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Friday, November 18, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 8, 2010
Chambers sing with Foreigner
Vanessa Grieve/IDAHO STATE JOURNAL Deanne Casperson works with her chamber choir students on nailing down the Foreigner song “I Want to Know What Love is” Wednesday afternoon. For video from this story, go to idahostatejournal.com.
BY KENDRA EVENSEN
kevensen@journalnet.com
BLACKFOOT — It’s hard to imagine what Snake River High School junior Tylo Dawson will dream about in the future. That’s because all his dreams appear to be coming true this week.
The 16-year-old will have the opportunity to sing his favorite song with Foreigner, one of his favorite rock groups, on stage in front of thousands of people at the Eastern Idaho State Fair tonight. Honestly, what else could a teen ask for?
“(I’m looking forward to) meeting them and singing with them and interacting with them,” Dawson said. “It’s going to be a great time.”
Dawson is a member of the Snake River High School Chamber Singers which won a local competition hosted by Classic Rock 102.5 FM in partnership with Foreigner and VH1 Save the Music Foundation. The group received $1,000 for its program and the opportunity to back up the band when it performs its 1985 No. 1 hit, “I Want to Know What Love is.”
“It will be great to start off the year with this kind of performance,” Dawson said, adding that he can’t believe his luck.
This is Dawson’s first time participating in the Chamber Singers choir, but it promises to be a memorable year.
The 16-member choir has given up two Fridays and two lunch periods and stayed late after school to prepare for the event. Although the song isn’t as technical as the ones they will sing throughout the rest of the year, they won’t likely get another opportunity to perform in front of an audience this big.
“They get to sing with a rock band and it’s a really popular rock band,” said Choir Director Deanne Casperson, who spent Wednesday’s lunch hour working with her students to improve their vocal quality and stage appearance.
She’s even worked in some basic choreography, though it’s not anything fancy.
“No funny moves,” she said to her choir students. “They’re the show, you’re the backup singers.”
Still, Casperson is eager for her students to make a good impression on both the audience and Foreigner. That’s because this performance is not only a boost for the school, but a chance to win $30,000.
The Chamber Singers’ performance will be recorded and judged against high school choirs across the nation. The winner gets $30,000.
Foreigner founder Mick Jones said during a phone interview Friday that his band is pleased to be a participant in the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, helping restore music education programs in public schools and raising awareness of the positive impact of the arts.
“This is obviously a very important subject for me,” Jones said. “With the economy and the cuts they’ve made in schools, music and the arts are the first thing to go, to be cut. If money gets distributed to schools just to buy musical equipment …, it opens the door for kids to have access to that.”
While the band is now used to performing with local high school choirs, the Snake River kids were getting a crash course Wednesday in how to present themselves in a somewhat different venue.
“This is rock ‘n’ roll music, so you don’t have to sound operatic, but you do have to have (the right sound and emotion),” Casperson said.
That’s a difficult task, especially since the choir won’t have a chance to actually sing with Foreigner before they appear on stage. They have a recorded version of the song they have been using for practice, but a live performance will be more difficult.
“I’m hoping to get everything perfect,” Dawson said.
No matter what happens in the future, Casperson said she is thrilled her students were chosen to participate in this event.
“I am so excited,” she said. “It’s probably the only time they will ever get this opportunity.”
Foreigner will perform at the fairgrounds tonight at 8 p.m.
http://idahostatejournal.com/news/local/vmix_9f88b4b0-bc25-11df-8369-001cc4c03286.html
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Morning News
.Wednesday November 03, 2010 Home
Lady Panthers crowned State ChampionsOctober 23, 2010
The newly crowned 2010 3A state soccer champions pose with their hard earned banner and trophy on Saturday.
ByMARK HIGH
sports@cableone.net
TWIN FALLS — The magical dream season continued for the Snake River Lady Panthers as they closed the deal with a 2-1 victory over Payette for their first state championship on the soccer pitch.
"The girls did a great job of holding their own, everyone just came out and played together with just a ton of heart," Snake River head coach Randy Turpin said. "It's been a fantastic season and we've just been a team all season long but each one of these girls deserve all the credit for this accomplishment."
Playing without their defensive stopper, Kenna Jensen who was injured in a horrific collision at the end of their semi-final game with Sugar-Salem, the Lady Panthers turned in a stellar performance on the defensive end, holding a very potent Payette squad to just 1 goal on the afternoon.
