NBA rookies are ready to make their mark
By Matt G., Sports Editor

Let's review which rookies I think will have a big impact this season in the NBA. First, let's discuss the number one pick, Elton Brand, a 6-8 and 260 lbs. forward from Duke. I think the Bulls should've picked someone else for number one, but Elton Brand is still a great pick. He is a talented player who averages 17.7 points per game. I think the Bulls will rely on Brand, and that he will do well in the NBA.

The second pick was Steve Francis, 6-3 and 193 lbs., who played guard for Maryland. I think the Vancouver Grizzlies made the right choice because Steve Francis is a good ball handler and shoots 53% from the field. Also, the Grizzlies now have two good guards who are fast and very good ball handers and shooters. I think Mike Bibby and Steve Francis make a good team.

The fourth pick was Lamar Odom, 6-10 and 220 lbs., who played for Rhode Island. I think Lamar Odom should've been the number one pick because I've seen this young man play and he is something. He can do many things to get around the defense and scores an average of 17.6 points per game. He will definitely help the Clippers.

The fifth pick was Jonathan Bender, 6-11 and 185 lbs., who played forward for a high school named Picayune. Bender was a great pick for the Charlotte Hornets. He made it to the NBA from high school and is a outstanding player, who averaged 17.7 points per game.

The seventh pick in the draft was Richard Hamilton who played for Connecticut as a guard and forward. At 6-6 and 185 lbs., Hamilton should've been picked in the top five but he wasn't and the Washington Wizards were lucky to get him. Richard Hamilton will play hard--he'll be a playmaker. Hamilton will have a big impact on the Wizards; I guarantee it.

The eighth pick was Andre Miller, 6-2 and 203 lbs., a guard from Utah. The Cleveland Cavaliers picked a great player. Andre will be an explosive shooting star and a great passer, as well as a good defensive player. Miller has all the good skills to get the job done for the Cavs. And so these are my choices for the seven best picks in the NBA draft.

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Lake Park football, where coaches coach and players play
By Maggie F.

The crowd, cheerleaders, and the sophomore football players go wild as the varsity team comes out. One player, #66 Ed Fox, took a short time out to talk about what it's like to play football at Lake Park High School. A senior, Ed plays on the offensive line. He has been on the team since his freshman year.

Ed practices every day except Sunday, and he trains to become a lot better. He explained that to become a great football player, you have to train and lift weights. The down side to the fun of playing football are the injuries. Ed has dislocated his shoulder, sprained bones and pulled muscles.

According to Ed, this season the team has been much better not only at carrying the ball and moving to score a goal, but also on stopping it on defense. The team's
record is 4-1. Seventh grade language arts teacher, Mr. Poremba, is a very dedicated fan of LP football. He agreed that the team was better this year because of the offense's improved play. But, he added that the team certainly wasn't bad last year.

Mr. Poremba commented that one of the reasons he liked LP football was because there, the kids played and the coaches coached. He recommended attending the gamesthey are entertaining and inexpensive. The home games are played at LP west in Roselle.

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PGA memories
By Alex J., Copy Editor

This year in the P.G.A was awesome, leaving memories that will last forever. It was a year of great rivalries, historic blunders, and most of all, it was the year of Tiger Woods. First, let's review the four "Majors." Every year, the P.G.A players participate in four major tournaments, which are the biggest and most prized tournaments in the world. The Masters, held at Augusta, Georgia in April, was the first of these. Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal defeated Australian Greg Norman won his second green jacket. The green jacket is awarded to the Masters winner.

The next Major took place in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Pinehurst is one of the most famous courses in the world. It all came down to Americans Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Payne Stewart. This was a tournament to remember forever. Payne Stewart rose to the challenge and in the light rain, sank a twenty foot putt for par on the eighteenth green to seal an emotional win.

