It was the end of August, the sun was shining and the crowd roared as the team pushed farther down the field for the first down.  The scene was picture-perfect, but something didn’t feel right.  Even before he took the field, Middletown High School sophomore Chris Pirrone was having bad thoughts about the scrimmage.  It happened during a pass play when he caught the ball.  Pirrone broke through one tackle, but just as he broke for the right corner of the end zone, he felt something pulling him back.  Cut out from underneath him, his legs were in the air and his body landed on the ground.

“Something felt like it was messed up, and I looked down at myself and saw my ankle out of place,” said Pirrone.

Seconds later, the coaches were on the field with him, holding his hand and trying to keep him from looking down again.  He lay for 20 minutes waiting for the ambulance as his shock numbed the pain.  It wasn’t until Pirrone was lifted into the ambulance that the real pain set in.

“Every bump on the way to the hospital caused a pain in my leg that was so dreadful,” he said. “That’s the last bit of the memory I have.  I woke up in the hospital, seeing the cast on my leg for the first time, and I thought to myself, ‘My season is over.’”

After suffering from a broken tibula and a crushed fibula, six screws and a metal plate were inserted into the ankle of Pirrone, now a junior. 

Unfortunately, his fibula was not the only thing that was crushed. 

His spirit and motivation were shot.  For a long time after the injury, Pirrone stayed in bed, feeling sorry for himself and sinking deeper into despair everyday.

It wasn’t until the support and words of encouragement from family and friends began to chisel away at his hardened attitude that Pirrone realized self pity would only make the situation worse.

He was still attending physical therapy and doctor appointments regularly, but with an all-new mind set.  Pirrone was ready to come back stronger than ever and nothing would stand in his way.

With the continuing support of family and friends, Pirrone made it to basketball season and was eager to take the court, but complications popped up relentlessly. 

The pain in his ankle was still regular, some days making it difficult to get out of bed.

Pirrone pushed through it, sometimes turning to his two main support systems, his mother Laura Pirrone and his MHS varsity basketball coach Tim Leber.

“I told him that you can’t control an injury. They just happen and it’s not about what happens to you; it’s about how you respond to it.  Chris didn’t sulk around. He got himself up and worked himself, which is easy to say but much harder to do,” said Leber.

Leber is always there when Pirrone needs a few words of inspiration, and his mother is always there to listen.

“For the most part, I try to keep the pain to myself and just vent to my mom about it when it really hurts,” said Pirrone.

As the cold days of winter faded away and another summer passed, Pirrone’s junior year started.

The hours of physical therapy and slow practices had been put in. His patience was worn thin but not broken.  It was finally time to take the field again.

Pirrone was raising his stats, carrying the ball almost every game.  Every yard was a success. His work and waiting had paid off.

It wasn’t until after his fourth game that Pirrone was again severely injured.  This time, it was his thigh, and it too required surgery.

Unlike the first injury, self pity was out of the question.  Pirrone was infuriated and couldn’t figure out why he was unable to escape injury. 

For the second season in a row, Pirrone was in and out of surgery and began another rehabilitation process.  With intense exercise and practice, he was up and running by the time basketball started.

This season has been one of Pirrone’s greatest.  Over winter break, MHS hosted the Ron Engle Classic basketball tournament.

Despite his injuries, Pirrone not only earned a spot in the All-Tournament team, he was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“You would never know what kind of injuries he suffers by watching the way he plays,” said MHS senior Sam Glushakow, who also made the All-Tournament team.

All of the time spent in bed, in rehab or physical therapy, and the hours spent watching games from the sideline are paying off for Pirrone this basketball season.

He is a key member of the team and many of his teammates say playing for the Knights wouldn’t be the same without him.

MHS senior Kevin Harris said that Pirrone “always contributes” and is “a player you can count on.”

 “It’s very scary facing an ankle injury one year and another freaky injury the next. I was so upset that I couldn’t play with my teams, but that’s over now,” said Pirrone.

