It seems like yesterday
When we were watching this song,
But we know it’s just the beginning now.

But even though we are going our separate ways,
That doesn’t mean that the memories fade away;
‘Cause I look at you and I see
In your eyes, a better you and me…

There’s so much out there in this world we call a home,
And I know just like you that sometimes we feel alone.
And, yes, the world’s a scary place, but there’s no need to fear;
When you’re by my side, you wipe away my tears.

So I will leave some space and keep you firmly in my heart;
I hope you do the same as we slowly drift apart.
We were all our stepping stones no matter where we’ve been.
That’s why I’m so glad to be a part of 2010,
That’s why I’m so glad to be a part of 2010…

There’s so much out there in this world we call a home,
And I know just like you that sometimes we feel alone.
And, yes, the world’s a scary place, but there’s no need to fear;
When you’re by my side, you wipe away my tears.

Who’s to say what life has in store?
This is our time let’s live greater than before.
These four years gave us power to endure;
Cause I look at you and I see
In your eyes, a better you and me…

So I will leave some space and keep you firmly in my heart;
I hope you do the same as we slowly drift apart.
We were all our stepping stones no matter where we’ve been
That’s why I’m so glad to be a part of 2010,
That’s why I’m so glad to be a part of 2010…

There’s so much out there in this world we call a home,
And I know just like you that sometimes we feel alone.
And, yes, the world’s a scary place, but there’s no need to fear;
When you’re by my side, you wipe away my tears.

So please don’t believe that this is going to be the end,
‘Cause I think we know someday we will meet again.
And until that time,
I will always remember you as my friend.

The seconds ticked away. As SM North quarterback Kyle Goodburn was wrapped up by NW defensive end Justin Walston, he threw the ball up in a desperation play. Junior linebacker Tyler Gilliam picked it off and ran it back until he was tackled. The game was over.

This was the last game for the seniors, including linebacker/running back John Hauk. For Hauk, it was bittersweet. Bitter because it was his last game, and sweet because it was a win and everyone did well. Hauk had rushed for 222 yards, had two touchdowns and had seven tackles.

“I didn’t want [the season] to end like that,” Hauk said, of the disappointing loss to SM East.

Hauk had to play running back all year because senior Trey Jacobson was injured. Last year, Hauk usually played linebacker and his offensive position was fullback, so he wasn’t used to carrying the workload for the offense.
“It was a lot different [than tailback],” Hauk said. “It was a lot of fun though.”

Hauk plans to attend Fort Scott University to play football. He plans to continue as a linebacker at the next level.

A.J. Spencer’s triple-double

The gymnasium was tense. As Northwest fans waited in anticipation for their basketball team to run back onto the court, junior forward A.J. Spencer took some last-minute lay-ups before game time. This was Spencer’s third year on varsity basketball, and he was hoping for another successful year.

To start the season off on the right foot, the Cougars needed to get past rival SM North. They did just that with the help of a triple-double from Spencer.

“It was the first game of the year, and I had the jitters,” Spencer said. “It was a good way to start off the year.”

Spencer had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists en route to a 75-48 victory against the rival Indians.

“I didn’t know I had [a triple-double] until I checked the box score. It felt good,” Spencer said.

The victory helped the team start the season strong on their way to a 13-7 record.

The varsity boys’ soccer season started off with a bang when the Cougars defeated the BV North Mustangs 5-4. After a few more wins, the team lost a heart-breaking double overtime game to Rockhurst. Two more consecutive losses followed, giving the Cougars a 5-6 record and a bleak outlook on the rest of the season.

“You know, that was kind of gut-check time right there,” coach Todd Boren said at the end of the season. “That was going to be the time that the season was either going to completely implode, or we were going to try to screw our heads back on and get after it.”

The boys rebounded impressively, winning eight of their last nine games, including upsets over number one seeds Olathe East in regionals and Olathe South in the state quarterfinals. In the semifinal game, the exciting run ended with a loss to the eventual state champions, Washburn Rural.

The Cougars rebounded from the loss and defeated Dodge City the next day, 2-0, to earn the third-place trophy.

“I didn’t really expect to do as well as we did this year,” senior Jon Kankam said. “I thought maybe we’d make it to state, but I definitely didn’t think that we would end up making it to the final four.”