The third Major was a tournament that will also be remembered forever, for a historical blunder. This tournament was the British Open, which took place on the hardest links course in the world, Carnoustie, located in Scotland. This course was the hardest the players ever had to play. The rough was so thick you couldn't see your ball. You'd have to swing blindly and just pray that your ball wasn't still in the rough. The blustery winds and pouring rain didn't exactly help the players. The world's best players swung away, baffled at the difficulty. The winner eventually ended +6!

Unknown Frenchman Jean Van de Velde tamed the beast that is Carnuostie until the 72nd, final hole. He had a 3 shot lead going into the final hole. On the 18th, he hit a shot that bounced off the grandstand. It ended up in the thick rough. Then, out of the rough, he hit his ball into the water. He took a two stroke penalty and dropped his ball in the light rough. His next shot ended in the bunker. He carded a triple- bogey, which dropped him into a tie for the lead. He later lost in a playoff to Scotland's Paul Lawrie. It was the biggest final hole blunder in history.

The final Major was the P.G.A Championship, which took place near Itasca, in Medinah. Tiger Woods edged out 19- year old sensation Sergio Garcia in a thrilling display of golf excitement. Tiger Woods had a remarkable year, winning 6 tournaments. He wrestled the world's #1 ranking away from David Duval. Tiger earned the most money on tour and led in birdies per round. Later in the summer, Tiger faced off against David Duval in a special made for TV match play event, the Showdown at Sherwood. The match would determine who was the best player in the world. Tiger Woods won and proved why he is the most feared match play golfer in the world.

The only tournament left was the Ryder Cup, which is a match for a nation's pride between the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup happens every two years, and Europe has won the last two. This year, the United States looked much better with Tiger Woods, David Duval, Payne Stewart, Davis Love III, Mark O'Meara, and others. The players from both teams competed in intense match play to prove which is the best golfing nation.

The matches took place for three days. At the end of the first day, Europe had a four point lead, 6 - 2. The first day was foursome matches. Each player was paired with another player. They'd alternate shots, which means one would shoot to the green, and then the other would putt. The United States fell far behind in just one day.

The second day consisted of Best - Ball matches. Both teams still played in pairs, but the players would play their own balls. The teams would take the best score on each hole to be their score. If one guy birdied, and the other pared, the team would take the birdie. The European and United States teams won the same number of matches.

The score was now 10-6. No team had ever come back on the last day trailing by so many points. The United States needed a miracle 8.5 points to win. The last day consisted of singles. The United States won its first six matches. Justin Leonard sank a forty foot miracle putt on the 17th hole to lift the U.S. to the most unprobable comeback in Ryder cup history. It was indeed a miracle that no one sane could have predicted. It was the perfect ending to the most amazing year ever in golf--a year golf fans will remember forever. From Payne Stewart's emotional win at Pinehurst, to Tiger Woods's reemergence as the dominant player in the world, it has been a great year. It will take one one heck of a year to top this one. I hope you've enjoyed this year, I know I have.

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Cross country team charges to the finish
By Sarah R.

Peacock Jr. High hosted a cross country meet at Springbrook Nature Center on Thursday, September 23. This was only the third meet of the season and the Chargers performed excellently. In the first two races, the sixth and seventh grade boys, and the sixth through eighth grade girls, ran very well. Peacock's David P. won the sixth and seventh grade boys race. Overall, several Peacock students placed in the top twenty. Aubrie H., Adrianna C., Kathryn K. and Frank S. were very impressive.

In the eighth grade boy's race, Peacock's Drew H. came in first, and three other Peacock runners placed in the top fifteen. Cross country coach, Mrs. Krisik commented that she was very proud of the team's performance.

This year's team is made up of seventy-one hard-working students. They practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday after school, from 3:00 to 4:00. Mrs. Krisik has these students running, sprinting, and working on going the long distance, as they prepare for meets. It looks like all this work is paying off. According to Mrs. Krisik, several students have shown a lot of improvement this year, including Drew H., Rory B., Frank Sc., Abrie H. and Kathryn K. to name a few.

The cross country team has two more meets before the big conference meet on October 5, at Wood Dale Middle. This promises to be an excellent meet. The team members hope that many of you will come out to cheer them on.

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