College Football Preview: Alabama, Clemson teams to beat

August 27, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The college football season officially kicks off this weekend and storylines abound across the CFB landscape. Alabama and Clemson are heavyweights that look primed for another championship bout, but teams such as Washington, Ohio State, Georgia, and Oklahoma have the potential to make things interesting. Dark horses like Penn State, Michigan, Miami, and Wisconsin are … Continue reading College Football Preview: Alabama, Clemson teams to beat

Montgomery County gearing up for thrilling XC season

August 15, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The 2018 cross country season promises to be one of the most exciting that Montgomery County has ever seen, and for one reason- every title, whether boy or girl, individual or team, is up for grabs. With the graduation of four of Walter Johnson’s varsity girls from last year, WJ’s reign atop the county may … Continue reading Montgomery County gearing up for thrilling XC season

Romania: a Transformational Mission

August 12, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ 3 Comments

The following is a write-up of my week-long service trip in Romania earlier this summer. I went on this missions trip with my church youth group and worked through an organization called RCE. Enjoy! Days 1 and 2- Friday and Saturday My first adventure outside the states commenced with an impossibly long, mind-twisting day of … Continue reading Romania: a Transformational Mission

2018 NFL Preview: Vikings, Rams lead excitement rankings

August 5, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Excitement is mounting for the 2018 NFL season, and in honor of all of this excitement, I’ve decided to rank the 32 teams in order of how compelling of a team that they project to be. Some teams, such as the Browns, would rank much lower on a list based on overall strength but provide … Continue reading 2018 NFL Preview: Vikings, Rams lead excitement rankings

Imagining a Moco Olympics

July 20, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following is an unpublished Varsity Letter column. It visualizes the concept of a high school Olympics in Montgomery County. Over the past two weeks, our school competed in the 2028 Montgomery County Olympics. Thanks to Herculean efforts from Patriot athletes, our school populated the podium and took home first place. The Olympic Games originated … Continue reading Imagining a Moco Olympics

World Cup, March Madness among spectacular sports tournaments

July 17, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The World Cup captured the sports world’s attention for the past weeks with excitement, action and a product that certainly lived up to the hype. Even I was hooked, and I don’t watch any soccer. The games were unpredictable and the finishes were nail-biting. I’ll certainly look forward to the World Cup come 2022. Sports is full … Continue reading World Cup, March Madness among spectacular sports tournaments

West Coast King: LeBron Heads to LA

July 2, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ 1 Comment

Ever since he entered the NBA as a fresh-faced phenom, the lights have shined brightly on LeBron James. He’s been nothing short of one of the sport’s greatest players, if not one of the greatest athletes in any sport. What he has done in his career is truly astounding, with eight straight NBA Finals appearances, … Continue reading West Coast King: LeBron Heads to LA

My 2018 MLB All-Star Ballot

June 28, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

One of the best parts of the baseball season is the All Star Game, an element that is simply off the mark in the other sports leagues but carries significant value on the diamond. With the Midsummer Classic coming to my local ballpark, Nationals Park, in a couple weeks, I wanted to release my ballot … Continue reading My 2018 MLB All-Star Ballot

Incredibles 2 proves to be a super sequel

June 14, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Note: This is a spoiler-free review. I’ve been waiting for an Incredibles sequel for ages and my expectations once I heard that a sequel was in the works were incredibly high. Back in February, I wrote that “to succeed, Incredibles 2 must be as bold, dramatic, and heroic as the first.” After watching it on … Continue reading Incredibles 2 proves to be a super sequel

O Captain! My Captain! Remembering the excellent XC captains of the past

June 4, 2018 ~ jrike10 ~ 1 Comment

I’m really excited for my senior season of cross country, and one of the parts I’m most eagerly anticipating is serving the Wootton Patriots team as a captain. While this position is a huge responsibility, I’m thankful to have had stellar examples of captains in my first three years on the team that are sure … Continue reading O Captain! My Captain! Remembering the excellent XC captains of the past