Last Friday, Del Mar honored football, cheer, band, and color guard for their hard work, progress, and dedication throughout the season. As part of the ceremony, seniors walked onto the field with their loved ones holding posters and gifts.
Football played their last game of the season against Pioneer. Despite their loss of 28-0 preventing them from qualifying for CCS playoffs, friends and family shared their unwavering support.
The parents of varsity senior, Miguel Medina, a linebacker who has played football for 6 years, share their advice to support their players at times like these.
“I think going into prayer and letting them know God is there and you never lose, you either win or you learn,” Veronica Medina explained.
“Same kind of thing, just trusting in god and that god has a better plan for him, you know talking about resilience, strength, and just reminding him about those things. Failure is just part of the journey,” Medina’s father added.
Miguel Medina explains the team could have done better and that he could have been more aggressive out on the field, but did the best he could. Medina advises his younger teammates to be aggressive on the field.
Almost all football players have had major changes in their performance on the field, like Jesus Cruz Sanchez, a senior offensive guard who has played all 4 years. Cruz’s sister, Abigail Cruz, shares that his performance since his freshman year has improved a lot.
“He was scared to go for the hits, but now he goes in not worrying. He lost his fear of going for the hit or the ball, now he is more confident in himself,” Cruz stated.
Jesus Cruz looks up to his position coach Francisco and wants to go to San Jose City College or Cabrillo College to pursue construction technology and management. He says his reason for joining football is his family.
Adem Tucakovic is another player on the varsity football team. Tucakovic has played football since he was 6 years old. He is a wide receiver, kicker, punter, safety, and defensive end. He wants to go to college and would love to play football after high school. Tucakovic’s friends Rayyan, Kennan, and Edwin came out to support him.
Senior cheerleaders from JV and Varsity celebrated on Friday as well. They worked their hardest, from perfecting the performance at half times to hitting stunts during cheers.
When asked about her cheer season in review, Janelle Cruz, a senior on varsity, states “I loved it so much this year. It was very enjoyable with Mayah, Nessa, and Jocelyn. My favorite part was getting the stunt done and as a member of cheer since freshman year I enjoyed how much we improved over time.”
“Advice I would give is to expect the unexpected. It’s like a journey, and we always have fun. Learning the routine took a few practices, but I was very determined. I would really like to continue cheer in the future,” Mason King, another senior on Varsity, said.
Hailey Hinkle, one of the seniors on color guard, spoke about her time in color guard throughout high school, stating her experience has been overall beneficial.
She states, “Although it has taken a lot of time out of my schedule, it introduced me to my love for rifles, a team to grow and overcome challenges with, and a leadership opportunity. It’s always satisfying to see our shows come together.”
Additionally, Hailey spoke about the ways she’s improved over the years, explaining “After lots of time spinning with the guard and on my own, I found it easier and easier to learn new work and learn new things. I took a liking to rifle, and that became my specialty. Also, by working with Westmont’s color guard during my junior winter season, I boosted my skills as I got to learn from a guard with different experiences.”
Del Mar High School’s senior marching band members also celebrated their time in the band during Senior Night.
Lukas, who has been a member band since middle school and joined Del Mar’s marching band in eighth grade, spoke on his experience “My experience with band has been mostly positive. Like many activities, it can get repetitive and overdone. However, it has taught me so much, with forms of leadership, musicianship, discipline, and organization.”
He explained that he has improved throughout his time with the marching band “I have improved in many ways, whether it is technical or artistic. I have gained a better idea and understanding of the processes of creating beautiful music,” Nguyen said.
Marching band is a major part of any football game, providing an exciting atmosphere to the experience.
William Burkhead, the music teacher at Del Mar High School, stated that they consider the strengths and current abilities of the students to create a show that is challenging and fun for the students to perform.
As the season ended, Del Mar High School’s Senior Night highlighted the dedication of student-athletes, cheerleaders, and band members. The evening celebrated their efforts and achievements.