Pirrone’s goal is to keep working hard to get both legs as strong as possible to avoid any future injuries. The past two have changed Pirrone as a person and as an athlete.

“It’s hard knowing that my thigh won’t ever be normal again and my ankle will always hurt.  It’s been over a year and I still have to get used to waking up with my ankle tight and sore. It made me realize that as an athlete, I really have to work for what I want now,” said Pirrone.

After persevering through two major setbacks, Pirrone has come out as a better athlete than ever before.  Next season, he looks to work even harder in hopes of college offers for basketball. 

The time and effort put into regaining strength and the emotional strain Pirrone has suffered give him an edge.

In the words of Leber, “Tough times don’t last; tough people do.”

Some people struggle to find their “niche” in life; others, like Middletown High School senior Alex Hoffman, fall right into it.

Hoffman, having recently signed a binding Letter of Intent to play golf for the University of Memphis, is now able to reflect on his long junior golf career.                      

 “I’ve always wanted to play golf at the next level. I started playing when I was 3; by about 9 or so, I knew that I wanted to play in college.”

Under the tutelage of his father, an assistant teaching professional at Beaver Creek Country Club in Hagerstown, Md., Hoffman quickly showed that he had a knack for the game, winning local tournaments while he was still in elementary school.

 “My dad lived near Black Rock in Hagerstown, so that’s where I started out, and that’s where I found my game,” said Hoffman.

By the time Hoffman was in middle school, it was a foregone conclusion that he would play high school golf; it was playing collegiately that he was really eyeing.

As a freshman on the MHS team, Hoffman posted impressive scores, and along with then-senior Tyler Ausherman, helped lead the squad to a solid record and state tournament appearance.

His freshman performance garnered some local attention, but NCAA regulations deterred college recruiters from contacting a then-15-year-old Hoffman.

“As a player, if I was good enough to run into one, I could talk to any college coach one-on-one whenever I wanted to; but coaches can’t ‘contact’ players officially until after their sophomore year,” explained Hoffman.

Hoffman’s sophomore year was his first as the team’s no. 1 golfer, and he met, and later exceeded, expectations. Battling through the local qualifying rounds, Hoffman captured Middletown’s first individual state championship.

Hoffman’s Cinderella run to the state championship upped his recruiting rank to around 800, but he began to realize that, unless he seriously improved his stock, his dream-school, Florida, was probably out of reach.

“I figured that with a ranking of about 800, and being an out-of-stater, Florida probably wasn’t even going to look at me,” said Hoffman.

Attempting to forget about his ranking, Hoffman entered his junior season with only one goal in mind: repeat as state champion.

Despite his status as the top returning high school player in Maryland, Hoffman was unable to meet his own lofty expectations, finishing out of contention in states.

Unfortunately for Hoffman, his failure to repeat cost him in the NCAA recruiting rankings, as he plummeted to around 1600.

Already under a barrage of interest from colleges around the country, Hoffman tried to weed through the slightly interested schools to find what he called “the diehards.”

“The first two schools to contact me were Coastal (Carolina) and Maryland, but they didn’t really keep after during my junior and senior years as much as some other schools,” said Hoffman, “UVA (Virginia) was definitely a diehard, along with Memphis later on.”  Florida never materialized as an option.

Even with offers from Division-1 schools on the table, Hoffman decided that he would use the time he had left to raise his stock even further.

From Aug. 20 of his junior year to Aug. 20 of his senior year, Hoffman skyrocketed up the recruiting rankings.

Hoffman credits his tremendous rise to his play in the offseason: “I had some good summer tournaments that pushed me up from about 1600 into the top 100.”

In his attempt to garner attention from the top golf programs in the nation, Hoffman caught the eye of the Memphis coaching staff. Hoffman’s relatively low ranking from the summer before intrigued Memphis, who had been watching him since his state championship.

“I think Memphis pegged me as an ‘under-the-radar’ type of guy,” said Hoffman, “I don’t really think that they expected me to be interested in them.”

