With a new season starting, a new coach, and a new team; we wanted to know if all the ‘new’ posed a threat for our team. When talking with Mr. George, we saw that maybe there’s nothing to really worry about after all. This season is going to be something different. As Mr. George goes through the process of learning about our boys’ skills and how they work together, the team will improve and become more dynamic with each other. Many people thought that having a new coach that was also a new teacher may not have been the best idea, because if he’s just settling in it would make things harder and not very easy for someone to focus on the sport that their coaching; but it has in fact done quite the opposite. Being a teacher has made things a lot easier for Mr. George especially communication wise. Being in school with the students and being able to see them to meet with them makes the strains of not being able to communicate lessen. The students also can come to him during free periods and lunches for any one-on-one talk they would need. He would like his players to put their team first, they’ve made a commitment. They need to play to the best of their ability, because that’s the only way they are going to be able to make the best of this season. As far as any new rivals would go Elco, Lebanon Catholic, and Annville are the biggest ones we are thought to have; just like they have been in previous years.
Hunter Wallace is a junior here at Northern Lebanon, and is involved in football and wrestling. On the wrestling team Hunter helped the Vikings win the team's third straight Section Championship last season and placed 7th in the state of PA. Hunter is the starting center for the varsity football team which won the past two Section Championships. Hunter is also involved in the fall play and spring musical, and volunteers as an elementary wrestling coach. He plans to attend college to major in elementary education and eventually become a teacher and coach. When he is not at school or playing sports, he likes to go hunting at his cabin in West Virginia and hang out with friends. His advice to younger athletes would be to play every game like it’s your last. Here are a few of Hunter’s favorites: Movie: Friday Night Lights TV Show: Friday Night Lights Song: Back 2 Back Food: WIngs Book: Wrestling Sturbridge Quote: “We Don’t Share Nothin” -Dustin Motter By: Samantha Ritchie Most of us here at Northern Lebanon would say there is no place like home, and although Maja Andersson is from Denmark, her real home proved to be on the tennis court. Andersson is a 16 year old exchange student from Denmark. Arriving here in Pennsylvania in August, she brought with her suitcase and her tennis racket. Maja is the daughter of Henriette and Ulrik Andersson. She was born on July 19th, 1999. Andersson has been playing tennis since she was eight years old, so when she came here and joined our small tennis team, she saw it as a positive. In Denmark, she does not play for a school team, but a club team. This means she does not go up against girls her age, most times not even all girls! So as she was transitioning from a club to a team, Andersson prepped for her regular season. Throughout her regular singles season she faced no problems finishing undefeated. This meant she would move on to Leagues, where she also went undefeated defeating Annville Cleona’s Alicia Hitz (6-1, 6-2) in the finals. Moving on to Districts she finished second, losing only in the Distcrict 3 final to Elene Tsokilauri, which meant she was going to States! Through her first round of matches, Andersson faced no problems winning the first match 6-1, 6-0 against Emily Jonsson, then the second match 6-2, 6-3 against Pam Niditch. This meant moving on to the semi-finals. Although she suffered her first defeat in the state semifinals on Saturday November 7th, she would play later for third place. This match did not last long, as she won 6-2, 6-2 against Hannah Phillips. As the bronze medal was placed over her head she thought about how proud she was of her performance throughout the season. All this goes to show, it does not matter where your home is; if you are good at tennis you can take it anywhere. Congratulations Maja...you made us all so very proud. This week our teacher spotlight shines on Mr. Daryl Hess. Mr. Hess is a graduate and resident of Northern Lebanon School District. Mr. Hess enjoys teaching math; Alg.2, Keystone Alg., and Trig. and working with the students. Mr.Hess loves seeing students learn and actually understand a topic he is teaching. Some of his methods include connecting math to real-life problems so his students can relate and have an even better understanding. Mr. Hess said in order to be a teacher you have to enjoy working with students and engaging them. The most important trait for a teacher to possess in Mr. Hess’s opinion is enthusiasm. Mr. Hess is truly enthusiastic and cares deeply about teaching and helping his students succeed. