The Warriors showed a promising start in the first quarter, with an early goal from Zach Propes ‘25. Led by strong defensive plays, the Warriors were able to hold Anderson until midway through the quarter when they scored their equalizer. All tied up midway through the first quarter, the offense attempted to generate momentum. Unfortunately, Anderson defense outmatched the Warriors and the pressure fell on the Warrior defense to fend off attacks. A few successful blocks from goalie Davis Hixon ‘28 held off Anderson for a while, but these attempts were not enough, as a goal slipped past, putting the Warriors behind. Minutes later, another goal by Anderson sealed Westwood’s first quarter 3-1. 

“I’m just proud of how many saves I got because it was my first varsity game,” Davis Hixon ‘28 said. 

A swift play from Anderson at the beginning of the second quarter only increased the Trojan lead. However, good defense all around held off the Trojans’ offense. But, an aggressive play by Anderson took out Davis Hixon ‘28 and resulted in a flag on the play. As the warrior backup goalie took the field, the Trojans capitalized on the opportunity, making the score 5-1.

“I just tried to do what I can to help the team,” Andrew LeBlanc ‘28 said. “[I’m going to work on] moving the ball better and [having] less turnovers.”

A defeated Westwood was no match for the Trojan offense in the third quarter as Anderson continued to hammer the Warriors, soon setting the game to 6-1. Unfortunately, after a weak chance at revival from the Warriors, Anderson rebutted and put up their eighth unanswered points on the Warriors, ending the third quarter 8-1. 

“I think I went around 50 percent on saves so I was really proud of that,” Hixon said. 

Westwood came out as a new team to close out the game. A slow start to the last quarter ensured neither team made serious offensive advancements. However, changing the momentum, a goal made by a teammate from another school*, AJ Loyd, started closing the gap. Another Westwood goal, made with mere minutes left in the game, showed hope for Westwood. And shortly after, a second goal by Loyd ended the game at 8-5 with Anderson on top.

“We  started rocky, of course, but we had a talk from our coaches to lock down the fourth quarter and that’s what we did,” Zachary Propes ‘25 said. “We had a shutout quarter and we put four goals up and that feels amazing, and I know everyone on defense feels the same way. “

The varsity men’s lacrosse team will face Memorial at 11 a.m. at the Warrior Bowl on Sunday, February 16.

*The Lacrosse team is composed of players from Westwood, McNeil, and Round Rock.

Determined to score big in the UIL competition two weeks from now, the cheerleaders fed off of eachothers high energy to impress the judges at the contest, as well as receive meaningful feedback to help improve their routine to go advance in the competition.

“Today we really wanted to get judges’ feedback on the material we’ve been working on,” Coach Melina Vargas said. “Some of the material is legacy from last year and some of it is completely new, [so] we wanted to get their opinion before we have the UIL [competition].”

Despite their high energy, not all went well as just an hour before they were up, an unexpected challenge arose for the team. One of their members fell ill, forcing the rest of the team to shift and improvise their long-prepared routine and with no time to spare, one of the alternates stepped in to fill the space, and quickly polished up their new routine, relying not only on teamwork, but perseverance to put it all together.

 “It was really stressful when we first found out, but I think we adjusted well in the time we were given before performing,” Karoline Hammonds ‘27 said. “I’m so proud of our team for that.”

Even despite the last-minute shake-up and high-stakes, the cheerleaders kept their heads up by motivating each other to do their best.

“All that matters is that we try our best. I just need to focus on getting stuff down like being louder and smiling more,” Addison Abney ‘28 said. “When I was out on the floor performing, I just kept looking at my coach and best friend and kept myself motivated by wanting to make them proud.”

The Warriors placed sixth out of seven teams. However, now with constructive feedback from the judges and a redirected focus on making their routine the best it can be, the team will continue to stay determined and take their victory at the State UIL competition on Saturday, Jan 18th at Fort Worth Convention Center. Although the Invitational did not just serve for rankings, but allowed the cheerleaders to grow and work on their teamwork, making each stunt, jump, and smile count.

What Fall Song Should you Add to your Playlist?

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Question 1/10

What is your picture-perfect fall day?

Baking

A brisk walk

Visiting a local bookstore

Lighting a candle and taking a bath

Submit

Question 2/10

What’s your dream vacation spot?

Bahamas

Mountains

Lakeside house

City in Europe

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Question 3/10

What water bottle would you pick?

Hydroflask

Owala

Stanley

I don't drink water

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Question 4/10

What’s your favorite color?

Light pink

Yellow

Orange

Dark purple

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Question 5/10

What dog would you choose?

German Shepard

Australian Shepherd

Cocker Spaniel

Corgi

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Question 6/10

What's your favorite food?

