Slice of Spice, Quarterback Club to host tailgate party

Laughlin's Slice of Spice and Western's Quarterback Club are hosting a tailgate before Western hosts CAAC rival Lumen Christi in football Friday night.  Kick-off is at 7 p.m. at the Dr. George M. Baker Memorial Field.

Stop in for a refreshment or a snack before the game....and again afterward as the restaurant is staying open late just for Western fans! (Okay, there may be some Lumen Christi fans there as well.)

Slice of Spice is located on M-60, in Spring Arbor's Village Crossing Mall. Questions regarding the Quarterback Club, or this event in particular, can be directed to club president Tom Dirlam at tomdirlam@comcast.net.

Volleyball, Cross Country traveling to Battle Creek Saturday

For separate events, both the volleyball and cross country teams will be spending time in the Battle Creek area Saturday for competitions.
The Cereal City Volleyball Tournament, hosted by Pennfield High School, will be played at various venues around the city.
"It's going to be interesting," senior Taylor Johnston said.
Meanwhile, the cross country runners will be competing in the Harper Creek Invitational.
"This meet is where a lot of people set personal records," sophomore Noel West said. "Everyone's excited. We have locker signs."

JV soccer to play in invitational at DeWitt

After Thursday's tough 4-1 loss to Portage Northern the JV soccer team will travel to DeWitt for an invitational tournament Saturday morning. The first game of the day will begin at 9 a.m.
The Panthers hope to build off of goals such as the one Brayden Heerlyn's scored Thursday on a great shot from 30 yards out.

Athletic Department making use of digital media

Western's Athletic Department has developed a new tool for sharing news and information with athletes, parents, and fans. The web site, westernpanthersports.com, has been up and running for several months.
"It's easier for college scouts, parents, and others in the community to specifically read about an athlete or event rather than trying to find it on the Western High School website," Athletic Director Mr. Jason Porter said. "I want us to be the standard for Jackson county. My hope for getting a new website out there is to allow more people to know about us."
Visitors to the site will find regularly updated posts from coaches, Mr. Porter, and Mrs. Bassett, as well as Athletic Trainer Chris Cowan.
"You'll find that each individual sport has their own page on this website," said Mrs. Bassett said. "You can also find schedules and coaches' contact information."
A significant feature of the website is it allows readers "follow" it on Twitter and "like" it on Facebook. "This way if you are not able to attend a sporting event, you can still get updates," Mrs. Bassett said.

Students encouraged to cheer for teachers at cardboard boat competition

Today at 3 p.m. seven Western teachers will participate in the United Way's “Float Your Cardboard Boat” competition at Cascades. 
Having chosen the Gilligan's Island as their theme, Mr. Messer and Mr. Glassel will be floating in the cardboard boat as the Skipper and Gilligan. 
Members of the Western community are encouraged to cheer them on as they attempt to float on their cardboard boat across the slimy pond. The more people cheering them on to win this charity event, the more likely they are to win a prize. Other teachers participating in the event are Mrs. Shore, Mrs. Sharp, Mrs. Marks, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Glassel, Mr. Messer and Mr. Hoffman.

Soccer team defeats Div. 1 power Portage Northern

  The Western boys varsity soccer team came out victorious last night against a tough Portage Northern team, winning 3-2. Gene Jones scored off of a penalty kick. Noah Duston and Kalen Devine each used their heads to score Western's other two goals. The team's win/loss record now stands at 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties. The team's next game will be Monday at home against CAAC foe Eaton Rapids.

Cast list for "Grease" to be posted today

The cast list for "Grease" will be posted todayafter sixth hour, on the bulletin board outside Mr.Dyer's classroom.
At the end of auditions Thursday show director Mr. Dyer said casting this show would be a challenge.
"A lot of schools would kill to have as many talented [actors] as we do."

