Now they were playing at home, and the Titans wanted revenge.
Pencader did fare better this time, but in the end, the Titans had suffered another loss, this time 64-52.

Although they might have not gotten the win, the Titans made the game an exciting one for the home crowd. Throughout the game there was anger, pain, joy and a lot of cheering.

The Titans trailed 16-10 at the end of the first quarter, and 29-17 at halftime.

Pencader outscored Brandywine in the third quarter 18-14 and kept the game competitive, but the Titans also suffered a tough injury when junior forward Aaron Griffith collided with junior teammate Brandon Wallace and another Brandywine player. Griffith was cut near his eye and was bleeding profusely.

Griffith left the game and was taken to the hospital by his parents, who were in attendance. He would later receive four stitches. He is now practicing with the team but is not permitted to make contact on the court.

The Titans still kept the game close in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs eventually pulled away near the end, and the Pencader had fallen to 7-8 on the season.

Senior Ricky Reyes led all scorers with 27 points, including three three-point field goals. Junior Zeke Shockley added 13 points for Pencader.

The Titans still have a good chance of qualifying for the state tournament, but of course their final five games will determine that. The first of those final five games is tomorrow at Howard Vo-Tech at 4:45 pm.

Pencader lost to Howard in December, so once again the Titans will be seeking revenge.

The annual Lewes Polar Bear Plunge takes place tomorrow (Feb. 5), and 14 Pencader students will brave the ice-cold Atlantic Ocean – for a good cause.

The Polar Bear Plunge is held at Rehoboth Beach on the first Sunday in February. Participants seek out sponsors in the weeks before the event, and then “plunge” into the freezing ocean for a few seconds to raise money for Special Olympics Delaware.

But Rachel Drake is doing a little more than finding sponsors and taking that chilly dip into the Atlantic.

Drake, a senior at Pencader, has turned the popular event into her senior project. She recruited all of the Pencader students who are participating tomorrow.

“So far I have hung up fliers, held meetings, posted things all over facebook, and talked to people personally,” Drake said earlier this week. “It’s a lot more work than I thought. Now that the registration deadline is over, I have to make T-shirts and get more people to donate.”

The Polar Bear Plunge is expected to have more than 1,500 people participating. The 14 students from Pencader are Drake, Carrisa Anderson, Rochelle Balan, Ryan Cheng, Cher Doyle, Jeunet Fidelino, Jocelyn Gesner, Maya Hackett, Brittani Hill, Anne Holdt, Kearea King, Tom Krauss, Nancy Mbugua, and Tiana Mckim.

Drake has personally raised $200 by donations from friends and family, and the school has raised $335 for the event. Adding in each participant’s registration fee of $50, Drake and her classmates should end up raising more than $700.

“Special Olympics is a great organization that supports people with intellectual disabilities,” said Drake. “A lot of people don’t realize that those with disabilities have a lot of the same capabilities as us, especially in sports. So this event allows everyone who does support this fact to come together and spread the word.”

For many of the participants, it will be their first time plunging, and many of them are a little anxious about running into the cold Atlantic on a winter day.

“I have never done the Plunge before,” said Mbugua, a senior, “and I am nervous about the cold water.”

It will surely be a cold experience that the participants will never forget. But of course, the warmth that is spread from this event will last much longer than one cold day in February.

Super Bowl Sunday is here once again and there are high expectations for a great game. In a rematch of 2008’s Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants and the New England Patriots will faceoff again in this year’s Super Bowl XLVI.

In that first Super Bowl meeting, the Giants were the underdog but surprised the Patriots and took home the illustrious Lombardi trophy.

Who will take home the coveted trophy this year? Who will win and be known as the top team in the NFL? The Giants are the underdog once again, but the Patriots are not such a heavy favorite this time around.

Both teams started off this season with a bang, knocking off most of the opponents in their paths. They both suffered losses but were able to successfully make the playoffs. The Giants (now 12-7) finished as a wildcard and the forth seed in the NFC, while the Patriots (15-3) finished as the first seed in the AFC.

Both teams are peeking now, but only one can win. Sorry Giants fans, but it’s payback time.

Although both teams are rolling now, the Patriots have had the best performances in the playoffs. They have held their opponents to an average of just 15 points, and have racked up about 34 points per game offensively.

While the Giants have held their playoffs opponents to just 13 points per game, they don’t have enough defense to hold down the high-powered offense of the Patriots.

