The Huntley High School Lip Dub video premiered at the Drive-in Friday Night. The Voice is the official broadcast partner and is show the video exclusively on huntleyvoice.com.

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Junior Jake Wagner (pictured above) sits on the Huntley high school baseball field after the Raider's loss against Jacobs (M. Makowski).

When Huntley’s (20-8) varsity baseball team lost to Jacobs (20-15) on Thursday afternoon, the last thing head coach Andy Jakubowski wanted his team to do was act out of character.

“[I told the team to] do everything with dignity and class,” said Jakubowski.  “It’s a tough one, but it is what it is.”

Huntley started the game off to a quick pace against Jacobs as junior Colin Lyman hit a leadoff double against Golden Eagles pitcher Greg Mixon.  Lyman soon scored on junior Tyler Albright’s RBI infield single, which was the first of Huntley’s three runs scored in the inning.

Click here to view the Huntley vs. Jacobs  photo gallery 

“We did a nice job executing,” said Jakubowski.  “Getting the three runs up in the first [inning] was huge.”

However, the Golden Eagles started to chip back at the lead.  After leading off the bottom of the first inning with a home run and knocking in another on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the second, it was a one-run game for Jacobs.

Jacobs came back to tie up the game and take the lead in the bottom of the third inning by scoring six runs.  The two-out rally began with a missed high fly ball in center field which was followed by an error in center, part of which could have been due to strong winds toward straightaway right field, which reached 40 miles per hour.

“I should’ve taken charge as the center fielder,” said Lyman, who manned center field for the game, “but the wind definitely played a factor.”

The Golden Eagles used to their advantage three of Huntley’s five errors in the game, which proved to be costly.

“We were trying to be a really good pitching and defense team, but we hurt ourselves defensively,” said Jakubowski.  “They did a real nice job capitalizing on it.”

Nevertheless, the Red Raiders came back with intensity. In the fifth inning, Huntley had runners on second and third with no outs.  However, the Red Raiders only came away with one run after Nixon struck out a pair of runners before allowing a sharp single to left by third baseman Bryce Only.

“In the fifth we had a few opportunities, but [Mixon] kind of knotted up,” said Jakubowski.  “He did a real nice job settling in.”

Jacobs looks to clinch its first-ever regional championship in its next game against Crystal Lake South on Saturday.

Karen Whitehouse (pictured above) has been approved by the District 158 board as the new volleyball coach (M. Makowski).

Last Thursday, Karen Whitehouse was approved by the District 158 Board of Education to be hired and to take over as Huntley High School’s new volleyball coach.  Whitehouse will be taking over for coach Michelle Jakubowski, who will be Huntley’s athletic director next year.

“It’s a great program,” said Whitehouse.  “I’m very excited to coach here and to teach here.”

Whitehouse, who coached at Hampshire High School since 2005, will come in as a highly-decorated coach.  She coached her teams to a 138-62 record while also leading the Whip-Purs to a second-place finish in the 2007 Class 2A State Final.

Once Whitehouse learned that there was a vacancy at Huntley, she contacted Jakubowski and sent over her application.

“This is somewhere I’ve always wanted to be,” said Whitehouse, who also lives in Huntley.

Whitehouse will be taking over a Red Raiders team that finished with a record of 31-8 last season and fell a two games short of advancing to the state tournament.  She hopes her philosophy as a coach will help her team succeed in her first year.

“Michelle has already done a great job with them, so it’s stepping into a program that’s already been successful,” she said.  “I’m a strong believer that what you put into the season is what you get out of the season.  If they’re willing to work hard and trust me, since I’m a new coach, then hopefully good things will come out of it.”

But although Whitehouse will be with a brand new team, she maintains the same expectations she has had each year with the Whip-Purs.

“I don’t ever change my expectations or my goals regardless of what team you have or whether I’m a new coach or not,” said Whitehouse.  “My goals will always be the same.  My goal is to go down state and that’s the ultimate goal for every state and every team.”

The Red Raiders baseball team has prepared for the regionals game by strengthing their defense and hitting (M. Makowski).