Cinnamon roll

Mac and cheese

Soup

Lavender cookie

Submit

Question 7/10

What's your favorite subject?

English

Electives

History

Science

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Question 8/10

What fall drink fits you?

Mocha

Hot chocolate

Tea

Coffee

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Question 9/10

What movie genre would you choose?

Romantic comedy

Horror

Romantic

Sad movie

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Question 10/10

What fruit is your favorite?

Strawberry

Dragon fruit

Watermelon

Grape

Submit

Gracie Abrams delivered unforgettable melodies with Close To You and Blowing Smoke both off of The Secret of Us. These melodies resemble that of a typical pop song while still bringing in the typical Gracie charm that so many crave from her music. Close To You tells the story of longing for someone but knowing they are unattainable. The line “I burn for you and you don’t even know my name” perfectly encompasses the feeling of watching someone from afar.

Blowing Smoke explores the never-ending feeling of jealousy that comes with your former person moving on. Both songs capture such typical experiences without over-dramatizing them. Abrams nails the complexity of each situation in her lyrics making them accurate and making the track the perfect scream-along song.

Leaving listeners stunned yet again, Abrams released  I Love You, I’m Sorry (Live From Vevo). At one of Abram’s tour dates, she made a note change by bringing up the octave on the line “to prove that it haunts me” and dragging it out. This change in melody had fans raving on social media, and for good reason. The note adds more flair to the song, making it simply irresistible. The beginning and end of the song also got upgraded. The beginning creates the perfect lead-up to the song, and the outro is the perfect way to slowly close out this musical masterpiece. 

Another part of why fans are obsessed with the deluxe version is that Abrams finally released the song That’s So True. Fans have been begging for what seemed like forever for this to be released. Clips of the unreleased version floated around social media keeping everyone in a trance while they waited for the official release. The song encompasses a captivating bridge and beautiful lyrics that always hit close to home. Her stunning vocals only enhance the song, enabling the listener to hear her raw emotion and experience it with her. 

Abrams has delivered yet another whimsical and moving collection of music. She has stayed true to her sound while ensuring she takes her music to the next level, a hard task in today’s industry where everyone is constantly changing with trends. It’s safe to say listeners are happy Abrams didn’t keep this album a secret. 

The clinic welcomed 82 girls from the surrounding elementary schools. Ensuring every kid had a fun and positive experience, the cheerleading team worked together to create the best camp to promote their program. Eventually, by the end of the clinic, the mini cheerleaders performed new tricks learned throughout the camp to their parents. After the camp was over, the girls walked out with new knowledge and skills of what it takes to be a Westwood cheerleader.

“[The clinic] is a way to show the future cheerleaders what cheerleading is like here,” Assistant Coach Kristen Russell said. “I’m hopeful that the awareness of cheerleading grows from this event and that the parents want to put their kids into it,” Russel said.

Last year only 63 girls participated, bringing more opportunities for support and leadership from the coaches, cheerleaders, and parents. This increased turnout was due to the team’s push to spread the word about the clinic. Passing out flyers at elementary schools, performing at elementary school pep rallies, and word of mouth all contributed to the increased turnout. These strategies not only spread the word about the clinic but also showcased the talent and spirit of Westwood Cheer.

“We send out a group of girls to show off their skills at pep rallies and football games,” Head Coach Melina Vargas said. “This is our biggest turnout compared to recent years.”

Amid the bustling excitement of the minis wanting to learn stunts and jumps, a new sense of responsibility was all the cheer team could think about. 

“Handling the kids was stressful but extremely rewarding,” Jenna Hallidy ‘25 said. “Not only were we put in groups that made it easier to deal with the kids but we had each other’s support and the support of parent volunteers and our coaches. Watching over little kids can be overwhelming when they don’t want to listen but at the end of the day, they were so sweet and excited to do fun cheer things.”

The clinic not only serves as an opportunity to promote cheer but also is a fundraiser for the Cheer Booster Club. The booster club covers costs for competition fees, uniforms, and any other things that the team may need to make them the best they can be. 

“[Our booster club] supports us with a lot of things and hosting this fundraiser is how we help them in return,” Coach Vargas said. 

For some cheerleaders, this event was a throwback to their days of being a ‘mini’ cheerleader, when they participated in the clinic. Determined to share the same joy they felt as a mini, the cheer clinic alumni made it their goal to inspire future Warriors and show them the side of cheer they cherish the most. 

“Now that I am [a cheerleader], it’s kind of like a dream come true,” Meeghan Moyer ‘27 said. “It’s inspiring to me that I’m here now. [Today,] we taught them different motions and our techniques for jumps and also went over stunts and tumbling to show their parents.”

The clinic succeeded with each ‘mini’ cheerleader walking away with an unforgettable time and new knowledge of the cheerleading world.