Entering his senior season, Hoffman once again was presented with an opportunity to sit back on his heels. But he decided that, despite his high ranking, he would push for a second state title.

Like many senior student-athletes, Hoffman was forced to balance the demands of his sport and his schoolwork, all while attempting to choose the school that he would play for at the next level.

This balancing act brought out the best in Hoffman, as he captured his second individual championship while leading the MHS squad to its very first team championship.

With the season now in the rearview window, Hoffman was able to fully focus on narrowing his college choices.

“I had already decided way before my senior year that I didn’t want to go to any northern schools,” Hoffman said. “The farthest school north that I looked at was Louisville.” 

Knocking his choices down to four, Memphis, Ole Miss, UNC-Charlotte, and Augusta State, Hoffman decided it was time to check out Memphis’s campus for himself.

Hoffman’s visit to Memphis was a good one, eventually leading to his decision to sign a LOI with the Tigers just two weeks before National Signing Day.

Hoffman pointed to Memphis’s reputation as a college town as a contributing factor in his final decision. “A couple of players from the team had taken me out to lunch, and some other people saw that they were wearing team shirts, and yelled ‘Go Tigers!’ to us as we were sitting there. I could tell they really cared about the school,” he said.

Having finished the arduous process of deciding on a collegiate program, Hoffman is now focusing on staying in shape. The Memphis coaches didn’t institute a concrete workout regiment for him, but they made it pretty obvious that it was key to maintain his physical fitness level.

“They made it clear that I should hit the weight room and to make sure I ran,” said Hoffman.

From golfing as a toddler to starting his junior career, from the MHS squad to the University of Memphis, one can only wonder what the next step is for Hoffman. All that is certain is that he’s found his niche.

The recent posting on the internet of photographs featuring Frederick County cheerleaders has encouraged Middletown High School’s cheerleaders to be more aware of who is taking their picture and for what purpose.

With all of the social networks, online accounts, and broadcast websites out there today, the possibilities of the internet are seemingly endless. Events and people can easily be photographed, and then those images can be uploaded and posted online in a matter of minutes.

For all of its positive attributes, however, the internet also has its share of potential dangers and threats. Those photographed are often unsure of exactly where their picture will be posted, and the context of the posting.  The results can end in confusion and disagreement over who owns the rights to such photos and what they can do with them.

Craig Shipp is one person who found himself in the center of such a controversy. Shipp is the owner several websites, including frederick.com and areaguides.com. Many local residents know Shipp as “the guy who rides his Segway around to take pictures.”

Shipp attends local events, or simply rides around Baker Park in Frederick, on his signature Segway, with a sign that reads “PRESS” boldly printed on it. As he rides, Shipp takes pictures of the events he attends and the people he sees.

Recently, Shipp along with his websites, have been under much scrutiny for what some view as suggestive and inappropriate pictures of Frederick County cheerleaders.  The photos are linked to his websites.

Legally, this is acceptable for any photographer who shoots subjects who are in a public setting. However, what the photographer does with those photos can depend upon the photographer’s ethics as a member of the press.

“While Shipp might have a legal right to take those photos and post them on the internet, a reporter with a degree in journalism would probably give more consideration to ethics and the red flags it might raise with the parents of those cheerleaders,” said Noah  Kady Middletown High school  journalism teacher.

Marita Loose, Frederick County Public Schools spokeswoman, said the “chief concern was that the parents (of the cheerleaders) had issues with the posting of the photographs.”

Shipp posted links through his frederick.com website to his Flickr account and to uscute.com, where the photos were posted.

While many parents thought the photos themselves were not in poor taste, they considered the photos’ tags, such as “beautiful,” “pretty,” and “cute,” questionable.

“It really is creepy and weird, and I’m sure stories like that are a big part of the reason why Mrs. (Melissa) Bolt sets standards for us so high,” said Julie Rockwell, MHS junior and member of the school’s cheerleading squad. “She wants us to keep a clean image so that things like that won’t happen to us.”

After FCPS officials were made aware of the posting of the photographs, they notified Frederick County high school principals, who then alerted Frederick County cheerleading coaches and advisors. 