This season, Huntley’s varsity baseball team floundered at times with key situational hitting.  If it can do so in its next game, the sky’s the limit.

The Raiders, who finished the regular season with a record of 20-14 (10-8 in conference), will be taking on the Jacobs Golden Eagles in their first regional game on Thursday at 4 p.m.  Huntley will need to tune up its hitting to advance in the playoffs since 11 of its 14 losses this season have been by two runs or fewer.

“We struggled in the middle part of the year with our offense, executing our bunts, hitting with man on third and less than two outs,” said Jakubowski.  “[But] we’re swinging the bat a lot better and we’re executing better.”

Among those hitters who have swung a hot bat recently are juniors Colin Lyman and Bryce only, as well as senior Jordan Chuipek.  But what Huntley will have to fall back on during the postseason will be what it has done well all season: pitching and defense.

Huntley has shown a solid defense this season with a fielding percentage of .953 as of last week, the highest the Raiders have ever had.  Along with its defense, Huntley has a core of pitchers who will prove valuable in the postseason.

“Our pitching staff has stepped up,” said Jakubowski.  “Our top five, [Dan] Lowry, [Bryan] Doherty, [Jake] Perkins, [Justin] Gundlach and [Craig] Klein, have done a real nice job.”

The Raiders have prepared for their next game by working on situational hitting and by solidifying their stalwart defense, but they also hope that some momentum will help carry them through regionals.

“We’re playing a lot better than we have since the early part of the season, so we’re pretty excited” said Jakubowski.

“Success isn’t justified in wins and losses, it depends how far you go in the playoffs,” he said.  “We set our goal to win at least three playoff games, if not more, and we have the ability to attain that if we go out and play hard each and every day.”

Athletic director, Bruce Blumer, awarded students for their accomplishments in sports achieved during the Spring season (T. Funke).

On Monday, May 21, the athletic department hosted the Spring Sports Awards Night for student athletes in boys tennis, baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys track, and girls track.  The awards started at 6:30, Monday night in the East Gym.

Athletic director Bruce Blumer started the awards ceremony by announcing 12 Season Award recipients, state qualifiers, and four year varsity letter winners.

The 12 Season Award went to students who participated in three sports for all four years of high school.

Duke Larkin received the award for his participation in football, wrestling, and track all year. Larkin will be joining the Marines after graduating next week.

Ryan Palmer also received the award for his participation in golf, basketball, swimming, baseball, and track.  Palmer will attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater next year.

State qualifiers were announced as well.  Sophomore Tina Driscoll, Junior Katlyn Luebke, Freshman Delaney Lyman, Junior Anthonia Moore, Junior Omo Tseumah, Sophomore Taylor Schau, and Freshman Macy Tremblay qualified for state for girls track.

Mooreplaced ninth in the 400 M, and Tseumah placed second in the high jump.

Senior James Davis, senior Michael Dollar, junior Trevor Obecny, senior Ryan Sheehan, and junior Ryan Tharp qualified for the boys track state finals this weekend.

Travis Navarro was also honored for his state qualification as an individual in gymnastics. Navarro qualified in the horizontal bar and vault.

Blumer then honored the four year varsity letter winners.Tara Lycos received the award  for softball, CJ Ayemoba for boys track, Chase Hellinger for boys track, Devan Kennedy for boys track, Ryan Sheehan for boys track, and Sara Scarbro for girls track.

All six sports then dispersed into their break-out sessions where coaches gave out individual awards, such as sportsmanship and MVP, for their respective teams.

Student Council members on the bus, coming back from one of their many events and activities. (A. Prathivadi)

HHS’s Student Council is preparing for the rest of the year and next year. The club’s first order of business was to host the elections for new board members.

The new board members include:

Aesha Talia: President

Allyson Pater: Vice President

Preet Dhillion: Public Relations Officer

Alekya Prathivadi: Senior Class Representative

Ran Xu: Junior Class Representative

Jasmine Dhillion: Fresh/Soph Representative

Jordan Pasco: Social Chair

Rachel Bednarcyzk: Treasurer

The board members gave speeches. The elections were much contested, with four people going for the same position. An anonymous vote took place and the new board members were decided.