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Hess puts in countless hours as the head varsity baseball coach, and assistant girl’s basketball coach. Mr. Hess has guided the baseball team to two Section Championships during his tenure, and is a key part to the success of the girl’s basketball team. Mr. Hess is a graduate of Northern Lebanon where he was a standout baseball player as well as a 1,000 point scorer in basketball. Mr. Hess was a student-athlete at Lebanon Valley College, and eventually was an assistant coach at LVC and helped guide the boy's basketball team to a National Championship! Thank you for all you do Mr. Hess! By: Emily Nichols This week our athlete spotlight shines on Zoe Zerman. Zoe is an 11th grader who is involved in basketball and volleyball. Although she starts on the varsity team for both sports, she plans to go to college to play basketball. Zoe has two younger sisters Zara & Zeah. Her favorite subject is Spanish with Senora Snyder, and she has one dog Hannah. Her favorite songs are Perfect by One Direction and Break Up in a Small Town by Sam Hunt. Her favorite teachers are Mr. Battistelli, Mr. Miller, Mrs. Thoman, Mrs. Fellows and Mr. Hess- Math. She likes playing sports because of the competitiveness of them and she loves winning. She also loves the relationships she makes through her sports. Her parents helped influence her to get into sports. Her advice to younger sports kids is “ Practice makes perfect and to play every game like it's your last.” She thought the volleyball season was very successful. As far as basketball,she believes that if the team continues to work hard they will succeed. Her coaches for basketball are Mr. Daryl Hess, Mr. Battistelli and Chris & Gina Battistelli. For Volleyball her coaches are Rod Weber, and Adam Hartzell. Shes’ looking into many D3 & D2 local colleges right now, but she’s hoping to get an interest from D1 colleges over the summer. Good luck Zoe! Each fall across the nation, thousands of high school football players gather on their school's practice field with dreams of becoming champions. Some have aspirations of becoming champions, while others dream of rewriting history for their school. This year's Viking football team walked onto the practice field on a foggy August morning, and broke out of their pre-practice stretches with the chant of "Back to Back". This was their goal...this was their mission. Last year's team had captured the Lancaster-Lebanon Section III title for the first time since 1991. To put things into perspective, current assistant Coach Wallace was a sophomore on that team. Current team members were years away from being born. There had been years in between where teams had come close, but to say that last year was a long time coming is an understatement. Then graduation took its toll. The Vikings graduated three 1,000 yard backs in quarterback Isaac Ray, receiver Mason Yost, and running back Dominic Trader. The Vikings also graduated all-league lineman Andrew Fox. Everyone knew that there was work to be done. Many reporters and local papers picked NL to finish in the middle of the pack, and many of those predictions were out of respect for what they accomplished the year before. In short, no one gave the Vikings a chance to repeat as champions. Luckily the only people who had to believe were the coaches and players...and they did. Quietly the team worked tirelessly through the preseason and first two scrimmages. It was evident that they could be good, but how good no one knew. Then the regular season started. The Vikings opened the season with a 52-0 drubbing of Pine Grove, followed by a 52-21 victory at Lebanon. A 36-25 win at Hamburg left the team with a 3-0 record heading into Section 3 play. The Vikings continued to put half a hundred on the scoreboard when they beat Ephrata 57-26.The Vikings were rolling along when they were dealt a blow. It had been discovered by coaches and administration that the team had inadvertently played an ineligible player in the first two games, and the team would be forced to forfeit those games. The Vikings fell from the fourth seed to the seventeenth seed in the District 3 power ratings, and could not lose another game if they hoped to qualify for the District 3 playoffs. What could have been a disaster only brought the team and coaches closer, as they took on an "us against the world" attitude. They would refuse to lose. The Vikings pounded Pequea valley 42-17. In a mid-season non league game, the Vikings were dealt some adversity, and had to score a late touchdown to beat Williams Valley 16-13. The following week at Homecoming, the Vikings had to generate a scoring drive with less than a minute left in order to best ELCO 44-41. Annville-Cleona would be the next victim as the Vikings put 58 on the Little Dutchmen in a 58-36 victory. Donegal put a scare into the Viking Nation, but the team score 21 fourth quarter points to beat the Indians 34-22. The following week the team headed to Columbia for a chance to do what they had chanted every day for three months..."Back to Back". The game at Columbia was a formality in the minds of most, but when 1,000 yard rushed Luke Funck was injured in the opening drive, the Vikes were faced with challenges yet again. Before the end of the first half, starting center Hunter Wallace would leave with an injury, as would starting receiver Corey Teasdale. The team rallied, and overcame the odds to win 53-14. They were champions...Back to Back. For the first time since 1991 the Vikings had walked off the field victorious in all 10 contests. Even though the team would fall to number two seeded Northeastern in the playoffs, they had proven many things to the school, the community, and themselves. They proved that in the face of adversity, when a group of people are willing to come together and work towards a common goal, great things can happen. It was a pleasure and an honor to watch this team play this season. From the hearts of all Viking football fans, we thank you for a truly remarkable season. To the coaches: (Coach Wall, Coach Miller, Coach Wallace, Coach Williams, Coach Trout, and Coach Deitrich), and to the players...we can't wait until next year when we can hear the echos through the fresh cut fields,
"Back to Back to Back."
