Charter Oak High School

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Soccer standout signs with NAIA powerhouse

Charter Oak is usually known for sending football players to the next level, however, senior soccer player Angel Aguirre is helping to change that. On March 17, Aguirre signed his letter of intent to play for Marymount California University, an NAIA school that is ranked third in the nation.

The signing took place in the Charter Oak library, where it began with an opening statement from athletic director Dominic Farrar. 

“It is an honor for us to get you serve and represent your family, your coaches, your community, and a part of you is going to build that legacy when you go to the next level,” said Farrar about Aguirre. “We thought it was only appropriate to celebrate your successes and commend you for your achievements. On behalf of everyone of us we are very proud of you, and on behalf of our administration and community we’d like to congratulate you.”

Aguirre will be joining a stacked Marymount team, as they made it to the Final Four last year before losing to no. 6 Davenport. The Mariners are looking to build on their success and go even farther this year. They expect nothing but the best from Aguirre.

The Marymount coaching staff is looking for Aguirre to compete for a starting spot immediately. 

“We saw a lot of potential in him,” said Marymount Assistant Coach Isidro Torres. “So we thought we could get him to come in and contribute from the beginning.”

Besides the soccer program being ranked no. 3 in the NAIA, there were other factors that drew Aguirre in choosing Marymount. 

“I went to go visit the campus and it was a lot similar to Charter Oak in size and the location was beautiful, the people were also very welcoming,” he said. “This is a new opportunity to continue working towards my goal of becoming a professional soccer player. I’m excited to work hard and take advantage of it.”

— Andres Soto

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Cheers quest for a new coach ends

With the end of the school year approaching, chaos is everywhere. Worries about grades, graduation, the perfect prom dress, college and summer plans have left most students and teachers unaware of a recurring issue: Charter Oak’s pep squad coaches have quit again, and the hunt for a new coach is on.

In the last four years the pep squad has had three pairs of coaches be fired or quit. The reason why is unknown to many, and others did not even know the spirit teams have lost their coaches. Varsity cheerleader Madeline Bustillos has said that the issue has left senior cheerleaders wishing for a better year and left athletic teams spiritless. Unlike previous years there were two main factors that have caused this year’s coaches to pack up and leave without so much as a goodbye: the parents and the team itself.

Most of the girls are not afraid to admit that the team has is a problem and that parents are holding them back. Varsity cheerleader Kai McMillan even admitted that the team has no discipline, and some of the girls hate being told what to do. “When they get disciplined, they get mad and tell their parents, which causes the parents to start complaining,” McMillan said. A person with knowledge about cheer has said that the girls and their parents are too used to youth cheer and need to realize this is high school: things change.

According to some though, these are not the issues. The issues are that there are no leadership skills being shown and that the girls are being ignored. When four of the cheerleaders were asked, they said that they are angry because they feel ignored by the school. They have been asked to come up with solutions, but to them, it is useless. When they respond, the individuals they report to do not seem to care. It seems biased, but yet their suggestions seem largely ignored.

The school seems to pick up the pieces of this mess fast and recently a new coach was hired. McMillan said, “She’s fierce. It’s her way, or no way. She was a Clippers cheerleader. She is disciplining them, and she has experience. I hope it works.” Currently the district is trying to fill in the position for a second coach. Along with the new coach, the team also had tryouts, and the results were stunning to some. Gone were the cheerleaders who have been on the team this year, and in come new girls who have the skill level it takes to be on the team.

Heather Lehigh, a former cheer advisor at Charter Oak, commented, “Change is good. There is a new coach, new principal and new teammates. When it comes to cheer, there is no tradition. You work to be there, and you change.” When asked about the situation, the only comment said was, “No one person can do it; it is impossible with junior varsity and varsity. An advisor and two coaches can do the job. It is important that they also care about the sport.” 

Out with the old and in with the new has never been more accurate. Now everyone can hope that next year will be better and that the team becomes stronger than it has been these last few years. All they need to remember is change is good.

-Jessica Carreon

Photo by Alex Figueroa

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Charter Oak wrestling represented at state

The Charter Oak High School wrestling team definitely has had its ups and downs. The program has usually found great success during league, however they rarely produce wrestlers who go deep into the tournaments. Junior Adriana Oliva has played a part in going above and beyond by reaching the state tournament for the second year in a row.

Oliva has been wrestling since she was 11 years old, and cites her two older brothers, as her reason for doing it.

“I started wrestling when I was in the sixth grade, and my sister was always at my practices and she wanted to join because she thought she would like it,” her brother Jesus, 12, said. “Our dad originally wouldn't let her, but he changed his mind later on.”

