Norton Boys Lookin' Good

          The Norton Track teams have shown that they are a strong program that just keeps moving forward each year, but now they just might be the elite team for Winter Track. Norton started off the year facing the supposed number one seed Medfield and beating them 54-32! The Boys have some of the top runners around the league in every event along with great depth to get those much needed third places in meets. Norton has at least one athlete in the top five in every event along with the best 4x400 relay. But more often than not, they have MULTIPLE athletes in the top five in events. At this point in the season, they have two athletes in the top three of the following events: high jump(1&2), 55m dash(2&3), 55m hurdles(1&2), and the 300m(2&3). This shows that the boys are not only ready to win the league, but to also win the Norton team's first TVL Championship Meet in history. They are following in the footsteps of the undefeated TVL Champion XC team and look to continue Norton's undefeated streak through this season and into the next. Coach Taylor could not be anymore proud with his hardworking group of athletes that solidify the Norton program as one of the best around and him as the best coach in the TVL. Norton2013-14= 27-0

Hall Of Patriots Reflection

          What could be more exciting than getting out of school to go tour the highly esteemed Hall Of Patriots? How about also meeting an actual player and interviewing him! This once in a life time oppertunity was brought upon by a school field trip for my Sports Reading and Writing class. Since the class is all about sports and writing articles, going to the Hall for a field trip to interview a Patriot was perfect for the class. We started off the tour on the second floor and were told of the history of the Patriots and the start of the Craft Era. Then, we got to look around on our own and examine all the famous memorabilia. Next, we were brought to a private theatre to see a screening of the Hall's short film on how impactful the Patriots have been to the area. Lastly, we were given an exclusive chance to sit down and interview LB Steve Beauharais with Romeo from Kiss 108! We asked him everything we wanted to know including his role models and favorite music. After the interview, our picture was taken with him, we wished him good luck, and then we were on our way back to school. Or were we? It was already past lunch time, so we were "forced" to go to Five Guys. It was a wonderful way to end an amazing day!

Nick Foles a future Elite?

     Nick Foles has shown that he can score, he can win, he can throw, and he can run but does this make him an Elite? At this point, most would say its a no, but only time will tell. Foles is in his second season in the NFL and has show great improvement since last year. He had around 1,700 yards, 6 TDs, and 5 INTs last year earning just over a 79 QB rating which is not the stats of a franchise or Elite QB. But this year, Foles already has 1,500 yards, 16 TDs, 0 INTs, and an amazing QB rating of 128. Foles has also won his first three starts that were all away to put the Eagles on top of the NFC east. Now, the question at hand is whether or not he is just having a good season or if he is truly that talented.
     He could not be doing this well if he was just lucky so therefore he must be highly talented. Foles is silently dominating the league at the QB position. He is currently the most efficient QB and his rating is actually better than Peyton Mannings whose is 118.3. He is also consistent and has only been under a 100 rating once this year. Oh, did i mention that he also leads the league in yards per attempt, on track to be forth highest in history, and can run the ball? But if these stats aren't good enough(or the fact that he had a 7TD game without an INT) then lets compare him to the current Elite QBs. 
       Foles has more touchdown passes and less INTs this season than Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, RG3, Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, and Eli Manning with fewer attempts than they have completions! Okay now let's keep pretending Eli is an Elite QB so i can include this next statistic: if Foles threw all INTs in his next 26 attempts then his QB rating would still be higher than ELI's! If anyone considers Eli an Elite then they must consider Foles a God. Foles also managed to beat RG3, who is known as the best rushing QB in the NFL today, in rushing yards during their head to head game. What else can Foles do to show he is an Elite?
        As long as Foles stays as good as he has been on an off day of his as of late, or better, then he will be considered an Elite QB. Also, winning a Superbowl couldn't hurt his chances. To conclude, Nick Foles is the future franchise QB of the Philadelphia Eagles and if is not already considered an Elite QB, then he will be! 