"What we did in our little pre-game chit-chat was that Kenna went around and gave everyone of these girls a hug to share a part of her with everyone of them and they did it," coach Turpin said. "Payette went to a control game and in my opinion that proved to be their down falling."
Goal keeper Courtney Steinbaugh was a brick wall in net on those rare occasions when the Payette team were able to get a shot off on goal.
"Well when they got that first goal went in on us I knew that we needed to step it up tremendously or there would be no way for us to win today," Steinbaugh said.
Still, the Lady Panthers trailed at the half 1-0 but after a spirited talk at the break the Lady Panthers came out firing on all cylinders, forcing the tempo while attacking the Payette net with a purpose.
Eight minutes into the second half Snake River displayed the deft passing skills that Snake River fans have come to expect as Henrikki Fjaerestad, Stefanie Monschau and Sanni Ryhaenen worked the ball down the far sideline with a series of quick touches.
At the end of the play Ryhaenen drove the ball to the end line and then let fly with a left footed centering pass that caught the Payette goal keeper by surprise as she thought the ball was a shot and played forward.
Cutting through the middle of the defense was Monschau who one timed the centering pass into the heart of the goal tying the game at 1-1.
"At half time I suggested to Randy to put Steffi up and as soon as we moved her up things started to fall into place and we just started playing like the team that we know they are." Steinbaugh said.
From there the two teams battled tooth and nail with the capacity crowd cheering their respective teams on, despite some tired legs from the three day tournament.
For a while it looked as if the two teams may have to go into an overtime period when Snake River made one final rush at the Payette defense.
In nearly an instant replay from the first goal, the Lady Panthers once again scored on a beautiful crossing pass. On the goal Fjaerestad pushed the ball towards the end line and then crossed the ball in front of the goal where Ryhaenen punched in the eventual game winner from about 6 feet in front of the goal.
As the ball tickled the back of the net Fjaerestad and Monschau leapt on their fellow exchange student in celebration as Snake River took a 2-1 lead with just 5 minutes left in the contest.
"It was a very good feeling," Ryhaenen said of the game winner. "I have been happy here. I wasn't expecting that much when we started this year but we have really come together as a team and we always worked hard as we could."
Payette tried to mount one last barrage to tie the game but Steinbaugh and the rest of the Snake River defense was having none of that and as the whistle sounded, the Lady Panthers celebrated their state championship.
Lady Panthers crowned State ChampionsOctober 23, 2010
The newly crowned 2010 3A state soccer champions pose with their hard earned banner and trophy on Saturday.
ByMARK HIGH
sports@cableone.net
TWIN FALLS — The magical dream season continued for the Snake River Lady Panthers as they closed the deal with a 2-1 victory over Payette for their first state championship on the soccer pitch.
"The girls did a great job of holding their own, everyone just came out and played together with just a ton of heart," Snake River head coach Randy Turpin said. "It's been a fantastic season and we've just been a team all season long but each one of these girls deserve all the credit for this accomplishment."
Playing without their defensive stopper, Kenna Jensen who was injured in a horrific collision at the end of their semi-final game with Sugar-Salem, the Lady Panthers turned in a stellar performance on the defensive end, holding a very potent Payette squad to just 1 goal on the afternoon.
"What we did in our little pre-game chit-chat was that Kenna went around and gave everyone of these girls a hug to share a part of her with everyone of them and they did it," coach Turpin said. "Payette went to a control game and in my opinion that proved to be their down falling."
Goal keeper Courtney Steinbaugh was a brick wall in net on those rare occasions when the Payette team were able to get a shot off on goal.
"Well when they got that first goal went in on us I knew that we needed to step it up tremendously or there would be no way for us to win today," Steinbaugh said.
Still, the Lady Panthers trailed at the half 1-0 but after a spirited talk at the break the Lady Panthers came out firing on all cylinders, forcing the tempo while attacking the Payette net with a purpose.
Eight minutes into the second half Snake River displayed the deft passing skills that Snake River fans have come to expect as Henrikki Fjaerestad, Stefanie Monschau and Sanni Ryhaenen worked the ball down the far sideline with a series of quick touches.
At the end of the play Ryhaenen drove the ball to the end line and then let fly with a left footed centering pass that caught the Payette goal keeper by surprise as she thought the ball was a shot and played forward.
Cutting through the middle of the defense was Monschau who one timed the centering pass into the heart of the goal tying the game at 1-1.
"At half time I suggested to Randy to put Steffi up and as soon as we moved her up things started to fall into place and we just started playing like the team that we know they are." Steinbaugh said.
