1. sports
2. football

7
Nitros’ stars expect to shine tonight
Glendale High School Explosion
SPORTS
Friday, November 7, 2014
Senior Daniel Jung, junior Ricky Loudermill lead the charge against Hoover.
Daniel Jung can do damage
Daniel Jung, hobbled with a knee injury, is still expected to play in tonight’s game against Hoover at 7 at Moyse Stadium. In his two previous
games against Hoover, Jung has scored five touchdowns.
join us and see how it is. It’s not easy.”
Jung’s right, it’s not easy, the GHS
Staff Reporter
varsity football team practices many hours
each week to stay in shape and prepare for
Glendale High School has a pretty im- games. They practice for at least 11 hours
pressive varsity football team. One of the each week.
top players is senior Daniel Jung. He is a
“People on the team have pride in
running back for the team and shared some representing their school.” What is Jung’s
interesting facts about his life at GHS and advice for students who aren’t engaged or
at home.
doing very well in school? He
One interesting fact is that
encourages others to join sports
his number in football is #26,
“It’s not only fun but it helps
and that is the day of his mothwith a person’s work ethic.”
er’s birthday, Dec. 26. SomeOn the subject of Hoover
thing he did not know when he
High, GHS’s biggest rival, Jung
first selected the number is that
had many things to say. When
it was worn by one of GHS’s
talking about the game between
greatest football players ever,
Glendale and Hoover he said,
Pathon Rucker, who starred at
“it is the most watched game,
GHS from 1989-1991. Rucker
we know we can’t lose. It is a
even played the same position
must-win game for us.” When
Daniel Jung
that Jung plays.
asked how he feels when the
Jung takes major pride in representing team beats Hoover he said, “it gives us
our schools football team and his family bragging rights. Hoover (players) like to
takes pride in him too. At home he has an talk a lot.”
older sister and supportive parents that like
Jung has a reputation for being a fast
to come to all of his football games to cheer player. That speed has paid off for the Dyhim on. He isn’t just talented in football, he namiters. In his two games against Hoover
likes lots of other sports too.
he has scored five touchdowns, just two
He is GHS’s fastest sprinter on the shy of the all-time record held by GHS
track team and enjoys playing basketball. legend Rucker. He has almost single-handHe is also considering trying out for the edly taken over the games against the TorGHS basketball team this year. One might nadoes. GHS has outscored Hoover 93-19
wonder how he has the time for so many the last two seasons.
sports and is able to get all of his schoolOn the subject of his future in academwork done.
ics and his football career, he said he would
He excels in the classroom with a be happy to play for any school that might
GPA of 3.6 and was recently selected to offer him a football scholarship. But one
the school’s Homecoming Court. In his school he hopes to be able to go to is UC
free time Jung enjoys playing video games Berkeley. Jung also hopes to leave a legacy
and hanging out with his friends, many of as he finishes his senior year at GHS.
whom are on the football team as well.
He wants to be remembered as “a playWhen on the subject of how some er that will do damage” and he has been
GHS students don’t support the school just that, especially in his career against
football team and bash the team perfor- Hoover. He has been a football player that
mance at the games, Jung said, “Haters are has earned the respect of his teammates
going to hate. They can’t talk unless they and opponents alike.
Other than football, he is interested in
history
and video games. Before playing a
Staff Reporter
game, he enjoys listening to rap and hiphop music while getting ready.
Ricky Loudermill is an 11th grader
Football is the only sport he is curat Glendale High School and he is #4 on rently playing at the moment, but he ran in
the football team. When he plays, he has track freshman and sophomore year.
a great amount of pride for his school. In
As far as his thoughts on playing
fact, he says on a scale of one to 10, his against Hoover, he believes GHS will defipride is definitely a 10. He
nitely beat them. However, he
didn’t choose the number four
does get nervous for Hoover
for his jersey, but he claims it
games because those games
has become his personal numbring in the most people and
ber and he would not change it
there is a good amount of preseven if he was given the option
sure. There are 6,000+ people
to.
that attend the Glendale vs.
Loudermill has been playHoover game. He says it’s a big
ing football for 11 years; he
game due to the rivalry between
started when he was only five
the two schools.
years old.
Nonetheless, Loudermill
According to Loudermill, Ricky Loudermill keeps a large amount of confiit “feels amazing” and “like
dence and pride for Glendale
his own costume” when he puts his jersey High School and says that the GHS football
on. Ricky’s belief is that a team is nothing team will be the city champions. He also
without their quarterback.
says that he respects all the teams he plays
His NFL role models are Tom Brady, because he knows they’re all determined to
for his leadership skills, and Calvin John- succeed. Along with his rivals, he respects
son, for his passion. His favorite NFL team the previous Nitro players as well.
is the New England Patriots and his favorTo him, the Victory Bell is “just anite college team is the USC Trojans.
other game” and that it’s important to play
He says that when someone plays a just as hard as in every other game. One
sport, they should be 100% committed and obstacle Loudermill is facing at the moif you aren’t playing a sport or are in some ment is a sprained ankle. He said that his
kind of club, you are missing out. Louder- health is at 75% right now, but is progresmill’s parents didn’t play any sports when sively improving.
they were younger, but his older brother
All the underclassmen should admire
and cousins played football, so he is fol- Loudermill because of his morals and the
lowing in their footsteps. Although his par- way he plays the game. He just wants to be
ents did not participate in sports, they come known as “the kid that works and plays just
to his games to support him.
as hard as the others.”
Ricky Loudermill may be a key to the success of GHS tonight when they
take on Hoover. The junior speedster will be returning kicks and is a dangerous wide receiver for the Nitros.
BY ANDREA SMICE
Photo Courtesy of Stylus
Loudermill does it 4 the team
BY RAIN YEKIKIAN
Photo Courtesy of Stylus