Fantasy Football: Players on the Rise

Zac Stacy( St. Louis RB)- Unlike most RBs in Fantasy, Stacey is consistent in earning a good amount of points every week and has the occasional big game, 29.8 Points in Week 9. He may not be bringing in an absurd number of points each week, but he is reliable in earning at least low-teens for points every week and would make a great addition to almost any team. 

Rob Gronkowski (New England TE)- Gronk is back! The top TE from last year is starting to play like his old self again and will regain his role as long as he stays healthy. Considering that there are very few TEs that can put up big points in any week, Gronk is a player worth getting despite his risk of injury unless you have Jimmy Graham or Julius Thomas. Gronk earned over 19 points in Week 9 before going on a BYE week and will return ready for another big game.

Percy Harvin (Seattle WR)- Harvin is returning soon was talked about only recently, so he still may be availiable to pick up in many leagues and should help those looking to find a solid WR. He was a top WR last year and anyone without great WR should pick him up because very few WRs are consistently gaining large amounts of points and Percy is likely to become one of them. He is said to be returning this week and projected in the low teens for points against the Vikings. He would be very much worth the risk as a flex or second WR.

Russell Wilson (Seattle QB)- Russel Wilson is moving his way up among QBs in both consistency of points and amount of them. Wilson has had multiple 20 point games and only a few low scoring games, but as of late he is explosive. He is destroying defenses with his offense and with Percy Harvin returning, he will be playing even bigger. Count on him as a starting QB and you will not be disappointed

Panther's Defense (Carolina Defense)- Carolina's Defense has been on fire as of late totaling 7 sacks, 4 INTs, 2 fumbles, and a touchdown in the last two games. They are not only making big plays, but are consistently stopping offenses which leads to big plays when the offense needs to score. They have had huge weeks this season and will continue to do so. They are ranked 2nd only to the Chiefs, but may still be available in some leagues. Great Defense to start after this week.

NFL Playoff Preview

          

          Going into Week 10 of the NFL season, it may be too early to know for sure which teams will make it into the playoffs or is it? Certain teams, such as the Seahawks and Chiefs, have clearly shown their dominance among many teams and most division leaders are ahead by at least two games. As of right now, the teams that would make it are the Patriots in the AFC East, the Bengals in the AFC North, the Colts in the AFC South, the Chiefs in the AFC West, the Cowboys in the NFC East, the Lions in the NFC North, the Saints in the NFC South, the Seahawks in the NFC West, and then the Broncos and 49ers for wildcards. Most teams are superior in their divisions, but is everything set in stone?

          No. The NFC North division spot is still very much up for grabs. The Lions are in the lead solely because they have a better conference record, 4-2, compared to the Packers, 3-2, and the Bears, 3-3. All three teams share the same overall record at 5-3 so none can afford any mistakes for the rest of the season considering their records are a few games worse than the teams that will most likely acquire the wildcard spots. Are there other teams that have a high chance of losing their spot?

          In my opinion, yes. If I had been asked this question in previous weeks, I would say the Patriots, but it seems like they are starting to gain chemistry on offense and their defense is holding up despite the many significant injuries. The cowboys are the team that have the highest chance of being surpassed and losing their spot in the playoffs. They have a good rooster, but are not consistent with how well they play.

          Although the teams that are going to the playoffs seem to already be predetermined, what will happen in the playoffs is another story. The playoffs are very unpredictable and any team could be out at anytime. Which team you are matched up against and where you play have a great impact on how well eacj yeam will perform. So, the Superbowl does not necessarily come down to which too teams are the best, but the two teams that have done the best in the last two weeks.

Can Anyone Beat The Heat?

