The girls’ cross country team practices six days a week for about two hours every time. As they head down First Avenue, the girls team is driven and led by junior Mary Arch.

“[My teammates] encourage me everyday not only in words, but with actions too,” Arch said. “Even just a simple ‘good job’ can mean a lot when you are doing a hard workout or in a race.”

Arch is homeschooled in the mornings, but says that that doesn’t affect her running or team bonding.

“No, no one cares. It’s not like [I’m] any different,” Arch said of her relationship with her teammates despite her homeschooling.

Arch says her biggest accomplishment is running a 2:18 800 at state track last year. She also recently set a new personal record with a time of 18:55 at the CR Invitational.
Arch also connects her Christian beliefs to her running. She says she does everything she does for the glory of God.

She says she lives by the Bible verse 1st Cor 10:31, which reads, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

“Without God, I wouldn’t even be able to run or even be alive. So each day I run, I want to do it to praise Him for what he did for me when He died on the cross for my sins,” Arch said.

Arch hopes to someday run at the collegiate level, possibly at D-II Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas.

“I want to run in college; there’s a school that I’m looking at called Dallas Baptist University,” Arch said.
“I think I’m probably gonna go there, but I don’t know. It’s in Texas. My sister is going be living in Texas, so I wanted to go check it out.”

The responsibility that comes with being a senior on the varsity football team is already serious. For Jason Jones ‘16, it is compounded by the fact that it’s his first season in which he is actually able to play.

“Being a senior, you have to be a lot tougher on yourself and everybody,” Jones said. “Everybody lives up to your expectations or standards, therefore your team can be good and you can be a good leader.”

Jones, a Little Hawk wide receiver, tore his meniscus during last year’s football season, forcing him to sit on the bench for the entirety of the year.

“This season feels special after I hurt my knee, and just being able to come back from it makes me feel happy,” Jones said. “This is the sport I love to play. I have built myself up a lot, just for this year.”

Before the Friday games, Jones can’t head to the field right away; he must get prepared for his opponent and surpass his fears.

“I have a fear of people that are bigger than me of and them hurting me. I get by thinking that no one is better than me, no matter how big they are,” Jones said. “I look forward to facing my opponent knowing what they do, what they like to do, and what I can do to give the crowd a show.”

Playing the position of  wide receiver is more than just catching a ball and running to the end. Jones must connect with his team. When on the field, he examines the competition for an opponent that will give him a challenge.

“I look to see which players can guard me and make me work for what I get,” Jones said. “But the most important aspect as a receiver is getting a chemistry between me and the QB [so] he knows when to throw me the ball and where I like it.”

This is Jones’ last year at City High, and this is his last opportunity to show himself.

“It’s my last year of high school football, my last year being a Little Hawk, and my last year playing with my friends. I’ll never get the chance again,” Jones said.