Early in the game junior Jack Dodson had a deep 42 yard pass down the field to junior Gavin Johnson. Not much later was the first touchdown of the night. Senior Carter Jones got the first touchdown rushing it into the end zone from 5 yards out. “It was an awesome moment getting the first touchdown of the year, not because I got the first touchdown, but because I got to experience that with my team. That we got the first touchdown of the year. It is so much more special to me this year, because the team (especially the senior boys) consists of my best friends. Being able to be on a good team that is made up of my best friends, and everyone being in that leadership role of being a senior this year is amazing,” said Jones.

Gavin Johnson came in to kick a field goal to make Carterville’s lead 7-0. Later in the first quarter, Gavin Johnson again made a long catch that gained the lions 40 yards. It set up senior Jonathan Miller who ran past the defenders on the sideline and got his first touchdown of the year from 9 yards out. Then Johnson came in again for an extra point which brought the lead to 14-0 Carterville.

The lead got the whole crowd hyped up and on their feet. Even the student section was so full, some students could not fit in it. Then one of Marion’s defensive lineman broke Carterville’s offensive line for a sack. It slowed Carterville’s momentum down. Gavin Johnson got the energy back up when he had an amazing interception keeping the Wildcats from scoring before halftime. “It felt great to have an opportunity to get the ball back to our offense that early in the game,” said Johnson.

To start the second half, Marion’s Vance Bruford returned the opening kick off for a 88 yard return touchdown. However, the next play, Marion’s defense stops Carterville again by forcing them to fumble the ball and recovered it deep in the lion’s half. Marion took advantage of Carterville’s mistake and scored a 11 yard touchdown but failed their 2 points conversion making the lead 14-12 Lions. That’s when the game becomes whoever works the hardest for it will win.

Carterville quarterback Jack Dodson keeps the ball on a third down running to the end zone for a 26 yard touchdown. “There were definitely some things I could have done better, but for it being my first time starting at quarterback for varsity I would say it went pretty well, at the end of the day we won the game and that is really all that matters,” said Dodson.

They chose to kick a field goal and made it, extending the lead to 21-12 lions. The Wildcats came right back and scored a 35 yard touchdown, failing the 2 point conversion again.

In the fourth quarter with 3:38 left on the clock, senior Jonathan Miller scored a touchdown from 32 yards by going up the middle. That extended the lead to 28-18 with an extra point good through the field goals. Marion was not done fighting yet they responded with a 13 yard touchdown with 0:25 left on the clock. They missed the extra 2 points to tie the game with the lions. Marion attempted an onside kick, but Zachary Conder-Snow received the ball allowing the Lions to kneel, sealing the game with a 28-24 win. 

The lions were very happy to win this game and have many more games to come this season. Beating the Marion Wildcats on August 21 was a great start to the season.

In July of 2026, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation requiring public schools in Illinois to enforce guidelines limiting cell phone use along with other wireless devices. The 2026-2027 is a “practice run” before the law is applied in the 2027-2028 school year.

The goal being set with this new law is to reduce distractions and allow students to focus more on learning. Advocates say cell phones make teaching students challenging to keep their attention to the lesson.

It has helped many teachers with students not having their phones on them. A science teacher, Mr. Dunn finds that students not having their phones is really helpful. “At first I was rather skeptical that a phone ban could work. There were all these situations that kept popping into my mind. I was fully ready for what it meant, but dreaded what I feared was enforcing compliance in a never ending battle. I was very wrong and off by a lot more than expected! It has been amazing for so many reasons I didn’t expect and none of the bad ever manifested. After some time with it, I can say I really like it. A huge thanks to CHS students for making it happen,” Mr. Dunn said.

This change, however, has not been a great adjustment for everyone. Some students find listening to music, and being able to communicate with their families helpful. Sophomore Avery Shasteen said, “I feel like the phone ban has helped me learn better but also taken away my reward for getting work done early.”

At the same time, some schools have already restricted phones. Sophomore Turner Patrick said, “The new restrictions on phones haven’t really impacted me. At my previous school, they have had the phone ban for at least two years. It’s kinda interesting to me that Carterville is just now getting it.”

For Illinois students and teachers, the phone ban represents a major change in the everyday school environment. While the future of the phone ban is still uncertain, classrooms across the state are becoming places where students can learn without the pressure of their phone.