From there the two teams battled tooth and nail with the capacity crowd cheering their respective teams on, despite some tired legs from the three day tournament.
For a while it looked as if the two teams may have to go into an overtime period when Snake River made one final rush at the Payette defense.
In nearly an instant replay from the first goal, the Lady Panthers once again scored on a beautiful crossing pass. On the goal Fjaerestad pushed the ball towards the end line and then crossed the ball in front of the goal where Ryhaenen punched in the eventual game winner from about 6 feet in front of the goal.
As the ball tickled the back of the net Fjaerestad and Monschau leapt on their fellow exchange student in celebration as Snake River took a 2-1 lead with just 5 minutes left in the contest.
"It was a very good feeling," Ryhaenen said of the game winner. "I have been happy here. I wasn't expecting that much when we started this year but we have really come together as a team and we always worked hard as we could."
Payette tried to mount one last barrage to tie the game but Steinbaugh and the rest of the Snake River defense was having none of that and as the whistle sounded, the Lady Panthers celebrated their state championship.
"We don't have any state championships in Finland but this is a big deal so it feels good." Ryhaenen concluded.
Blackfoot Journal
COMMENTARY BY GREG EICHELBERGER
The tale of the Snake River girls state soccer championship is truly a rags-to-riches story. Few expected the team to win a district crown, let alone a state title.
The 16-player roster from 2009 graduated and only four veterans were returning to the team — and one of those broke her ankle before the season began-.
“We also had six girls on the roster who had never even touched the ball,” said Panthers head coach Randy Turpin, the head coach for the past seven years. “It didn’t look very promising.”
Lucky for him there were three foreign exchange students, Henrikke Fjaerestad (Norway), Stefanie Monschau (Germany) and Sanni Ryhaenen (Finland), who had played in European soccer leagues since they were children.
Other team members included Katie Hall, Ruby Sanchez, Aubrey and Carsey Kofford, Karen Alvarez, Nakia Huffman, Candie Lopez, Kenzie Lynn, Adrianna Campos, Whitney Powell, Xenia Reyes, Courtney Steinbaugh, Kenna Jensen, Kaytlynn Clark and Melissa Rau.
“Other than the exchange girls and a few vets from last year, we had a pretty raw group of kids,” Turpin said. “With most of these girls, we had to teach basic fundamental soccer, something you would teach to a 6-year-old just learning the game.
“No one, at that time, could have ever predicted we would be in a championship game — including me.”
It didn’t take long, though, for this team to jell. After the first week, Turpin said his charges had become playing as a team and within another week, had begun functioning as a solid, cohesive unit.
The girls didn’t just work with each other on the field, they became fast friends and started hanging out together off of it.
“I had a way to break the ice, since this was a fairly new group,” Turpin said. “We would have three or four girls at random just tell us a little about themselves, their families or whatever. Once the girls began to know something about their teammates, real friendships began to foster.”
Those relationships tightened on the soccer field, too, as each girl knew her role and trusted the others to know theirs, as well. With the example of the exchange students and a core group of girls, the team began to become quite a soccer power, too.
“They became a very good team,” Turpin said. “They were fun to be around, but even more fun to watch. They were developing skills I never thought they would in such a short time.”
Meanwhile, the coach was putting more responsibility on the team captains to help run the squad. It was a way to inaugurate some of the senior girls into a leadership position.
Several wins put Snake River on the map. While Fjaerestad, Monschau and Ryhaenen did most of the scoring (collecting 75 goals), the rest of the players handled the defense.
When playoff time came around, the team’s record was 19-1 (the lone setback a 1-0 loss to Teton) and they were assured of a postseason berth.
“We were able to put together a fairly decent record,” Turpin said. “We also scored a tremendous number of goals, over 90 by the state tournament. Our defense wasn’t bad, either, as we only gave up nine goals.”
In the playoffs, goalie Steinbaugh pitched two shutouts, but in the semifinals against Sugar-Salem, defender Jensen was tackled late in the game, sustaining a neck injury.
“She was a senior and an important member of our squad,” the coach said. “When she went down we were all concerned and I was especially worried because all of us had grown so close. At the time we had no idea how serious it would be.”
It turned out that Jensen would be admitted into a nearby hospital, but was soon released. She was on hand to root for her team in the title game against Payette High the next day.
“Before that game, Jenna came and hugged each of the girls,” Turpin said. “It was her way of wishing them good luck.”
