The Plank
Ms. Katrina Fox brings comfort and support to Jesuit
This summer, Jesuit High School Sacramento added to their wellness counseling team with the hiring of Wellness Counselor Ms. Katrina Fox.
In her previous position at Saint Francis High School, Ms. Fox worked as a school counselor and was the moderator for California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and senior student council. Her current role at Jesuit focuses on providing mental health support to students in need of such support.
Jesuit defeats CB in a low scoring Holy Bowl
On Sept. 14, 2024, Jesuit High School Sacramento beat Christian Brothers High School 7-0 in Holy Bowl 53.
The game was dominated by defense from the very beginning. Jesuit had the first possession, but they fumbled the ball on the 3rd play of the game.The defense made up for it, however, by forcing a 4th down and then stopping CB’s fake punt. The two teams went on to trade possessions for the rest of the quarter.
Marauders sail confidently into the Holy Bowl
Saturday, Sept. 14 marks the 55th annual Holy Bowl at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.
After commanding victories against Rio Americano and Bellarmine College Preparatory, Jesuit High School Sacramento football is looking to secure a third victory against Christian Brothers. The pressure is on for the Marauders this year, as they have not lost a Holy Bowl since CB won 30-27 in 2019.
Jesuit Dominates Rio In ‘The Battle for American River Drive’
In yet another victory over Rio Americano High School, and the first under the new permanent stadium lights, Jesuit High School Sacramento put on a dominant display in their season opener, defeating their American River Drive rivals 56-7.
The Big Red Machine began the game with a strong drive that ended in a ten yard rushing touchdown by running back and linebacker Jack Patock ’25. After only three minutes of play and a successful point after touchdown (PAT) by Yudiel “Dragon” Mondragon Jr ’26, the Marauders established a lead that they never relinquished.
Service and Justice Agency Fair: A Wide Array of Opportunities
Jesuit High School Sacramento’s annual Service and Justice Agency Fair will take place on Thursday, Sept. 5, during the community period. The fair presents a valuable opportunity for anyone who’s hesitant about their service to connect with various service organizations.
Gordon Kim ’25 recalls how the fair introduced him to Loaves and Fishes, an organization dedicated to providing essentials for homeless adults and children.
“[The fair] gave me an idea of what I was getting myself into, which really helped me, since I’m one of those guys who is really uncomfortable doing things without knowing who I’m doing it for,” Gordon said.
Jesuit Cross Country: excelling with depth
As Jesuit High School Sacramento’s fall sports kickoff, its cross country program, headed by legendary Head Cross Country Coach Walt Lange, looks stronger than ever.
After Saturday, Aug. 17’s intrasquad race, “The meeting of the Marauders,” Assistant Cross Country Coach Thomas Witzgall ’98 is confident that the team will excel this season.
“As a team, I think we’re probably one of the best teams Jesuit’s ever had,” Coach Witzgall said.
Back to School Night grants parents a promising start to the school year
On Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, Jesuit High School Sacramento will hold its annual Back to School Night.
While Back to School Night functions roughly the same between classes, each teacher has a different style of presenting. For English Teacher Mr. Kyle Trivits, his presentation revolves around giving parents and guardians the student experience.
“I try to accomplish two things,” Mr. Trivits said.“I want parents to experience my class, to get a taste of what it’s like for their students day to day. And the second thing is an overview. What sorts of things I hope to accomplish, my goals, and the ways I go about accomplishing those goals.”
Freshman Overnight, an initiation into the brotherhood
On the evening of Saturday, Aug. 24, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s Freshman Class of ’28 had an experience they will never forget. A night filled with games, prayer, and community bonding, the Freshman Overnight Retreat served as a way to welcome this year’s freshmen into the Jesuit community.
Student Activities Director Mr. Peter Ferrari was an integral part in coordinating an evening full of fun and games. During this time, freshmen at the retreat were able to connect with their classmates and form relationships that will last throughout high school.
“[The retreat offered] a shared experience, an opportunity for the Freshman to get to know and bond with their classmates,” Mr. Ferrari said, “[They got] a shared experience, an opportunity to step out of their routine and explore a little bit of their relationship with God, and explore who they are in this community.”
“Pass the ball,” Jesuit celebrates its annual Mass of the Holy Spirit
At the start of every school year Jesuit high schools and universities all over the world celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit, spiritually centering themselves to start the year off strong. Jesuit High School Sacramento celebrated its mass on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.
Each year, a set of special rituals are performed during the Mass of the Holy Spirit. At the start of the gathering, School President Jayden Canio ’25 and Vice President Justin Paredes ’25 named every school in Jesuit’s West Province, praying for them. Then, each class president lit his class’s candle, as Jayden and Justin explained the meaning of each class color.
