The Plank
Flames blown out by the Big Red Machine
On Friday, Nov. 8, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity football team beat the Lodi High School Flames 42-14, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Division 2 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football Playoffs.
After forcing a punt on the opening drive of the game, the Marauders started out strong offensively with running back Jack Patock ’25 scoring an 11-yard rushing touchdown early in the first quarter. Kicker Yudiel “Dragon” Mondragon converted the PAT to take an early 7-0 lead.
Opinion: Bathroom hand dryers should be abandoned
Public restrooms can be a disgusting place filled with unflushed toilets and other repulsive smells. The rise of hand-dryers is only contributing to this problem, posing a more serious risk to public health than most people think.
In 2018, researchers from the University of Connecticut suspected that hand dryers in public bathrooms may be sucking up bacteria from the surrounding air, and blowing it onto the freshly washed hands of unaware guests. To prove this hypothesis, scientists placed petri dishes in different locations around a bathroom, and then recorded any mycobacterial growth. With the hand dryers off, petri dishes exposed to the air in the bathroom grew one or zero colonies of bacteria within a span of two minutes. However, petri dishes exposed to the hot-air hand dryers for thirty seconds grew anywhere from 18 to 254 colonies.
University of Oregon: A Top Public University with great student life
The University of Oregon (UO) is a top public university located in Eugene, Oregon, that offers more than 300 undergraduate programs and 120 graduate programs to its 29,000 students. UO gives students the ability to continue their education surrounded by, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful campuses in the country and many engaging student events that you are able to attend.
In my opinion, one of the best parts of the UO is the beautiful campus. Situated on 296 acres of land, you can walk across it in 15 minutes, under shade the whole way. Because the school was built in 1876, the campus has many renovated historic buildings, which have been mixed in with newer buildings as the university has grown.
University of Southern California offers vast array of opportunities
The University of Southern California (USC) was founded in 1880, in beautiful and sunny Los Angeles, California. With rigorous academics and a strong student life scene, USC enables students to enjoy the experience of furthering their education.
USC consists of 23 schools, each focusing on a different field of study. This ranges from the USC School of Cinematic Arts to the USC Gould School of Law. With a variety of these colleges to choose from, USC allows students to study their field in a more refined way.
Shadow Days offer prospective students a glimpse of life on campus
From Oct. 28 to Jan. 9, Jesuit High School Sacramento is welcoming middle and high school students who are interested in attending Jesuit.
The STAR Team is looking to offer prospective Marauders a glimpse inside an average day on campus. The “shadows” will be assigned to a current Jesuit student, who will chaperone the shadow through the first three periods of the day. After experiencing life inside the classroom, shadows will have the chance to eat food from Epicurean and then depart with their parents during lunchtime.
Jesuit dominates Whitney in final regular season game
On Friday, Nov. 1, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity football team beat the Whitney High School Wildcats 48-7.
Following a punt from the Wildcats, Jesuit started off the scoring by taking a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter after a 42-yard rushing touchdown from Joshua Rucker ’26 and a made PAT from Yudiel “Dragon” Mondragon.
Folsom triumphs over Jesuit in wire to wire win
On Friday, Oct. 11, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity football team lost at home to the Folsom High School Bulldogs 55-10.
On the first drive of the game, Folsom moved down the field quickly before punching in a 1-yard rushing touchdown and added a successful PAT, the Bulldogs held a 7-0 lead with 10 minutes to go in the first quarter.
Nurturing relationships at the Mother-Son Mass
On Sunday, Oct. 27, Jesuit High School Sacramento hosted its annual Mother-Son Mass in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs, showcasing the appreciation and love students have for their mothers and mother figures.
Senior Nicolas Norton ’25 has attended the mass every year during his four years at Jesuit, and enjoys the opportunity to nurture his relationship with his mom.
You Odda-See This Fall Play
Starting Nov. 1, Jesuit Drama brings to the stage Will Averill’s comedy “The Odyssey: by Thespis and the Peloponnesian Midwest Regional Third Place Chorus.” Performed in the Black Box Theater, the drama team – made up of Jesuit, Saint Francis, and Rio Americano high school students – is ready to bring to life their unique take on The Odyssey.
Artistic Director Mr. Ed Trafton is excited for this rendition of The Odyssey. While it may be a familiar narrative, Averill’s version brings a comedic twist.
Jesuit gets revenge against Del Oro
On Friday, Oct. 18, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity football team won an away game against the Del Oro High School Golden Eagles 34-14. This win avenged Jesuit’s triple overtime loss to Del Oro in last year’s section playoffs.
