There are many students who want a swim team in our school. Some students want it because they want to be able to say that our school has a swim team that competes with other high schools on the island and there are others that want a swim team in our school to join and feel a part of a team. People may have different sports that they like or are talented at and one of them might just be swimming, but there isn’t a swim team for them to be a part of.

“We don’t have a team because we don’t have a pool to work out. We should have swimming though because it’s an excellent activity that everyone can do and learn from. It’s also great for kids who have certain injuries.” said gym teacher Mrs. Pepe.

College of Staten Island is one of our main sponsors for our school. CSI College has a great competitive swimming pool for practice that we can use for our swim team. One of the arguments about this idea is that it’s too far, or the pool is booked with other schools. Some worry that an accident can happen while at practice and the school would end up being responsible for it, but lifeguards available for emergencies.

Yet, there are people who want a swim team in our school because they enjoy competitive swimming.

“I think there should be a swim team for CSI. If we can have a basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and now a cheerleading team we should be able to have a swim team. If there was a swim team I would join it.’ said junior Chris Smart.

Swimmers should have the right to have a swim team in our school, so start a petition and swimming just might become a team at our school.

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Was it the distinctive defense or the harmonious hitting of the Dragons that was a changing factor in this game?

The answer becomes lopsided when statistics are reviewed. The dragons powered through the Seagulls’ pitching with a staggering 14 runs on 10 hits. The efforts of four Dragons’ offence kept the girls ahead on their way to victory.

Sophomore Katherine Kelly had three hits and was responsible for three RBI, she now boasts a batting average of .667 and is off to a fantastic start.

Sophomore Antoinette Galbos’ bat is hot, with a batting average of .800 this season so far and 6 RBI in the game. She also had a great defensive game, making tough plays with her wide range of mobility.

CSIM’s Jamie Lepard had two RBI and McCown freshman Danielle Kearney also scored three runs throughout the game. With offense like this the Dragons’ are sure to have a promising season.

“Our team played good defense and got the bat on the ball, we kept our confidence and got our first win”, said Junior Gina Ianniello.

The team has currently lost four games to, Wagner High School, Port Richmond High School, Bayside High School and Newton High School. In all four games the girls have shown exceptional qualities as a varsity team and now it is just a matter of experience and time before our team will be extremely productive. Their next game will be on our field against the Tottenville Pirates on April 19.

“With team experience, and confidence we are sure to win, all we need to do is have one great game, and we will be in the right mindset.”, said McCown Sophomore Danielle Cannon. And the game against the Seagulls may have been this very game.

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Due to recent budget cuts in PSAL, schools can’t start new teams and are also ridding the city of unsuccessful teams.

Yet this isn’t bringing our mighty Dragons down. With tryouts held in early March, Athletic Director and Coach Mr. Dennis Barrett was ready to spring into action for a new and fun year of baseball. Though they aren’t PSAL, they are still a team.

“I don’t like the fact we aren’t PSAL because we cant go to playoffs or championships but at least we still get to play,” said sophomore Azmi Canorski.

Though the team is sadden because they are considered a cluedb the coach still has high hopes for them.

“I hope to build an interest in baseball in the school and have a solid foundation for future teams and that nobody gets hurt,” said Mr. Barrett.

With seventeen players on the team, they will be learning all the fundamentals of baseball including hitting, running, catching, throwing, and defense.

“We are going to learn the fundamentals, but safety and teamwork first,” said Mr. Barrett.

Along with the high expectations of the coach the boys have equal expectations.

The boys will be playing games just as if they were PSAL against schools such as Wagner High School, St. Peters High School, St. Joseph by the Sea, Petrides High School, Curtis High School, and New Dorp High school.

The boys competed in a spring break tournament at MSIT, where they they went to semi-finals and showed the baseball community that they are an up and coming squad.

In their first game against New Utrecht they lost in the bottom of the second extra inning, and proved to the Island that they can compete with a well known Brooklyn team.

Perhaps their premier game so far was played against MSITs Seagulls. The Dragons out pitched and out hit the Segulls, in a 3-1 victory after 7 full innings.

These games may not be counted in PSAL, but you can be sure that the boys will be practicing hard to do their best on the field.

The Dragons are certain to compete and are expected to fulfill the hopes of their teachers and peers, later in the season they will play better teams and will even have a game in Staten Island Yankee Stadium.

