The Falcon Varsity Football Team has fought hard throughout the beginning of their season. They came into the preseason with the second place spot in the OAA white league ready to show off their skills and talent. The team has many new additions as well as key returning seniors leading the way. Third year starting quarterback senior captain Alex Bueno is taking the field and leading his team for his final year. Down field ready to receive his passes are senior captains Grant Calcagno and Jaiden Bolden. The 2022 team is stacked with talented players that have all made an impact this season. The Falcon football team has played hard and well, but it hasn’t been enough in the first few non-league games. The team’s first game took place on Aug 25 against Utica before the start of the school year. After holding the lead the whole game, Utica was rewarded with an unfortunate last second touchdown giving them the 27-24 win and the loss to Rochester. The following week they faced crosstown rival Rochester Adams at home for the Falcon Frenzy. Adams came into the game ranked fourth best in the state with multiple top prospects and talented players, making it a tough game for Rochester. Even though the game ended in a 34-18 loss, the team continued to prove their toughness and grit throughout the game. After two hard losses, they bounced back and got a win against Bloomfield Hills on the road, winning 41-20. Although it hasn’t shown results, the football team is still a team to be reckoned with and shouldn’t be disregarded. 

“I like our team and how we play. Everyone fights hard and they make my job as quarterback easier” said Alex Bueno. Make sure to come out and cheer on your football team!

Volleyball

The Girls Varsity Volleyball team is off to a great start and having an incredible season. They have competed in multiple tournaments and matches and have yet to fail. They have faced schools all around Oakland county and so far they are coming out with a 7-4 record with one tied match. They are competing this season in the OAA white league along with 66th spot in the state rankings out of hundreds of schools and 40th place out of all class A schools. The falcon volleyball team has many talented players. Outside hitter Natalie Thorson leads the team in kills with 67 to date. Jordan Suhajda leads the team in digs, aces, and receptions as the team’s libero. Middle hitter Sara Robinson is also a key asset with the team’s highest hitting percentage and highest total blocks. According to MaxPreps, as a team, their stats average is higher than the averages of all the teams across the nation. With loads of potential and many program sweeps the volleyball team is locked, loaded and ready to go for the rest of their season. 

Cross country 

The cross country team has been training hard and long for their upcoming season. Lead by head coach Mrs. Amy Oppat, these runners have spent the past couple of months running multiple miles everyday and putting in their best efforts. The cross country team had their first meet on Sept 1 for the Milford Invitational, with 18 other teams present for the race. Former state finalist, sophomore Lucy Cook led the way with a first place finish with an exceptional 5k time of 19:19, finishing 47 seconds before her runner up. The boys side of the race was led by sophomore Colin Mclaughlin with a strong time of 18:23. At the end of day, the girls took a fifth place finish and the boys took twelfth. The cross country team fought hard and gave it their all. 

“My favorite part about the team is the bond and connection we have, and it makes everything a lot more fun.” Sophomore Lucy Cook said. 

Sideline cheer 

As you stand atop the bleachers under the Friday night lights, it’s always empowering to hear the cheerleaders tumbling and chanting from below. The Falcon cheer team is back for another season and loaded with insane talent. The team ranges from four year seniors to talented freshmen that fly through the air. Now that the team is led by new head coach Sam Koehler, fans and parents are eager to see the potential of  the team, and if they will regain the state championship title that they once had. Even with a new coach, the amazing cheerleaders put a lot of effort and work into perfecting all of their cheers and work daily.This truly shows at football games when they bring the stands to life. Come out to the next football game to see a cheer team that’s worth watching!

Boys soccer

The football team isn’t the only team taking it onto the field this fall. The boys in blue are fighting through their season and putting in the work on and off the field. The falcon soccer team went into the year in the OAA red league, after a good finish to the season last year. With the red division being the hardest league in the OAA, the team has fought against many talented teams. The boys opened up the season with two games before the start of the school year, and came out on top starting the season with two wins. However, things only got harder when they started league play. Many hard fought battles took place, but unfortunately Rochester didn’t come out on top. After some hard and close games against schools such as Adams and Troy Athens, the team currently has a record of 2-5 with one tie game against West Bloomfield. They also sit in the unfortunate last place spot in the red division. Even with the rocky start the falcons are only halfway done with their season and have plenty of time to get some higher numbers in their win column. Even if the team’s record shows otherwise, the soccer team has lots of talent and potential to work their way up and prove what they’re worth.

Girls Golf

The Girls Varsity Golf team has been working hard and showing off their talent at the start of their season. They have gone to many invitationals and tournaments and have done very well. The team is led by head coach Mr. Jeff Haney and the team looks forward to doing well this season. On Sept 9 the girls beat Lake Orion with team effort in a match up duel 168-183, Madison Yang led the way shooting a 38. The girls recently traveled to Farmington for the North Farmington invite. Leading the way was Grace Symons finishing tenth out of 120 players with a 79 Her contribution to the team helped them to finish in 7th place. 

“I am so proud of how far we have come as a team this season,” says 2-year senior captain Trina Mollicone. “I would love to play at states to finish off my senior season.” Mollicone is confident in her team’s abilities to succeed this season. 

They also recently traveled to another tough invitational, the Next Tee Invite. There, the team took a fourth place finish out of 18 teams with Madison Yang taking 10th shooting a 81. Natalie Haise was close behind with a 82. The Varsity Girls Golf team is competing very well this season and have a lot to look forward to for the rest of their season! They hope to take it to the state finals in Battle Creek come mid October.

Boys tennis 

The varsity boys tennis team has been working hard this season and it has definitely paid off for them. The team is having a very successful season and doing well in their conference. Coming into the season they were in the OAA red league, the conference with the toughest schedule and teams. Even with the hard schedule they have had multiple victories. They started their season off on a high leg sweeping a tri-match over Clarkston and Country Day. Soon after they took on Troy Athens,beating them 9-0. They then jumped into conference play and defeated Birmingham Seaholm 5-4, improving them to a 2-0 record in the red division. The boys then took their skills and beat crosstown rival Rochester Adams at home, 5-4 for a huge win. The team has many talented players who lead them to their victories. Clayton Anderson leads the team with an undefeated season so far. All together the team is very talented and has a bright future.

Girls Swimming

The Girls Varsity Swim Team has been making waves throughout their season. With lots of girls on the team this year they are loaded with talent. They have swam in multiple meets so far this season and have come out of them successful. They started off the season with a match against Notre Dame at home. After a tough match the falcons came out on top with a 98-88 edge win. Sydney Vanhowe stood out amongst the team with a state cut time in the 100 butterfly. At their next home meet, the girls took a huge win 138-29 over Avondale. Vanhowe got her second state cut of the year in the 50 freestyle. She wasn’t the only one with a good night, the rest of the team powered through and the falcons got first place in every event giving them their huge win. In their most recent meet, they came out with two victories against Troy Athens and Ferndale in a double duel, winning with a comfortable lead. Out of those two, Vanhowe continued to strive through the season and broke the pool record in the 100 butterfly. On top of that, Julie Castro Vela broke the pool record in the 200 freestyle. The girls have swam hard this season and have proven themselves with their talent. The team definitely has a successful season ahead of them.