Fast forward to this year. Oliva had made it past CIF and Masters, and was headed to the state tournament for the second straight year. Her last time at state wasn't a triumphant one, with her being eliminated in the first day, so she was determined to perform better this time.

Adriana won her first match, however she lost her second. She still qualified to wrestle the next day. In order to qualify for the third day, Oliva would need to win all her matches in the second day since she had lost in the previous day. Once again, she won in the first round, but lost in the second round, eliminating her from state.

“It was a fun experience but it's become a regular thing for me now,” Oliva said. “I think the way it ended this year is really motivating me to do well for next year.”

As her brother said: “I think she expects more from herself than we do.”

The wrestlers competing at state aren't just the best in California, some of them are top-ranked nationally, which Oliva says has made her a better wrestler by going at it with them.Oliva’s goal for next season is to not only make it to state again, but to win it. She is open to wrestling at the college level, however she said it depends on which schools show interest in her.

-- Andres Soto

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Charter Oak's Rocky

Jajaira Gonzalez was just eight years old when her father, Jose, who is also her coach, required that she learn self-defense. Being forced into something is hard enough, but when you are born into a family of boxers, the pressure is on. Yet Jajaira has no problem living up to her family’s expectations and even got as far as being a Youth Olympic Champion.

Jajaira and a teammate made U.S. history when they become the first boxers to medal in the Youth Olympic Games last summer in Nanjing, China. Jajaira brought home the gold medal in the lightweight division.

Winning world championships is not new for Jajaira. In 2014 she won the Junior and Youth World Championship, and in 2013 she was the Junior World Champion in her weight category and was the Junior World Team Open Champion. Her competitions have taken her around the world.

When Jajaira started to box, she was only learning self-defense, but the more she practiced, the more she fell in love with the sport. Even her friends acknowledge all the time and effort she puts into it, along with all the sacrifices she makes. For the last ten years she has been training non-stop to reach her goals and make her family proud. According to her father, they train seven days a week and travel to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for weeks at a time to train. The biggest sacrifice is not seeing her family often.

Still she manages to keep in contact with her family and friends even while in a different country. You cannot say the same with school though. With traveling constantly and training for hours, schoolwork is bound to pile up. She maintains passing grades, but both training and traveling have caused her grades to drop, she says.

Her father says he is very proud of her, both as a coach and as a father. He also says that it does hurt him when she gets hurt, but he is confident that she will not let anyone get to her. When asked about how hard the relationship is, he responded, “The relationship is tough, but we try to not mix up anything. They know when I’m being a coach and when I’m being their father.” His sons also box competitively.

Jajaira has been so successful that she has the opportunity of making boxing a career. When Jose was asked about the future, he said,“I know that if we got the opportunity to make it even bigger in the sport, she will, but also she would have to deal with the doubters.”

Jajaira has won 15 awards and is a three times world champion. She is planning to put off college for a year to participate in the 2016 Olympics.

Despite her struggles and sacrifices, Jajaira has a good head on her shoulders. She says, “Boxing has taught me to have more discipline, more responsibility and independence. I feel like I have been humble. My key thing is that I don’t want to be stuck up.”

With a good attitude and a good support system, we can only expect many more achievements for Charter Oak’s very own Rocky.

-Jessica Carreon

Photo provided by Jajaira Gonzalez

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Seniors and juniors finish in controversy, sophomores triumph in Powderpuff

Powderpuff football has been a tradition at Charter Oak for many years, and for the most part, it's exclusively been senior girls vs junior girls. However, in an effort to raise more money for the football program, this year’s powderpuff game was turned into a double header featuring the seniors squaring off against the juniors as well as the sophomores and freshmen playing each other.

A few other changes implemented this year were that the games were both played under the lights with the freshmen and sophomores facing off at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26, and also the games were to be played by four 12-minute quarters, instead of each team having a few possessions.

The freshmen and sophomores were the first to play. Freshmen received the kickoff, however they weren't able to much on their first drive as they went three-and-out. The sophomores didn't do much in their first possession of the game either, however they would find the end zone on their next possession with five minutes left in the first, and would convert the two-point attempt, taking an early 8-0 lead.

The sophomores picked off a pass from the freshmen later on in the first, but they weren't able to capitalize on it, and the rest of the first half was idle. The sophomores would go into halftime up, 8-0.

Once the third quarter began, it became clear that this was a defensive battle, as neither team was able to score until the final minute, when the sophomores would punch it in for another touchdown, however this time the two-point conversion was no good and their lead was now extended to 14-0 over the freshmen.