With rising-star tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and pro bowl wide receiver Wes Welker, the Giants defensive backfield will have lots of problems.

The most dangerous weapon in the Patriots offense is Gronkowski, who is averaging 15.5 yards per catch and 116 yards per game in the playoffs.

Welker is averaging nine yards per catch and 54 yards per game, while Hernandez is averaging 11 yards per catch and 60.5 yards per game.

And of course, the man getting the ball to these receivers is widely considered the best quarterback in the game. Tom Brady has tons of playoff experience and three Super Bowl rings to back it up. Brady led the Patriots to NFL titles in 2002, 2004, and 2005, and he was named MVP after each one of them.

Leading them all is New England Coach Bill Belichick, one of the best coaches in NFL history with a career regular season record of 175-97 and a career playoff mark of 17-6.

The Giants do have a hot quarterback in Eli Manning, who was named MVP after the Super Bowl upset over the Patriots in 2008. And rising star Victor Cruz may be the hottest receiver in the game right now.

But it won’t be enough to overcome Brady and his quest for a fourth ring.

The Giants carried away the Lombardi trophy in 2008, but history will not repeat itself.

Pencader’s Blue-Gold students guided and encouraged the children with special needs as they knocked the pins to the ground.

Andre Templeton, from George Reed Middle School, was one of the winners. He was absolutely delighted as he clutched his prize and was greeted by his mom.

Templeton said that he loved working with the members of Pencader’s Blue-Gold club.
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“I am extremely proud of my son for winning silver,” his smiling mom would say later.

This was not the first time the Blue-Gold club was involved in the Special Olympics. Blue-Gold members were involved previously in the summer, and they plan to organize an event during the winter.

Even though the school’s Blue-Gold members have had experience working with the Special Olympics athletes, Pencader was honored to be able to hand out awards to several of the winners at Bowlerama.

“I was ecstatic,” said Pencader senior Mirna Rezkalla. “I had lots of fun with them. I was just trying to encourage them. But all together we were having a good time.”

Rezkalla was paired up with two boys, 17-year-old Aaron Campbell and 18-year-old Alex Williams. Both of the boys expressed that they had a fun time, and they enjoyed working with Mirna. They also thought she was nice and helpful while bowling.

Senior Tiana Mckim worked with four Special Olympians: A.J, Evan, Matt, and Katrianna.

“The kids were respectful,” said Mckim. “It took them a little bit of time to be comfortable, but not too long. It felt good. It was an experience with the children. I enjoyed hanging out with them. I definitely plan to do this again.”

Other high schools involved in the event included Brandywine, William Penn, and Mount Pleasant High.

Many of the Special Olympians received a larger incentive to do well and be competitive after being informed medals were up for grabs based on their scores. The Blue-Gold members lined up to show their appreciation, each holding an arm full of ribbons, while others gave out medals to the winning bowlers.

Despite having a limited amount of medals to distribute, everybody had an experience filled with laughter and fun. This alone made every participant a winner.

And why shouldn’t they?

In this strike-shortened season, the Sixers are off to a flying start. After a convincing win over disgruntled big man Dwight “Superman” Howard and his Orlando Magic last night (Jan. 30), the Sixers are 15-6.

They not only lead the Atlantic Division, but they lead it comfortably. The second-place Boston Celtics are 5 games behind, and the third-place New York Knicks trail by 7 ½ games.

The Sixers have put all of the pieces together, and some believe that they play more like a team than anyone else in the league. In last night’s 74-69 win over the Magic, the Sixers high scorer was Andre Iguodala with 14 points.

This is clearly a team that knows how to share the ball. It is refreshing to see that there are players in the league who put the team’s success ahead of their personal stats.

So how did this hot start happen? Remember, the 76ers started off at 3-13 just one year ago, before finishing the season at 41-41.

With a 10-2 record at home, Philadelphia is taking care of business in its own stadium. The Sixers are not simply winning at home, but they are dismantling many of their opponents.

While their home schedule has not been the toughest thus far, a team can only play the opponents that are on the schedule.

The Sixers are surprising many basketball fans because they did not add any big-name players to their roster since the end of last season. They drafted center Nicola Vucevic, and he chipped in off the bench before getting injured, but the remainder of the team is the same.

Perhaps the most logical reason for the improvement is the maturity of some young players.