If the varsity wrestling team is rewriting history, their pen just may run out of ink. Looking to win their fourth straight section title, the Vikings are ranked among the state’s elite. Last season the wrestlers were called the greatest wrestling team in the history of Lancaster-Lebanon League wrestling when they reached the District 3 finals and won three matches at the state championships. The first LL team to accomplish any of those feats. This year expectations are much higher. The team returns a host of starters from last year, and have some promising newcomers.
When asked about expectations for the season, Coach Wallace had this to say, “We have tunnel vision. We want to win our section, win our district, and compete for a state title. No other outcome is acceptable. We have the kids to win a state title, but we have some work to do.” With a tough schedule, the Vikings will compete against many of the Nation’s best this year as they travel to Ohio, Virginia Duals, and the Hurricane Classic in Bethlehem. Make sure you get out to the home matches this year and cheer on the wrestlers. Coach Wallace said that last year the student section was unbelievable, and he knows this year will be even better. “We pack the house every night. I think it’s because we put on a show. Our kids are tough and exciting to watch. I’m looking forward to seeing a full gym again this year.” A few home dates to mark on your calendar: Tuesday December 8 vs Donegal “Military Appreciation Night” Tuesday January 12 vs ELCO “Business as Usual Night” Thursday January 21 vs Columbia “Parent Night” More info on these themed nights to come. Check out the video put together by Hunter Wallace by following the wrestling Facebook link below.
https://www.facebook.com/Northern-Lebanon-Wrestling-270939406577/?fref=nf
The girls’ basketball team is gearing up for another successful season of Lady Viking basketball. With a 15-7 record and a District III playoff appearance last year, the Vikings are anticipating a very successful campaign. The Vikings are coached by head coach Ken Battistelli, Chris Battistelli, Gina Battistelli, and Daryl Hess. The team has been having open gym several times a week, and kick off their preseason this Sunday at Susquehanna University where they will play three scrimmage games. Coach Battistelli has high goals for this year’s team. “We want to win the section. We want to make a deep run into playoffs and fight for a spot at the state championships at the Giant Center.” Coach B feels that with the returning experience mixed with the talented youth that the Lady Vikings can achieve anything they put their minds to. The team was hard at work all summer competing in summer league games, having open gyms, and attending the Messiah Team camp where they lost only one overtime game. We sure look forward to watching these girls play this season. Belron staff member Addison Wallace recently sat down with Coach Battistelli to discuss the upcoming season. You can listen to the interview by clicking the link. The October high school students of the month were Rebecca Boisvert and Charley Darkes-Burkey. Rebecca is 17 years old, having been born on April 26, 1998. Rebecca is involved in a variety of activities at NL including Varsity Girl’s Soccer, Ecology Club, Varsity Club, NL Student Council, and National Honor Society. Rebecca plans on attending college in hopes of becoming a nurse or physician’s assistant so that she can help as many people as possible. Rebecca describes herself as self-motivated, dedicated, and involved. The things that motivates her the most are her parents and herself. Rebecca plans on attending Lock Haven or Bloomsburg University. Good luck Rebecca and congratulations. Charley Darkes-Burkey is 17 years old, having been born on September 25, 1998. Charley is involved in Cross Country, winter and spring Track, Envirothon, volunteer work, and theater/musical. After high school, Charley plans on attending college to earn her bachelor’s degree before applying to the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in hopes of becoming a state trooper to serve and protect. She wants to help and protect people, even if it means to sacrificing her own life for theirs. Charley describes herself as someone who won’t let obstacles get in her way. She will do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals. Charley puts forth her best effort by getting done what needs to be done and pushing herself to succeed. Congratulations Charley and good luck. George Thompson is a senior at Northern Lebanon High School. He is involved in football and wrestling. His future plans include going to college