The defense starred in the fourth quarter, as neither team could get much going on offense and the sophomores would cruise to a 14-0 victory over the freshmen in the first powderpuff game between the two underclasses.

The seniors and juniors played immediately following the sophomore-freshman game. The first quarter was eerily similar to the previous game. As both offenses weren’t able to get much going. It wasn't until late in the second quarter that the first points of the game were scored, when senior quarterback Taylor Guzman connected with receiver Cameryn Corcoran for a touchdown. The seniors would go for one point, however they failed to convert it, which resulted in them having a 6-0 lead at the half.

Nobody would score in the third quarter, as the junior defense began to force turnovers and give their offense opportunities, however the junior offense wasn't able to capitalize. In the early fourth quarter, they had gotten another interception deep in senior territory, and the seniors were making an impressive defensive stand as they forced the juniors into a fourth down situation. However, what happened in the next few moments would completely change the landscape of the game. On fourth down, the juniors decided to go for it. At first, it seemed like they ran a stretch play that would be stopped by the seniors; however the ball was reversed at junior Jessica Arevalo, who would go untouched all the way into the endzone to tie the score at 6 with seven minutes left to play. The juniors then decided to go for one point, as that was all they needed to take the lead. The juniors were stopped, albeit illegally, as the seniors had tackled to keep them out of the endzone, which is against powderpuff rules.

The seniors were making tackles and being aggressive for most of the game, and it seemed as though that was the last straw for the juniors, as they began to shove the seniors back after the play, more people were shoving until shoves turned into punches and a brawl ensued between the classes until it was broken up by the coaches. The clock was still running during this time and the seniors now had the ball deep in their own territory with about a minute left in the game to score. They were able to run one play, however as the seniors tried calling a timeout, the scoreboard operator did not see them signaling for one and about 30 more seconds were burned before the clock was finally stopped.

The seniors ran one more unsuccessful play and time expired. Tensions were already high from the brawl, so head football coach/powderpuff referee Lou Farrar decided to end it there and not have any sort of overtime to determine a winner. The game ended in a 6-6 tie, to the boos of several parents and fans.

It will be interesting to see if next year’s powderpuff will revert to the old format, continue with this new one, or be modified slightly again, as it has some tweaks to be made. The paying fans were voicing their dissatisfaction at the abrupt and controversial ending to the game, as many felt that there needs to be a winner in powderpuff. In this case, neither team won on the field or off of it.

-- Andres Soto

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Historic season ends for Lady Chargers

They won league for the first time in twelve years, they had the most successful season in the history of Charter Oak girls water polo, and all of a sudden, their season was abruptly cut short by the Palm Desert Aztecs.

Palm Desert was considered one of if not the best team in the bracket this season, boasting a 14-1 overall record along with going undefeated in league play. The Chargers were the underdogs, however that has usually been the case for little old Charter Oak, no matter the sport or ranking. CO is a tough school that goes down fighting, and this team did exactly that on Feb. 25.

The first quarter of play began and the Lady Chargers were holding their own against the highly favored Aztecs. The two teams exchanged blows during the first quarter and CO had a manageable deficit of 3-2 heading into the second.

Charter Oak was scoring goals in the second quarter as well, however Palm Desert was beginning to assert themselves more as the quarter went on and they went on a tear. By the end of the half, the water was getting a little warmer as Charter Oak was now trailing 7-4.

The teams came back out for the second half, and Palm Desert looked to be on a mission. They began to pull away, and continuously took advantage of a stunned Charter Oak team, who looked like a deer in the headlights. The Chargers would need to dig deep to pull this one off, as the Aztecs were on top 9-5 at the end of three quarters.

As I said before, there is no quit in Charter Oak. People count us out as a school and we always overcome the obstacles in front of us or take as much of it down as we can. That’s what this girls’ water polo team did in the fourth. The Chargers went on a tear to score four goals and their defense held the Aztecs to only two; however it was a case of too little, too late as their dominant season came to an emotional end, falling just short to Palm Desert, 11-9.

At the end of the day, regardless of the result, this team made school history. Not only did they have the best season in the history of their program, they established that Charter Oak is capable of dominating at sports other than football. These girls have inspired and gave the entire school a breath of fresh air, and it was an honor covering them this season. The future looks bright for them as well, they only have four seniors leaving. 2015-2016 should be an interesting one from the Charter Oak girls’ water polo team.

