Spring 2012 Pony Express Edition!!

Enjoy the latest edition of the Pony Express from this semester's middle school journalism students. Scroll down to see the most recent pages!

A.J.’s Antics

The Caps Road to the Playoffs

By A.J. Orsino

Wasabi Caps fans! What do you think about their 32 and 26 season? It is almost time for playoffs with about 10 games in the regular season left.  They have had some new changes to the season this year. First of all, they have a new head coach, Dale Hunter. He is a former Capital player, when he played with them in 1987. The Capitals eventually retired his number, 32. Once Bruce Boudreau was released from the Capitals, he made some quick moves and got the head coaching job in California with the Anaheim Ducks.

This year, Alex Ovechkin is alright this season, 2 years ago, he was probably the best in his career. Last year, during the regular season, he was good. During the Playoffs of last year, He was just awful. He did NOTHING to help the team last year during the playoffs. This year he has 26 goals, and also 11 Power play goals, and 2 game winning goals, along with a whopping 223 shots on goal.

During the offseason the Capitals also acquired the 6’1” 210 lbs. Czech Republican goalie, Tomas Vokoun from the Florida Panthers.  During the regular season, the Capitals also pulled a beast to the NHL, Dimitri Orlov. This 6’0” 210 pound Russian was originally acquired by the Washington Capitals’s minor team, the Hershey Bears. He was drafted in 2009 by the Bears and this year, the Capitals pulled him up the NHL.                

The person that really sticked out to me on the roster was Jason Chimera. Chimera has played 63 games this season.  He also has 31 points (16 goals, and 15 assists.) He good on Penalty Kills considering he has 2 shorthand goals. A short hand goal is when you are on an on Penalty Kill and you score a man down.  He also has 4 game winning goals with the Caps, also 158 Shots on Goal.          

The season is practically over. Next year, I would really love to see a lot more of Mike Green, you know, the one that is constantly always hurt. He came back 3 weeks ago after a 2 month injury. The Caps also need to go back and re-strategize their lines. Because, if you look at the Caps stats, you will see that Jason Chimera has had a way better season than first line winger, Alex Ovechkin. Ovi has 223 shots, but ONLY 26 goals? That is very small for THAT many shots. Caps really need to think this major decision over, or it might cost them the Playoffs for next year.

So, in review, the Capitals are down by ONE point! They need to win this game tonight against the Devils (3/2/2012) to get into the playoffs! If they do win, and the Winnipeg Jets do lose when they play next, they will get into the playoffs and play the New York Rangers. I think every Caps fan will either be there or watching, as this is a very big game for tonight.  Good luck Caps!!

Lebron 9 Shoes Deliver

By Nate Rivi and Garrett Bainwol

Staff Writers

Lebron 9s. We have all seen them. We all know someone that has these shoes, probably because they are comfortable or fresh.

 The Lebron 9s include an Air Max 180 unit in the heel for support. Nike includes Air Max technology in a lot of their shoes which provides cushioning when running.  In the Freegum edition of the Lebron 9s they include combat support for the ankles.   They also include carbon fiber which help people jump higher.  This shoe has designed shape for support and comfort.

There were high expectations for the Lebron 9s, and for the most part, it seems they have lived up to the hype.

“I love them, they’re really comfortable and give good support when I play sports,” said eighth grader Nick Cata. Cata is a proud owner of not one, not two, but three pairs of the famous ninth model in the Lebron shoe collection. They are the first shoe to combine hyperfuse and flywire technology, making it one of the most technically advanced shoes.

Aside from how great they are for playing basketball, the Lebron nines are being looked at as one of the nicest pairs of shoes you can find. Kids are paying the $170 price. Every week there are more and more kids who walk into school sporting their new shoes. There are more than 15 different color ways so you never know what pair you might see. 

            Every year each model seems to beat the last. The Lebron 8s were the first Lebron to feature carbon fiber.  Lebron first model that was named after him were the Lebron 3s. The Lebron 4-7 models featured something called the “Fairfax Home” edition.  This is very ironic because we are writing this from South County Secondary School in Fairfax County, Virginia. This is rumored to be named after our county.  The Lebron shoes are inspired by one of the greatest athletes of our time.

Personally we think they are extremely comfortable. We would rate them 4.5 stars out of five. They reason why they are not perfect is because they are known to cause blisters. That is the only bad part about the Lebron 9s. Some people dislike the design. It all comes up to you.