The club would need it, however, as Payette was the defending champion. Down 1-0 at halftime, Turpin told the girls that no matter what happened, he was proud of them and this would be a great year win or lose.
Motivated, Monschau and Ryhaenen punched in the tying and winning goals, respectively, and the Panthers brought home their first state soccer title.
“It was nice to win something for this side of the state,” Turpin said. “This was such a fun ride with these kids. No matter what happened, I was so glad I was a part of this year’s team. It’s great that we won a championship, but even if we hadn’t, I will remember this for the rest of my life.”
The tale of the Snake River girls state soccer championship is truly a rags-to-riches story. Few expected the team to win a district crown, let alone a state title.
The 16-player roster from 2009 graduated and only four veterans were returning to the team — and one of those broke her ankle before the season began-.
“We also had six girls on the roster who had never even touched the ball,” said Panthers head coach Randy Turpin, the head coach for the past seven years. “It didn’t look very promising.”
Lucky for him there were three foreign exchange students, Henrikke Fjaerestad (Norway), Stefanie Monschau (Germany) and Sanni Ryhaenen (Finland), who had played in European soccer leagues since they were children.
Other team members included Katie Hall, Ruby Sanchez, Aubrey and Carsey Kofford, Karen Alvarez, Nakia Huffman, Candie Lopez, Kenzie Lynn, Adrianna Campos, Whitney Powell, Xenia Reyes, Courtney Steinbaugh, Kenna Jensen, Kaytlynn Clark and Melissa Rau.
“Other than the exchange girls and a few vets from last year, we had a pretty raw group of kids,” Turpin said. “With most of these girls, we had to teach basic fundamental soccer, something you would teach to a 6-year-old just learning the game.
“No one, at that time, could have ever predicted we would be in a championship game — including me.”
It didn’t take long, though, for this team to jell. After the first week, Turpin said his charges had become playing as a team and within another week, had begun functioning as a solid, cohesive unit.
The girls didn’t just work with each other on the field, they became fast friends and started hanging out together off of it.
“I had a way to break the ice, since this was a fairly new group,” Turpin said. “We would have three or four girls at random just tell us a little about themselves, their families or whatever. Once the girls began to know something about their teammates, real friendships began to foster.”
Those relationships tightened on the soccer field, too, as each girl knew her role and trusted the others to know theirs, as well. With the example of the exchange students and a core group of girls, the team began to become quite a soccer power, too.
“They became a very good team,” Turpin said. “They were fun to be around, but even more fun to watch. They were developing skills I never thought they would in such a short time.”
Meanwhile, the coach was putting more responsibility on the team captains to help run the squad. It was a way to inaugurate some of the senior girls into a leadership position.
Several wins put Snake River on the map. While Fjaerestad, Monschau and Ryhaenen did most of the scoring (collecting 75 goals), the rest of the players handled the defense.
When playoff time came around, the team’s record was 19-1 (the lone setback a 1-0 loss to Teton) and they were assured of a postseason berth.
“We were able to put together a fairly decent record,” Turpin said. “We also scored a tremendous number of goals, over 90 by the state tournament. Our defense wasn’t bad, either, as we only gave up nine goals.”
In the playoffs, goalie Steinbaugh pitched two shutouts, but in the semifinals against Sugar-Salem, defender Jensen was tackled late in the game, sustaining a neck injury.
“She was a senior and an important member of our squad,” the coach said. “When she went down we were all concerned and I was especially worried because all of us had grown so close. At the time we had no idea how serious it would be.”
It turned out that Jensen would be admitted into a nearby hospital, but was soon released. She was on hand to root for her team in the title game against Payette High the next day.
“Before that game, Jenna came and hugged each of the girls,” Turpin said. “It was her way of wishing them good luck.”
The club would need it, however, as Payette was the defending champion. Down 1-0 at halftime, Turpin told the girls that no matter what happened, he was proud of them and this would be a great year win or lose.
Motivated, Monschau and Ryhaenen punched in the tying and winning goals, respectively, and the Panthers brought home their first state soccer title.
“It was nice to win something for this side of the state,” Turpin said. “This was such a fun ride with these kids. No matter what happened, I was so glad I was a part of this year’s team. It’s great that we won a championship, but even if we hadn’t, I will remember this for the rest of my life.”
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Nakia's An Animal!
I love watching my kids participate in sports, especially when they are the star of the team! Nakia is turning into a one man team, just don't tell her that. I don't want it going to her head.
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