Although no pictures of MHS cheerleaders were posted online, Bolt, the MHS cheerleading coach, said that she talked to her assistant coach and cheerleaders. Bolt said that she “made (them) aware of the potential threat.” 　

“I am disheartened to think that girls who are making good choices and doing something positive like participating in high school athletics were taken advantage of and used on such a disgraceful site,” Bolt said.

Parents of the cheerleaders who were photographed said that they did not know where the photographs were going to be posted.

“In the age of the internet, it is impossible to guess or control where those images might ultimately appear,” said Loose.

Shipp has more than 31,000 pictures posted online, all varying in subject. He said that those he photographs are well aware that the pictures he takes will be posted online.

“If you review the photos I’ve published, I think you will see all photos are G-rated,” said Shipp.

FCPS athletic events are open to the public, which allows anyone who attends these events to take pictures or videotape both the athletes and fans.

“We cannot control or limit that, unless it is disruptive in some way,” said Loose.

At the beginning of the school year, each student athlete and their parents are required to sign a consent form, which states whether news sources will be allowed to photograph and publish images of the student athlete.

 MHS athletic director Tim Ambrose said that Shipp will be allowed to attend future MHS sporting events.

However, if he is caught singling out cheerleaders in his pictures, he will be asked to stop photographing the event. Ambrose also said if it occurs a second time, he will be asked to leave, and if the problem persists, the Sheriff’s department will be notified.

This procedure would be carried out not only for Shipp but for anyone photographing an athletic event whose intentions may be questionable

Since Shipp’s posts were not illegal, FCPS is taking no other action or conducting any further investigations.

MHS cheerleaders and coaches however, will be monitoring the websites and will be continuously watchful of who is attending and photographing their practices and events.

This “shows the potential dangers and disadvantages to the internet and the amount of freedom people have in their ability to post content of these sites,” Bolt said.

As the moon lights the early Saturday morning sky, there is virtually no activity in Wolfsville, except in Katie Bussard’s room, where her “Latin Fever” ringtone is chiming that its 5:30 a.m., time for her to leave the comfort of her bed.  Bussard has one hour to prepare for her meet at Smithsburg, on the toughest course she’ll run all year. She takes a quick shower, being sure to wake up and warm up her muscles. Bussard puts on her Under Armor to prepare for the rainy and 49-degree weather that she’ll be experiencing today. Packing her spikes, sweats, and PowerBars, Bussard zips up her book bag and runs downstairs to scarf down the eggs her mom has made.  She hops in the car and heads to Middletown High School to meet the bus. Bussard tries not to think about all of her other friends who are still sleeping, toasty beneath the covers of their beds.

Bussard, a junior at MHS, is a long-distance runner, a unique breed that requires dedication that goes above and beyond that of many other sports.  Training to be a long-distance runner is a commitment to hard work, every day, all year.

Although some say a meet is “only” three miles, they do not realize how much more dedication and strength is needed to compete in and complete the race. It all comes down to the mind, pushing the body to the limit in order to stay in the race.

Bussard’s pre-race routine is consistent and as disciplined as her workouts.  “I eat an excess amount of carbs and stretch the night before and, of course, stretch a lot the day of the meet,” she says.  “I always have my Ipod to get me in the ‘zone.’”

The thoughts going through each runner’s brain prior to a race differ according to their skill level, or what they plan to accomplish on that certain day. Each runner may have a different goal each meet, based on how tough the course is, or how prepared the body is.

“Before the gun goes off,” Bussard says, “I decide which girls I have to stick with and who I can beat, but while running, I usually have a song stuck in my head or I try to focus on where in the course I need to speed up or slow down.”

However, the 24 hours leading up to a meet isn’t the only time to prepare. The other six days of the week are used to train and keep in shape, staying focused on cutting time off previous records.

A typical week of MHS cross country practice consists of running about 20 miles – split up Monday through Friday – including long distance, a track workout, body conditioning, a swim workout, and endurance workouts.