          Miami has an amazing opportunity to achieve a three-peat for the NBA Title this coming year and at the moment, is there any team capable of challenging them? With such a powerful starting five and sixth man they would be hard enough to beat even without their versatile bench. Lebron and Wade have both shone that they are capable of single-handedly leading teams in seasons past and after three years playing together and developing chemistry, they are seemingly unstoppable duo. Together, they conquer teams and while watching them, it seems like you're watching men play among little boys. They tear through defenses by finding holes, drawing fouls, and making their shots and pummel offenses with their stealing, blocking, and rebounding. It is bad enough having to try to stop this dynamic duo on their own, but when they are also on a team full of other great players it is damn near impossible!
          When Bosh, Chalmers, and Allen are added to the equation, the chances of even staying in a game with the Heat are far worse. Bosh may not be one of the tallest centers around, but what he lacks in height is more than made up with his quickness and versatility. Chalmers is a well-rounded and solid point guard who can easily dish the ball out to any other one of his teammates on the field without any hesitation caused by questioning their skill sets. Allen is one of the best, if not the best, sixth man in the league right now and is a tremendous threat from beyond the arc. Knowing this, how can the Heat be stopped?
          The only thing that they are lacking is size. They are just a very small team compared to most in the league and are forced to overcompensate with hustle, aggression, and three-point shooting. Lebron may play a big game, but he is not very tall compared to other players at his position especially when he is the power forward. So, an ideal team to beat the Heat should have height or a roster with great depth of skilled players. Clearly, no team that just has one superstar and a couple other decent players has a chance to be greater than the Heat. This knocks off the Bulls and the Thunder as candidates to beat the heat because having just D-Rose or Durant won't cut it when they are having to battle James and Wade. So, who could challenge them?
          It seems that the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks are the only teams with a fighting chance. The Nets have great depth and are a team full of seasoned all-stars, but they do have their downside. There has to be a lack of chemistry among the team that has acquired multiple new players, such as Pierce and Garnett, who now must begin their first year under the franchise with a very different roster. Also, they do not have height either, having only Garnett and Plumlee both at 6'11", which will not make the Heat a good match-up for them. The roster is alos old which decreases their chance in future years and is not as quick or aggressive as the Heat. Thus, the Nets' chance is slim, but if chemistry is not an issue they will still be a threat. The Knicks seem to have more of a chance. They have an extremely talented roster like the Heat and also have height. Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire are both aggressive and agile big men that are great on both sides of the ball and give them the height advantage and over the Heat along with support from Aldrich. They also have star-player talent from Carmelo Anthony and other skilled players such as Felton and Peace. J.R. Smith is a top sixth man just like Allen from the Heat which makes their sixth man talent evenly matched. They still will most likely not be as good as the Heat because Chalmers is a better guard than Felton, they have no match for Wade at guard, Lebron gets the edge over Carmelo, and the height advantage alone isn't enough to stop the Heat. Thus, there are few teams that even have a chance at beating the Heat and none probably will.

FEAR THE BEARDS

          What does a former WWE Champion and a MLB Outfielder have in-common? Most would say that their only major similarity is that they are professional athletes, but in this case it is much simpler. Great beards. Daniel Bryan of the WWE, the man who gave birth to the phrase "Fear the Beard", challenged Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick to a Beard-Off until the end of 2013.

          Bryan targeted Reddick via twitter saying that he would not have the audacity to take on the self-proclaimed "King of Beards" in a head-to-head best of the beards competition. He tweeted this on March 5th of this year and later went on saying, "Also, I encourage my followers to mock [Reddick's] beard at every oppertunity, and let him know that I alone am #KingOfBeards". The rules of the competition are simple: at the end of the year, fans will vote for whomever they believe has the nicer beard and the loser has to shave it off completely. Reddick starts off at a great disadvantage since Bryan has had an eight month head start and has far more twitter followers than Reddick, outnumbering him by over 500,000 followers. On the other hand, Reddick's beard is seemingly growing a lot faster, so he still has a chance of victory unless the voting is baised on the concept of who has more fans.

