Inside this

issue:

Meet the

Homecoming

Court

2

Fall Sports

Season

6

Heap of the

Month

13

From the

Horse’s

Mouth

10

New

Additions

5

15 mins of

Fame

12

Hoofbeats Mercer

Middle Senior

High School

Friday , October 7, 2016 Volume 53 Issue 1

Special thanks to Mr.

Michael Morneweck

for the Homecoming

photos.

Homecoming 2016:

October 8 is an excit-

ing and magical evening

for all students around.

Although last year’s Hol-

lywood Homecoming set

a high standard in

themes, Homecoming:

Under the Sea will not

disappoint.

The 2016 Homecoming

Queen will be crowned

at the Homecoming foot-

ball game against Reyn-

olds October 7 during

half time. And as tradi-

tion, the 2016 Home-

coming King will be

crowned at the Home-

coming dance.

The Homecoming

court ladies this year

include seniors Rachel

Bish, Jaime Burdette,

Haylie Glass, Kaylynn

Foore, Megan Parker,

and Morgan Winland.

The gentlemen who are

on the Homecoming

court are Isaiah Barto-

lone, Jon-Carl Hostetler,

Nathan Knopp, Matt Ma-

thias, Bill Priester, and

Connor Richards.

Homecoming wasn’t

put together by itself;

Mrs. Santom made this

possible with the help of

the sophomore class of-

ficers.

Homecoming is an

event that you don’t want

to miss!

Homecoming Court 2016

Volume 52 Issue 1 Page 2

Volume 52 Issue 1 Page 3

Page 4

Volume 52 Issue 1

Page 5

Hoofbeats

Changes to MHS

By Hannah Ridgway

Over the summer Mercer High School experienced a few changes. One of the biggest included

the arrival of the new Assistant Principal Mr. Mausser (See article below). Mr. Mausser is taking

the place of Mr. Acre, now the principal at the elementary school.

A brand new sidewalk has also been added to MHS because the previous one had seen better

days. This improvement was indeed needed, especially for the upcoming winter. The new pave-

ment should not be the culprit for so many falls this snowy season.

The Mustangs’ football field has undergone some improvements as well. The new and improved

score board was generously sponsored by Dallas Hartman. Although this change may have seemed

abrupt, it is good for fans to be able to see an accurate score during the game. Along with the

score board update, the side bleachers were also improved. They were raised another 2 feet to

allow easier access and better view of the football field.

Come see these new improvements for yourself at the Homecoming game on Friday, October 7!

Mr. Mausser: Assistant Principal

What high school did you grad-

uate from: Sharon High School

What sports did you play in

high school: Football and Wres-

tling

What sports have you coached,

for how long, and where:

Coached 11 years of wrestling at

Franklin Regional High School and 2 years of coll

ege wrestling at Duquesne.

Have you ever taught an elementary school class:

Yes, fifth grade

Favorite high school subjects: Math and science

What college did you attend and for how long:

Clarion University for 5 years and Duquesne for 2 years

High five or fist bump: Fist bump

What time do you get up in the morning: 5:15am

Favorite sandwich: Italian BMT

Family: Happily married with 2 daughters, and a Boston

Terrier

Fun Fact: He has coached 11 state champions and 2

teams that won at states.

News on the MHS “Newbies”

By Alayna Jacoway and Allie Bright

Mrs. Borkovich: Special Education Teacher

How long have you been teaching for: 1 year at Maple-

wood and 1 year at Meadville

What’s your favorite college team: University of Pitt

Did you always want to be a teacher: Yes, from day one,

I wanted to see kids become successful.

What movie is your favorite: The Other Woman

What do you enjoy about teaching: Seeing students all

day and giving them a chance to have fun while at school.

Where did you attend college: Undergrad at Westmin-

ster College and also graduated from SRU

If you could travel anywhere in the world then where:

Africa to teach the kids in a third world country

If you could speak any foreign language what would

it be: Chinese

Did you play any sports in your

high school and/or college ca-

reer: I played softball (short stop,

pitcher) in the Little League World

Series at 16, played volleyball at

Westminster College.