To start the game, Jesuit received the opening kickoff, and after a strong drive, they finished with a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Teddy Rios ’26. After an extra point by Yudiel “Dragon” Mondragon ’26, the score was 7-0.
Art Event helps fund Jesuit
On Thursday, Oct. 24, Jesuit High School Sacramento hosts the Jesuit Art Event, where renowned local artists get to showcase and sell their artwork.
Executive Director of Advancement Ms. Kim Kalmbach explains that while the primary goal of the night is to highlight artists, the event also benefits Jesuit.
Jesuit offense stalls in loss to Oak Ridge
On Friday, Oct. 11, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity football team lost an away game to the Oak Ridge High School Trojans 23-3.
To start the game, Jesuit received the opening kickoff, and drove down the field before fumbling and turning the ball over on the Oak Ridge 23-yard line.
Open House helps Jesuit make its mark
This Sunday, Oct. 20, Jesuit High School Sacramento opens its campus to the larger Sacramento community at its annual Open House.
At the event, teachers and students will welcome incoming students to give a sense of what life at Jesuit offers. Counselor Ms. Gianna Wheeler feels that Open House is a valuable opportunity for families considering Jesuit.
Jesuit Cross Country rises to the occasion in Portland
On Sept. 28, the Jesuit High School Sacramento cross country team traveled to Portland, Oregon for the Nike Portland XC invitational meet. The Marauders dominated, beating the second-place team by 55 points.
The competition marked the continuation of an already successful season for the Marauders, who had taken first place at all of their meets so far this season. The difference in Portland was that Jesuit wasn’t just competing against local teams, but dominating competition from all over the west.
Mini but Mighty RACC College Fair
On Thursday, Oct. 17, during lunch at the Senior Quad, Jesuit will be hosting a college fair with guests from the Regional Admission Counselors of California (RACC). RACC is an organization of college representatives for schools outside of California, and this fair will provide a great opportunity for students to learn about out of state schools.
Counselor Ms. Angela Harger believes that college fairs offer unique opportunities to connect with knowledgeable college representatives.
First Big Red Golf Tournament tees off tomorrow
The First Annual Big Red Golf Tournament takes place on Friday, Oct. 11. The event gives alumni and other members of the Jesuit community the opportunity to connect on the Haggin Oaks MacKenzie golf course. This tournament is several years in the making, and serves as another way for people to support Jesuit.
“The purpose of the Big Red Golf Tournament is to create an annual function where alumni and Jesuit supporters can come have a great time on the golf course, talk about old times and future times, as well as help to support the great institution that is Jesuit,” Coach Morton said. “Mr. [Matthew] Ramos [’05] and Mr. [Hank] Weinberger have wanted to do this for a few years and luckily the time came to make it a reality.”
Jesuit demolishes Davis under the lights
On Friday, Oct. 4, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity football team dominated Davis High School 53-0.
One minute into the game, Davis was forced to punt, and Jesuit quickly capitalized on their first offensive opportunity when quarterback Teddy Rios ’26 connected with wide receiver Ryan Reeves ’26 on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Kicker Yudiel “Dragon” Mondragon ’26 added the extra point, making the score 7-0 Jesuit.
Homecoming Preview: Nightmare on American River Drive
On Oct. 12, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s annual Homecoming dance will take place.
A highly anticipated event among students, homecoming is an occasion for all to participate in a classic high school tradition. Students of all grades from Jesuitare welcome to attend with a date, alone, or with friends.
Cole Arnold ’25 believes that Homecoming fosters a sense of unity among students and enables them to meet new people.
National Testing Day offers students a chance to practice
On Oct. 9, Jesuit High School Sacramento students will come to campus just like any other day – only this time they will be taking grade-specific tests instead of attending class. National Test Day exists to help students prepare for the different standardized tests that they will encounter in the college admissions process, giving them a baseline of where they stand amongst others in their graduating year throughout the nation.
Freshman will take the Educational Development test, or EDT. This test is very similar to the entrance exam they took as eighth graders entering Jesuit, and it is a good test to identify strengths and weaknesses in students to guide them on their high school journey.
Jesuit gets blown out by thunderstorm
On Friday, Sept. 27, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity football team lost to the Rocklin High School Thunder 52-14.
RHS received the opening kickoff and quickly went down the field to score a 6-yard rushing touchdown, taking a 7-0 lead, with nine minutes to go in the first quarter.