— Andres Soto

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Charter Oak charges into girls' water polo semifinals

The Charter Oak girls' water polo team hosted their first ever CIF playoff home game on Feb. 21 and made even more history after they pulled off an 11-8 win against Yucaipa: they advanced to the semifinals for the first time.

Going into the game, the Lady Chargers were confident that they could win, however they did not let their recent success get the best of them.

“We have not seen Yucaipa yet so we’re going into this game blindly, but we’re confident we will do well,” said senior Devynn Stein before the game. “We have to trust each other and play how we have been playing in these tough games. As long as we do that and don't break down physically or mentally we will win this game.”

The Chargers started off the game on a hot streak, scoring the first goal of the game within the first 10 seconds. CO would go on to score two more goals until halfway through the first quarter when Yucaipa got on the scoreboard. The two teams traded goals for the remainder of the quarter, and Charter Oak would have a slim 5-4 lead.

The Thunderbirds gained the upper hand in the second quarter. They took the lead early on and completely shut down the Chargers defensively for most of the period. Yucaipa had all the momentum, however CO would take it back late in the quarter and scored the go-ahead goal with a buzzer beater to go into halftime up, 7-6.

The third quarter was mostly a defensive battle. The Chargers scored first, however the Thunderbirds would score a goal of their own before giving up another one to Charter Oak. At the end of the third, the Chargers would be winning by a score of 9-7, seven minutes away from making school history.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Chargers did anything but coast. They gave up a goal to Yucaipa early on, however from then on they took control of the game for the rest of the way. Charter Oak would win the game 11-8.

With that win, it is safe to say the Charter Oak girls water polo team has cemented their place in Charter Oak history. They will be playing in their first-ever semifinal game on Feb. 25 on the road against Palm Desert High, where they will be continuing their quest for a CIF championship.

-- Andres Soto

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Charter Oak girls' water polo advances

At the beginning of this season, many people were questioning whether this year’s girls’ water polo team would be able to replicate the success of the team last year, which made it to the second round of the playoffs. The Lady Chargers were in the midst of a coaching change, along with seeing many seniors graduate, most people thought that this year would be a rebuilding year for them.

However, CO took full advantage of people counting them out and playing in a new league en route to a dominant season. They were on a tear throughout the whole year and ended up with an impressive 11-2 record along with the Hacienda League title.

Senior Devynn Stein attributes this year’s success to the recent coaching change. “Last year, we lacked a coach who could unite us as a team and we played selfishly. This year, we have a a great coach who taught us that if we play together and support each other we will perform better than if we don’t,” Stein said of new Coach Doug Lindsey.

For the first round of the playoffs, the Chargers took on a Monrovia team that they had already seen this year and handled pretty well. “We all knew we could play well against Monrovia because we had already played them before and beaten them,” said Stein.

The Chargers proved on Feb. 18 that history does repeat itself. They came storming out of the gate and just dominated the Wildcats all over again. Charter Oak would end up beating Monrovia by a score of 13-2 and would advance to the quarterfinals.

The Lady Chargers will host the Yucaipa Thunderbirds in the quarterfinals on Feb. 21, it will the the first CIF playoff game to be played at Charter Oak High in the history of the school. Yucaipa has a league record of 10-2 and an overall record of 24-5. Charter Oak has their work cut out for them, but they’re determined to make school history.

—Andres Soto

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Lady Chargers win league in water polo

After a rough start to league with a loss to Los Altos, the Charter Oak girls’ water polo team fought back and went on a tear to be crowned the 2015 Hacienda League champions. The Chargers got their revenge on Los Altos on Feb. 3, and went on to beat their other league rivals Walnut and West Covina for a second time each this season. All they needed to do was beat the visiting Chino Cowboys on Feb. 12, senior night, and the league title was theirs.

CO was clearly determined to take care of business; they took control of the game early on, as they usually do. Junior goalie Destiny Ramirez made several key saves, along with quick goals from senior Devyn Stein, sophomore Katie Fugit, and junior Sarah Adams to finish the first quarter up 4-0.

The second quarter began with a sliver of hope for Chino as they struck first, however the Chargers never looked back as they simply began to dominate the Cowboys. By halftime, Charter Oak had the lead, 11-1.

The action stalled for a bit in the third, as Chino would score another goal, and CO scored two more. This quarter was all about defense for both teams, and it seemed both goalies wouldn’t give up another goal. The Chargers wouldn’t mind though, as they still had a commanding lead going into the fourth quarter, up 13-2.

Charter Oak coasted in the fourth and final quarter, they scored two more goals and gave up one last one to seal their victory and league championship. They ended up with a convincing win over Chino, 15-3.