Fun Fact: She played libero and

holds a Westminster volleyball

record. Mrs. Borkovich smiles

during her busy day

Mr. Mausser sporting his

new Mercer pride

The new scoreboard shines

at the home game against

Lakeview

Page 6

Hoofbeats

Lady Ms Volleyball By Hannah Ridgway

The Mustang volleyball

season is in full swing. The

Lady Ms kicked off the sea-

son with a win over Jame-

stown (3-1) using their

strong hits and good serves.

Although they won their

first game, the team cannot

seem to keep a winning

streak.

The girls have to play a

number of tough schools

this year but continue to

fight for their playoff spot in

Middlesex on October 4th.

The team captains this year

consist of Bryanna Fedorchak,

Lindsay Nemeth, Morgan Ad-

dicott, and Cassidy Pears. The

head coach is Dan Davis who

has been the coach at Mercer

for several years.

This year, we are saying farewell

to seniors Bryanna Fedorchak,

Avery Hoover, Megan

Matscherz, Lindsay Nemeth, and

Miranda Wimer.

Senior recognition night is on

October 20th at 7:15 against Grove

City. Come cheer on our seniors

and show your support for the La-

dy Ms Volleyball Team.

2016 Mercer Boys’ Soccer By Jackson Hazelet

The fierce Mercer Boys’

Soccer Team started out the

season with four decisive

wins. The boys are 4-3 with

losses to Ambridge, Hickory,

and DuBois.

The two seniors on the

team are Dalton Goehring

and Luke Hartwell. Their ulti-

mate goal is to have a winning

season and to earn a spot in

the playoffs.

With the new addition of

Coach Brownlee, the boys have

endured two weeks of physical

conditioning.

Some activities included flip-

ping tires, carrying logs, and do-

ing squats with sand bags. With

that being said, they also learned

to encourage one another and

work together.

Senior night will be on Octo-

ber 20th at 7:30; the boys en-

courage all to come and wish

them well on their endeavors.

The team’s toughest op-

ponent was Ambridge,

losing a frustrating game

2-0.

They hope to not only

win the remaining games,

but also to not concede

another goal all season.

The team’s captains this

year are Brayden Ellis,

Josh Wamboldt, and

speaking captain, Spencer

Ference. They’re leading

the team into a winning

season and hopefully a

playoff spot.

Seniors Matscherz, Nemeth, Fedorchak,

Hoover, and Wimer pose together after a

tough practice.

Volume 52 Issue 1

Hoofbeats

Page 7 Volume 52 Issue 1

The Girls’ Soccer Team has a new head coach again this year. Ryan Hoffman

stepped up to the plate with his assistant, former Mercer soccer player, Cassie

Flannery. Hoffman previously coached the high school boys’ team at Slippery Rock

University. He has high hopes for this year’s team and believes the girls can win

the District 10 title.

They have had a tough schedule so far, playing teams in higher regions such as

Blackhawk and Hickory where they put up a good fight but lost. In region play, the

ladies are off to a great 2-0 start where they overpowered West Middlesex 13-1

and beat Kennedy Catholic 7-0. They lost a key matchup against New Wilmington

3-1 but hope to beat them at home. In a non-region game on September 24th the

girls traveled to Seneca where they fell 1-0 but will most likely face them in the first round of playoffs.

The team has a lot of speed this year and a very solid group of freshmen that can be put in the varsity game at

any time and contribute. The girls’ program will be very strong over the next few years with this large group of

talented young players.

There is no shortage of leaders on the team, but this year’s captains are Kaitlin Berger, Alex Denny, Haylie

Glass, and Bethany Juergens. One of the following four rotate as a co-captain each game: Iana Ellis, Caitlyn Mat-

tocks, Maddie Rowe, and Hannah Schmid.

The girls believe that they will go far this year and get the District 10 title that Coach Hoffman is striving for.

The team is excited to see what this season has in store. Come join them on October 11th for Senior Night to

send our seniors out with a bang.

Mercer Girls’ Soccer 2016 By Haylie Glass

Girls’ soccer team ready

to go white water rafting

for team bonding

The Mighty Mercer Mus-

tang Golf Team has had a

good start to the season

thus far. Coached by Rick

Adsit, the golf team began

their season early in the

summer at their home

course, Spring Valley. The

team met every day to prac-

tice, playing 9 to 18 holes.

