Sports play such a big role in our daily lives, and as a school, we could not wait to see our players back on the field. After a year or so of no games due to covid, and a variety of different schedules we had to comply with, we finally got to go back to the stadiums and cheer on our teams in person. The first week of sports saw many matchups and an abundance of crazy performances by our Cougar athletes. Here’s a breakdown of all the best plays from the past week.

Softball

The CT Softball team started their season strong by beating Regis High School in a blowout game, with a score of 12-0. Cayman Lightner (10) started the season off strong for the Cougars. Lightner (10) had one of the most impressive plays of the game as she pitched a complete shutout, one of the hardest things to do in softball. Jayden Martinez (12) also had a stunning performance as she went 100% at-bat, hitting 3 for 3. The CT Softball team was firing on all cylinders, and all the hard work put in over the offseason paid off tremendously. One of the most notable plays in the game was when Martinez (12) had an insane wall catch to secure the game against Regis. In-game number 2, it seemed the team was running low on stamina; in the 3rd inning, the team was down 3-0, and all previous momentum was starting to fade away. However, this did not seem to stop our CT softball team as players Addi Krei (10), Brooke Scott (12), and Ryleigh Cruz (12) sparked a comeback as they all made impactful hits up at-bat. This gave our Cougars the swing in morale and the determination they needed to climb their way back up. When it was all said and done CT had beaten Legend 7-5. This performance was truly remarkable and should be a proud moment for the softball team.

Volleyball

CT’s volleyball team had a difficult time against Chaparral, where our varsity team eventually lost in a close battle of 3 sets to 1. Even though the volleyball team lost, they still had many star players and noteworthy plays that made the community hopeful for the season’s future. The top two performances on the team were made by Jayden Ponsford (12) and Sanaa Grant (11), who ended up with 12 kills during their high-level performance. Even in the midst of a loss, the team showed great teamwork with Emily Schwab (10) having 13 assists and Zoe Ackerman (11) with 11 assists. Although this game didn’t have the outcome many were hoping for, it showed that the rest of the season has a promising future. With many players stepping up to get this season back on track we eagerly await what is next from CT volleyball.

Soccer

Boy’s soccer jumped right out of the gate, going 2-0 in their opening week, beating Prairie View 8-0. Moreover, winning 1-0 against Littleton in a suspenseful double overtime. In the first game, #7, Senior Branden Wurst (12) set the tempo by tallying up three goals throughout the whole game, “Always great to get a win, eight goals makes it that much better. A good performance by the team,” said Wurst (12). The team played close to perfection scoring eight goals in a single game. Eight goals! That kind of feat is tough to come by; and this domination of a win will hopefully give the team the boost of confidence they need to empower them throughout the season. This excellent teamwork shown in the first game helped our soccer team dig deep in their second matchup against Littleton. The game against Littleton was a complete stalemate on each side of the ball; both teams played great defense and shut down opposing attempts to score. This game was closely contested the whole way through, taking two overtimes to decide a winner. In the second overtime, Wurst (12) came through and delivered a game-winning goal. This incredible shot put the Cougar soccer team at 2-0 to kick off the season. “I think we are a strong team with 5-6 new starters, and with starting strong against tough opponents, this season should be very exciting,” said player Amman Muzaffar (11). This revealing performance showed the tenacity this team truly has, and their ability to dig deep is what ended up resulting in a win for the cougars. This perseverance gives this team an exciting future for the rest of the coming season. If you’ve ever needed a reason to watch soccer, this team is your answer.

Football

The varsity football team for CT started with a 35-24 win in their home game opener against Mullen. Our CT Cougars held a strong lead on Mullen throughout the game, and the crowd was loving every second of it. Senior quarterback Logan Brook (12) showed out in the first game throwing 13 for 24 and racking up 319 passing yards, along with five touchdowns and one interception. This spectacular performance not only earned Brook (12) player of the week, but also led his team to a crucial victory in the opening game of the season,” We all did great, the defense played great… we expect to win every game, keep dominating,” said Brook (12). Alongside Brook (12), many other players had notable plays as Kaelen Bing (12) brought in two touchdowns on the day, and Jack Pierce (12), Gage Gordon (12), and Ciaran Hyslop (12) all scored one touchdown throughout the duration of the game. This eye-grabbing win has set the tempo for the rest of this year’s CT football season,” We play fast, hard, and aggressive, and we are going to win,” explained Brook (12) when asked what we should expect from this football team. Overall the CT football team looks exciting and ready to go out and have a fantastic season.