“This motto incorporates how we schedule summer workouts and camps, how skills of progression are taught, and how we prepare our team for sideline cheering and competition. Training for elite skills and performance must follow a process so athletes stay physically fit, avoid injury, and mentally prepare for competition. Coaches constantly evaluate the process so athletes gain confidence and enjoy the sport of cheerleading,” head coach Drust said.

Pre-season means putting in work when nobody is watching. Throughout the summer heat, the squad has been hitting the mats three days a week. These sessions focus strictly on intensive strength and conditioning.

Currently, the primary focus is perfecting basic stunt progressions. The team is also accelerating its synchronization. Senior Brianna Anderson expressed great pride in the team’s work ethic, “Throughout the summer our team has been working very hard to perfect basics and learn new things to use for our sideline and competition season.” 

“Out of all four of my years being a part of Carterville High School Cheer, I have never been on a team with girls so driven to learn and hit new skills. Based on this summer, our team has truly displayed just how successful our upcoming season should be. I could not be more excited to cheer and compete with this group of athletes, and I cannot wait to see what is accomplished during my last season as a Carterville High School Cheerleader,” Anderson said.

Attendance remains vital as the squad builds the stamina required for a high-intensity season. Every single practice counts, and every repetition matters. Together, the athletes are building something unforgettable.

The Carterville cheerleaders brought amazing energy to the first game at Marion High School. They showed off all the hard work they put in during their tough summer workouts. By shouting loud cheers and staying completely in sync, they kept the crowd pumped up the whole time.

Even though it was a super close and intense football game, the squad never got tired. They kept pushing school spirit to the limit and proved that hard work pays off. Junior Dariyan Carney, another dedicated member of the squad, shared a deeply personal perspective on what this journey truly means.“‘Trust the Process’ has been a cheer motto that I have learned to truly live by,” Carney said.

“From not making the team my freshman year, to then a season-ending injury sophomore year, I am still on the path of trusting the process, even when it feels almost impossible. It is so essential to trust the process in the cheer world, because that is what the season is; one big process. Starting summer contact days in June, football season overlapping with the start of competition season, then adding basketball on top of competition and state cheer season; the process can be so draining, frustrating, and even confusing—especially when you add a life-changing injury into the mix,” Dariyan continued.

“Without trusting the process, I would not have been able to get to the point of cheer or recovery as I am today, and I am reminded everyday of how lucky I am to be able to be a part of such a process.” Carney said.

Get ready Carterville, because the Lions are officially ready to roar.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW TALENT

A new season brings fresh energy and incredible new promise to the mats. The Carterville Lions are absolutely thrilled to welcome an amazing group of incoming athletes to the program this year.

Please join the team in welcoming Alaina Dillow, Brooklyn Halliday, and Harper Matthews. The team is also proud to introduce Marian Riera, Olivia Snow, and Madelynn West. These individuals have already shown immense dedication during summer conditioning, and their talents will be a massive asset to both the sideline crowds and the competition floor.

For many of the newcomers, joining the team is more than just fishing,  it’s about learning patience and having fun. “As a newcomer, my biggest supporter to get me to join was my partner Jessie James, and the ability to actually compete doing something I love was what convinced me,” freshman Jayden Caraway said. 

Building friendships, and representing their school with pride. Whether they grew up casting lines on local lakes or are just beginning to explore the sport, each member brings a unique perspective and eagerness to improve. The coaching staff has also been impressed with the group’s enthusiasm and willingness to learn. “We have a great team this season, and I am going to miss the seniors so much,” said coach Bill Ren. 

From tying knots to selecting the right bait, these students are picking up skills that will help them succeed in tournaments throughout the season. Their dedication is clear in their early arrival times and their focus during practice. 

As the season progresses, the team looks forward to seeing how these new members grow and contribute. With strong leadership, a passion for the sport, and a commitment to teamwork, the future of the Carterville bass fishing program looks bright. For these new members, this is just the beginning of an exciting journey, one cast at a time. 

With the season coming to an end, the bass fishing team members have progressed to sectionals. Freshman Henry Williams and junior Jaxon LaBotte, along with freshman Liza Anderson and junior Jake Anderson are competing on May 14 at Crab Orchard Hickory Ramp.

