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The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf
Alex Wittenbaum

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief

I am a senior on the Leaf Staff and I hold the title of sports chief. I manage the Sports Center section on shsleaf.org and help design and write for the number one high school newspaper in Ohio, The Leaf. I am an avid sports fan. I love following and watching my favorite teams play, such as the Indiana Pacers, the Cincinnati Reds and the Bengals, and the New York Yankees. My idol is Derek Jeter. I strive to be like him and model my life as he lives his. I also love to play tennis. I was a part of the 2014 State Championship tennis team. It is my biggest accomplishment in sports so far, and I recently signed to play college tennis at Marian University in Indianapolis.

All content by Alex Wittenbaum
Senior Aditya Venkitarama placed fourth in the Southwest District Tournament. This finish booked his spot to the individual OHSAA State singles tournament at Ohio State on May 29. He will then compete Sun. May 31 in the OTCA Team State Tournament at Reynoldsburg High School along with his other teammates.

Tennis looks repeat at State tournament

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Cheif
May 27, 2015
Sophomore Regis Liou captured the Second Doubles title at the Coaches Classic along with senior Aditya Venkitarama. They will both compete in singles for individual postseason play. The team returns home on May 19 to take on St. Xavier in the OTCA Team State District Semi-finals.

Varsity Gold Boys Tennis

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
May 6, 2015
The boys tennis team is 12-0 to start the season. They will compete in the GCTCA Coaches Classic Tournament from Apr 23 to 25. This is their best start in team history.

Tennis set to compete at Coaches Classic

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
April 23, 2015
College of Mount Saint Joseph basketball player Lauren Hill never gave up. After being told that she would live until Christmas of 2014 at the most, she persevered and made it through Easter. Hill’s determination fighting mentality has inspired us all, and will never be forgotten.

Hill leaves lasting legacy

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
April 16, 2015
The team started off strong going four-zero. They return home on April 9 to take on Mason. ‘. These are the types of matches we train for all year,’ senior Aditya Venkitarama said.

Tennis opens season with five wins

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
April 9, 2015
Mount Saint Joseph University freshman basketball player Lauren Hill was diagnosed with DIPG. She recently appeared on popular television show “The View”. Hill continues to spread awareness in many ways including Layups 4 Lauren at SHS held last Nov.

Hill appears on “The View”

Continues to spread awareness
Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
March 26, 2015
College basketball player for Mount St. Joseph University Lauren Hill has battled extreme brain cancer for months. She is still in good spirits, even though she has to take multiple medications and must be extremely cautious with everything she does. An Upper Deck Lauren Hill playing card will be released and will sell for $10 at Hill’s website, thecurestartsnow.com.

Hill keeps fighting

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
March 19, 2015
Senior Deepak Indrakanti is one of four seniors to play on the team. They will travel to Northern Ohio on March 30 to take on St. Ignatius and Massillon Jackson. According to OhioTennisZone.net, they are ranked first in the pre-season poll.

Tennis ranks first in preseason polls

First serve set for March 30
Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
March 15, 2015
The Varsity basketball team took on Moeller in the first round of the OHSAA State Tournament at Fairfield High School on Friday, Feb 27. This was the final game of the year, as SHS lost 55-19. Moeller is the sixth seeded team in the tournament, and is the favorite to come out of the Southwest district.

Basketball blocked by Moeller in playoffs

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
March 10, 2015
The Varsity tennis team took home the school’s first State title in the 2014 season. Before each match, they partake in warm up drills such as pushups to help improve physical stamina. They open their season in April

Tennis season set to begin

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
February 26, 2015
Layups For Lauren rolled through SHS to help spread awareness for Lauren Hill and brain tumors and cancer. Hill received an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree at a recent game. She continues to help spread awareness of her condition to many people around the United States.

Hill presented with honorary doctorate; continues to battle cancer

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
February 12, 2015
Eight SHS athletes signed to continue their athletic careers in college on Thurs. Feb fifth. Each player was talked about by his/her coach, and gave a speech to the almost full gymnasium.

Athletes sign to continue careers

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
February 5, 2015
Senior Jay Cobbs committed and will sign to play for West Virginia State University. WVSU is a D II school in Institute, WV. The school is in the Mountain East Conference

Stepp, Cobbs sign with collegiate football teams

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
February 5, 2015
Senior Jalen Shropshire helped the Varsity basketball team to a 56-54 win over Lakota West. This is their third win of the season. They will conclude the season with three games at home.

Basketball shoots to end season on high note

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
January 29, 2015
Head Coach Urban Meyer led the Ohio State football team to its eight National Title in school history. Running back Ezekiel Elliot carried the team, rushing for 246 yards and scoring four touchdowns. Elliot will return next season, as he did not declare for the National Football League (NFL) draft.

Students reflect on Buckeye’s big win

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
January 22, 2015
The Varsity Tennis team captured the Division I OTCA State Team Title for the first time last season. They have been training all offseason to try and defend their win this year. Tryouts begin Mar. 9.