Jrue Holiday, in just his third NBA season, is growing into one of the better point guards in the league. Evan Turner, in just his second season, is also quickly emerging as a solid player. Turner is averaging over 10 points per game after a disappointing rookie season in which he averaged just over 7 points per game.

Turner comes off the bench with Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, and all three players are scoring threats.

Williams, who entered the NBA from high school and may have been overwhelmed his first couple of season, appears to be hitting his stride. The guard is averaging 15.3 points and 3.6 assists per game.

Young is a tall and lanky forward who some teams have difficulty matching up with, and fans often find him diving to the floor to recover loose balls.

The 76ers keep winning despite early-season injuries to their top big men, Spencer Hawes and Vucevic. Elton Brand, the veteran from Duke, has stepped up to help fill the void. Last night, the forward slid over to the center position and helped shut down Orlando’s Howard.

With many young players on this team, it could be a fun ride for Sixers basketball fans for the next few years.

The Sixers probably will not have any players on the all-star team this season, but each player is doing his part to help the team win. In the Eastern Conference, only Chicago and Miami have a better record.

Philadelphia’s defense is allowing the fewest points in the league (86.1 average), and the team’s point differential is also the best in the league (+11.4).

When is the last time anyone could say “76ers” and “best in the league” about anything? Probably not since the days when Allen Iverson was in his prime.

Defense and sharing the ball on offense are two important facets of the Sixers’ game right now. It seems that every player is making key contributions, every game.

Coach Doug Collins truly believes in his team and what it can accomplish. He remembers last season’s first-round exit from the playoffs, and the determined Collins is pushing his young troops for all they are worth.

Collins, a gritty Sixers guard back in the 70s, seems to have a connection with his players, and they seem to trust him as well.

Next up is the Chicago Bulls (Feb. 1), and this will be another tough test for the Sixers. The Bulls are the number one team in the East.

But many thought Orlando would be a tough foe for the Sixers last night, especially with Philly having two injured centers and “Superman” Howard hoping to attract trade offers.

The Sixers not only passed that test, they aced it.

From a 3-13 start last season, to a 15-6 start in this one. It is quite a turnaround.

This Sixers team may not be quite ready for a championship run, but it is full of young and hungry players who sure are fun to watch.

Especially when they are sharing the ball, clamping down on defense, and winning.

Some students can manage to deal well with the tension by preparing for the tests in advance, scheduling their time and organizing themselves, whereas others can let the angst get the best of them by being overly concerned when faced with taking an exam.

Of course, preparation for such exams is a tedious process and a challenge because students must devote their time and energy.

Some students, however, may decide to review their information only on the night before the big day. This could be a grave mistake.

A good technique that can be used to prepare for final exams is making a plan that includes a timetable. Making practice tests and flashcards, and reviewing previous quizzes and tests, are strongly encouraged to help students overcome the anxiety of a test.

Sata Dennis, a junior here at Pencader Charter High School, shared her method of preparing for her exams.

“I usually try and schedule my time in order to get enough time to review my notes,” said Dennis. “I also love to use note cards because I can carry them with me and study on the go. I could be in the car or school bus, waiting on a long line, or even be at a friend’s house and I could ask them to quiz me.”

As much as Dennis’s technique is helpful, it may not be as advantageous to others. Lenny Williams, a senior, uses a different method.

“During the final exams, I have to make sure that I look back at what I don’t know,” said Williams. “I do this by simply just locking myself in the room for a couple of hours and blasting my music really loud. The loud background music puts me in a zone that usually keeps me focused. It may seem weird but hey, it works for me.”

Regardless of how one studies for final exams, what matters the most is how much effort the student puts in because it never fails to pay off at the end.

There are students who can study adequately when alone, but sometimes working with others can be a better option and can be very effective as well. In the classroom, many teachers prepare students for the final exam by playing educational games such as Jeopardy and Bingo.

“I think I process more information when working with a group of people,” said sophomore Emmbra Nkansah. “I like to have a study partner because it gives me the motivation to stay focused, because we’re all trying to earn a good grade.”

Working in pairs is common for middle school students, high school students, and even college students.

“I would not mind studying with eight other people,” added Nkansah, “but knowing myself, having one study partner keeps me on task and less distracted.”

Ever since elementary school, it was preached over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Sadly, this is what students tend to forget to do while faced with the final exams.

Rather than having a good night of sleep and a good meal in the morning, students spend every last minute memorizing information, and they forget to care for diet.