          Reddick responded in a playful yet mocking way when he accepted the challenge tweeting, "Bring it. YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!" using Bryan's signature catch-phrase. Reddick is a huge fan of WWE and has personally met many superstars, yet this is his first encounter with Daniel and greatly appreciates the friendly competition.  He is also looking forward to establishing a lasting relationship with the WWE and who knows what could happen from there! It is not likely that Reddick will be giving up a solid career in baseball to pursue a career in professional wrestling, but I believe that it is possible for him to be a guest appearance towards the end of the beard-off. So, the A's should not worry about losing their star right-fielder for the upcoming season, but should be prepared for the consequences of the end of the beard-off: the death of a beard.

          Whether Bryan or Reddick wins, one legendary beard will meet its end and the other will be crowned the King of Beards!

                                                                    Two great athletes........

                                                                              Two amazing beards.............

                                                                                     One Winner................

                                                                                             YOU Decide!

                                                              BEARD-OFF 2013!!

The Return of John Cena

          After just over two months, WWE Superstar John Cena announced his return to be this Sunday at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. The former WWE champion left the day after Summerslam to undergo surgery for a partial triceps tear. Despite the usual recovery time of four to six months, Cena is returning back to action this Sunday. When questioned about how he quickly returns from injury, John jested with the reporter saying, "Please don't spread the rumor that I'm some kind of real-life X-Man or something like that." John later went on to say that surgeons give estimates of recovery time that do not necessarily apply to all people. Cena believes he is "a very dedicated physical therapy patient and that helps a lot." The idea that he may be a real-life X-Man should not be thrown out the window yet! Cena was back to his normal weight training just sixteen days after surgery and he only waited that long because he had stitches in for two weeks and was not allowed to and had to wait an additional two days for the wound to heal up to avoid infection. John believes he is ready for his returning title shot.

         He will be in a match with current World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio for the title. John considers being "named No.1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship is a blessing." John knows that Del Rio is on top of his game right now and isn't coming off the couch, but he still thinks he can pull out a win and be crowned champion. He is planning to end Del Rio's current reign of four months and start a new reign of his own.

         The stipulations for the match have not yet been decided, but much is expected for the match as a pay-per-view title match. With the match for the WWE title already being graced with stipulations and a special guest referee, Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, Cena's match will need to have something special to make it as interesting as the other match. The feud over the WWE title is far more interesting than the Alberto's title reign, so Cena will really need to step things up and have a hell of a match( no pun intended) in order to gain more popularity for the other title. The final question that remains is will Cena be able to compete at the top of his game after returning from the injury so soon?

        In my opinion, Cena should have taken more time of to heal, recuperate, and train to insure a victory upon a later return at the next pay-per-view in Massachusetts. He would be returning in his home state and fully healed for sure which would give him greater momentum upon his return. Cena is most likely not on top of his game, but will be able to compete with Del Rio and will put forth a valiant effort. He could pull out a victory as long as Del Rio does not target the formerly injured arm of Cena. Good luck Cena and we wish you a great return. 

Denver: Just Best Team of 2013 or One of the Best Team in History?

        It is quite obvious that the Denver team is the best in the NFL this season, but are they more than just that? At this point in the season, the Broncos average 46 points per game which, if they maintain their average, will break the NFL record of 38.3 points per game. They would also destroy the record of most points in a season, 589 points by the Patriots in 2007. Not only are they scoring a lot, but they also have a 18.2 points per game differential, 91 points total, which is also on pace to beat the NFL record of 315 points also held by the Patriots in 2007.The question is if they can maintain their dominance or will they stray from the path?
        The Broncos show near perfection on offense and only have one interception, five sacks, and a few lost fumbles. Prater has also made all of his field goal attempts and PATs. Their offense is untouchable in its versatility and depth. Peyton Manning, one of the greatest QBs of all time, has five offensive weapons he can ditch the ball out to. Defenses haven't been able to stop him due to the fact that they can't cover all five major aerial threats and even if they did, they would then be too vulnerable to the running game. Knowshon Moreno has well over 300yards on the season with over a five yard average per carry and four touchdowns. This is very impressive due to the fact that Broncos are mostly a passing team, yet will most likely have a 1000yard rusher in Moreno. Peyton Manning shows his dominance and place among the elites by passing for twenty touchdowns, over 1,800 yards, and a 75% completion rate with only one interception! Manning has been able to connect TE Julius Thomas in the end zone on multiple occasions and constantly delivers the ball the veteran wide receivers Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker. This amount of success makes it no mystery that the Broncos passing offense is ranked first and also their overall offense. With such a powerful offense, is there actually a chance that the Broncos could still stray from their path of dominance?
        The answer is yes. Although their offense is near perfect, their defense is far from it. The Broncos do have the top rushing defense letting up less than 70 yards a game and allowing few touchdowns, but their pass defense needs some work. Their pass defense is last in the league allowing more than 300 yards per game. Another problem the Broncos face is their turnover differential considering they only have one more takeaway than giveaway. To insure that they continue to win easily, a better pass defense couldn't hurt their chances.
        In my opinion, unless something extreme occurs, the Broncos will not only break many NFL season records, but crush them! They will go undefeated, win the Superbowl, and be considered the greatest team in NFL history. They will be facing the Seahawks, the worst team in the league, this upcoming week and the estimated point spread is the greatest in history. Good Luck Broncos!