“My favorite part of the clinic was getting to teach the kids new things and give them the confidence to try new things,” Delaney Johnson ‘26 said. 

The future Warriors will showcase their hard work and new skills with the Westwood Cheerleaders at the volleyball game on Tuesday, Oct. 22 in the Field House.

In preparation for celebrating USA pride at the Pep Rally, the Cheer team practiced new and unique stunts to excite the audience. They were determined to give a show-stopping performance.

“The newest part would be the basket throws we did at the beginning of our routine,” base Giada Scaramuzza ‘25 said. “They are a super fun skill that the crowd likes, so I am super excited to use them! They have higher crowd engagement, and are overall really fun to watch.”

The final routine left the cheerleaders proud of their collective teamwork in making their performance a reality. Their daily practice allowed them to perform more advanced stunts than before, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

“I loved this pep rally routine,” cheerleader Zoe Gray ‘25 said. “We got to show off a lot of our skills and perform more advanced stunts than we have done before. The routine was super fun to perform and my favorite stunt was our toe-touch basket toss. Unfortunately not all of our stunts hit this time but I’m proud of all our hard work and improvement.”

The Pep Rally performance called for more advanced stunts compared to previous shows, including a pyramid forming in the shape of a W, to conclude their routine. Although challenging for the cheerleaders, they had faith in one another, leading to a successful show that exhilarated their audience.

“A lot of stuff was getting changed around but we were able to preserve and remained very encouraging of one another which was amazing to be a part of,” Jenna Hallidy ‘25 said.

An obstacle in their rehearsal process was a short timeframe as they only had a few chances to come together and work on the piece. With this limited amount of time to prepare for the routine, the cheerleaders worked well under pressure to make this routine memorable.

“I wish we had more time to prepare for this routine,” Gray said. “We really only had one practice to learn and finalize most of the routine so it was very last minute. This hurt the routine’s overall look because we didn’t have enough time to perfect and clean the skills we performed.”

However, despite the challenges throughout the week, the team remained calm under pressure by resorting back to their technique and muscle memory. The cheer team will hit the mat again as they spend the next few weeks preparing for their homecoming pep rally routine on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Carpenter’s new album has a charming mix of sweetness and sass, as Carpenter throws shade at old flames, new flings, and side pieces. The hit album perfectly encompasses the cheeky side of the up-and-coming pop princess. The former Disney star pulled no punches with several songs in her album that relate back to her real-life escapades. Carpenter, who was recently caught in a love triangle with Stitches star Shawn Mendes and his longtime on-and-off girlfriend Camila Cabello, didn’t hold back with her retelling of the story. Songs like Taste, Sharpest Tool, and Coincidence are all rumored to reference the skirmish between the stars.

Taste maintains an upbeat and ditsy beat while discussing the unforgettable mark Carpenter leaves in a relationship. Lines like “He’s funny now all his jokes hit different/guess who he learned that from” allude to the unshakable trace she’s left in Shawn Mendes’ life. The carefree music and cheeky lyrics truly represent Carpenter’s smart-alecky take on Mendes’ return to Cabello. 

Sharpest Tool delivers a direct blow to the Canadian singer’s handling of affairs. But beyond the fun and frisky lyrics, the song’s overall flow is an addictive listen. The slow reflective tone which speeds up to a fast rambling pace contributes to the sense of  exasperation and frustration within the singer. The use of anadiplosis, the repetition of the last word to the first word of the next line, makes for an addicting and catchy pre-chorus sure to get any listener to get up and dance. 

The final nail in Mendes’ coffin is Coincidence. This song pulls no punches and dives into the fiery relationship troubles between the three singers. Lyrics like “Palm Springs looks nice/but who’s by your side” fire shots at the rekindled spark between Mendes and Cabello. The lyrics build on each other to not only reach a catchy beat but to tell a story, keeping the listener hooked. As far as the musicality goes, the beat seems to build on itself reaching the climax and trailing back down leaving the listener ready to dive in for more. 

Carpenter made sure to cover all her bases, leaving no former lovers safe from the Short n’ Sweet limelight. Barry Keoghan, Carpenter’s now ex-boyfriend, played her love interest in the Please Please Please music video. This song dives into the stress of worrying about your partner embarrassing you. The overall playful energy of the track makes the song irresistible. Her soft voice paired with her wide vocal range offers different sonic points of interest, highlighting her natural talent. Carpenter’s voice is the star of the show in this song, letting her vocal talents shine. The music acts as an aid, enabling her whimsy to speak for itself. 

Short n’ Sweet has offered a welcome shift for listeners. Carpenter has honed her sound and embraced her cheeky side with her lively lyrics. Fans are embracing this new side of Carpenter, and loving the sass offered in this album. Carpenter was spot on: we are definitely thinking about her every night.