Senior year is full of activities to create a proper sendoff. From fall to graduation, Seniors can count on a jam-packed schedule to make the year memorable. Although exciting, some are bittersweet. Many say goodbye to their favorite teammates on Senior night and wish tearful goodbyes at graduation.
Pom Pon and boys basketball were able to celebrate their achievements and play all out at their final games with their beloved teammates.
The Groves High School Pom Pon team’s winter season has ended. Tryouts began December 2nd and the team found themselves with seven new performers to help express their talent on the court.
“With the team starting quite late after football season, I believe the team was stronger than ever. Although we had some girls that didn’t know how to Pom at first, they tried their hardest, were dedicated and became great additions to the team; we finished with a full team of 12,” Eliza, a senior on the Groves Pom team, said.
Along with the increased roster, the team also hired two new coaches. Coach Stacey and Coach Cyrena led the team through outstanding routines and made sure the court was electric during halftime. Seniors, Bailey Johnson, Becca Burnstein, Eliza Brown and Janae Bryson helped set a higher standard for their younger teammates and future recruits.
“My advice to future dancers would be that it’s always important to learn who you are and be a good team member. It’s always easier to give up but more important to persevere,” Burnstein said.
With high hopes for future seasons, the team also strives to set better expectations for upcoming senior nights.
“I think that they organized the senior night very well. I felt special with my banner, different T-shirts and the announcements that we got. I wish that my parents would have been able to walk me out because I wasn’t part of the team during football but otherwise, I think they let the seniors have a good run and a good legacy on senior night,” said Brown.
Comparing the Pom team’s football season to the basketball season, the one thing that seems to be missing is the presence of the seniors’ parents. A common theme agreed upon by the seniors was to cherish one last moment with their parents before wishing farewell to the Groves Pom Pon team.
Reflecting on the season’s mix of new beginnings and heartbreaking goodbyes, one senior captured the team’s accomplishments highlighting the joy of fresh starts alongside the sadness of closure.
“I thought the team did great, there were a lot of new girls on the team, new coaches and everything just came to a nice end, it was bittersweet,” Burnstein said.
Much like the Pom team’s season filled with overcoming new challenges, the Groves Boys Basketball team had an equally emotional sendoff.
Groves High School Boys Basketball celebrates their senior’s final year in their game against Avondale High School on February 4, 2025. Seniors John Simpson, Joshua Gibson, Paul Hubbard and Landon Mckinney walked across the gym floor with their family members by their sides, while their teammates and crowd honored the time they’ve spent playing basketball at Groves High School.
Senior Joshua Gibson has been on varsity all four years of his high school career. He has been through a lot of ups and downs with this team, but like many players, there is always one moment that stands out for them in their career.
“One of my favorite experiences from playing through these years was winning districts my junior year. The energy there was unmatched and it was a great feeling,” Gibson said.
Gibson believes that the environment you play in and the energy you and your teammates put into the game have a big impact on how the game can end.
“Being one of the leaders for this team is great. These guys are great, they make my job easy and they’re leaders of their own,” Gibson said.
He also mentions how he thinks his teammates will go off and do great things on their own, and that they are some of the best people he has led in his career at Groves.
Fellow Senior John Simpson has shared similar experiences and enjoyments on the team. Simpson has also been on varsity all 4 years of his high school career, while recently breaking the 1000-point mark in his career, shortly after Gibson.
“I enjoy being a leader for the team a lot, [I] just have to make sure the energy is up for the games and that me and the seniors are all on the same page to have a successful season,” Simpson said.
Simpson mentions how important it is to be a leader. Due to their higher position and seniority on the team, the seniors’ performance and attitude are largely based on what they do and how they act.
“We have to lead them on the right path and set a good example so we can help them be successful in their next season,” Simpson said.
He believes that setting the rising seniors to be ready for their position next year is important to make sure they remain successful, but also builds that skill and can pass his knowledge and skills down to other players. One upcoming senior, Stephan Vesa, has been on varsity for 2 years and takes note of all the work the seniors do.
“The seniors have spread their leadership and wise words among all of the younger players we have, seeing how they’re always putting shots up after practice, you kind of pick up after them and it motivates you to do better,” Vesa said.
Vesa admits the seniors have had a big impact on the player he is today; seeing how they do everything and how serious they take all of the little things like film, weights and getting shots up impacts the team and sets a good tone for how he and his fellow teammates should be preparing for the next year.
Senior nights aren’t when we stop celebrating our seniors. Their hard work is also seen when they finally get to walk the stage and say goodbye to Groves.
One thing the College and Career Specialist at Groves, Mrs. Kondak, recognized as remarkable about the class of 2025 was…
“eight y two percent [of the class] enrolled in a four-year university, and six percent enrolled in a two-year college. That’s almost ninety percent of our class,” Kondak said. The Groves class of 2025 is a group of fantastic scholars. Our student body is 10% over the national average when it comes to enrollment in college. With many students committed to top schools, such as the University of Michigan, and our talented athletes being recruited for their skills, Grove’s class of ‘25 is ecstatic for their future.
Kondak thinks the community which graduation provides is great to see.
“It is such a nice opportunity to be with your peers. Really, for the last time— not everybody goes to a senior party. Not everybody does all the senior stuff. You’re all together, and it is really a special, close moment,” Kondak said. Speeches and entertainment aren’t the only thing that make graduation special; it’s the culmination of the hard work of the seniors to get to graduation, and every year you can really feel people dial into that.
“I do have one more bit of advice: that seniors participate in all of the things that are coming,” Kondak said. Participating in senior events helps build up that community in the senior class, helping people come together; events like Senior Seminar, where students visit Lawrence Tech to hear about all the opportunities their futures hold and Senior barbecue where students get to celebrate their last day at Groves by purchasing from a wide range of food trucks. Their final day at Groves ends with saying a final goodbye to the senior falcons by a school-wide participation in a clap out. For spring break in mid-March, half of the senior class will be traveling together to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Seniors can look forward to these events and to form an even closer bond with each other.
Whether it’s the emotional farewell of senior night or the proud walk of graduation, these moments help celebrate hard work, memories and the promise of new opportunities. Even after the caps have been thrown, the effect of these events linger. Hopefully you have an opportunity to attend these amazing events and experience the effects of this community for yourself, when the time comes to say “goodbye” to Groves and “hello” to the future.