The Lady Chargers will now advance to the CIF playoffs for the second year in a row, and are looking to accomplish even more than they did last season. Right after the win, the whole team ran through a banner that read ‘LEAGUE CHAMPS” and proceeded to jump into the pool in celebration.

-- Andres Soto

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The unknown ballerina

As a child, many girls wanted to be a ballerina. Whether they played with Barbie in her tutu or asked their parents to get them classes, they loved the idea of it. The grace while dancing, the confidence of being in front of people, and the elegance of movement all appealed to them. Some even made it a hobby, but few grew passionate about and made it their life. Bailey Spelman, sophomore, is one of the few.

At just the age 15, she has already achieved the distinction of becoming a professional dancer. At the age of four, Spelman started ballet, and her passion grew each year. She practices one and a half to two hours each day. With she is in rehearsals for a program, practices can range from one hour to five hours, three to four days each week.

She is also part of the Charter Oak Advanced Dance Team, whom she practices with every day. Impressively, she also dances professionally with a company called American Ballet Theatre throughout the year. Yet all this work does not hold her back from completing all her academic work and being an outstanding student.

Spelman manages to practice for hours while still keeping up with her schoolwork. Spelman maintains a 4.0 GPA while having all honors classes, and she is planning to participate in the IB program. When asked about how she accomplishes this, she says she manages her time and does her homework first and then dances. Schoolwork is her priority, but that does not take away from her dancing time.

During the summer, she has more free time, and she takes full advantage. She auditions at school and with companies. Ballet is her passion, and her love for it continues to grow. She constantly wants to improve and reach her goals. Being a professional dancer obviously requires sacrifices, but Spelman does not mind.

Spelman's family means so much to her, and they have been a constant support. Her parents have always allowed her to take lessons, provided her equipment, and adjusted to her schedule. In the summer she travel to cities like Chicago and Alabama with her mom.

Many at school may not know about her talent because she is humble about it and does not brag. Despite being so young and still a younger classman, Spelman still knows where her priorities lie and works hard to achieve them. Her dream is to become a ballerina in a major company, and she know how competitive it will be so she keeps to her focus. She maintains high academic standards so she will be eligible to dance at a good university as well and advance from there.

Spelman is an unstoppable girl with a realistic mindset, who holds on to her big dream.

-Jessica Carreon

Bailey Spelman posing in the Attitude position.

Photo by Alice Moore

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#21 Club: Anthony Ortega battling cancer

Dec. 5, 2014, is the date that changed Charter Oak senior Anthony Ortega’s life forever. Anthony was going through what was a normal day until he was in his second period Economics class.

“I was in second period, and my friend Ryan Hansen pointed out that I had a ball on my neck,” Ortega said. “I felt it and realized it was about the size of my palm.” 

“We were in class and it was about to end, and I saw this lump on his neck. He told me that it was from getting hit in basketball a few days before, but I told him to get it checked out,” said Hansen, a senior classmate and friend of Ortega.

Ortega then went to his basketball coach, Randy Thatcher, and told him about the lump on his neck. “I was one of the first ones who saw him and knew something was wrong; I was worried for him and told him to go to a doctor immediately,” said Coach Thatcher. 

Ortega went to the doctor, and they ran tests on his lump all throughout December. He had a biopsy done during the last week of school before winter break, and on Christmas Day, Ortega was told that he had Stage 1 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it,” said Ortega on receiving the news.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a form of cancer that develops from white blood cells also known as lymphocytes. It is characterized by the orderly spread of the disease from one group of lymph nodes to another and, in later stages, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Hodgkin’s lymphoma, especially when found in the early stages, is treatable with either chemotherapy or radiation therapy and has a survival rate of 85%. 

Ortega was told he had to begin chemotherapy on Jan. 9. He was told he could no longer play basketball and it was recommended that he be homeschooled for the remainder of the year. However, Ortega did not want to miss his final semester of high school. He wanted to graduate from Charter Oak, so he decided to stay in school. “I wanted to participate in all my senior activities,” said Ortega on his reasoning for not leaving. 

“I thought that was a very interesting decision on his part,” said Coach Thatcher. “Lots of students would love to suddenly miss school, but Anthony wanted to be with his fellow students. He has to be tough and he puts on a tough front, but he doesn't always show that he's really hurting to everyone. I'm happy for him, if he had stayed home, I think he would be thinking on the bad instead of the support that everyone has given him here.” 