Landon Hollow provides bright spot in tennis loss to state-ranked Lumen Christi

The Western boys tennis team traveled to Lumen yesterday and were beaten 7-1. The Titans are currently ranked number three in the state.
Tough play occurred across the courts as a young Western team battled the veteran Titans. Many of the matches were pushed to 3 sets. Landon Hollow posted a win at #1 singles by beating Connor Maadelena 6-2, 6-0. Hollow is now 9-1 on the year.

Freshman football team defeats Lumen Christi

The Freshman football team defeated Lumen Christi on Thursday night by a score of 25-8.  

The Panthers controlled the game from the beginning and led by a score of 18-0 at half. The offensive line dominated the second half as the Panthers marched the second half kick off 80 yards to take a 25-0 lead.  

Scoring for Western was Mason Callow with two touchdowns and Austin Cooper with two rushing touchdowns and a pass TD.  The defense was spearheaded by Michael Roush, Nick Eaton & Magnus Radala. Also making an impact on defense was Austin Marks and Jacob Lefevre, who had an interception. 

The Freshman next play Lansing Waverly at home next Thursday night at 6:30 PM.

Fans encouraged to come prepared, enthusiastic, to games

The Athletic Department would like to remind fans of some of the rules being enforced at the entrance to Western's football facility, the Dr. George M. Baker Memorial Field.

"Once you enter the gate, you are in for the night." Facilities Coordinator Mrs. Bassett said. "You will not be able to leave the football game and re-enter without paying again." 

This means fans should be sure to bring their sweatshirts, sun glasses, umbrellas, and other such items with them the first time.

Additionally, no open containers will be allowed through the gate. Spectators will be asked to dispose of open containers before admission.

"We want to keep the crowd moving through the gate," Mrs. Bassett said. "So everyone who comes to games here can be safe and have a good time.

Tom Benner elected to Jackson Golf Hall of Fame

Longtime Country Club of Jackson caddy master Tom Benner has been named this year’s inductee into the Jackson Golf Hall of Fame.
Benner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in ceremonies at 3 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Ella Sharp Museum. The public is invited at no charge.
The Jackson Golf Hall of Fame Committee selected Benner primarily for his work with the caddies at the Country Club of Jackson. He is in his 27th season in that position.
During that time, Benner has helped introduce hundreds of youngsters to golf and helped teach them the rules, etiquette and respect that mark the game. He has aided many caddies in their pursuit of Evans Scholarships, allowing them to attend college when they might not otherwise have been able. He has also been instrumental in the caddy scholarship program at JCC.
Benner has also been the boys and girls golf coach at Western High School, where he is a teacher, since 1991. Before that, he taught golf classes at JCC for 15 years.

- via westernpanthersports.com

Mason tops Lady Panther volleyball squad

   The Lady Panthers hosted Mason Wednesday night in their first conference match of the season. It was an exciting match even though Western was ultimately defeated in three games. 
   Libby Breton was the lead hitter with 11 attempts and 4 kills. Cheyenne Bolenbaugh contributed with 4 kills total. The team played with a lot of determination and kept a positive attitude throughout the night. A breakdown in communication during critical moments was a key factor in their loss. 
   Coach Hobson said she is "pleased with the team progression from last year."
   The travels to Battle Creek Saturday for the Cereal City tournament.

Varsity soccer shut out by Chelsea, 2-0

The varsity team played Chelsea Tuesday night and lost, 2-0. The team's win/loss record moves to 1-2-2.  The team's next game is at home tomorrow against Portage Northern.

Tennis squad defeats Eaton Rapids

The tennis team came away with their first CAAC win at home against Eaton Rapids 5-3. 
Singles wins came from Landon Hollow and Timmy Mayotte and the doubles came up big with wins from Zach Biederman and Jonah Engle, Chester Chan and Josh Marsh, and Cecil Burkhart and Sam Dobben. 

"I was proud of our guys tonight because we needed to buckle down and win late in the match to pull off the victory," Coach Doug Blume said. "Our guys stepped up and made it happen." 

The team's next match is Thursday night at Lumen Christi. Match play begins at 4pm.