Tennis team hopes to repeat

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
January 9, 2015
@SHSLeafSports will provide followers with instant sports updates for all SHS sports. Senior Alex Wittenbaum, and sophomore David Wertheim organize and run the page. Users that tweet with the hash tag #LeafSports will be retweeted by the page.

Leaf launches sports Twitter page

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
December 12, 2014
16 seniors at SHS compete for the Nasty Boys F.C recreational soccer team. They play in a competitive leage at Wall 2 Wall sports every weekend. The season has started off with three wins, and a close loss against the Loveland Varsity team

Seniors kick for Nasty Boys

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
December 4, 2014
Senior Cara Norris signed her letter of intent to swim at The Ohio State University in front of many family members and friends on Fri. Nov. 21. She is the second athlete to sign this year.

Norris signs with Ohio State

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 30, 2014
Sophomore Ra'Von Bonner is one of ten players from around Cincinnati to be nominated for Ohio National Guard Player of the Year. Bonner took home player of the week after his strong performance in week eight of the season.

Bonner nominated for ‘Player of Year’

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 30, 2014
The Varsity Hockey team released their annual 'Hype" video. The team will play home games at Sports Plus and the Cincinnati Gardens.

Hockey releases ‘Hype’ video

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 30, 2014
Layup 4 Lauren is an event to help spread awareness of the fight that Mount St. Joseph basketball player Lauren Hill has had to endure. SHS will host the benefit during all three lunch periods on Tues. Nov. 24. Donations will be taken to help find a cure for this deadly cancer.

Lay-ups for Lauren comes to SHS

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 24, 2014
The basketball program will return four seniors this season, and will be made up of 11 freshman and sophomores. They will begin their season on the road at Milford on Tues. Dec. 9. They will open GMC play against Oak Hills at home.

Basketball set to tip off season

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 20, 2014
Gold Club is just one of the many offseason activities that both the boys and girls tennis teams partake in. Every Sunday, each player sends an email to Coach Mike Teets with their tennis playing activities from the past week. Participating in Gold Club can be an advantage when tryouts roll along.

Tennis teams active in offseason

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 14, 2014
Senior captain Adam Ioas was the first player to be named to the Water Polo All State team since senior Mark Hancher in 2013. Ioas has started on Varsity since sophomore to senior year. He will look to play Club Water Polo in college. Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s Photography.

Ioas scores first team All State

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
November 6, 2014
Aves set to ‘battle for skies’

Aves set to ‘battle for skies’

Alex Wittenbaum and Jordan Baker
October 30, 2014
One of the reasons why the boys tennis team was able to claim a State title in 2014 was due to the hard work they put in during the offseason. Coach Mike Teets has been holding before school conditioning sessions since his first year as head coach. The team will begin their quest to repeat as state champions in March 2015.

Boys tennis conditioning swings into session

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
October 24, 2014
Derek Jeter is sixth in the all time hit list, and has a career bating average of .310. He is known though for his classiness off of the field. He has left a lasting impact on the sports world.

Jeter ‘did it his way’

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
October 21, 2014
Senior Nakul Narendran is the third SHS tennis player to commit to a college program for the fall of 2015. He joined teammates Alex Wittenbaum and Deepak Indrakanti. The team will begin offseason conditioning on Tues. Oct. 13

Narendran to become Blue Jay

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
October 16, 2014
2014 Greater Miami Conference player of the year, senior Deepak Indrakanti committed to play college tennis for Williams University in MA. He is the second player to commit from the 2014 State Championship team. Boys Tennis will hold its’ first offseason conditioning session on Tues. Oct. 15.

Indrakanti commits to Williams

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
October 9, 2014
The Varsity Football team will take on Oak Hills on Sat. Sept. 27. The game will take place at Bud Acus Alumni Field. The Aves come in with a two win, two loss record, and the Highlanders (Oak Hills) are one and three.

Football looks to recover from fumble against Oak Hills

Alex Wittenbaum, Sports Chief
September 25, 2014
Coach John Robinson looks on as the team preps for a game. The Varsity Football Team has held a mostly successful season so far, starting with the opening game win. This loss only occurred during the last 30 seconds of the game.

Football team fumbles at Trotwood

Alex Wittenbaum
September 15, 2014
The team celebrates with the GMC Trophy. 2014 is the first year since 2011 that SHS has won the title. The team will compete in sectionals before playing Springboro in the State Tournament on May 14. Photo courtesy of Joe and Linda Stern.

Gold tennis aces Greater Miami Conference Title

Alex Wittenbaum
May 15, 2014
The team always demonstrates good sportsmanship after winning or losing a match.

Varsity Gold tennis continues strong season

Alex Wittenbaum
May 9, 2014
Nakul Narendran, scores a big win over Mason to help the team tie for first place in the Coaches Classic Tournament.

Gold team ties for first at Coaches Classic

Alex Wittenbaum
May 2, 2014
Deepak Indrakanti, 11, celebrates clinching the match against Upper Arlington. Varsity Gold sits in first place in the State team rankings. After taking on Lakota West and Oak Hills, the team will play the Coaches Classic Tournament. Photo courtesy of Joe and Linda Stern.

