Good Longhorn News

Fast Times and Big Wins

May 7, 2026

The 2026 Holcomb track meet took place two week ago on April 26th, and was undoubtedly a hit! The weather was perfect but the school records that got broken were even better.

Avery McVey, senior, has the school record in the 100 meter dash with the time of 10.49. What he had to say about breaking this school record is, “It feels good that all my hard work has paid off”. He also performed in the 4×100 and 4×400 which he then also ran great in. We look forward to watching him break new PR’s and school records during his upcoming college career!

Brody Deniston, Senior, performed in the 1600 and 4×800. In the 1600 he placed first with a time of 4:39. Brody also helped the boys 4×800 get first which also consisted of Jeb Stoppel, Jeremiah Gonzalez, and Miguel Roman with a PR of 8:24. “I’m proud of how our team performed, my main objective going into the meet was to win my races and not prioritize my times,” Brody stated. Moving forward we hope to see improvements throughout the rest of the season. We also look forward to seeing what else Brody can bring to the table through his upcoming college career!

Lastly, Jalyssa Lopez, junior, delivered a great performance in 4×400 with a split of 1.04 which sets a new personal record for her! “I am very proud of how I performed, but I’m still looking forward to improving over the rest of the season,”Jalyssa said. As the season heads into its final stretch, Jalyssa and the girls 4×400 team are looking to continue to improve their time.

Nevertheless these athletes have really brought their A game. They continue to show determination and growth throughout the meets and their hard work will no doubt pay off as the season comes to an end. As for the seniors we hope to see great things coming their way and what an awesome way to end their last Holcomb meet! Win or lose, you still got to end your race with a snow cone by Breezy Ice.
Seniors’ Last Concert

May 7, 2026

Monday, May 4th, was a very important day for the senior musicians of Holcomb. It was their very last concert here at the high school. This event was an emotional time for seniors. Some of these seniors have been in music since the 5th grade. That’s 8 years of memories being left behind to start a new chapter.

Choir and band student Lindsey Eisenbise, senior, had mixed feelings about her last concert, “It’s very bittersweet because I’m excited to move on but I’m going to miss bonding with the underclassmen and learning new songs for both band and choir!”

Joshua Crouch, senior choir and band student, said, “I think it was kind of a heartbreaking feeling because it was our last time performing with either group and you don’t really realize it until you’re right there on stage.”

Although this was a hard time for seniors, it was also hard on the underclassmen. Some underclassmen are friends with seniors, and have been for years, who will be leaving soon.

Junior, Jaylee Smitherman, will miss the seniors, she said, “”I’m really sad to see the seniors go because I’ve grown up with most of them. But I am excited to watch them become adults.”

Freshman Natalie Keltner was very emotional while saying, “ Last night’s concert was one I probably won’t ever forget. Getting to meet the seniors that I befriended this year and then seeing them leave, seemingly so soon, is not a feeling I wanna feel again.”

This pop concert featured the HS Band, Percussion Ensemble, Men’s and Women’s Choir, and First Edition Show Choir! The Holcomb High School Band played songs from Disney movies such as Encanto, Coco, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin, and the Jungle Book. Group Solos will be passed around throughout each performance. The High School Band also had presented one of their contest pieces Flight of the Thunderbird. Guadalupe Hernandez will then be presenting awards and recognitions. The choir had presented their portion of their concert after the band.

On the Choir side, the pop concert songs of this year included True Colors, Weevily Wheat, Love Potion No. 9, Going Down to Cairo, All of Me, Found/Tonight, and there was even a special song at the end where all the choirs came together and sung In Meeting We Are Blessed.

Be sure to congratulate your seniors as they leave a lasting impact on our music community!
No Senior Prank??

May 5, 2026

Senior pranks have been a tradition in American schools for over a century. It’s a rite of passage to mark the end of an era. These pranks can be anything from rearranging furniture to kidnapping the school mascot! Although almost every school’s seniors do a prank, the seniors at HHS feel that it’s not needed.