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Despite the 14-1 losing streak during the ‘08 softball season, the girls worked hard this season to show what they are really made of.

“I feel we have a strong young team, and we play more experienced teams, but we came together and became closer than friends, which helps make a stronger team,” said freshmen outfielder Jamie Lepard.

With impeccable comradery, the girls have made an enormous comeback this year. Heading into the playoffs, the Dragons were tied for 4th place, out of eight Staten Island public schools, with nine wins and eight losses .

On April 27th, the Dragons put up a fight against the Tottenville Pirates.

Although the Pirates scored two runs in the first inning, the Dragons didn’t give up. Antoinette Galbo ripped an RBI triple in the third inning to get the girls on the move for an 8-2 trail after Tottenville. Although Galbo’s hit got the girls going, they lost 18-2.

With a loss on their shoulders the Dragons still gave it their all in their next game against MSIT.

Third basemen, junior Briana Kohm hit a blast over the left field fence for a three run homer. Unfortunately, the girls still walked away with a loss. But the girls didn’t stop there.

The Dragons gave Tottenville another run for their money. However, this plan back fired when the girls h a experineced a tragic loss with a score of 9-0 in their second game against Tottenville.

“Not that the team is lacking in either, but defense is always the struggle because I believe defense is the most important part of the game. Defense wins games. When your opponent can’t score, you can’t lose. We will face a variety of good pitchers, and I believe our offense will score runs, but the challenge, I believe, is always making the right plays and shutting down the other Staten Island teams,” stated coach Rosario Miano.

After hitting a little speed bump in their defense, the girls put on their game faces in their game against Petrides on May 5th. The Dragons exhaled fire for an outstanding victory over the Panthers, 20-0.

“This entire year has been such huge improvement, and our team spirit is so strong, especially since we’re looking at a spot in the playoffs.

The 20-0 victory over Petrides is just one game, but it shows how powerful we can be in the field and on the bench supporting each other and working towards our goals,” explained Captain Kristina Sanzone.

After several rainy days, the girls were back in action on May 8th against New Dorp. New Dorp scored three runs in the first inning. Although there were still 6 innings left, that’s all New Dorp Needed. The Dragons lost 3-1.

Picking themselves up from another downfall, the girls walked away with stunning victories their next two games against Petrides 18-6 and New Utrecht 20-16.

Next, two more losses against Port Richmond, and it was time for the biggest game of the season, the game that would determine the future of the team.

After all the anticipation, it seemed that Captain Sazone knew what her team was capable of doing.

Scoring an amazing nine runs, the girls went on to defeat Curtis 12-11 and advance into the playoffs, their first ever.

“I believe the difference in any game, especially when we play these tough Staten Island teams is making plays. The teams that win this time of the year are the teams that believe they can make plays, and then get on the field and get it done. I believe that we’ll make those plays,” continued Mr. Miano.

On May 28th, the Dragons versed Stuyvesant High School in their first ‘09 playoff game.

The girls started off with a fantastic lead in the first inning, scoring 2 runs against Stuyvesant. The mood in the air was intense, as the girls didn’t allow Stuyvesant to score a run until the third inning.

Putting the ball to the barrel, short stop Antoinette Galbo, captain and pitcher Corinne Fairlie and third baseman Briana Kohm all hit triples, giving the Dragons an astonishing victory with a score of 10-5.

In the second round of playoffs, the Dragons made their way to Brooklyn to play James Madison High School.

Holding the second seeded team until the fifth inning 0-0, the game ended with a 11-0 win for Madison.

Although the girls lost, they made hitory by being the first CSI/McCown team to make it to playoffs

Hopefully next season, the team will take the title as New York City Champions.

The Dragons continue to put their best claw forward in climbing the ladder to being one of the best teams on Staten Island.

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As a young team this season was as positive as it could be. All freshman and sophomores with the exception of one senior, and one junior the Lady Dragons’ are the youngest varsity team on the Island and are a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

The girls’ finished the season with a record of 1-11-0 and played exceptionally hard in all of their games. Senior, Briana Kohm, was a key player in the girls success this year, not only on the scoreboard, but with her varsity playing experience as a source of advice for many of the girls’ .

“Being the only senior, I was able to offer knowledge to the team, while gaining knowledge from the team as well,” said Kohm.