Gold Tennis ranked first in State

Alex Wittenbaum
April 25, 2014
The serve is a strong weapon for Indrakanti, who plays first singles.

Gold tennis off to a fast start

Alex Wittenbaum
April 17, 2014
Some of the matches highlighted on the Varsity Gold tennis schedule are at Mason on Apr. 10, Upper Arlington on Apr. 12, and at St. Xavier on May 7. All three teams have been conditioning since Aug. in preparation for the season. The teams’ first match is on Apr.3 at St. Ignatius in Cleveland. Photo by Alex Wittenbaum.

Tennis team ready for competition to begin

Alex Wittenbaum
April 9, 2014
Varsity Tennis aces Cleveland

Varsity Tennis aces Cleveland

Alex Wittenbaum
April 6, 2014
With March comes madness

With March comes madness

Alex Wittenbaum
March 18, 2014
In most 11th grade English classes, are currently reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, The Great Gatsby. With the movie having come out last year, quick comparisons are being made. After finishing the novel, students will begin Research Projects. Photo courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum.

11th graders delve into ‘The Great Gatsby’

Alex Wittenbaum
March 17, 2014
Due to the incompletion of the new tennis courts at SHS, players will complete tryouts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, home of the Western and Southern Open. This 16 court venue hosts the best players in the world every August, and will host the SHS boys team starting on Mar. 15. Players will depart right after school, and return by 6:00 pm. Photo by Alex Wittenbaum

Tennis tryouts to be held at Lindner Family Tennis Center

Alex Wittenbaum
March 6, 2014
Whether you are a moderate fan who likes to watch sports occasionally, or a sports fanatic, these four applications are must haves for your mobile device. They each provide unique features that will keep you up to date with all of the latest action in the sports world. These apps are available for free on the Apple App Store and Android Market. Photo by Alex Wittenbaum.

Top four mobile applications for sports fans

Alex Wittenbaum
March 3, 2014
Flappy Bird knockoffs take over App Store

Flappy Bird knockoffs take over App Store

Alex Wittenbaum
February 21, 2014
Morning conditioning helps players prepare for upcoming season

Morning conditioning helps players prepare for upcoming season

Alex Wittenbaum
February 18, 2014
Basketball wins back to back

Basketball wins back to back

Alex Wittenbaum
February 8, 2014

Tennis player battles back from injury

Alex Wittenbaum
February 5, 2014
Flappy Bird is the latest app phenomenon to take over student’s free time at SHS. The objective is to help Flappy the Bird avoid the green pipes and fly to safety. The game sits at number one downloaded in the App Store, and can serve as a pick up and play game. Photo by Alex Wittenbaum.

New app’s craze causes students to rage

Alex Wittenbaum
February 4, 2014
The boys and girls Tennis teams ran the winter mile on Dec. 4. The winter mile consists of four laps around the track, which was recently redone by the athletic boosters. Seven players ran the mile in under six minutes, breaking the team record. Photo courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum.

Winter Mile serves as practice for spring tennis season

Alex Wittenbaum
December 21, 2013
Joseph Mattis, 10 made the jump from the Freshman Basketball team to JV. He hopes to help push the team in the right direction after last year’s losing season. The team will open at home against Milford on Sat. Nov 30 against Milford High School. Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s Photography.

Sophomore strives to help basketball team rebound

Alex Wittenbaum
December 9, 2013
Jumping Jacks and other upper body activities are part of the routine. Morning conditioning begins every Tue. and Thu. at six am. Tryouts begin Mar. 10. Photo Courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum

Tennis teams experience conditioning

Alex Wittenbaum
November 16, 2013
The Greater Miami Conference (GMC) All Sports Trophy has belonged to the Comets of Mason High School for six years in a row. Last year, SHS finished in second for the first time since the ’06 school year. We currently sit in third after fall of ’13. Photo Courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum

All Sports Award within reach

Alex Wittenbaum
November 7, 2013
Players like Regis Liou, 9, do lunges during morning conditioning. Coach Mike Teets runs different drills to prepare his players for the upcoming spring season. “[Morning conditioning] keeps me in shape during the offseason,” said Brandon Peck, 12. Photo courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum.

Tennis players experience morning conditioning

Alex Wittenbaum
November 7, 2013
Seven new courts, high quality metal fences, a unique drainage system, and a new concrete walkway are just some of the new features that will arrive in Nov. when construction is completed. The addition of a separate, extra court will allow all three teams to play at the same time. A new overhead shed will also be added for viewing and sun relief. Photo courtesy of Coach Mike Teets.

New courts begin to take shape

Alex Wittenbaum
October 30, 2013
Many players, including David Muskal, 11, train and compete at private tennis clubs around the city to prepare for the season. On Fri. Oct 11, the first official meeting will discuss all offseason programs and activities. Morning Conditioning and Gold Club are the most popular programs to help improve mental and physical stability. Photo courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum.

Tennis swings into offseason

Alex Wittenbaum
October 10, 2013
What's your favorite thing about Sycamore?

What’s your favorite thing about Sycamore?

Alex Wittenbaum
September 25, 2013
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Alex Wittenbaum