There was speculation that on Monday the seniors were going to cause some mischief during the college decision celebration. Some heard that it got shut down, Senior Hailey Medina was supposed to be a part of the prank. She said, “We had a prank planned, but staff found out and banned us from doing it. Now we’re not doing one at all.” Tough luck!

Senior Matt Rosen says, “Senior pranks are overrated and some of the people in our class are lame. So there is no point in even trying to do one.” The senior class seems to be in a rut, not wanting to do anything. Is it really that they don’t want to do one, or is it that they don’t want to plan it?

Senior class president Malia Ruda said, “Getting in trouble isn’t worth it, and people take it way out of proportion.” It seems like if the seniors were planning anything it was too big to execute, so maybe it’s a good thing they’re not doing one.

Everyone knows that teacher’s eavesdrop, Mr. Miller is one of them. He said, “I’ve heard a lot of ideas but nothing has come together. It seems like the seniors aren’t unified enough to pull off a prank this year.” Our seniors must be going through something, so it looks like there will be no prank from HHS this year, but if you really want to know just ask a teacher!

Nevertheless Holcomb’s seniors are going out with a bang, having had an amazing year full of awesome accomplishments and memories. Prank or no prank, the seniors are happy to be graduating and hope to see everyone there supporting them at the end of their journey.
Unbreakable Minds Festival

May 5, 2026

Unbreakable Minds Festival had its first debut this weekend at Clutter Park. This event was put on by the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) program and the main purpose of this event was to raise mental health awareness and help people access mental health resources. The leader of this event was Araseli Ibarra, a senior at Holcomb high school, who paired with her teacher Mrs. Sullivan to make the event possible.

Araseli said, “This event is important to me because I’ve had a lot of friends struggle mentally, and I’ve personally seen what it can do for people. There are not many school events for mental health and I thought this would be a great way to spread awareness and acknowledge that there is help in many ways, not just by talking to a therapist, but ways like enjoying time with friends or time alone.”

Even though this event was about spreading mental health awareness, it was also an opportunity for small business owners to get their names out there. One of those businesses even included two of our very own, Adelina Asebedo and Adalynn Hamel. They showcased their baking skills and strawberry lemonade with A and A Sweets. When asked about how this event helped their small business, Adalynn said,“ I was grateful for the opportunity to get our business name out in the community. It was also nice to be able to outreach with people and spread mental health awareness. “

Altogether, this event shined a bright light on the topic of mental health and the importance of it. If you or anyone you know is struggling, you can always reach out to a staff member at the high school, but if you prefer to stay anonymous, you can always call or text 988, which is a suicide and crisis hotline. Someone is always there to answer and it is completely anonymous. From the entire staff of Good Longhorn News, we appreciate you and your life matters!
Born to Play: Baby Jet Already Gets D1 Football Offer

March 31, 2026

It is never too early to start the recruiting process, at least not in the Teeter household. At only a couple months old, Jet Teeter has received his first Division 1 offer to play football at the University of Texas, instantly becoming the youngest recruit the world has ever seen!

Some people are more shocked than others, however with Jet’s dad being the head football coach, many say it was only a matter of time before his name started popping up in the recruiting world…maybe just not this early. We like to believe that it came naturally and he was hopping around and practicing defensive plays in the womb, which makes this situation seem a little less shocking and a lot more expected. When asked Trey Teeter, Jet’s father, said “We are so excited about his offer. He has been working so hard on all of his rolling over and back exercises. He is beginning to talk too much so we need to continue to get better in that area but he is a neat little dude.”

Now that Jet has officially received his first D1 offer, expectations are already sky high. This is just the beginning of a long recruiting journey, with more offers likely on the way. Others might think he should take his time enjoying being a kid first, but for now it looks like Jet’s main focus will stay the same, perfecting his nap schedule, staying on top of feeding, and maybe squeezing in a little training with his dad on the side.

While it might be a little while before we find out where baby Jet commits, one thing is for sure, he’s already off to a strong start!!

Happy April Fools!
Mr.Thompson’s big win!