Ross Whitmore places second at wrestling state

The top wrestlers in Kansas traveled to Wichita’s Intrust Bank Arena for the state tournament on Feb. 26 and 27. The Cougars placed 21st in the state competition, but the real story was how well their top-ranked wrestler junior Ross Whitmore performed. Whitmore placed second at the state competition, with a 3-1 record. For the entire season, he posted a 41-3 record.

“I actually had a good feeling that I was going to make the finals. I was ranked in the top two the entire year, and I trained hard all season for it,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore had one of the best individual performances of any Cougar athlete this season.

“When it was all over, I felt good.” Whitmore said. “Last year I placed sixth, so I was able to jump up four spots.”

With one more season ahead of him, Whitmore has the chance to improve next year.

Adam Giacalone pitches two perfect games

Senior pitcher Adam Giacalone threw the first perfect game in Shawnee NW history on April 20, 2010. In seven innings, the Cougar hurler struck out 14 of the minimum 21 batters faced to lead Northwest to a 5-0 victory against Olathe East.

Only 77 pitches (61 of them being strikes) were needed for Giacalone to do something no one in the school’s history had ever done.

“I was working the zone pretty well, and when they made contact with the ball, my defense was always there to back me up,” Giacalone said following the first game.

Just two weeks later, on May 3, Giacalone threw another perfect game, leading the Cougars to a 10-0 victory against Leavenworth.

“It was a really awesome feeling knowing I had done something no one else had ever done,” Giacalone said. “But I’m still focused on one main goal: winning a state championship.”

In the middle of Feb., the gym was filled to the brim with fans hoping to see a victory on senior night. Led by senior Nino Williams, the Leavenworth Pioneers were nearing the end of their season, and one of their last obstacles was the Cougars. With one of the biggest crowds of the year, the main auditorium boomed as the game began.

The game was predicted to be an even match-up. The Pioneers were considered the better team on paper, but the Cougars had the crowd and momentum of senior night. Out of the gate, Northwest began a relentless attack on the basket. The Cougars shut down every offensive weapon Leavenworth threw at them, going into the locker room leading by double digits.

As the second half progressed, Williams began to get into foul trouble and grew more frustrated with each tick of the clock. When junior A.J. Spencer threw down a rim-rattling dunk over a Leavenworth defender, the game was all but over. The Cougars won with a score of 59-42, and the fans left pleased on senior night

Boys’ soccer against Olathe South in the state quarterfinals

Going into the state quarterfinals, the Cougars knew they were in for a battle against Olathe South.

“They beat us twice earlier in the year. I mean, we knew they were pretty good, but we were on a roll. We had really pulled together as a team,” senior Sam McCrillis said.

The Falcons were the only team that had defeated the Cougars twice already in the season. The first loss came during the Olathe East Invitational, and the second came late in part the regular season. The Falcons were also the reigning state champions.

The game was played at ODAC but seemed like a home game for the Cougars. The NW faithful came out in huge numbers to show support.

“It was a tough game. I think the most exciting part of the actual game was the final whistle. Everybody went crazy, and we had a ton of fans there to help,” senior Jon Kankam said.

The Cougar defense held strong at the end of the game against numerous Falcon attacks. But, after all the mayhem, the Cougars came out on top, winning 2-1.

Final thoughts: The biggest thing I learned from high school that I would want to tell others is to just be yourself. You never know what someone else is going through, so when in doubt, show love. Always find the positive in things, and vote Greenhaw, 2032.

On FCA: I think it’s a great place for people to go and see that they’re not alone at school and that there are other people who have the same faith as you. And whether it’s in athletics or in life, you want to glorify God in everything you do.

On the wrestling team: The wrestling team was one of the biggest things in turning me into who I am today because not only are there a bunch of great guys on the team, but that sport develops a person more than any other sport that I’ve played. Plus, at a 12-hour tournament, you have to figure out how to have fun, and that’s a good life skill too.

On being a role model: I think it’s a really great honor that people would say I’m influential because that’s kind of like my life goal: to make an impact on people’s lives.

Andrew Shaw

On the senior song:
It was an amazing experience. The other two groups that auditioned I’m sure had great auditions and would have done great as well, but it was an honor to be chosen with such competition. I was really nervous to perform the senior song because that was my first time performing on the piano in front of an audience, but the performance was great and it was awesome to be able to perform for my senior class for the last time.