Ortega played his last basketball game on Jan. 7 in a home game against Nogales High. It was a back and forth affair the whole night, and the score was dead even at 48 with 10 seconds left. Charter Oak guard Amier Thomas took the ball down the court, and he set up a pick-and-roll which left Ortega with a wide open lane to the basket. He made the easy layup for the win in his final game. “It was a good moment. It was something I won’t ever forget in my four years of playing basketball here,” said Ortega. “It was a great feeling.” 

“First I was really happy for the team because it was a great team win,” said Coach Thatcher. “I was also really happy for Anthony. He's an emotional guy, so it meant a lot for him to do something for his teammates. There was a lot of joy and a lot of tears.” 

After the Nogales game, it became known to the entire school that Ortega had cancer. What followed was an outpouring of support throughout the school. Students have not only given emotional support, but some have even donated to Ortega’s fundraiser to help his family pay the medical bill, started by head basketball Coach Brandon Cunningham. The team has also begun selling T-shirts in support, and all the proceeds will be donated to the Ortega family.

“I think support is more important than anything else for him, there's nothing else we can do but pray and think good thoughts,” said Coach Thatcher. “I think he needs as much of it as possible and it will help him. The battle is far from over, he’ll be fighting for at least six more months.” 

“Everyone’s been very supportive of me and telling me that everything is going to be alright, and that I’ll be back to normal in a few months,” said Ortega. “It really means a lot.” 

The basketball team is planning to honor Ortega during Senior Night on Feb. 13, and is encouraging as many of his classmates and friends as possible to show up in support of him during the pregame ceremony. Ortega’s shirts are being sold for $12 at all the basketball games and can also be purchased through Coach Thatcher. The fundraiser for the Ortega family can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/21club. 

-Andres Soto

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Chargers basketball escapes Nogales

The Charter Oak boys' basketball team was looking to recover from a rocky showing at the Whittier Holiday Tournament, and tonight was a step in the right direction. The Chargers hosted the Nobles of Nogales High School in their first home game of the season. While they have to fight to earn everything they have earned so far, the Chargers would truly have to grind this one out as it would come down to the wire. They would be able to pull of the narrow victory and come away with a 50-48 win.

Charter Oak would get the hot start and momentum to start the game, as they found themselves with a 12-3 lead in the early stages of the game. For the rest of the first quarter they were able to keep the Nobles at bay and would end it with a 16-10 lead.

The Chargers offense exploded in the second quarter. They got the job done on defense as well, keeping their momentum going and demoralizing the Nogales players. Charter Oak would go into halftime with a comfortable 31-23 lead.

The tides started to turn in the third quarter however, as the Nobles came out of halftime fired up and ready to grind out a comeback victory. It was a defensive battle to start the second half, as the Chargers were held to just six points in the third, and Nogales was right on their heels once again. Going into the fourth quarter, Charter Oak was clinging onto a 4 point lead, 37-33.

The Chargers were not going to let this game slip through their fingertips, and they came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. With just a few minutes left in the game, Charter Oak had their biggest lead of the night, 44-33.  Nogales would just refuse to go down. They would come right back to make this game close again. In the final minute of the game, Charter Oak had the upper hand going up, 48-45. Nogales would soon cut that lead town to 48-47 with about 20 seconds left, and while the Chargers had the ball a controversial foul was called on them, which resulted in free throws for Nogales. They made the first one to tie the game at 48; however, they would miss the second free throw. Senior shooting guard Amier Thomas then took it down the court and hit senior Anthony Ortega on a pick and roll to sink the game-winning layup in with five seconds left in the game. After a missed desperation shot by the Nobles, the Chargers celebrated their hard fought victory.

With this win, Charter Oak was able to end their preseason on a positive note. On January 14, they begin league play by visiting a tough Diamond Ranch team. 

— Andres Soto

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Lady Chargers stampede Mustangs

After opening league play with a tough loss against rival Los Altos last week, the Charter Oak girls water polo team had a chip on their shoulder. They had a successful preseason, with big wins over teams such as San Dimas and Webb, however all that was over. The girls knew they needed to have a strong showing when they hosted Walnut on January 20. The Chargers had their foot on the throat of the Mustangs, and they never took it off en route to an easy 19-1 victory.

  Charter Oak started off the game with a quick goal in the first minute, however most of the first quarter would be a defensive battle with several key saves by both teams. The Chargers would finish the quarter with the momentum as they would get another goal to go up 2-0.

  The bolts would strike in the second quarter. They exploded offensively with seven points and took over the game by locking Walnut down on defense. Charter Oak would go into halftime with a comfortable 9-0 lead.

  At first, it seemed like the Mustangs had gotten their second wind for the third quarter, as they started off with their first goal of the game. It seemed like they had gotten their confidence back. However, the Chargers were unfazed and they continued to dominate, ending the quarter up 13-1.