Every Monday the top 6

golfers on the team compete

in Mega Matches, where

they compete against other

schools’ teams.

This year the team has many

golfers that have helped

bring back several victories

to MHS. Mercer’s team

came in 4th at the Jamestown

Mega Match with sopho-

mores Cameron Kohnen

and Daniel Scheidhauer tying

for Mercer’s top scorer

at 85. Lakeview’s Mega

Match saw the team

come in 3rd and Kohnen

as the MHS top scorer at

83. Kohnen’s favorite

memory of golf was

“Breaking my putter and

shooting an 85 at Jame-

stown.” Kohnen also set

his goal to “Compete to

go to districts.” The team

has enjoyed the camara-

derie during practice as

well as improving their

own games.

Although there is not

a traditional night for

Senior Recognition for

this sport, the team will

be sending off senior

Matt Mathias. The final

match for the team was

October 3rd at the Tam

O’Shanter Invitational.

Mercer Golf By Nate Hinkson

Mercer Varsity Cheer By Carlene Murray

Page 8

Hoofbeats

Volume 52 Issue 1

The Mercer Varsity Cheer-

leaders have been working hard

and practicing as the 2016-17

football and competitive cheer

season arrives. After losing a

large amount of seniors, the

squad has welcomed four new

cheerleaders. These girls include

freshmen Sofia Dorfi and Kier-

sten Young, sophomore Casey

Covert, and senior Lexi Ayers.

Junior Anna Brunson says, “I’m

excited to see what can be ac-

complished this season with this

year’s new cheer squad.”

The football squad has been

determined to learn all the side-

line cheers, dances, and stunts

for Friday night games. The

competitive team has spent

time practicing since June to

prepare and perfect their rou-

tine for competitions. Their

first competition took place at

PNC in Pittsburgh on Septem-

ber 24th where the girls re-

ceived 1st place.

The upcoming Rally in the

Valley competition will be on

October 30th at Westminster

College followed by many oth-

er competitions this year.

The Varsity Cheerleaders

are looking forward to anoth-

er great season filled with lots

of competing and cheering at

Friday night lights and are

thrilled to see what the squad

can achieve this school year.

The 2016-17 Mercer

Varsity Cheer Squad

The Mercer Mustangs are back at it again! The first game of the year was a

match up against Lakeview. It was 18-0 at the end of the half and our guys

brought it back to a close 22-24 with the win going to the Sailors. The next

3 games against Hickory, Sharpsville and Slippery Rock saw a shutout for our

Mercer Mustangs with scores of 70-0, 33-0, and 35-0, respectively. Against

the Wilmington Greyhounds, the team rallied in the 4th quarter but were

unable to make a comeback leaving the score at 56-13. The next home game

is Homecoming, a special night for current and former Mercer students. The

Reynolds Raiders will be the competition for the guys and the 2016 Home-

coming Queen will be crowned at halftime.

This year’s Senior Recognition is on October 14th against Eisenhower.

Under the direction of Coach McClearn, the underclassmen will bid farewell

to Isaiah Bartolone, Cody Forrester, Eric Gawne, Hunter Kaster, Nathan

Knopp, Cody Koser, William Priester, Josh Robertson, and Chris Thompson.

Come cheer on the team at these special nights!

Senior Robertson

takes down a Sailor

Varsity Football By Cameron Zuschlag

Page 99 Volume 52 Issue 1

Mercer Cross Country 2016 By Kristin Perrine

The cross country team started practic-

ing in early June on every Monday and

Thursday at 9am for summer training prac-

tice. On August 15 the official season be-

gan where practices were every day for

the duration of the fall.

The Boys’ Cross Country Team roster

includes junior Justin Reno, Marcus Ryder,

James Ohler, and freshman Lucas Erwin. In

the 2015 Cross Country season, Justin Re-

no qualified for the state meet in Hershey,

PA. Justin said “I’m looking forward to the

season; we have a lot of good runners and

I’m the best.”