“I always wanted to be president and I can’t believe it’s actually happening.” said junior and Student Council President, Aesha Talia. “I’m really excited to work with the others. I have a couple ideas to implement.”

With the new board announced, Student Council is looking forward to new activities and ideas to incorporate into the school.

“I’m looking forward to working with this group,” said Student Council’s teacher representative Tom Kempf. “New faces provide fresh ideas and opportunities. I think that this group is going to provide some great new ideas.”

The group has meetings every week to discuss upcoming events. Currently on the agenda is the drive in this Saturday. Homecoming plans are already in the works, also.

Robin Gibb, singer-songwriter for the Bee Gees, died May 20.

Gibb, one of the three Gibb brothers who reigned supreme during the seventies and eighties with 13 charting singles, was the principal singer for the band.

What started as a musical project in the Isle of Man, became a world charting group in Australia, which in turn became one of the most successful acts ever, behind only the Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Gibb died of colorectal cancer that he had been grappling with for years. The death came as no suprise to the family of Gibb or fans.

Still, the family is mourning.

The Bee Gee’s hit single, “How Deep is Your Love,” will be played at his funeral, at his request.

Robin Gibb is the second of the Gibb brothers to pass away, leaving Barry Gibb the only remaining Bee Gee.

Senioritis is the lastest plague infecting all upperclassmen in high schools throughout the nation.

It’s a plague that travels through the halls Huntley, affecting students, both dedicated and less than so. It destroys kids. Each year it escalates around the end of April. It’s a pandemic. It affects millions of kids in schools across the nation, rendering them completely unable to study, do homework, or even pay attention in class. No one is safe. It’s Senioritis.

Overview

The condition is named after the general feeling of not caring that infects high school students at the end of their senior years. It’s not uncommon for juniors to catch a mild case of senioritis at the end of the year as well, but the disease impacts seniors both in greater numbers and greater severity.

Diagnosis

It is often difficult to differentiate between a legitimate case of Senioritis and an average high schooler’s apathy, so it is important to evaluate the context. If the patient is late in his or her high school career and showing the symptoms, it is more than likely that he or she had contracted the disease. Those most susceptible are soon-to-be graduates who have already cashed in their housing deposits for their university. At this point, having already secured their places for the new stage in their lives, they see little purpose in the end of the last stage. Seniors can be affected at the beginning of the school year as well. For juniors, the symptoms generally recede over long weekends and breaks, but they remain persistent in seniors.

Common symptoms include:

-Extreme laziness

-Inability to focus

-lack of concern for academic or extracurricular performance

-excessive complaining

-ditching school

-rebellious behavior with no regard for consequences

-slipping grades

While Senioritis is not known to be fatal, the effects can be devastating. Failing to fulfill academic responsibilities at the end of the school year can lead to, in extreme cases, revoked admission. However, the consequences are generally more mild, leading to peeved parents, either due to poor academic performance or overall negativity.

Treatment

While there is no known cure for Senioritis, many affected find it beneficial to take a day off of school to relax. However, this is risky, because motivation could further decline, leading to more days off and mounds of missed school work. The best way to live with Senioritis is to help the patient evaluate his or her life goals. For some students, the realization that they need to work hard for their specific dreams will rejuvenate their efforts. It is especially important to emphasize that they have ran nearly the entire marathon, and to slow to a walk a hundred yards from the finish is foolishness. Show sympathy. The student is miserable at school and scolding about poor performance will do little else, other than further irritate and demotivate him or her.

Prevention

Senioritis is difficult to prevent because it can affect any student at any time of the school year. Studious kids and slackers alike can catch a case. There are currently no vaccinations available. It should also be noted that Senioritis is extremely contagious, and if your friends are infected, it is best to avoid doing any group projects with them. Once that first assignment slips, the carelessness can easily avalanche into a massive grade-destroying wrath.

Over 160 runners participated at the 5K run held at the Square Barn Rd. (M. Fulcer).

