The newly formed high school archery team has begun practicing in preparation for competition next spring. The team was created after incoming students from the middle school archery team wanted to continue the sport in the high school level. Elementary schools such as Hill Farm or Salem Elementary have established new teams.

Freshman Emmy Hobby looks forward to the first tournament in February.

“I can’t wait to go to state tournament,” Hobby said. “It’s going to be a fun experience for everybody, and we get to see what we’ve been working for and how it’s going to turn out.”

While Hobby looks forward to the state tournament, she has her own set of goals to help her prepare.

“While I’m shooting, I need to be more consistent, [be] able to calm myself, use what I know and apply that,” Hobby said.

Junior Reid Mobley believes archery is different from other sports, like football.

“You’re shooting at school with a weapon,” Mobley said. “You don’t get to do that with any other sport. It’s more individual-orientated more than a team. You worry about taking care of your part, and you have to trust that they’ll take care of theirs.”

Team member freshman Jordan Morris hopes to be at the top of her team and believes archery takes practice.

“It’s a competition, and I love archery,” Morris said. “It’s a sport, so it will help me with my hunting experience along with getting to be with people I don’t know.”

Coach Jason Scoggins has not had any previous experience with archery. He is still able to coach after obtaining certification.

“I spend a lot of time outdoors and [have] been around a lot of people who shoot and bow hunt, [I] just never had that desire to go do that myself,” Scoggins said. “First thing [to be certified], I had to become an instructor and had to go through EAI instructor training to be certified to teach it. It’s two days of training. After that, it’s muscle memory. It’s doing the same steps over and over.”

Archery allows students such as senior Nick Spann to clear their minds.

“It’s completely tranquil,” Spann said. “You’re in your own world, and so is everybody else. Nobody is focused on you. You’re focusing on your target, and that’s all you have to worry about.”

Spann finds passion and excitement in archery.

“Whenever I release an arrow, I release every other stress in the world,” Spann said. “It all goes with it.”