  This one was all but over, and CO knew they had to finish it with an exclamation point. In the fourth quarter, they simply wore down a defeated Walnut team and closed this statement victory, 19-1.

  With this win, the Chargers are now 1-1 in league play. Their next game is at West Covina on January 22. They look to continue their winning ways over the Bulldogs. 

-- Andres Soto

[charteroakhighschool]

Girls water polo comeback cut short

The Charter Oak girls’ water polo team had momentum coming off a huge victory over Arcadia last week. However, they would be facing a worthwhile challenge at local powerhouse Bonita on December 9. The Chargers would have to pull off yet another win to keep building on the success they found in their season debut.

  The Chargers had their struggles early on. The Bearcats gained an early 7-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Chargers' confidence was shook by the end of the first half. “I think we were nervous because it was Bonita,” said senior Andrea Payne-Quillen. “Everyone knew how good they were, but we came back once we got settled.”

  Charter Oak seemed to have gotten their second wind in the second half. They came to life and started on a huge comeback, determined to win the game. However, Bonita would be able to hold them off just long enough to escape and hand the Chargers their first loss of the season, 17-13.

  “It was a good learning experience and a good matchup,” said junior Destiny Ramirez. “We all struggled, but we’re going to apply what we learned in this game to our games the rest of the season.”

  The Chargers will be competing in the Los Altos Holiday Cup Tournament on December 12-13. They will finish their preseason schedule with a home game on December 16 against San Dimas.

-- Andres Soto

[charteroakhighschool]

Girls Water Polo dominates Arcadia

  The Charter Oak girls' water polo team started this season with ambitions of building on their success from last year. It’s safe to say they started on the right track with a 24-3 win over Arcadia on December 2.

  The Chargers got off to a quick 1-0 lead to start the game, but the Apaches would answer right back with a goal of their won. The rest of the first quarter was a similar story, as they would score and Arcadia would respond. Charter Oak would have the final say in the first quarter as they would be up 3-2.

  The Apaches would tie it up one more time early in the second quarter. However, it would be all Chargers from that point on. Charter Oak scored a barrage of goals to head into halftime by a comfortable score of 10-3.

  The Chargers kept their foot on the pedal for the third quarter. They wouldn’t allow another point from Arcadia and would end up winning the game by an outstanding score of 24-3.

  “I’m excited about this season and the girls’ potential, they have a really good shot at winning CIF,” said head water polo coach Matthew Beaucar. “We definitely have the talent, we just have to work out the kinks and we’ll be ok.”

The Chargers play their next game on December 9 at Bonita High School. They hope to keep their hot start going.

-- Andres Soto

[charteroakhighschool]

Chargers fall to Titans

So close, yet so far away. Everything was going right for Charter Oak High School football heading into their semifinal matchup with first seed Colony High School. The Chargers were league champions, dominated their first two playoff opponents, and was coming off arguably their best offensive performance of the season from last week. They made it farther than any Charter Oak team in the past five years, and everyone was counting them out. They were playing with a chip on their shoulder and it seemed they were headed towards their sixth CIF Championship. They were five minutes away from reaching the final step; however fate had other plans for the Chargers tonight. 

Things started off on a sour note. Colony scored on a huge 66-yard touchdown pass in their second play of the game, along with converting a two-point conversion. Charter Oak responded as usual with junior quarterback Kamden Brown hitting running back Zion Echols for a 55-yard touchdown. The Chargers were trailing the Titans, 7-8 early in the game. Charter Oak kept their foot on the pedal, and by the end of the first quarter, they were up 14-8.

Their lead wouldn’t last much longer. Colony capitalized on a Charter Oak fumble and would go on to score to retake the lead. The two Central Division powers reached a stalemate in the second quarter, as they kept trading turnovers but nobody was able to score. Eventually, junior kicker Jaren Surdo hit a field goal to give the Chargers the lead going into halftime, 17-15.

Charter Oak got the ball back to begin the first half, but they weren’t able to do anything with it. Brown threw another interception, which the Titans would take advantage of to take a 22-17 lead. The Chargers did score again, however they weren’t able to convert the two-point attempt, resulting in them holding onto a 23-22 lead heading into the fourth quarter. It would be an all-out slugfest to see who would head to the finals.