On Sunday, May 20, Psychology Club hosted the second annual Minds in Motion 5k at the Square Barn Road campus.

Over 160 people participated in the 5k. Vendors such as Papa Saverio’s and Animal House Shelter set up stands.

A stand with free water and fruit was set up. Bagels, cookies and other baked goods were also available.

Papa Saverio’s began giving out free pizza during the run. The man running the stand had noticed that very few people had money and decided to give the pizza away rather than charge for it.

“He said he’d rather give away 100 slices than sell four,” said Shannon Romanski-Phillips. “It was very generous.”

Near the end of the event, they ran out of pizza. To attempt not to leave anyone out, the man immediately left to get more pizza.

Raffle prizes were donated by Yumz, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dairy Mart, McDonald’s and No Limit Arcade.

The 1 place runner for boys was Ricky Lopez. For the girls, the 1 place runner was Mary Raclawski.

This year, there were more vendors and sponsors, as well as different prizes and a different band.

“It was better organized because we knew what we were doing,” said Romanski-Phillips.

Next year, Romanski-Phillips and the rest of Psychology Club have a big target in mind.

“Our ultimate goal is to get the chain of kindness to stretch along the whole course,” said Romanski-Phillips.

She added that this could be an unrealistic goal, but not because the school is incapable of so many acts of kindness. On Sunday, they had a few volunteers holding up the beginning of the chain. However, the chain is fragile, and wind could easily destroy it. Holding the chain up, especially because it would be such a long chain, would take a lot of volunteers and little to no wind.

All the money raised from Minds in Motion went to Centegra Behavioral Health Services and the Friends of Rachel (FOR) club.

Raiders celebrating (M. Makowski)

On Saturday, Huntley varsity baseball snagged its fifth victory in a row with a close 6-5 win over Glenbard West.

Click here to view the game photo gallery

The Hilltoppers went ahead early on in the game with an RBI single off of Huntley pitcher Jon Vazquez in the top of the first.  However the Raiders struck back in the bottom of the inning when second baseman Brody Burkhart laced a single to right field to score Jordan Chuipek, who led off the half with a walk.

“We came up with timely hitting early in the game,” said head coach Andy Jakubowski.  “We did a real good job with situational hitting and getting our bunts down.”

After a quick second inning, Glenbard West put a pair of runs on the board with an RBI double by center fielder Ryan Kavanaugh and a deep sacrifice fly by catcher Mark Terwilliger.

Huntley came back in the bottom of the third with two runs scored on throwing errors.  After Christian Heustis tripled in a run to take a 4-3 lead, pinch runner Jake Wagner scored on a wild pitch.

But Glenbard West didn’t go down without a fight.

After the Raiders tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth, the Hilltoppers fought back by scoring a pair of runs on Huntley errors.  The Raiders tiptoed out of the inning after pitcher Justin Gundlach forced a pop-out with the tying run in scoring position.

“I thought our pitchers threw very well today [but] defensively, we struggled,” said Jakubowski, whose team committed three errors.

Senior pitcher Jake Perkins came in for Huntley after an easy sixth inning for the save.  He earned his fifth save of the season by punching out Tyler Curtis with the potential game-tying run on second base.

“It was huge,” said Jakubowski.  “That’s what Perkins does.  He comes in, spot-starts, and closes the door for us.  There’s nobody who does it better than him.”

The Raiders are now looking to prepare for their first regional game, which take place next Wednesday.

“We just need to continue to work on what we’re doing,” he said.  “Our pitchers are going to come in and throw strikes so as long as we don’t hurt ourselves, we’re going to be in a good position.”

The game was the team’s first annual “Senior Day,” which was organized to honor all seniors who were playing their last home game in high school.  Parents and volunteers put together a cook-out for both teams after the game.

Click here to view the pregame events photo gallery

“The juniors and sophomores all got together and wanted to do something nice as a send-off,” said Jakubowski.  “The parents all got together and got on board.  It was a real nice day today.”

Click here to view the post-game cookout photo gallery