March 31, 2026

Holcomb High School’s own Mr. Thompson very recently won $350,000 in the Kansas Lottery! But that’s not the end of the story…

Mr.Thompson, Felt a lot of emotions about winning the lottery, “I felt like it was a prank. I wanted to cry. I just felt so shocked!”, a normal reaction for someone who just won 350K!

Following this, he immediately began to plan what to do with all his new money. Though some would expect that he would quit and get a new job, he stated, “Well, it is a lot of money, but I didn’t think it would be enough to quit. So, I decided to see if my luck would “come in clutch” and I went to the casino to see if I could double it.”

Consequently, he went on a long adventure of trying every slot machine and, though the first few didn’t give any good fortune, he ended up with another $1,000! He rode the high of winning and found himself at a roulette table. Feeling convinced his luck wasn’t a coincidence, he bet all his money on red. And he won!

In the end, it looks like his Saint Patty’s Day luck ran out, and after winning a full 702K dollars a leprechaun jumped out from underneath the table and stole all of Thompson’s “pot of gold”!

Happy April Fools!!!
Conrardy + Star Wars = Movie Star

March 31, 2026

Can you imagine playing a role in your favorite movie franchise and meeting your favorite actors? For most people, this is a dream that will never happen, but for Mrs. Conrardy, this is a dream come true. Mrs. Conrardy, the freshman algebra teacher and a hard-core Star Wars fan, took a chance and auditioned to be a character in the upcoming Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Bloodline of the Sith.

Disney, owning the Star Wars franchise, decided that this film needed character and familiarity. The only way they thought to achieve this was to fan-cast. They opened auditions to the public in June 2025; hearing this, Conrardy jumped at the opportunity to be cast in her favorite franchise. “I got cast from an online application for fan casting. I play a mute character, so there’s not a lot of speaking lines.” Despite this, she is still ecstatic about this new opportunity. She might even leave her teaching job to pursue a career in acting!

Fellow Star Wars enthusiast, Mr. Schreibvogel, also auditioned for a role in the new movie. Unfortunately, he was not even called back and was ghosted by the casting agency. He was devastated, as his dreams of being in a Star Wars movie had slipped through his fingers. Seething with jealousy, Mr. Schreibvogel said, “I’m happy for her, but I hope she falls and breaks her foot so I have to step in.” Unfortunately, the possibility of this happening is slim to none. Conrardy is doing an excellent job in fulfilling her duties as an actress.

Creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, had a particular image in his head for this new character. We cannot name this character due to copyright and secrecy. Because Conrardy was a perfect fit for this role, she has developed a special friendship with George Lucas. She says, “I am most excited to continue our friendship and get to know George a little more.”

When all is said and done, this would be an amazing opportunity…. if it wasn’t April 1st. HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!
New Lunch Policy!

March 31, 2026

A lot of students at Holcomb High school feel like open lunches should be allowed. Your complaints have been heard, and the school board discussed this certain request at their meeting two weeks ago. They have come into an agreement that seniors and juniors will have the ability to leave for lunches on hybrid days. This will go into effect immediately, but it may be limited depending on weather, eligibility and school activities that day.

Following the approval of this request, the school board had to enact a policy to ensure the safety of our students and the commitment to their education. The rules are as follows; only juniors and seniors are allowed to leave the school. If you are eligible, and you have the pass from your seminar teacher, then you have 1 hour and 40 minutes to get food and come back. The last and most important rule will be to drive safely. If you get into a car accident or your car causes any damage, the school will not be held responsible. It is also a requirement to wear a helmet in your car along with your seat belt for an extra safety precaution. Helmet check-ins will be approved by your seminar teacher before you leave the school.

The end of this year is a trial period. If people do not act responsibly, then this reward will be taken away next year. We would also like to give an apology to the underclassmen because the school board and others feel it would be a safety hazard to have everyone leave the school at the same time in a rush. Hopefully you have a good friend that can bring you back some food! From all the Longhorn journalists we would like to say Happy April Fools!
Gorillaz’ New Album: The Mountain

March 26, 2026

Gorillaz, the alternative British group, recently came out with a new album. Best known for their most popular song to date, “Feel Good Inc.”, the virtual band dropped The Mountain on February 27 of this year.