“Long distance is without doubt really difficult, especially when we’re outdoors in the grass, because of the hills,” said Maria Skowronski, a sophomore at MHS. “It’s hard to stay dedicated then, but I love pushing myself and its nice to know that the rest of my teammates are backing me up and that we’re all in the same boat with our ache during the race.”

Once the seasons switch from cross country to indoor track and then to outdoor track in the spring, the workouts don’t stop.

When indoor and outdoor start, there are more sprinters than long distance, so the workouts are altered. The coaches concentrate on abs and pushups to help improve the core because a better core makes a better runner. The runners are split up at practice according to the events they run, so each can concentrate on their specific needs.

Although the pain may drive many away from the sport of cross country, it’s the feeling of accomplishment that keeps these athletes devoted.

“My friends help me to stay dedicated, because it’s not only about staying in shape for soccer, but there’s definitely a social part which makes running more fun,” said MHS junior Kelsey Owens, a member of the cross country, indoor, and outdoor track teams.

The MHS indoor track team won states in 2008, and to many that is reason enough to stay committed. How hard the team trains and cultivates reflects on its overall performance, ultimately determining if there will be a chance to win states.

During each individual race, however, the only goal in mind is to cross the finish line. Most know they’ve tried their hardest when they’re in complete pain or on the verge of tears – and have an indescribable sense of relief when it’s over.

Adam Nelson, a sophomore at MHS and a member of the cross country team says, “When there’s 400 meters left, I push myself harder than I have the whole race. I can’t feel my legs and my body feels numb. If I don’t think I’m pushing hard enough, I remind myself that there’s a cold cup of water waiting for me at the finish line.”

To non-runners, it may not be as evident that long-distance running requires a mental commitment as well as a physical commitment, but runners know that aspect of the game is clearly a key factor to excelling.

“I mainly do cross country to stay in shape,” Bussard says, “but I like it because it really tests your mental and physical ability more than any other sport. You can only rely on yourself, rather than other sports where you must rely on others as well. You decide how far your limit is, no one else.”

Three games into a lackluster season, the Knights were out of options. The Middletown Hockey Club had yet to find a true starting goaltender. Head Coach Eddie Gray addressed his team before practice. He needed someone to step up and put on the pads, even if it was just for the next game. No names were mentioned, but there had to be someone in net. No one volunteered, the room was quiet, players continued to stare at the coach, each hoping someone else would say something. Senior captain Matt Wein knew that, like it or not, it was his job to do whatever was best for the team. Five minutes later, Wein had the goalie gear on, 15 minutes later, he was taking his first shots ever as a netminder, and just 24 hours later, Wein was making his goaltending debut.

Following the 2008-09 season, MHS, like most teams around the area, lost a few key seniors. Unbeknownst to the team, its biggest loss would not be a graduated senior but a rising one, three-year starter in net Kevin Russell.

Russell, who left the team in the offseason, was one of the MSHL’s best goaltenders in ‘08-‘09, playing in 10 of Middletown’s 12 games.

Without a returning backup goalie and without any incoming freshmen with recent goaltending experience, Middletown started recruiting. Some ideas were pitched: maybe a few posters around the school, maybe even posters in the middle school to generate interest throughout the community.

In the end, Middletown decided not to panic, turning to freshman Shawn Lane as the team’s primary goaltender. A few years removed from his last action in net, Lane had played as a forward on a local club team, the Frederick Fury.

“Back when I lived in Florida, I had played a little as a goalie on a roller hockey team,” said Lane.

Comfortable with their lineup and looking to improve on their 5-7 mark from 2008-09, the Knights debuted on Nov. 16, losing 15-1 against Urbana. Lane surrendered the 15 goals on 49 shots, posting a .694 save percentage.

On top of the large number of goals, the loss was a devastating one for the Knights, who had opened the game’s scoring in the first period before allowing 15 straight. Wein attributed this loss of momentum to the team’s fatigue.