Henry Williams and Jaxon LaBotte  have advanced with 56 points, weighing in at 54.46 pounds, while right behind them, Jake and Liza Anderson are  55 points, weighing in at 45.70. “I am super excited becuase I expected to do good, but I knew since it was only my first year we might have not made it to regionals,” Liza Anderson said.

The first activity to note is “Community Service Day,” which was a day for seniors to plan a college visit, work, or just sit at home. It occurred on Monday, April 13. During this time, juniors were taking the ACT, and underclassmen were taking the PACT. 

On Sunday, May 3, the class loaded a bus at 7:30 to travel and spend the day at Six Flags. Roughly 100 students attended, making the day filled with memories and roller coasters. “The senior trip was one of my favorite memories of the year. It was filled with so much laughter and everyone was riding roller coasters even if they never have in their life. We were all exhausted at the end of the day because of all the fun that was had,” senior Caidence Phillips said. 

Upcoming events that will round out the year include scholarship night baccalaureate, and graduation. Student-led endeavors like senior assassin and senior sunset are ongoing. 

“I ran the senior assassin game this year, and it was super stressful, but yet so fun. Being able to see our class come together one last time and being able to aid in that will definitely be my favorite memory of senior year,” senior Kenadi Compton said. 

One special moment that stands alone compared to the rest is the class’ walk through of Tri-C the day before graduation. During this time, elementary students line the halls and stand in awe of the accomplished peers before them. 

“I am most excited about walking through Tri-C. It will probably make me cry because it will become the most real in that moment for me. I have been refusing to believe high school is really over, and walking through the school I started in will bring out every emotion,” senior Chloe Busby said. 

It is often a difficult task to move on from what has been normal for numerous years, but the future is looking very bright for every student. The laughter and smiles that have helped to fill CHS’ halls will last forevermore. 

 For the most part, people tend to study in the same way, such as listening to music or having some kind of background noise to help focus; although, some students need complete silence to get anything done. Some people find other things to be more helpful, “I eat hot foods sometimes and that helps me a lot when I study,” sophomore Kaelei Downs said.

Sometimes doing small, different things is what works best for people. Studying is something every student has or will do at one time or another,  and in order to get the most out of doing so they should not be afraid to try something out of the ordinary. After all, it might just be something that makes you pass a test. 

The people that have been studying the longest are the upperclassmen, so they have the best tips and tricks to help others that may not have much knowledge on the subject of studying. One thing an upper classman recommends for people that don’t study often is “studying for at least 30 minutes, but it really depends on what you’re studying and how much stuff you need to study for, ” sophomore Abby Hovenga said.

The dance was held on April 25 at the Timothy C. Bleyer auditorium, located at  John A. Logan College. The entrance was covered with beautiful flowers, famous paintings from during the Regency Era, and images of our own high school teachers as royalty; which all add to the high school’s 2026 theme: Bridgerton. Mrs. Neally said that, “The two ideas were ancient Greece and diamond of the season and we used a majority vote to pick it which actually worked out because another school ended up doing ancient Greece.”

The ball room showed even more elegant decorations, matching the theme with hanging flowers and lights, along with white and pastel fabrics draped along the tables with candlelight. 

Prom is mostly to give both juniors and seniors one night to really show off their style and have fun, however if invited by an upperclassmen freshman and sophomores can also enjoy the festivities. This gives underclassmen the chance to look towards their future prom and get to celebrate with their older friends. Sophomore Mia Cudworth said, “I am very excited to be able to go to prom myself next year! This prom was great overall, but I still can’t wait to see next year’s prom!” 

One of the best parts of prom was held before the dance, Coronation. At this time, everybody is able to get together and vote on which junior deserves the title of King or Queen. Some candidates campaign for the spot by creating videos, making pins, and even going up to people at lunch to tell them to vote. While others do nothing at all and make it on prom court. 

This year, juniors Evan Miranti and Tessa Absher were chosen as the Prom King and Queen, an exciting moment they will always remember. Junior Tessa Absher said, “Winning was something I had never ever expected. When I heard my name, I thought I was imagining it all! And I’m so grateful for all the people who supported me all the way!”