Kicking off, under the lights
A new era of Jesuit High School Sacramento football has arrived. With the move into the Sierra Foothill League and the addition of permanent stadium lights, the atmosphere at home games will never be the same again. The first of these matches, which takes place on Friday, Aug. 30 against Rio Americano High School, is crucial to setting Jesuit off to a good start.
Quarterback Theodore “Teddy” Rios ’26 believes that this highly anticipated game will give the team a chance to prove themselves in a new year.
“[The lights] will just bring another level of energy and excitement before the game,” Teddy said. “The Rio game is going to be really energetic, we’re really pumped, it’s a great rivalry, everyone is super close together at both schools and we’re just trying to go out and make a statement that we’re for real.”
Jesuit football: fueled by ambition
On Friday, Aug. 27, the Jesuit High School varsity football team played De La Salle High School in their only scrimmage game. Their season officially opens against Rio Americano High School on Aug. 30.
Although score is not kept in scrimmages, this matchup still served as a solid benchmark for the team’s performance going into the season.
“Friday’s scrimmage was a great learning experience for us,” said running back Jack Patock ’25. “We saw where our strengths were, and found areas that we need to work on. We struggled being consistent – some drives we played well, and others we played poorly. Our goal is to be more consistent and make less mistakes each week, which I know we can achieve.”
Let there be lights
Jesuit High School Sacramento has reached a key milestone in its endeavor to install stadium lights on the football field. At a hearing on Wednesday, June 4, 2024, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the installation of the lights, giving the go-ahead for a proposal that has existed since the fall of 2021. Jesuit has been working over the summer to fundraise for the construction of the four stadium lights, and as the school year begins, those permanent stadium lights are closer than ever to becoming a reality.
In the fall of 2021, Jesuit submitted Use Permit PLNP2021-00262, which marked the start of the school’s quest to acquire stadium lights. Over the next few years, the proposal went through a long county approval process filled with planning, analyzing, and communicating with neighbors. The proposal was finally set to be approved last March this year, but on the last day of public comment an appeal was filed and accepted by the county. So, a hearing was scheduled on June 4, which resulted in the long-awaited approval of the installation of stadium lights on the football field.
Opinion: Consistency, continuity, and contracts: a King-sized offseason of uncertainty
105-98 was the score when the final buzzer sounded. Just 8 points separated the Sacramento Kings from a Playoff berth, just 8 points away from an entirely different narrative, just 8 points that could decide the future of Sacramento’s crown jewel.
Opinion: Major League Baseball in Sacramento
Created in 1901, the Oakland Athletics (A’s) are no stranger to moving cities. Originally serving as the Major League Baseball (MLB) team for Philadelphia, the A’s moved to Kansas City in 1955, and then moved again to Oakland in 1968. This April, the organization announced perhaps their most unusual move of all.
Jesuit commemorates salutatorian and valedictorian
Every year, Jesuit High School Sacramento announces their Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the graduating class. This year James Randall ’24 was named Valedictorian and Delvin Ntale, ’24 the Salutatorian.As Salutatorian, Delvin will start the graduation in prayer, after which James will give his valedictorian address, a speech about the Senior class and their four years together at Jesuit.
Learning the beauty of game design
Since Jesuit High School Sacramento’s computer science curriculum began offering Honors Game Development, the class has undergone immense changes.
Honors Game Development teacher Mr. Peter Strawn ’04 has taught computer science at Jesuit for six years. He teaches a broad scope of video game topics in the class, from their code to their visuals and everything in between.
“[Game development is] all about, in my mind, studying the art, science, design, and beauty of video games,” Mr. Strawn said. “From the basics of how they’re made, to understanding the mechanics of the games that students already play and to building things of their own creativity.”
Showcasing the harmony of teamwork
On Thursday, April 18, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s Orchestra performed their spring season concert at the Phelan Chapel of the North American Martyrs, where they got the opportunity to showcase their teamwork and skill.
Samuel “Sam” Gegax ’25 is happy with the turnout and feedback from the audience and feels like the orchestra’s hard work paid off.
Grant Anderson ’24: incorporating compassion to reach success
Over the past four years, Grant Anderson ’24 has excelled in nearly everything he does at Jesuit High School Sacramento. Whether it’s on the mat, in academics, or in daily life, Grant incorporates his compassion in order to reach this success.
“Grant has a tremendous impact on those around him,” said Sports Performance Coordinator Mr. Jay Nacionales. “He leads with his words, but more importantly, he leads by example. You can tell he truly cares for his fellow peers.”
Zachariah Michelena ’24: raising the bar
Zach Michelena ’24 is an excellent teammate.
“Zach constantly shows he is a ‘Man for Others’ in both small and big ways,” said Mock Trial Head Coach Holly Stout. “Often, he’s the one anticipating what’s needed of his mock trial teammates and working through testimony with them. He also is the first one to offer help of any kind to any of his classmates or coaches.”
COVID-19 four years later: academic impacts
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has entered our collective rearview mirror, its longer-lasting effects are coming into greater focus.