One of the sound traits of the Lady Dragons was their phenomenal defense. When the girls faced Petrides, one of the best shooting teams on the Island, they held them to only 52 points as the Panthers average 66 points per game and a high score of 75. The girls lost by eight in their efforts against Petrides but gained more than any win could on their season record, it gained them the knowledge and experience of playing sound team defense and the outcome and power of what it can do.

Likewise, on January 11, the girls’ versed New Dorp for the second time this season and made drastic improvements on the scoreboard. With great offense the girls’ were able to place their second highest score total at 38 points and keep the point spread at 21.

Yet, on January 21, the girls were determined to get their first win of the season. As soon as the Raiders stepped into the gym, the Lady Dragons’ knew it was time for business.

With a blow out first quarter at 11-5 in favor of the Dragons, the girls’ showed more heart and attentiveness then they did the whole season.

Sophomore Jennifer Carullo paired with Erin Kohm to make four three point shots in the first half. Freshmen Taylor Briggs and Danielle Kearney of McCown paired for six quick 2nd quarter points, which led the Dragons Briana Kohm to a quick 4 point 4 rebound surge late in the 2nd.

Sophomore Erin Kohm led the Dragons at half with 11 points, as the Dragons were up 25-16. The Dragons cruised through the rest of the night to win with a final score of 48-44.

The Lady Dragons’ will all return next year for another season of play with the exception of one player, Briana Kohm. Unlike every other team on the Island, the Dragons will have had a season to “themselves” and will return with a better, smarter team next season.

“My girls are working hard each and every day. We are getting better as a team, and we are looking forward to making a name for ourselves in the near future,” said Coach Nicole Stefanski.

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The team has faced many obstacles, but they always gave it their best effort and now they are fighting to be first place.

As of now the Dragon wrestling team is tied for first with Forest Hills High School. Even though they lost to Forest Hills they still have a chance to take the division title.

With the loss against Forest Hills High School the team was pushed to defeat anyone who stood in their way.

First up was a grapple with Erasmus High School. And the Dragons went back to business earning their sixth win.

“I’m very excited about their win. It was important to get a win after having our first loss.” said Coach Miano, who leads a strenuous practice with our wrestlers everyday.

The team shows up to every meet with only one thing in mind: winning.

“Our team works hard as usual and it shows. I am proud that I won because I go to practice everyday just like my teammates, that’s why we win, because we work hard,” said sophomore Sher Mohammad.

The wins did not stop at the meet against Erasmus. The team went on to win against Boys and Girls High School 24-12, and Benjamin N. Cardozo High School 30- 18.

As is often the case, when things are going well, they tend to keep going that way. Winning breeds confidence.

“In the ring when a wrestler is in his zone, all other sounds are blocked out. We showed them that skill beats strength,” said freshman Matthew Vainshtein. “Pain is temporary, pride is forever,”.

Come support our Dragons as they continue to wrestle their way to the top.

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at the Charles Glass Tournament.

Fans sat in seats that lined the small gymnasium of the Erasmus Campus where six schools are housed in Flatbush Brooklyn, the location of our school’s co-ed developmental PSAL wrestling team’s second match.  Team members and fans traveled early to meet the Brooklyn wrestlers, including one female.

“Hip! Hip! Turn in! Half! Half! And drive the leg!”yelled coach Rosario Miano.

Teammates and fans, sitting, jumping, and yelling experienced the intensity of the first match, as sophomore Joseph Raguso used various techniques to put  his opponent on the mat.

The hip toss, arm bar, cross face, and the ankle pick are moves used in a wrestling match to bring an opponent to the mat for the required two minute pin, where the winning wrestler holds his opponent’s shoulders to the mat.

At their first match, Raguso and his other team mates used the same techniques to pin their opponents in the tournament against Port Richmond High School.

Against Port, freshman Eduardo Ramirez used these techniques to wrestle his opponent, and grabbed the win in the first few minutes of his match. Ian Urcinoli and Nicholas Martucci also claimed two more wins, putting our school in the lead with a score of 43 to 28.

At their second match, where the Dragons competed against Erasmus Hall, similar techniques were used to secure another victory.

“The arm bar is when you get your opponent’s arm in the back of their neck and turn him into a choke hold. To chokehold you must stand behind your opponent and wrap your arm around their neck, like stopping blood flow. The cross face is when you make your opponent eat his own arm. When you ankle pick your opponent, you start off using the arm bar then grab the ankle. Then you use your arms and shoulder to take your opponent to the ground,” said Raguso.