and playing football at VMI or Bloomsburg while working towards a business degree. George would like to teach business classes at the high school level and also coach football and wrestling. George said that he will miss his coaches, playing high school football in a packed Northern Lebanon stadium, and hosting a state wrestling match in the NL gymnasium. Thinking back on his sporting career, George’s said that he enjoyed being able to play on teams where teammates cared more about winning than themselves. George says that his advice to younger athletes would be to do well in school and always stick to your goals no matter how many people tell you that you can’t do it. George is a four-year starter on the varsity football team as well as a three-year starter on the wrestling team. In football George has been on two championship teams. In wrestling George has been on three championship teams, and looks to win a fourth. Last year the wrestling team reached the District finals, and placed 7th in the state of PA. George shared a few of his favorites with us. Favorites: Book: Outsiders TV Show: Sons of Anarchy Movie: Billy Madison/Departed Song: Nirvana and Metallica Quote: “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. You, me, or nobody is going to hit as hard as life.” -Rocky Balboa |
october teachers of the month Kris Miller is an Algebra I and Honors Geometry teacher from Quentin, PA. He is involved in extracurricular activities at NL and loves sports. Mr. Miller went to Conestoga Valley High School in Lancaster and later went to Lebanon Valley College and received his Masters Degree at Millersville University. He has been teaching for 7 years at Northern Lebanon. Mr. Miller teaches Algebra I and Honors Geometry in room 40, and is accompanied this semester by student teacher Mr. De La Ronde from Lebanon Valley College. He offers tutoring in his room from Monday to Thursday after school from 2:30 until 3 PM. Mr. Miller is involved in extracurricular activities at NL. He is an assistant coach for the varsity football team and head coach for the junior high wrestling team. Mr. Miller is also a freshman class advisor along with Mr. Beidler. Outside school, Mr. Miller also enjoys golfing. He often visits his family’s cabin and loves to play with his two daughters, Breana and Reagan. Breana is 3.5 years old and Reagan is just 7 months. Mr. Miller’s wife, Steph, is a nurse at Hershey Medical center. He also has one younger sister named Alicia. Mr. Miller’s favorite movie is “Rudy”, a football movie by David Anspaugh, and his favorite book is Tuesday’s with Morrie by MItch Albom, a memoir. When asked about his growth as a teacher, Mr. Miller said, “I have spent a lot of time trying to make my math class more engaging through the use of hands-on activities and the use of technology.”
Mr. Jack Beidler is the 10th grade world history teacher. He is from Annville, but now lives in Fredericksburg. Mr.Beidler has been teaching for 19 years at Northern Lebanon. Mr. Beidler teaches 10th grade World History in room 15. Tutoring is available after school if you ask him. Mr. Beidler does not currently have a student teacher, but has had about seven in past years. Mr. Beidler has been involved in extracurricular activities at NL. Currently he is a 9th grade class advisor. He is also a former head football coach at NL. Mr. Beidler also coaches football at Lebanon Valley College. His hobbies include playing football, watching the Hershey Bears hockey team, and The Washington Capitals. Mr. Beidler’s favorite movie is “Remember the Titans”, another football-based movie by Boaz Yakin. His favorite book is The Art of Smart Football, an analytic and strategic book studying different football strategies, trends and plays, by Chris Brown. Mr. Beidler has four older brothers and two children, and all of their names start with the letter “J”. His two children are Jacob, 14, and Joseph, 12, and he is married to NL English teacher Julie Beidler. After 19 years teaching at Northern Lebanon, Mr. Beidler has learned that, “success breeds success”.
EDITORSWelcome to Northern Lebanon's new Belron Blog. The Belron has been our high school's source for news since 1964. This year the students are working hard to bring changes to the format of our news. Our blog will be updated several times a week with the latest and greatest news from Viking Country. You can also follow us on Twitter at @NL_Belron. Once a marking period we will also be publishing our full-color edition of the Belron news magazine on our website. Please follow us and spread the word. Archives
May 2018
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