JV soccer team rallies to victory over Chelsea

Tuesday night the boys jv soccer team traveled to Chelsea to take on the Bulldogs. After being down 3-1 in the second half, the team made an incredible comeback by scoring three unanswered goals to defeat Chelsea 4-3.
Scoring for the Panthers were Evan Shaw, Payton Ferris, Brayden Heerlyn off an assist from Jacob Morris, and Nathan Neubecker, who scored the game winner.
Liam O'Neil and Andrew Hughes shared the win in goal, with each coming up with some big saves. The defense, consisting of Luke Knapp, Dillon Lee, Logan Dashner, Brandon Valentine, Noah Devine, and Tyler Madden, did an outstanding job of holding off the Bulldogs in the second half.

JV tennis beats Eaton Rapids

The JV tennis team came away with another victory Tuesday evening, knocking off Eaton Rapids 6-1 in match play. They played eight game pro-sets. Below are the scores.

Singles

 #1)  Grant Meszaros  won  9-8 (5)

#2)  Josh Rennell  won 8-1

#3)  Seth Ganton  won 8-1

#4)  Elliot West  won 9-7

Doubles

#1)  Micah Ottolini/Zach Veneziano  lost 6-8

#2)  Austin Burkhart/Camden Odegard  won 8-5

#3)  Aaron Cryderman/Grant Welchli  won 8-3

Drama Club holding auditions for Grease

 Auditions for Grease are being held tomorrow, Sept. 5, and Wednesday, Sept. 6. Men are especially needed. Thursday is also the day for call backs for this show, but those who cannot attend Tuesday or Wednesday can come on Thursday.
See Mr. Dyer for details.
If you are musically talented, a dancer or love to strut your stuff on stage, make sure to come on out after school to the choir room and auditorium to show Mr. Dyer and Mr. Bickel what you've got! This is a chance to try something new and become a part of the Drama family.

- by Grace Coffey and Zane Waggoner

Teachers to participate in United Way event

The United Way is having a cardboard boat race this Friday at Cascades at 3 p.m.  Several Western High School and Middle School teachers are participating by designing, making and racing a boat. 
They are enlisting the help of student council members in the planning and building phases.
There will be a planning meeting in Mr. Anderson's room (209) at 2:45 tonight, followed by a building session in the scene shop.  If you are interested in helping see Mrs. Shore or Mrs. Sharp or just show up to the meeting at 2:45.  Also, any staff crew members that can attend your help would be greatly appreciated.

Volleyball hosting Mason, to open CAAC season

The Western volleyball girls have their first home conference match against Mason Wed, Sept. 5. JV starts at 5 p.m. and Varsity at 6:30 p.m. Come out and support your Lady Panthers!

Coach B's accepting sign-ups for segment one driver education

Coach B's Driving School is offering the segment one driver education class starting Sept. 10 at Western. Sign-up forms are in Mr. Benner's room.

Soccer to travel to Chelsea

On Tuesday, Sept. 4,the Western Men's Soccer team will travel to Chelsea for a competitive 80 minutes against the Bulldogs. Last year, Western defeated Chelsea 5-1. However, this year's matchup should shape up to be a real doozy.

-- Andrew Crowley

 

Sept. 12 to be first early release day of 2012-13 school year

Wednesday bell schedules should be posted around the school. On Aug. 12 students will stay with their third hour teacher for what will normally be power play. This time will be used to help sophomores, juniors and seniors sign up for power plays. Freshmen have an assigned program for the first session of power play.

First day of school to begin with pep assembly

About ten minutes into first hour Tuesday, students will be excused to the gymnasium for the Welcome Back Assembly.

"The band is going to play, teachers will be introduced, it's going to be all sorts of exciting," WHS Principal Mrs. VanRiper told the faculty at last week's staff meeting. 

After the assembly, students will be excused to their second hour classes. During second hour, teachers will distribute wrist bands and pencils imprinted with this year's theme, "UP 2 U".