Sophomore Sher Mohammad was next up to verse Kevin Sheperd. He walked to the mat with a determined look on his face ready to win his match. Circling one another they grabbed each others heads, slapping at their ear protectors.

As they were circling, Sher  flipped Sheperd onto the mat, then flipped him onto his backside and pinned him down to the floor for three seconds. The winner, Mohammad added another victory for our team.

“My technique was first to just go back and fourth. When you’re up, it’s more of power and technique, more like a fight. That’s how I won my match in the last three seconds,” said Mohammad.

Freshman Benjamin Wasserman was up next to face his opponent,  Mohammed Callahan. They stepped onto the mat, took their positions, and began. Ben head locked his opponent, grabbed him by his stomach, pulling him onto the mat, and rolling him over so quickly that he brought down Callahan in only 56 seconds.

“First, I let him do whatever he wanted. Second, I pushed him with all of my muscle and looked for an opening. I used my shoulder and rolled him over. He made the match easier because he made a mistake by letting loose and stopped using all of his force.  That’s how I won the match,” said Wasserman.

Although the majority of the matches were between boys, wrestling isn’t just for them.  This year, due to Title 9 rules, girls are permitted to participate. Matched by weight class, boys and girls can wrestle each other.

During the first match of the season, sophomore Nick Martucci went up against two girls from Port Richmond and New Dorp High School, and won both matches.

“Versing a girl is hard because it seems messed up, kind of like a double standard because if you beat the girl people think you’re mean, and if you get beat by a girl people make fun of you. I went up against girls and won, and I felt bad because they’re girls. When you go up against a guy, it’s a friendly competition, and it’s cool to beat them because they’re harder then the girls,” said Martucci.

Despite the two recent wins, Coach Miano expects more.  At the end of the second match, he was critical of the fact that the team did not execute the moves they had recently practiced.

“I’m not completely happy with the way this match turned out, but I am happy that Ben won his match, because if he didn’t win, then we would be tied,” said Miano.

At their next match, the dragons wrestled to their third win. Sophomore Sher Mohammad versed Max Rivera, pinning him in 27 seconds. Mohammad Mousa also pinned Khalil Gibbons in another quick match. Chris Cordero won his match by a tech fall, when the wrestler wins with a 15 point lead. With the wins and five forfeits, our team took the match easily.

“I am very happy with the result of the match, but extremely happy with the amount of people that came out to support us. Our wrestlers fed off of the crowd,” said Coach Miano.

After winning on Saturday, December 19 against Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, our wrestling team currently holds 1st Place citywide for the PSAL Developmental Division.

If you haven’t been to a match yet, get to the next one on January 16 to see our undefeated team take another win.

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Boys’ basketball is back, and the boys are already preparing for competition this year. Coaches Ray Palma and Elliot Wilson are back to whip the boys’ into shape and have a successful season.

With, only a few wins last year the boys new team is sure to push through and start the season off with a bang.

Along with the new season comes a new team. Since the seven seniors graduated last year, this year there is a team of 14 boys consisting only of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.

“We are a young team, and I think we have kids who want to play. I hope we can make a run at the end of the season and get the boys’ to work hard so they do well,” said Coach Elliot Wilson.

Though the team has a lot of new and young members, there is no doubt that the boys will do well, especially with all the effort the coaches put into their practices.

“In practice we start by doing a drill called Kansas, which is a shooting warm up. Then we do running, shooting drills, three man drills, stretch, crack to crack, and run plays,” said junior Haynes Yatco.

The two hour practices that run everyday will prepare the boys for this year’s competition from all over the five boroughs and local high schools including Curtis, Port Richmond, Tech/McKee, New Dorp, Petrides, Wagner, and Tottenville.

“I have high expectations for the team this year because they gained many new and talented players,” said Athletic Director Dennis Barrett.

Yet Mr. Barrett and the coaches aren’t the only ones with high expectations for this year.

“As a new player I hope to contribute to the team. With a lot of new players, including myself, I hope we can pull together as a team and have a successful season,” said sophomore Michael Odumosu.

The parents and former players also had some words to say for the boys’ team this year.

“I think they’re going to have an adjustment period since they lost seven players, and I am excited to see what they can do together,” said parent Mrs. Archer.

Also, 2009 graduate and former player for the boys’ basketball team, Bernard Jones, has high hopes for the team this year even if they lost seven players.