For seniors, prom is one of the  last events during their final year, ending on a positive note. The dance is not the only exciting part of prom, the favorite moments are usually those spent with friends. “I would say I love getting ready for the dance, taking pictures, and going out to have dinner with my friends before prom,” senior Zi Zhang said.

On our first day of class, we did headlining. If someone in our class asked me what that was I would probably have no idea. A headline is the title of a story, usually written in large type to grab attention. Our second day was really fun. We created monsters out of Play-Doh. Mrs. Dorris, our yearbook advisor, paired us up. I was paired with Marlee and we created a monster and then had to go around and trade parts of our monster with other groups until we finished with an entirely different creation. It taught us to work together as a team. 

Freshman Ciara Galindo said, “It taught me to work with people I usually don’t work with and allowed me to be creative.” 

Yearbook seems easy, but it’s not. The most challenging part of the yearbook for me was the choice pages. It started off as me just helping one of our staff members with the page. It turned out to be me designing the page and doing it all. I’ve spent many months on these pages, changing the design and colors, moving quotes around and more. I’ve learned from this that creating a yearbook is not easy. It takes time, and you even get stressed. 

Other freshmen in our class have learned the same thing. Freshman Lillian Helminski says, “Creating the yearbook is fun, but it can be challenging; there have been some pages where I struggled, but it helped me learn more about creating a yearbook.”

Now, when I look at the yearbook, I won’t just see the pages. I will see the work, memories, and people behind every part of it. This class helped me grow in my ability to communicate, be creative, and manage my time. This experience showed me that the little moments we capture today are the one people will look back on the most.

Natalia Maurizio then had another goal fifteen minutes into the first half. The Lions continued their dominance in the second half with a goal from freshman, Adi Horstman. Lyla got her second goal fifteen minutes in to the second half to finish the game. The Lions had a lot of offensive aggression and barely let the ball past half field. This allowed them to keep Pinckneyville’s offense scoreless through the night. The first ten minutes of this game set the pace for the lions by giving them a good lead to move forward with.

Although the tempo of the game slowed in the middle and end of the second half, it doesn’t take away from their big win and a lot of momentum going into their game today against DuQuin.

One of the biggest issues is the amount of stress it causes. Students already spend a significant portion of their day at school, and adding several hours of homework to that can feel overwhelming. “For some it can be helpful but others it can be very harmful. If you don’t understand what your doing than your not gonna understand the homework part either. If you know what your doing than it’s easy for you,” CHS sophomore Kendyl Bilderback said. 

This constant pressure can lead to anxiety, lack of sleep, and burnout, which negatively affect both mental health and academic performance. Homework also often takes up important time outside of school. Students need time to relax, participate in extracurricular activities, spend with family, and dedicate to their prospective jobs. These experiences are valuable for personal growth and life skills, sometimes even more so than completing repetitive assignments. When homework dominates a student’s schedule, it limits opportunities to develop these real-world skills. 

In addition, not all homework actually improves students’ understanding. Many assignments are simply busywork: repetitive tasks that do not increase knowledge or encourage critical thinking. When students are forced to complete large amounts of meaningless work, they are more likely to rush through it or copy answers from someone else just to finish it. This defeats the purpose of homework entirely, as little to no real learning takes place. Also, if the student understands the work in school, they do not need more work, but if they do not understand it, then a piece of paper with more work on it will not help. “It can be helpful to like study and stuff, but some teachers overdo it,” sophomore Maggie Mandell said.

Homework can also be unfair. Not every student has access to the same resources at home. Some students may not have a quiet place to work, reliable internet, or someone to help them when they are confused. This creates an uneven playing field, where some students are set up for success, while others struggle through no fault of their own. School work should be completed in an environment where all students have equal support, which is not always possible at home. 

Finally, too much homework can reduce a student’s interest in learning. When school becomes associated with stress and exhaustion, students may begin to lose motivation and enjoyment. Instead of inspiring curiosity, homework can make learning feel like a chore. “Homework is harmful because after eight hours of working during school, students get burnt out trying to do hours of homework,” sophomore Addison Schnicker said. 

In conclusion, homework is not always helpful, and it can often do more harm than good. It increases stress, limits personal time, and it is not always meaningful or fair. Schools should reconsider how much homework they assign and focus more on effective learning during the school day.