“We’ve got a shorter bench than most teams. We just need to work on conditioning,” he said.

Despite the loss, Lane and the rest of the Middletown squad didn’t lose heart, fielding an identical team in the second game of the season against rival Walkersville. Once again, the Knights were routed, losing 9-2 in a game during which, once again, Middletown potted the first goal.

Although Lane improved upon his .694 save percentage from his debut, his .735 mark still left much to be desired.

Hoping to shake things up on the roster, the coaching staff and the players reached a mutual agreement to try a different goalie for the team’s third game.

Lane wasn’t disappointed. “I was looking forward to getting back to the game as a forward, I missed the hitting,” he said.

Chris Huffman, a second-year player used primarily at forward, was chosen as Lane’s successor.  Huffman’s experience in other sports weighed in heavily on the decision.

“He had played the infield before, so we thought maybe he could catch pucks as well as he could catch baseballs,” said Wein.

Frederick High School’s squad was able to exploit the inexperienced tender, running roughshod over Huffman in his debut with 11 goals on just 24 shots.

“Towards the end of the game, (Frederick’s) best players were shooting from just about anywhere; they knew (Huffman) wasn’t normally our goalie,” explained Wein.

He said Frederick focused on shooting in high-traffic situations and Huffman would lose track of the puck while it was in mid-air.

Wein took these in-game lessons to heart, hoping to utilize them come game time in order to rely on more than just instinct while he was in net.

During his first practice in goal, Wein attempted to find his “goaltending style.” Wein settled on combining the two most common styles, butterfly and stand-up into what he called “going hybrid.”

“I was really nervous,” Wein said. “I wasn’t sure if I had done that well in practice. I had a lot of butterflies.”

Through the first period, Wein had stopped every one of Carroll County’s shots. Despite Wein’s efforts, the Knights eventually fell 5-4.

After losing by 14, 7, and 10 in their first three games, a one-goal game was a nice change, but Wein still wasn’t satisfied.

“Considering the amount of experience I’d had before the game, I wasn’t feeling that bad about my performance. It was just that we were so close to our first legit win,” he said.

Despite Wein’s performance, the coaching staff was forced to move him back to the team’s first forward line. Before his game in goal, Wein had been tied for the team lead in points and his offense was too important to lose.

Wein isn’t disappointed or surprised at being returned to the offensive side of the ice.  “No matter what position they tell me to play, I don’t really care; I’m just trying to do whatever’s best for the team,” he said.

Along with a return to the forward position comes the restoration of his captaincy, a responsibility Wein embraces.

The future in net remains in doubt, but the Knights hope the next goalie may be the answer. Senior Lee Delulio, a first-time hockey player, has taken over for Wein.

“I knew I wouldn’t stay in goal for the rest of the year; (the team) needs someone who’s going to stay in there and develop, which I think (Delulio) can do,” said Wein.

“I think that the games are going to start becoming closer,” he said. “We’ll win a few. I know we will.”

The average student at Middletown High School is usually busy with schoolwork, extra-curricular activities and work. It’s tough to maintain a healthy fitness and diet when you’re not in a sports season.

People want to stay in shape, but do not want to go to expensive gyms or spend a lot of money on exercise equipment. By just doing some easy, but often overlooked, exercises you can stay healthy and in shape.

When at the mall or any multi-story building, always walk up the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. It seems like a small task but little things add up when it comes to burning calories.

Another great way to stay slim is to sit up straight in chairs. When you sit up straight, a person flexes their abdominal muscles and stretches them out. It also helps to keep good posture and prevents issues with the spine.

When at school, find reasons to get out of your chair and walk around. When you accidently break your pencil tip, take the long route around the classroom to get to the sharpener.

Whenever the teacher is playing a movie or showing something on a slide, be the one that volunteers to turn off the lights. There are many excuses to get up from your chair.

Besides those little exercises, always make sure you eat a decent breakfast that is high in energy content. It provides energy for you all throughout the day. Skipping breakfast is not a way to stay thin because usually people who do that eat more during other meals.