Walking through the doors of the Jenks High School Aquatic Center, the potent smell of chlorine, the faint echoes of rhythmic splashing, and the loud voices of children and elderly alike, merge to create an overwhelming sense of energy and community. For over 10 years, the Jenks Aquatic Center has been a staple of the Jenks community, bringing together students K-12th from schools all across Tulsa county, much of the elderly, and even some groups that you wouldn’t expect, however a lot of what goes on here goes seemingly unrecognized.

A tactical tackle, the whisper of a wack, a daring dribble; all of these are common actions of many little-miss-not-so-popular sports. In a world dictated by whichever sport yells the loudest, hits the hardest, and asserts the most dominance, many passive sports get overlooked.

It is November in Jenks High School which can only mean one thing; It’s playoff time for the football team. However, before we enter into the realm of the ‘yoffs, it’s best to take a moment and reflect on just how good this team has been in 2023. My name is Jack Denney, the president of the Jenks Superfans, and I have had a front-row seat to every single football game that the Jenks Trojans have played in my senior year. However, not everything was sunshine and rainbows this season for the Trojans and I am here to review and grade just how well our Trojans have done.

“HEADS!” As you walk out of the track locker room a circular shadow flies above your head as a big burly thrower yells at you. You look up in horror as a disk flies right by your head. You stand there in shock as another disk flies through the air, thankfully much farther away than the first. As a tall, bulky thrower walks over to retrieve their disk, you scurry back-to-track practice.

With the exciting buzz of fall sports ramping up, we slowly creep into basketball season. The boy’s basketball team is a highly favored sport at Jenks. As the Jenks community packs the Frank Herald Gym, the constant exciting energy is brought to each basketball game. The only thing different about this season? A new head coach. Daniel McChesney, head coach for the Jenks Varsity Boys Basketball team, is the latest addition to the upcoming season.

Imagine you are on the field under the blistering sun, heart pounding, sweat dripping down your face. You feel the sun beams hit your back as exhaustion overcomes you. Every day is the same. Same burning sun, same draining drills. Your breath is shaky and your body is about to give out, but a surge of pure adrenaline rushes through your veins.

Bright lights, long ball gowns, and disco music. All of these are what make up the annual Jenks Pom Fashion Show. On Tuesday, September 12, the PAC held this program's main fundraiser for the year. But what is this money going towards?

The Jenks Volleyball teams are jumping into their 2023-2024 season! On and off the court, the athletes have been putting in the work to improve their skills and get ready to fight for their states titles.

It’s a Friday night in Jenks, Oklahoma as the entire community comes together to watch the Trojans play football. The sidelines are filled with supporters and athletes tediously watching the game. A new edition can be found clustered on the sidelines this year. Spotted with a large camera and a microphone, the students of the Trojan TV program can be found covering the exciting action.

198. That’s how many state championships Jenks High School has won, ranging from football to baseball to swimming, all the way to tennis. For context: Union, BA, and Bixby combined have 192. As Jenks keeps racking up championships through the years, it has set a pretty high standard for our athletes. It can feel like “ordinary” is never enough–even coming in second place is a loss. I’m diving deep and talking with Jenks Varsity tennis players, Krishna Bhadjiru (9), and Varsity football player Jace Hager (10), to talk about the pressures of Jenks standards and “state culture.”

On a Friday night football game, looking into the stands, you see bleachers filled with students. Screaming and cheering as the boys play on the field. Excitement is filled in the air and the mood is bright. When you go to a girl's sports game, the energy is quite different. Not as many supporters in the crowd, and less publicity to share their hard work. Times are changing at Jenks, whether we like it or not, and women in sports should start being embraced and not criticized.

The Jenks Football Team will win the state championship in 2023-24, and here is why.

After winning back to back state championships in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, our Trojans fell just short of three peating last season after they were unfairly cheated against the Bixby Spartans. However, the Trojans have already reloaded, and will win this year’s state championship with ease. My name is Jack Denney, and I am the president of the Superfans club, as well as an avid watcher of football on all levels, ranging from High school to Professional. Today I will be reviewing the Trojans schedule, reviewing it, and giving my game predictions.

At Jenks, it feels like there’s something always going on. Especially when it revolves around sports, where Jenks strongly excels at. Amongst most sports, Jenks has over 200+ state championships. The surrounding school districts simply can’t compete. Union, Broken Arrow, and Bixby combine for just under 200 championships. Except for maybe a few outliers, barely any of these amazing games are streamed for viewers at home. Bixby, Owasso, and Broken Arrow all broadcast their games, so why can’t we?

Following the announcement of ASL III coming to Jenks next year, as someone who has been learning ASL for six years and plans to pursue American Sign Language as a career, there are some things I've learned on my journey that I think new signers should know before learning this beautiful language. Specifically, when interacting with the deaf community, it might be a whole lot different than you expect! 

The stress, injuries, sacrifice, and disappointment are all worth it when you achieve your goals. Jenks senior, Rhegan Peace is a level 10 gymnast, which is the highest skill level. Gymnastics has been a significant part of Peace's life. It all started when she decided to switch from cheer to gymnastics at ten years old. As Peace prepares for college, she reflects back on the lessons and skills that she gained during her gymnastics career.

At first glance, it may be easy to dismiss esports as just another form of gaming. However, esports is much more complex and requires lightning-fast reflexes, strategic thinking, and sharp focus. Students worldwide are even earning thousands of dollars in scholarships to compete in Esports on a collegiate level. Esports is what's called a “mind sport,” which is similar to ‘traditional’ sports such as basketball, football, and baseball, except with esports everything is played virtually.

Undefeated! Jenks JV Maroon hangs on to their winning streak as they take the win against Owasso last Tuesday!

The audience cheers as the players receive their medals. Their parents’ and coaches’ faces are filled with pride and joy as they see their children and players awarded for their amazing work last year, and the new players are introduced to the team. Moments like this happen at the beginning of every year.

The day was March 21st. The time? 6pm. Lacrosse season was in full swing and the tense air was trapped beneath the gray blanket above the twilit evening. The stakes were high against the Union Varsity team, and the sounds of cleats and sticks striking the ground and each other alike filled the field.

For 11 months out of the year, six days a week–roughly 600 hours total–Jenks JV Pom practices for their biggest competition. They persevere through concussions, broken bones, emotional breakdowns, and worse, working towards one single goal: to bring a National Champion jacket and gold medal home to Tulsa.