Advice:
My advice would be to get involved in as much as you can during your high school experience. You will not only be able to meet new people, but you will get to work with the great staff that Northwest has to offer.

On Big River:
It was the most fun and rewarding production in my four years of high school. Being able to work with my best friend, Teddy Trice, was so much fun.

The high school experience:
Now that I have been through four years of high school, I definitely view it as less intimidating. High school was a great experience for me. It was even better than I expected.

On being president of three clubs:
It helped me learn that you can be a good leader without being bossy, and being a good leader is working with other people, rather than having them work for you.

On her favorite activity:
Varsity cheerleading. I don’t know what my life would have been like without it. It took up a lot of my time, and it’s something I love to do. It’s how I met most of my friends, so it changed my high school experience. Cheerleading made me get out of my shell. It didn’t change my personality, but it definitely made me less afraid to get in front of people and be who I am.

On how she surprised herself:
Five or six years ago, if you would have told me in a few years I would be standing by myself with a microphone in front of 2,000 people, there is no chance I would have believed you. At that time, I was in my own little world. There was no public speaking or coming out of my shell.

On being remembered:
I hope to be remembered as the person who lived high school without any regrets and made the most of her experience to the best of my ability and treated everybody with the most possible respect.

1. Junior Deep Desai throws a t-shirt into the hundreds of students that attended the 6A Soccer State Semifinals. The team ended up losing the game 2-1. The boys’ soccer team went on to win the third place game the following day, giving them their highest finish of the season in recent years. Photo by Daniel Bauer

2. Chalking her hands, Senior Molli Bird prepares for uneven bars at senior night on Oct. 8. Photo by Kevin Buie

3. Junior KC Waterman avoids the attempted tackles of Lawrence Free State defenders on Oct. 9. Photo by Kevin Buie

4. Doing the butterfly stroke, senior Hannah Singhal completes her coach’s assignment for that practice. Photo by Hannah Williams

5. The boys’ soccer team celebrates their third place game victory over Dodge City. Photo by Daniel Bauer

6. Sophomore Amanda Hedrick plays her violin in the pit orchestra for Paint Your Wagon on Nov. 10. Photo by Caitlyn Massy

7. Senior Tyler Amble shields senior Nolan Warn from water balloons at YoungLife Shawnee Mission’s annual Muckfest on Sept. 17. Photo by Andrew Keith

8. Senior Shane Jennison examines a monarch butterfly that he caught on an Enviornmental Ed field trip. Photo by Ashley Lane

9. Senior Tricia Brensing turns to her father in suprise after winning second runner-up Homecoming Queen on Oct. 30. Photo by Ashley Lane

10. Senior Adam Giacalone pitches to a Lawrence Free State batter on April 8. Giacalone has pitched two perfect games thus far this season. Photo by Brittany Bonsignore

On changing NW:
I wish more people would get involved, with spirit stuff especially. A lot of people do already, but I wish it was kind of like some other schools, where everyone is participating because that stuff is just awesome.

On being remembered:
I want to be remembered as a guy who was really involved in school and as a guy that others could come to for anything, real easy to come up and talk to and ask for help. You know, always be there for everyone.
Advice for freshmen: Don’t take high school for granted; it goes so fast, so live every day the best you can.

On influencing his fellow classmates:
I think they just think that I’m a good guy. I think people know that they can always come to me for help when they need it. No one is intimidated by me; they know I’m easygoing.

Giving thanks:
Definitely my parents, Mrs. Boren—she has really pushed me this year. Mrs. Dent and Mr. (Van) Rose because I really look up to him. And my brother and my grandmother. She has always helped me with anything.

On his accomplishments: For senior year second semester, I set six goals for myself and could accomplish four of them: finishing the talent show, attempting the senior song, graduation speech, win state in baseball, be an influential senior and do the poetry slam.

On changing in high school: About halfway through junior year I experienced what John Mayer calls a “social bender.” My personality and social awkwardness just shifted toward a better place, and I feel like I’ve finally become comfortable with myself.

On how he surprised himself: I never expected to be an influence in anyone’s life early in high school because I had no faith in myself. Luckily, maturity has brought a positive outlook to my everyday routine, and I’ve seen how anyone can be an influence if they really want to be.

On how he wishes to be remembered: As someone who didn’t judge or criticize and just let others do their “thang.” I hope I’ve treated others with enough respect to earn theirs. I think everyone should find their calling in life and roll with it.