Charter Oak seemed to take the advantage, getting another Surdo field goal to take a 26-22 lead with seven minutes to play. Colony refused to back down as they scored another touchdown to give themselves a 29-22 lead with five minutes left in the game. The Chargers offense started to click at just the right time, as they were driving the ball and found themselves at the Colony 38-yard line. The worst thing imaginable happen: Brown would throw another interception, and this one was returned all the way for a Titan touchdown. All of a sudden Charter Oak was in a deep 35-26 hole. The Chargers got the ball back, but it would be of no use as it resulted in another Charger turnover, their eighth of the game. Colony would run the clock out, resulting Charter Oak losing in a heartbreaker by a score of 35-26.

Charter Oak's football season has come to an end. However, their future is very bright considering the many juniors and sophomores returning. There is an undefeated freshman team whose players are looking to make an impact on the varsity team. 

-- Andres Soto

[charteroakhighschool]

Player vs fan: how the game is seen from two sides

The game of football is one of the most watched and most played sports in the country. Unsurprisingly, many fans are current and former players themselves. However, many fans have never played, but they enjoy watching the game just as much. For Charter Oak’s second round CIF game at San Marino, The Bolt Live decided to recognize the sport from both views. I suited up for the game as I usually do, and my colleague Jessica Carreon watched it from the stands.

Andres Soto: For me, the game started hours before kickoff. As soon my last class ended, I was in the locker room with my teammates and coaches getting mentally ready for San Marino. By 4 p.m. we were dressed, taped, and in pre-game meetings going through the game plan one last time. The time flew by, and it was time to board the bus. We usually take school buses, but since we were in the playoffs, we traveled on a nice charter bus. Most of the team fell asleep, but I couldn’t. With music blasting in my earphones, my mind was too active to rest. Time fast forwarded because suddenly were pulling up to San Marino’s campus. Warm-ups flew by, too, and then just minutes later the game began.

Jessica Carreon: Going to football games has been one of my favorite high school Friday night pastimes. But with this game, it was different: the vibe of excitement was heightened. Starting from the time my friend and I climbed in the car to the game, all we could talk about was our football team. After arriving, we hurried up to the bleachers to take seats, and only one thing crossed my mind: so many people had high hopes for the team.

The first half was a blur for me. I was nervous at first because our offense had a three-and-out, and San Marino scored a field goal right away. But all that went away when we started scoring. Once we got the ball moving, we could not be stopped, and next thing I knew, it was halftime: score 28-10.

During the first half, the points on the scoreboard showed that the opposing team did not have a chance. Charter Oak showed no sign of stopping, and the Charger fans were buzzing with excitement. Our cheers and claps of support were loud enough to make a person lose her hearing for a few days.

 At halftime, I took everything in as the coaches told us to keep our foot on the pedal and not let up. We made adjustments and headed out to finish the game and San Marino’s season.

When it was halftime, we all burst into conversations about the game and food. In a large crowd, we made our way to the concession stand, trying to hurry back to our seats. We all had huge grins, obviously happy with the way the game was going. Finally it was time to get back to the game, and we refocused our attention to the players. Worried, we could see some players lying on the sidelines while athletic trainers worked with them. This caused some unease in the crowd, but gratefully, the players were soon up and determined to get back on the field.

The second half was a lot more vivid. I felt frustrated when San Marino came within four points in the third, but we just kept fighting on and never looked back. A few key players started cramping, but after fighting through through the pain, they made it back onto the field. Then we got our momentum back and scored a few more times.

Faces shifted: looks of hope, happiness, anxiety and, at one point, fear. It was the middle of the third quarter, and the score was 35-31. Frustration and fear radiated through the crowd. Some men behind me cursed and spit seeds to relieve their tension. Others murmured among themselves, discussing plays the team should use. The fear did not last long; CO pulled together and pulled ahead.

Our defense shut SM down in the fourth quarter. The clock ran out, and I felt ecstatic. All my years of high school, we had never advanced past the second round, but tonight, my senior season, we did it. We beat San Marino, and we were advancing to the semis. It felt as if a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.

Final score: 49-31. The crowd cheered and hugged. The relief was tangible: the win was ours. People were animated and recapped the game, praising the team. Walking out of the stadium, we had a spring of excitement in our step. On the way home, the car was filled with conversation about the game. Happiness filled the air as we bounced in our seats; not once did our smiles show any signs of leaving our faces.

So many people told us we could not do it: we are too small, we are not physical enough, we are not the same team we were two years ago. None of that mattered anymore because we finally did it. All obstacles of the past four years vanished, and the best part—we are not done yet! I never had a sweeter bus ride home, and I cannot wait to do it all over again next week in the semi-finals.

  — Andres Soto and Jessica Carreon

Julian Castro / COHS