“I see the team making it to the playoffs if they learn what it means to play as a team,” said Bernard Jones.

The players on the team this year are juniors Jamir Archer, Talon Turner and Haynes Yatco, sophomores Christopher Frank, Hayward Yatco, Quamaine Tomlin, Schwartzen Jarmond, Michael Odumosu and Matthew Prevosti, and freshmen Brandon O’Keefe, Anthony Fakoya, Joseph Ojo, Valon Lela, and James Besignano.

On November 25th the boys will face Bard High school in a Thanksgiving Eve face off.

Hopefully, with the support of our school, the team will have a repeat of last year’s game and blow Bard away to start off their season.

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Three years ago the school tried to start a baseball club, but unfortunately due to the poor turnout, it was canceled.

“After the club failed the first time, it’s nice to know they are trying again, and I hope it works out this time,” said senior Christopher Gallo.

Mr. Neglia, the gym teacher at the time, began the club, and now Athletic Director and physical education teacher, Mr. Dennis Barrett, has stepped up to the plate and will be coaching the boys.

“I hope to compete as a PSAL team, and if PSAL does not approve the team, then I hope to have a successful club team,” said Mr. Barrett.

In order for a team to be approved, the coach must first send a letter to PSAL explaining why they are interested. Next, PSAL conducts a thirty minute interview with the athletic director. After that, the athletic director must make sure that there are enough students interested, the school has a regulation field, and there is a qualified coaching staff.

“I played since I was seven for SI Mudcats, New Springville little league, and SI Titans. I play outfield, shortstop, third base, or even pitcher,” said freshman Brandon O’keefe.

Along with trying to become PSAL the boys face another problem.

“The problem is finding a field that we can practice on. Drills and batting practice is limited on the turf field,” said Mr. Barrett.

Yet finding a field doesn’t seem to be stopping the boys from doing what they love.

“We practice fielding, hitting, pitching, and ground balls,” said sophomore Jonathan Wahnon.

The efforts and high hopes the club has will hopefully lead to a PSAL team.

“I played baseball for a long time, and if we get a team, I think we will be good. We have a good coach, and we will do well in the season,” said sophomore Lennie Giordano.

Though many of the twenty-six players, consisting mostly of freshmen and sophomores, have played for a long time, some are eager to start a new sport.

“I never really played before and I hope to learn how to pitch and just become a good player,” said freshman Joseph Ojo.

Anyone is welcome to join the team. Stop by Mr. Barrett’s office in room 152 after school for more information on practices, which will be held every Wednesday and Friday for 2 hours.

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Should the Public Schools Athletic League get rid of our soccer team? Our co-ed soccer team continues to show improvement, but some of the players on the team aren’t taking PSAL games seriously.

Similar to the team’s first season last year, this season the team’s thirteenth game against the Curtis Warriors, was forfeited on September 18, 2009.

“I feel upset and sad for those who showed up and didn’t get to play,” said Coach Luis Cruzatte

According to Cruzatte, it seems as if some of the players aren’t serious about varsity soccer at all. Those who showed up  at the Curtis field were pretty upset with the players who did not.

“Even after all the practices, we did not get to show off what we had been ready for. I feel sorry for those who showed up and didn’t get to play. I hope our team realizes soon that soccer is more than just a sport,” said a soccer player.

Adding to the forfeit, the team’s first home game against Port Richmond didn’t turn out as well as expected.  Still, there’s no doubt that in that game our team put up a challenge.

Defense players junior Michael Grigoli, senior Robert Keller, and sophomore Sal Barone ran back and forth on the slippery field trying to keep the other team from scoring.

“Our first game didn’t turn out as we hoped, but we put up a good fight. The girls especially were more competitive than most of the guys on our team,” said team captain Matt Prevosti.

Despite the forfeit, there are a number of dedicated players on the team who practice every day after school from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Those who show up at practice are the ones benefiting from the coaches mentorship.

Two hours of running back and forth on the field and playing practice games has improved the team’s ability to perform.

New female players freshmen Lina Apostol,  Caitlin Casale, Diana Estrada, Alina Khan and sophomore Gabrielle Lafata are excited to be playing with and against the boys.

They display an amazing performance during each game and are more aggressive than many guys on the team.

“I enjoy playing because it gives me a chance to get competitive with everyone and show off my skills,” said freshman Diana Estrada.

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