The Girls’ Cross Country team includes

seniors Jaime Burdette and Kristin Perrine,

and juniors Kate Shaffer and Ashley Shoe-

maker. Jaime Burdette and Kristin Perrine

have been on the Girls’ Cross Country

team since seventh grade. Jaime Burdette

is the top finisher for the girls’ team; she

aspires to make states this year. For a run-

ner to make states he or she must finish top

15 at the District 10 Cross Country Meet at

Buhl Park.

The first dual meet was on September 6

against Greenville where the Mustangs fell

to the Trojans. Justin Reno finished third

place for the boys’ team. Jaime Burdette fin-

ished second place for the girls’ team.

The first home dual meet took place on

September 13 against Sharon. Jaime re-

ceived first place for the girls’ team and

overall for the girls’! Justin placed first for

the boys’ team and third for boys’ overall.

Tom Meling is the head coach for the Cross

Country team; he is assisted by Robin

Springirth.

Aside from dual meets, the Cross Coun-

try team participates in invitationals. The

first invitational took place in Commodore

Perry on Saturday, September 17th. Justin

Reno finished 18th overall and received a

medal; Jaime Burdette finished 28th and also

received a medal.

As Jaime Burdette and Kristin Perrine en-

ter their final season of Cross Country at

Mercer, students and teachers are encour-

aged to check out the meets Tuesdays after

school. “I’m so proud of the team and all

we’ve accomplished so far. I’m excited to

see what else we can do this season,” said

Jaime. Senior night is on Tuesday, October

18 for Jaime and Kristin, the girls hope for

Mercer’s support.

Justin Reno finishes

a dual meet on the Mercer track

Hoofbeats

Volume 52 Issue 1 Straight from the Horse’s Mouth:

2016 has been the year of celebrity deaths. If you could bring back anyone, who would it be?

