deserved. The hard work and dedication of the entire team was rewarded as the boys placed 15 out of 20 in the States race, and Third in their Sectional group.

“My goal for next year is to simply build on all this success. I hope to see both teams advance to States next year,” said Ward. The Cross Country Team has raised the bar; the Boys’ team has left a legacy never to be forgotten, and showed the entire state that although our school is small, South Hunterdon can not be ignored.

by Shelby Wilson 

            After more than 50 years of the Thanksgiving Day football game against Delaware Valley High School, the tradition is coming to an end.

For the past 10 years, the game has been an uneven match; Del Val has an increasing number of students every year, with upwards of 700 in 9^th through 12^th grades. This trend is projected to continue. South has roughly 200 students in high school.

This year, we will bring back an old, but not forgotten tradition on Thanksgiving day, for the first time in decades, we will play New Hope-Solebury High School in the first-annual Battle of the Bridges. New Hope currently has a record of four wins and five losses, while we have three wins and six losses. Parents, students and players alike all wait in anticipation for the game.

“I think we have a really good shot,” says cheerleader Heidi Culbertson, we have very close records, and I’m excited to see the game!”

Many say that this is going to be the game of the season, giving the winning team “bragging rights.”

            After a recent victory, we hope our luck continues as we make our way across the bridge on the morning of Thursday, November 24^th for the first, and hopefully not the last, Battle of the Bridges.

12/25 UPDATE:

The South boys took the victory in a rigorous 12-10 game over the New Hope Lions. Sophomore Devin Troutman made both of the touchdowns for the Eagles, and senior Carlos Sandavol was crowned MPV. Great job Eagles!