Most would agree that good art, be it a life-changing movie, a heart-wrenching song, or a meticulously detailed painting, has some kind of story to it. Initially, when playing the first song from this album, you might not think there would be a very deep story, especially if you’ve never listened to them before. But, by the end of the first listen to the album, it’s clear there’s a web of many themes and connections, all significant in their own vague and brilliant ways.

The inspiration behind this album was both the creators of Gorillaz experiencing their fathers passing, as well as a trip together to India. Spiritualism mixed with their grief and current events worked to compose The Mountain.

As you listen, you realize that The Mountain is supposed to represent people as a whole, and the songs convey the struggles the world has faced before many times. The idolizing of evil authorities, following harmful ideologies as a society, the ever-present fear of death. The chaos they experience is directly related to things we in history have experienced and continue to live through. It talks about a fictional world, similar to our own, where people would rather be unaware of the evil things going on around them. Ignorance is bliss, but would you accept bliss over freedom, if you knew you were being lied to?

For example, in “The Happy Dictator”, the main voice is this man who is brainwashing people into believing he’s a god who’s helping them, saying there’s “no more bad news, so you can sleep at night”. But he’s just hiding what goes on to convince everyone that there’s nothing to worry about.

The album’s tone varies from calm and happy to profound lines that hit home and bring you out of your absent-minded listening. All the songs connect to another in some way, despite all of them feeling so different from one another. The lyrics at times felt like they were dragging, such as “Empty dream machine without you,” but the electric synths, the percussion, the stringed instruments, all felt like they pushed the words to have deeper meanings that begs for a second listen.

The instrumentals never feel too long. When everything is intentional, you’re sure that you have to pay more attention than you were already. When the trumpets come in, they play proudly, like a reminder that there’s something bigger than you that you only see in passing. The harmonizing of ethereal voices in the background feels like they emphasized the themes of the story subtlety, but completely.There’s so much more to say about this album, but finding it out for yourself is half the fun.

Regardless of how well you understand the band as a whole, it’s absolutely worth a listen. You can find The Mountain on all major music streaming platforms!
Another Sullivan on the Way?????

March 24, 2026

Students and staff can expect an extremely exciting change coming in the next school year. Lucas Sullivan has now been announced as the next superintendent of the Holcomb district! He and many members of our community are thrilled to see what he will bring to the table.

Students and staff look forward to his hands-on approach to the superintendent role. Even though he will be new, his positive attitude and dedication will make a difference in our community. Kasa Sullivan, CTE teacher, said, “I’m excited. I think he truly cares about Holcomb and is going to do what’s best for the students and staff.” While Mrs. Sullivan’s husband will be the superintendent she said “Nothing will change, because my boss will still be Mr. Johnson!”

Lucas Sullivan, future superintendent, said, “This is definitely a dream come true. I’ve lived in Holcomb for ten years and Mrs. Sullivan has taught there for 18 years and I love the community.” As you can see, he’s extremely thrilled and passionate about helping our students and staff. Things are going great so far, but it would be amazing to see a different face and additional changes.

“I want to see what is going on and see what is already going great. I want to improve world class education whether academic or IPS curricular,” said Mr. Sullivan. To show us how involved he will be in with our schools he said he will attend many extra curricular and athletic activities to be present “I already live in the community, which makes it easier to attend those sorts of things.”

Both teachers and students feel positive about the change. Kent Teeter, P.E. teacher said, “I’m super excited that he got the job. He will care for Holcomb and everything in the schools. He’s a smart man and easy to talk to and he follows with great ideas and just overall will be a great superintendent.”

Haden Kennedy, senior, also looks forward to the change, “I’m very excited for this new superintendent and even though I won’t be here next year, I hope he has a better budget plan for all aspects of our schools.” In Kennedy’s view, budgets have not been distributed equally amongst all activies.

Overall everyone has high hopes for Mr. Sullivan and is super excited to see what he brings to the table next year! We know his presence will bring great ideas to improve school life in our district!