“I always make sure I have plenty of sleep the night before the exams and a proper meal in the morning,” said senior Kayla Davis. “I know the importance of having a good meal and getting enough sleep because I will stay refreshed and it will keep me alert throughout the test.”

Final exams are a big stepping stone for all students, no matter their grade level. It is important that students take into consideration the helpful tips mentioned by other students, but in the end they must do what works for them.

Though everyone may study differently, there is one fact that everyone can probably agree on: the more a student prepares for a final exam, the less stress there will be at test time.

On Tuesday at Christiana, the Titans and Vikings battled each other in a close game that kept fans on the edges of their seats. While the Titans had trouble stopping sophomore Shawn Mitchell, who scored 35 points, Pencader had the lead when it counted most.

Trailing 61-60 with less than two seconds remaining, the Titans were inbounding the ball under their own basket. A double screen was supposed to set senior Ricky Reyes free for the final shot, but Christiana’s defense prevented that play from happening.

Junior Aaron Griffith, one of the players setting the screen for Reyes, broke toward the basket. Freshman Elijah Styles tossed the inbounds pass to Griffith, who put up a shot from under the basket.

As Griffith fell to the ground under pressure from Christiana, the shot went in, the ref signaled that it beat the buzzer, and Pencader won the intense game 62-61.

“That was my first buzzer beater,” Griffith said. “I had to run away from everybody on my team because they were coming after me.”

Reyes led the Titans with 19 points against the Vikings, followed by senior Demetri Williams (16 points) and Griffith (14 points).

Two days later at home, Williams led all scorers with 22 points and Pencader beat Dickinson 61-51. Reyes sank 10 of 12 foul shots and scored 16 points, and junior Ezekiel Shockley added 10 points.

Pencader’s next game is at home on Thursday (Jan. 19) at 5 pm against McKean, a team that is 2-8 and struggling to get wins this season. The Titans beat the Highlanders by 33 points on Dec. 29 in the Quaker Classic holiday tournament. On Saturday (Jan. 21), the Titans play at Tower Hill at 6:30 pm against the 3-8 Hillers.

Pencader went 10-10 last season and squeezed into the state tournament. Now, with the momentum of back-to-back wins, the Titans are hoping to add to their winning streak and make another run for the playoffs, where anything can happen.

On Jan. 4, a fire broke out at the Fox Run Apartments in Bear, causing severe damage. Several families not only lost their homes, but also lost all of their belongings, including their winter coats.

This tragedy had an emotional effect on Rob Schumacher, who heads Pencader Charter High School’s business department and BPA chapter. He pondered the issue for awhile before tossing an idea at his BPA officers.

“When I heard about the fire my heart sank because I lived there 15 years ago,” said Schumacher. “It makes you hug your kids when you hear about things like this. You think about what you would grab if your house was on fire. Losing all your belongings of value truly puts things in perspective.”

After some discussion, the BPA members finalized their idea: Pencader would start a coat drive not only to aid the families that lost their homes, but to help people living in shelters who are also suffering from the low temperatures.

The BPA began its coat drive on Jan. 9 and will continue to collect coats through Jan 23. The group’s goal is to collect as many coats as possible, and then distribute them to the victims of the Fox Run Apartments fire, as well as to local homeless shelters.

To have a larger effect, Pencader’s BPA chapter will not be working alone at collecting coats. Schumacher reached out to a BPA chapter at another school, and the group agreed to help the cause.

“I decided to reach out to a friend at Alfred G. Waters Middle School in Middletown,” said Schumacher. “She jumped on board and is collecting coats in the southern part of New Castle County.”

Schumacher was also invited to discuss the coat drive on local radio station WSTW earlier this week.

The main collections for coats will take place today (Jan. 11) from 4-7 pm. There will be three collection spots where people can donate outerwear: the Acme in Fox Run Shopping Center in Bear; the K-mart in Governors Square Shopping Center in Bear; and the K-mart in Pike Creek Shopping Center in Pike Creek.

Pencader’s BPA members will be present at each of these locations to collect coats from anyone willing to donate. Coats, along with other outerwear such as sweaters and hoodies, should be new or gently worn.

Students and faculty can also bring any outerwear donations to Schumacher in room 403.

Reciting the poem “Ballad of Birmingham” with near perfection at the school’s Poetry Out Loud competition just before the holiday break, Anderson captured first place, collected the $150.00 top prize, and earned the right to represent Pencader Charter High School in the statewide competition.