Chase for the Cup Update

     After winning the first two races of the Cup, you would believe that Matt Kenseth would have a huge lead over the other drivers. You would also be wrong in this case. Matt Kenseth only has an eight point lead over five time champion Jimmie Johnson with seven races still remaining. This may not seem to be a problem for Kenseth since he has been quite impressive as of late, but Kenseth has only finished ahead of Johnson once before in The Chase. This fact must be in the head of Kenseth and may be causing him even more worry on top of the other stress of racing for the cup. Competitor Jimmie Johnson disagrees saying “Matt has always been incredible at scoring points and getting the most out of his race car on a given weekend. He doesn’t let emotions rattle him much."  Whether or not emotions will play a role or not, there is no doubt that Kenseth has been far more impressive this season than any of the previous ones. Kenseth has set personal records for wins in a season (7) and laps lead (1380) which are greater than his numbers when he won the cup in 2003. Matt is well respected by his competition and their crew chiefs. Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief, praised him saying, "He’s a good driver. He’s a clean driver. He understands where he’s at on the race track.He really gets it. He gets it more than most of the drivers out there. He knows when to get the (heck) out of the way. He knows when he has the best car." Respect is mutual between most of the top drivers and they know that any driver that makes it to The Chase can upset the rest. Much of the talk suggests that the victor this year would either be Johnson or Kenseth, but other drivers are still within reaching distance of the title. Currently third in the standings, Kyle Busch, is only four points behind Jimmie Johnson. If you are capable of using simple math, you realize that he is therefore only twelve points behind Kenseth. He should be considered a high risk threat due to him still being very close in the points and due to Busch's ability to win races. Busch was the youngest driver to win a Sprint Cup Race, youngest to win a pole, and youngest to qualify for The Chase. He also holds the record for most Nationwide series wins in his rookie season which just shows how truly amazing he is at achieving victory. The rest of the drivers in the running are a decent ways further back in the points, but they still have a chance with seven races remaining. Fourth place Kevin Harvick is thirty-nine points behind the leader and would need to race significantly better than the three drivers ahead of him in order to win the cup. The rest of the drivers in the Chase goes as follows: Jeff Gordon-39 points behind  Greg Biffle- 41 points, Ryan Newman- 48 points, Clint Boyer- 51 points, Kurt Busch- 55 points, Dale Earnhardt Jr- 57 points, Carl Edwards- 65 points, Joey Logano- 66 points, and Kasey Kahne- 78 points. Thus, The Chase for the Cup remains full of possibilities for all drivers to change their positions in the standings and will most likely come down to the last race to crown a winner.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/05/2861885/jimmie-johnson-resurgent-matt.html#storylink=cpy

  He really gets it. He gets it more than most of the drivers out there. He knows when to get the (heck) out of the way. He knows when he has the best car"

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/05/2861885/jimmie-johnson-resurgent-matt.html#storylink=cpy

Chase For The TVL Title In Boys' Cross Country Heating Up?