Page 10

Middle School

Dominick Pugh: Paul Walker

Ethan Koser: Harambe

Derek Geer: Paul Walker

Allie Laughlin: Robin Williams

Zach Moore: Harambe

Albert Klink: Paul Walker

Conner Ealy: Robin Williams

Jaidan Harker: Paul Walker

Jayme Heffern: Robin Williams

Mason Hesselgesser: Harambe

Makenzie Marsteller: Paul

Walker

Colette Brown: Robin Williams

Landon Vestorsky: Paul Walker

Annalyse Hoover: Robin Wil-

liams

Lucas Taylor: Prince

Anthony Dorfi: Paul Walker

Conner Ealy: Robin Williams

Brianna Parker: Paul Walker

Sam Sterrett: David Bowie

Bailey Grossman: Robin Wil-

liams

Grant Haggard: Harambe

Tyler Smith: Michael Jackson

Sophomores

Sydney Drake: Michael Jackson

Carsen Burkhart: Gordie

Howe

Cassidy Murray: Harambe

Sierra Atkinson: Elvis Presley

Casey Covert: Michael Jackson

Kaylie Cogswell: Paul Walker

Justin Rose: Prince

Marcus Ryan: Michael Jackson

Zack Stanton: Christopher

Columbus

Nikayla Jacoway: Michael Jack-

son

Jesse Lantz: Gene Wilder

Virginia Reagle: Marilyn Mon-

roe

Kaily Priester: Robin William

Cameron Harker: Nicole

Simpson

Asher Myers: Andy Kauffman

Alec Gault: Chris Farley

Cara Zomperelli: Marilyn

Monroe

Cameron Kohnen: Babe Ruth

Danny Foore: Tupac

Dove Reeher: Gene Wilder

Freshmen

Michaela Adams: George

Washington

C.J. Crawford: Michael Jack-

son

Jenna Blaus: Frank Sinatra

Alyssa Marano: Robin Wil-

liams

Tony McCrea: Harambe

Jordan Link: Michael Jackson

Austin Vernille: Robin Wil-

liams

Dylan Mattocks: B.B. King

Laken Bartholomew: Jesus

Katie Kirila: Johnny Cash

Jenna Vincent: Michael Jack-

son

Logan Conner: Paul Walker

Ian Taylor: Robin Williams

Ryan Moore: Jesus Christ

Sydney Drake: Michael Jack-

son

Aubrey Simcik: Elvis Presley

Rachel Snow: Elvis Presley

Isaiah Phillips: Jesus

Garrison Lutch: Rosa Parks

Megan Hogan: Mozart

Page 11

Hoofbeats

Juniors

Hannah Schmid: Harambe

Cassidy Pears: JFK

Carlene Murray: Frank Sinatra

Rose Gigliotti: Marilyn Monroe

Mary Hogue: Mrs. Ringer

Anna Robertson: Robin Williams

Victoria Adams: Michael Jackson

Brianna Jarrett: Prince

Will Chess: Jenny (from Forrest Gump)

Gray Covert: Rasputin

Demi Skoofalos: Robin Williams

Josh Wamboldt: John Denver

Michael Morneweck: Leonard Nimoy

Anna Brunson: Billy Mays

Maddie Rowe: Mrs. Ringer

Jessica Cameron: Steve Irwin

Jasmin Shipton: Robin Williams

Jackson Hazelet: Michael Jackson

Annie Miller: Patrick Swayze

Emily Bright: Elvis (Mrs. Murray’s

guinea pig)

R.J. Carson: Kimbo Slice

Andrew Boggs: Macho Man Randy

Savage

Grant Erwin: Robin Williams

Sierra Daufen: Paul Walker

Jordan Baker: Tupac

Grace Haggard: The Beatles’ song-

writer

Seniors

Megan Parker: Whitney Houston

Alyssa Vasil: Whitney Houston

Kyra Wright: Shane Gandee

Eddie Roman: Michael Jackson

Rachel Evans: Don Knotts

Kyle Baker: Prince

Kaylynn Foore: Heath Ledger

Kyra Wright: Shane Gandee

Jordan Boitnott: Tupac

Zac King: Jimmy Hendrix

Morgan Winland: Tupac

Kaitlyn Billingsley: Ghandi

Grace Ruhlman: Audrey Hepburn

Jaydn Moon: Marilyn Monroe

Eddie Roman: Michael Jackson

Rachel Evans: Don Knotts

Kyle Baker: Prince

Zac Speer: Kurt Cobain

Mackenzie Templeton: Whitney

Houston

Abby Grabigel: Robin Williams

Billie Pryborowski: Brittany Murphy

Alivia Young: Michael Jackson

Luke Hartwell: Kurt Cobain

Brittany Watson: Robin Williams

Volume 53 Issue 1 Straight from the Horse’s Mouth:

2016 has been the year of celebrity deaths. If you could bring back anyone, who would it be?

Seniors

Leah Fuge: Whitney Houston

Marah Buchanan: James Dean

Kate Timashenka: Selena

Kylee Bagnall: David Bowie

Shawna Link: Paul Walker

Kristin Perrine: Christina

Grimme

Bryanna Fedorchak: Paul

Walker

Erica Peters: Michael Jackson

Page 12 Volume 53 Issue 1

Carleigh Milcic

What did you do over

the summer: Went to

Cedar Point with my

friends

If you could be Poké-

mon, which one would

you be: Pikachu

If you could be any

celebrity, who would

it be: Selena Gomez

What is your favorite

T.V. show: The Walking

Dead

What do you want to

do: Skydive

Bacon or Sausage:

Bacon

What is your Star-

bucks drink: Caramel

Frappuccino

What do you think of

the app Dubsmash:

The app Musically is bet-

ter.

Would you travel to

the past or the future:

Past

Erin Martin

If you could take any

teacher to homecom-

ing who would it be:

Mr. Morris

Favorite fast food

place: Taco Bell

Favorite emoji:

Would you rather eat

4 spiders or sit in a

pool of snakes for 1

minute: Eat 4 spiders

If you could meet any-

one who would it be?:

LeBron James

If you could go to any

country where would

it be?: Venice, Italy

Longest snapchat

streak: 140 days with

Jacob Schmid

Favorite ice cream

flavor: Black raspberry

Dream Car: Mercedes

Benz

Favorite show on Net-

flix: Grey’s Anatomy

P.J. Boggs

How many siblings do

you have: One brother,

Andrew

Are you the oldest or

youngest: The best

What is your number

one goal in life: To be a

complete stud

If you could be any

teacher in the school,

who would you be:

Mrs. Vanderveen

Coke or Pepsi: Coke

Do you play Pokémon

Go: Yes, Team Yellow

and Level 12

Apple cider or Pump-

kin Spice: Apple Cider

Favorite recent mov-

ie: The Purge

Favorite childhood TV

show: Dora

Longest snap-streak:

102

Nate Hinkson

Favorite thing to watch

on Netflix: Blue Mountain

State

Favorite place to get

coffee: McCafe

Favorite Class: Journal-

ism

Least favorite class: Al-

gebra 2

Vans or converse: Vans

Favorite Sport: Modern

Pentathlon

What would you do

with $1 million: Buy a

pony

Favorite Actor: Quentin

Tarantino

Best TV show: The Office

Favorite classic movie:

Pulp Fiction

Best President: George

W. Bush

Favorite ice cream fla-

vor: Cookies and cream

Hoofbeats

Since its release in July, Pokémon

Go has seen over 75 million down-

loads and an outstanding amount

of press. This mobile game has

influenced pop culture and excited

new and longtime fans alike. Poké-

mon Go has its players running

wild throughout town and country

searching for these “pocket mon-

sters.” Further features and levels

allow the user to “battle” his char-

acter and become “gym leader.”

This game is the definition of a

pop culture phenomenon.

With its almost instant populari-

ty, thousands of Pokémon themed

items and events were every-

where. Even our own Coolspring

Corn Maze this season is featuring

Pokémon Go as its theme and has

costumed Pikachu and Char-

mander greeting visitors.

With the increase in pedes-

trian traffic due to the nature

of the game, there were bound

to be some accidents. One

teen in Pittsburgh walked onto

a busy highway to catch a crea-

ture, getting hit by an oncom-

ing vehicle. She was left with

moderate injuries and encour-

ages players to be aware of

traffic.

Another incident occurred

when two men hunting for the

creatures stumbled off a cliff,

falling 90 feet and experiencing

major injuries. Players should

be careful to observe their sur-

roundings and obey the area’s

rules.

Just like every fad or craze,

the hype dies down eventually.

Mercer senior Kyle Ricketts

loved to play Pokémon Go at its

onset. He walked around Mer-

cer daily with his friends to

“Catch ‘em All.” Kyle felt obli-

gated to play the mobile game

since he played Pokémon: the

Card Game when he was

younger. Kyle has recently

stopped playing because his

account was logged out and he

was reset to level one.

Mr. Walter, Mercer High

English teacher, is also a fan of

the Pokémon franchise. Alas, he

has not joined the “PoGO”

craze because his phone does

not support the software.

There is hope for a resur-

gence in popularity as the

“next generation” is due to be

released in an update around

the holidays.

Page 13

By Jackson

Hazelet

Heap of the Month By Haylie Glass

Kelsey Swartz whips around in her 1998 Volkswagen Jetta with

pride. She bought it for $600 off of Zack Kroll two years ago. “The

Jetta” has been through 150,000 miles of torture. It has been

wrecked and beat up from previous seemingly inexperienced drivers,

so Kelsey had a lot of work to do.

She put four brand new tires on it, but “The Jetta” still has many

flaws. The bumper was ripped off, so of course, the logical way to fix

it was zip tie it to the car. The wipers only work on the highest

speed, the check engine and brake lights are always on, and it has no

air conditioning. Despite all of the flaws, “The Jetta” has a lot of char-

acter and it gets Kelsey from point A to point B. Kelsey looking fierce on “The Jetta”

Hoofbeats

Hoofbeats Staff

Senior Editor

Homecoming Layout

Rachel Bish

Junior Editor

Carlene Murray

HOOFBEATS wishes to THANK our sponsors!

Armstrong Insurance

Mercer Hardware

Newton Financial Services

Feature Staff

Allie Bright

Haylie Glass

Jackson Hazelet

Nate Hinkson

Alayna Jacoway

Feature Staff

Shawna Link

Kristin Perrine

Connor Richards

Hannah Ridgway

Cameron Zuschlag