In the week preceding the event, Anderson practiced reciting her two poems every day.

“I recited them in my head,” she said, “and read them stanza by stanza over and over.”

It was enough to beat out the other 10 competitors at the Dec. 15 competition, held in the school’s cafeteria in front of family and faculty members.

Poetry Out Loud is a competition in which high school students recite poetry before a panel of judges. The students are judged in categories such as physical presence, voice and articulation, and accuracy.

Each high school in the state was invited to have its own competition, and 26 schools accepted. The winners will face each other in a statewide competition later this school year. One winner from Delaware will then represent the state at the national competition, which will be held May 13-15 in Washington, D.C.

Anderson totaled 251 points after reciting her two poems. The maximum a student could score on one poem was 141 points, and Anderson scored 136 points for “Ballad of Birmingham,” an emotional poem written by Dudley Randall about the death of a young African American girl. Based on a true story, the girl attends church to avoid the racial tension plaguing Alabama in the 1960s, and she is killed when a bomb explodes at the church.

Finishing second with 217 points was junior Malana Linder, who won $125.00 and will represent the school if Anderson cannot attend the state event. Sophomore Syda Isaacs scored 215 points to place third and collect $100.00.

The other students who participated were Clayonia Cogmon, Kristine Fagtanac, Sean Lockwood, Joylynn Mbua, Erika Mendoza, Kelia Morris, Lindsey Thompson, and Tina Wyatt.

“It’s a good way to help get over the fear of public speaking,” said Thompson, a senior. “It’s also a really great way to express ourselves.”

The competition consisted of two rounds, and the contestants read one poem in each round. The scores from each poem were added together to determine the winner.

“I’m really quiet, in school anyway,” said Cogmon, a junior. “Poetry Out Loud was a great way to help me show that I can be loud and speak well.”

Judging the event were social studies teacher Jenny Aunet and English teachers Mary Szczuka and Tammie Sylvia. Students were judged on physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty, and evidence of understanding. Mathematics/English teacher Robert Lewis served as the accuracy judge.

Social studies teacher Emily Burnham served as the prompter, helping the students if they forgot a word or lost their place. Special education teacher Larry Isakoff and math teacher Kelly Quinn tallied the scores to determine the winner.

The champion Anderson has been reading poetry since the fifth grade, when her best friend introduced her to the “Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul” books. Though the books aren’t strictly poetry, Anderson pointed out that “they include a lot of poetry by kids like me and they really inspire me.”

In the state competition, students must recite three poems. Anderson plans to recite “Ballad of Birmingham” again, along with two new poems.

Although she enjoys speaking in front of people, Anderson said she was nervous as the event came near. Fortunately, as she took the stage, those nerves “went away as soon as I adjusted the microphone and began to speak.”

Anderson, who serves as co-president of the school’s Blue-Gold club and treasurer of Pencader’s chapter of Business Professionals of America, believes she has what it takes to win the statewide competition.

“With enough practice,” she said, “I can make it all the way to the national competition in Washington D.C.”

Teachers select students of the month based on what they observe in the classroom. Students can be recognized for various reasons – a high class grade, significant improvement, or perhaps even a solid work ethic.

This monthly award program gives students something to work toward, not only for the certificate each student receives, but also for the internal satisfaction of a job well done.

For his efforts in AP statistics during the month of November, junior Nathan Rouwhorst was nominated by mathematics teacher Brett Townsend.

“Rouwhorst always tries his best, is dependable, and works well with other students,” said Townsend.

Rouwhorst currently serves as parliamentarian of Pencader’s chapter of Business Professionals of America. This was his first student-of-the-month award at Pencader.

” I was surprised when I heard,” said Rouwhorst. He added that math comes naturally to him and that he plans to pursue a career in engineering or business.

The other students honored for their efforts in November were: senior Rochelle Balan (science); sophomore Christian Demby (driver’s ed); junior Daqwan Vincent (Spanish); sophomore Najeeb Ullah (significant improvement); junior Briah McCutchen (social studies); junior Nicholas House (business); sophomore Tajah Chavis (English); and freshman Celina Ramos (health).

Intended to encourage students to excel in the classroom, Pencader’s student-of-the-month award program is in its third year.

“I like it a lot,” said school leader Dr. Ann Lewis. “Not only because it awards students for their academic efforts, but also for their behavior or their improvement in class.”