     This year's XC season has been a nail biter for the Lancer Boys and an eye opener for the rest of the TVL teams. Many teams might have overlooked Norton XC in the past, but doing so now would be considered quite foolish. The Norton team is 1st in the TVL for the first time and is undefeated at 6-0! They are the only remaining undefeated team after defeating the usual top seeds of Medfield and Hopkinton and it seems that they will win the TVL for the first time! Or will they? Unfortunately for the other teams in the TVL, Medfield is not ready to give up. The Medfield team possesses the two top runners in the league, Sean and Ian Robertson, and just barely lost to the Norton Boys in a close 27-29 match-up, but are now returning two top runners in the league from the previous season. Former Medfield Soccer players Scola and Robartes have decided to leave their soccer team and rejoin the XC team. The question presented is simple: Does Medfield now have a shot at the TVL title? Like the question, the answer may also be very simple. When confronted on the topic of the addition of the two Medfield runners, Norton Cross Country Coach Kent Taylor stated, "It significantly changes the Medfield team, but in my opinion it will not change the final TVL standings or who wins the TVL title." Medfield does still have a chance at the title, but they would need to win their last three meets and have Norton lose one of their last remaining meets in order in become co-champions with Norton. Even though Norton has more or less secured the TVL Title, who will win the TVL championship meet is another story. This is where the addition of Scola and Robartes comes into play and makes the Medfield team the favorite for the meet. Coach Taylor does admit that the additions to the Medfield team "can change who wins the TVL meet" but later added that the TVL meet is "an exhibition meet." Norton XC and Track teams have not yet won a TVL championship meet, so if they were still able to win the league meet along with the TVL title it would be a historical moment for Norton sports. Norton Senior Captains Billy Sullivan and Max Marcotte will certainly have a tough race ahead of them at the TVL meet along with fellow varsity teammates Mike Tierney, Eric Sanford, and Topher Wren. Regardless of what happens, Norton will no longer be over looked as an easy opponent and will be considered a legitimate team and top contender for the upcoming seasons to come.

The Future of the NHS Volleyball Program

       What does the future have in store for the Norton High Girls' Volleyball Program? Progress. The Norton High Volleyball Team has improved substantially over the past few years and has the potential to become even greater. During the 2010-2011 season, the girls had a poor record of 2 wins and 12 loses and won only 9sets in the fourteen games. As a fan, I went to most games expecting not to even win a set or to even see a close set. This made it very hard to cheer for the team, yet the fans stayed faithful through every devastating loss. Luckily, things would soon change!
       In just two short years, the team was able to go from 2-12 to a winning season at 11-9 in 2012-13! They also managed to go 6-3 at Home which gave fans a real reason to cheer. How was this program able to go from one of the worsts in the league to a top contender in just two seasons? Hard work, dedication, determination, discipline, chemistry, and great coaching. The girls were practicing long and hard after school everyday and developed their chemistry further through each season. They were tired of being the team at school that almost never won and so they strived for change!
       By the end of the 2012-13 season, the volleyball team took its place as one of the many winning teams at Norton High. The only question left was if that season was the start of something great rather than just a one time winning season. Well so far, the 2012-13 season has not yet helped answer this question.
       The girls have started out with a 2-3 record losing to three of the better schools in the area, King Phillip, Medfield, and Hopkinton. They fought hard against all three power house teams winning at least one set in each game and keeping every set close. The girls also faced Foxboro which is another great team from the area, but this time they showed their greatness and easily defeated them by winning 3 out of the 4 sets. This big win gave hope to the thought of another consecutive winning season. The girls other win of the season was against another conference team, Ashland, which was a swift victory that ended in just three sets. The team lead by Senior Captains Jackie Dunne, Abby Anderson, Sam Olsen, and Meghan Pestana looks to continue its win streak facing Holliston 9/25.
    We wish the girls luck and look forward to another great season!
         

Story #1

People have a necessary fascination with fantasy football.