Ian Goodman
The last four years have been a roller-coaster of events from online classes to shortages in basic items like bleach. The pros and cons of online school along with all sorts of restrictions on what we could do and where we could go made high school anything but normal. Despite all the trials and tribulations of the past couple of years, my high school experience was one of the best things to happen to me. I made tons of lifelong friends and had unforgettable experiences along the way. FHC shaped me into the person I am today and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.
My freshman year was definitely the most interesting of my high school years. Every kid goes through that phase in their life where they are unsure of themselves and what they want to do; this time for me was freshman year. I had just moved houses for the seventh time and was thrown into high school with very few friends. Luckily, I knew a couple of people in advance and thanks to FHC’s welcoming environment, I was able to meet tons of people and establish long-lasting friendships. Another big change I made was a change in mindset. I decided to start doing things that were new to me and I made sure to take advantage of every moment high school had to offer. This included the little things such as going to a football game or trying out for a sport. This led to one of the most important decisions I made in my high school career: playing football.
At the beginning of my sophomore year standing at six feet tall and 130 pounds, I decided I was going to play football. Having never been a part of a school sport, playing football was an entirely new experience for me and gave me one of the adventures I am most grateful for today. While I was never necessarily good–a trend that continued through my senior year–I loved playing football because of the team and the culture. The team’s coaching staff, specifically coaches Tim Rogers and Ty Hallock, played a major role in my high school career and taught me not only how to play football, but how to thrive in life outside of school. The journey of being on FHC’s football team is a huge one in my life that I am more than grateful for. The end of sophomore year, though, was brought to a grinding halt when COVID hit and life was put on pause.
The transition into junior year made for an interesting experience but nonetheless proved to be just as memorable as before. The lack of contact with others drove me to try new things like lifting weights and mountain biking–again, two things I thought I would never try but ended up loving. The transition back to somewhat normal classes was difficult to say the least, but thanks to FHC’s teachers and staff, the transition was as smooth as it could possibly be. In time, life began to get back to normal and was back on track.
My senior year has by far been the most memorable of my high school career. This year was where I truly decided that I would do everything and anything I could. Any clubs or sports I had an interest in, I tried and learned a lot about what I do and don’t enjoy. Everything was smooth sailing until I decided to play ultimate frisbee and completely blew out my ankle. I was on crutches for months and right as I thought I was on the cusp of recovery, I had to get surgery to rebuild my foot. Despite the obvious downfalls, this made me realize how grateful I am for my friends and family who stuck with me through everything. My parents helped me in any way they could, friends came to visit and support me, and all of my teachers helped me through the couple of weeks I missed school post-operation.
This leads me to the next big thing that happened my senior year: joining the FHC Sports Report. At first, I was apprehensive to join because I don’t love writing essays or poetry or anything else you have to do in school. The Sports Report, however, proved to me that if you are writing about something you enjoy with people you love, it can be one of the best experiences of your life. The class never failed to make me laugh and make my day just a little bit better. The people are what makes this class so amazing and for that, I am so grateful.
To Thomas, thank you for convincing me to join this class and giving me the best possible way to end my high school career. The class wouldn’t be the same without “going to fill up my water bottle” and then walking around the school for a while without Noah. To Mac, thank you for always providing a laugh. Hopefully, FHC’s special alumni will message you back for the awards show. To Adam, thank you for always starting the best conversations about the NFL and why U of M is superior. To Tate, thank you for always editing my last-minute submissions and making the class as funny as possible. One of my favorite memories yet was trying to steal the couch from the TCT with Pierson, so thank you for the memories and next time, the couch is ours. To Joe, thank you for always making the class enjoyable with your sense of humor. To the underclassmen, Teague, Serena, Riley, and Lucas, thank you for keeping the class afloat and I know next year will be one of the best with all of you running the class. Finally, to Mr. Sultini and Mr. George, thank you for everything you have done for me this past semester. This class has been an unbelievable experience that I am more than grateful for.
Goodbyes and new beginnings can be scary. Sure, I’m nervous about going off to college but I can say with utmost confidence that I am ready thanks to the people I’ve met and the experiences I have had in high school. Branching out and trying new things has brought me so many memorable experiences and my one piece of advice to anyone reading this is that you do the same. Coming from the kid that has moved seven times, it just makes things easier. On that note, I’m on to the next chapter of life. Goodbye and thank you FHC.
Top 5 Breakout Performances
Justin Osterhouse vs. Grand Blanc
In the second game of the football season, against one of the best teams in the state, Justin Osterhouse put up one of the best performances you will ever see. He was playing in his second-ever varsity game, and ironically, the Rangers battled against the 10th best team in Michigan, Grand Blanc. Although the Rangers lost due to a devastating 76-yard, game-winning touchdown, Justin put up an impressive stat line of 236 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 75 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
“I was pretty nervous knowing that they were a state championship-caliber team, but I was going to play my game and stick to my strengths,” Justin said. “I felt like I had given everything that I could possibly do, and it still wasn’t enough.”
JV Golf vs. EGR
The day the JV golf team played against East Grand Rapids was a record-breaking day. The team had an excellent performance and broke the record of the lowest score by a JV team in FHC history, with a score of 175. East is always a very tough team to defeat, but the girls broke out and defeated them by 10 strokes. The girls shot a 43.75 stroke average for nine holes. Those were numbers that varsity teams normally put up. The young talent on this team is one that many people should be excited about in the future.
“We have a team of really great girls who practice and work really hard,” freshman Quinn Breslin said. “It felt great to see our hard work pay off.”
Chris Dongmo vs. Greenville
In a fierce battle against Greenville, the JV soccer team ended up winning 6-1. Sophomore Chris Dongmo stood out compared to everyone else, as he scored two goals. His two-goal explosion came at a perfect time for the team, showing what they were capable of. The difference he made on the field in this game was quickly noticed and should be recognized. All season Chris has stood out too; he has been putting up great numbers for the JV soccer team and has been a big part of the team.
Nick Yasenchak & Noah Kriekard vs. Midland Dow
In the third matchup of the season against Midland Dow, junior Noah Kriekard and senior Nick Yasenchak went in looking to finally get a win against the team they hadn’t beaten yet. Nick played them seven times, and he was never able to get one win. After playing the best game of their whole lives, they finally pulled it off; they finally beat DOW. For the first time, Noah and Nick were able to walk off of the court feeling satisfied and relieved.
“We played the best game ever and pulled off the monumental win,” Noah said. “It felt so good to get a win against them.”
Girls XC at the Cougar Falcon Invite
In the middle of the season, the girls cross country team lined up in the Cougar Falcon Invite. They completely dominated the scoreboard, winning by 30 points in front of the rival Forest Hills Northern. Sophomore Clara James-Heer placed first overall, and right behind her was Mia Bateson. Sophomore Peyton Ludwig came in sixth overall. The Rangers had seven runners in the top thirty. This was the team’s only win of the season, but they did it in a robust fashion. This win was huge for them, and it proved they were capable of winning future meets.
“I think that was a big confidence booster,” senior Rachel Marco said. “This year we had a young team, so it felt really good to prove ourselves against the competition. It felt like all of our hard work paid off.”