Football:
The football team begins the season hoping to continue their success from the previous year. After going 6-5 in the 2021 season including a record of 6-2 in region play, the knights prepare for a new season under recently hired Head Coach Nick Bach. This year, the Knights started off with a strong 20-17 win against Holy Innocents. Junior Terrence Kiel said, “How you begin is how you finish, setting the tone for this season was extremely important for us as a team. We still can’t get too full of ourselves, there are still many more games to play.” Along with the Holy Innocents game, the knights traveled to Westminister and played a hard-fought game, ultimately trumping the Wildcats with a score of 21-19.
Cheerleading:
This year’s cheerleading squad is led by five senior leaders: Ava Byrne, Bea Chadwick, Brienne Hingst, Josie Swain and Reese Williams. Sophomore Gabby Haviv said, “cheerleading has allowed me to make friendships in other grades and bond with people I usually don’t throughout the day. I am looking forward to all the football games, home and away because I enjoy bringing positive energy in the stands and on the field.” The team is looking forward to having as many fans as possible at the games to support the cheerleading team as well as the football team.
Cross Country:
The cross country team is fresh off of its 2021 state finals appearances with the girls and boys team claiming their place on the top podium. This year’s girls team is led by five seniors who plan to respite their achievements from last year and win the program’s 14th title. Senior Maddie Swartz said, “I’m excited for this year, the past four years have taught me a lot about what it means to be on a team and now I get the chance to pass down what I know.” On the boys’ side, there are big shoes to fill from last year, as the team lost a majority of their roster from last year’s seniors including the individual champion, Edward Blaha. This year, the team is led by just two seniors: William Cummings and Will Delmonte. Additionally, junior Matthew Wells is a bright spot for the team as last year he placed extremely high in the “Garmin Running Lane Championship,” ending the season on a high note. The goal for the team is the same as any previous year, to win another State Championship for Pace.
Volleyball:
This year’s volleyball team has a lot of pressure building since the 2021 team won the state championship for the fifth year in a row. The team is off to an early start currently sitting at a record of 8-0 with impressive wins over Lassiter High School, Whitefield, St. Vincents and Allatoona, under new Head Coach Catherine Monroe. The girls are led by three seniors: Briea Craft, Riley Alkire and Sophie Shapiro. Alkire said, “The volleyball team is lucky to have an extremely close-knit group of girls and under the instruction of Coach Monroe. We are always striving for success on and off the court.”
Softball:
The softball team is already off and running with four games under their belt and impressive wins over Whitefield and Pepperell. Last year, the lady knights made an appearance in the playoffs, ultimately falling in the elite eight. Out of the 12 players on the roster, the team is led by four seniors: Madison Hadley, Victoria Hadley, Sara Mazur and Emma Beth Neville. Under the leadership of the four seniors, the team plans to repeat its successful season and hopes to make it further in the state tournament.
Flag Football:
The flag football team begins its second year as a program with 24 players on the roster coached by Ty Johnson. Last year, the program made history by advancing to the State Championship Quarterfinals as well as being named the area champions. Junior Sydney Vincent said “The team spirit in Flag Football is unlike any other! The bond on the team makes it so much easier to fit in as a new player this year. I love it.” This year, the girls will play in 11 regular season games including three tournaments. After the regular season, the team hopes to name themselves three-time area champions and make it through all five rounds of the state tournament and finish with the trophy.
Water Polo:
The Water Polo squad looks to have another successful season under coach John Ague. Last year, the team went off to the state tournament and, in the end, placed first overall in their division as well as fifth in the state. This year, the team plans to play 15 regular season games under the leadership of six seniors who are all focused on bringing another state championship to Pace Academy. Junior Lane Canova said, “After a great season last year, we are really looking forward to getting after it and doing even better this year. We have been putting in a lot of work and now we have the opportunity to show it. I’m excited.”
Esports:
The Esports team is a solo squad this year, senior JD foster plans to compete as hard as he can in order to bring glory to the program. Under the coaching of Mr. Charlie Bryant, the team hopes to win as many competitions as possible in just its second year.