The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
Freshman Soho Lee performs her routine at the 2023 Toyota US Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, CA. “I love competing,” Lee said. “It's obviously very nerve-wracking, but I really enjoy it. The feeling you get after a good performance is unexpected; you can't explain it.”

Athletic Artistry: Freshman Soho Lee Soars to Greatness Through Cheer and Figure Skating

Camille Clement and Madeline Chung | May 20, 2024
Softball poses together after their senior night game, getting ready to eat out together per tradition. “I’m going to miss the people,” outfielder and senior Smira Sonthalia said. “I really love my teammates, and the only reason why I love softball so much is really because of the people that I'm with every day, so I'm really going to miss that team energy and that family. My second family, basically.”

Close-knit Softball Athletes ‘Team’ Together with Friendship

Stephanie Hwang and Mary Lee | May 20, 2024
JV track captain and senior Amogh Baddam works with his teammate, sophomore Hyoora Lee, during the 4x100 relay to ensure a successful baton pass. “Chemistry is a really overlooked part of a relay,” Baddam said. “You have to be able to anticipate how your partner is going to react to something not going right in a race and what to do if your baton exchange isn’t perfect, which it won’t always be. And I think that’s a huge part of having success as a team because there’s only so much you can do on your own.”

JV Track Captain Amogh Baddam ‘Relays’ His Wisdom to Underclassmen

Catherine Li and Cindy Mei | May 13, 2024
Senior Ernest Lin takes on one of the hardest routes the indoor rock climbing gym Sender One Climbing has to offer, which is where he often spends his free time to build strength and resilience.

Senior Ernest Lin Conquers Heights One Climb at a Time

Elise Ngo and Madeline Chung | May 8, 2024
Junior Bronson Pearson passes the baton to senior Rider Cooper, who acts as the anchor during the 4x100 relay at the Portola vs. Laguna Hills dual meet on April 9, allowing him to sprint to the finish and secure the win for the Bulldogs. “All my teammates have been super supportive by pushing me in practice and racing me,” Cooper said.

Senior Rider Cooper Shatters Records and Rises to the Top

Aditi Salunkhe and Sonia Wang | April 24, 2024
Junior Abbey Reichard throws a 4 kilogram ball into the air during the meet. Reichard’s team was very proud of her, according to teammate and junior Chrisma Agbor. “We were really excited, and we all ran up to her,” Agbor said.

Junior Abbey Reichard Breaks Shot Put School Record During PCL Double Dual

Olivia Ganes, Staff Writer | April 19, 2024
As a well-rounded student-athlete, senior Rocky Palacio balances a busy academic life and athletic schedule, taking on challenging STEM classes and long football practices. He said that he tries to stay focused on his goals and avoid giving in to distractions. “My academics have always been a strong focal point of my parents for me, but also personally, I value them a lot,” Palacio said. “Especially if you're good at academics and you pursue athletics, then it could take you to a lot of places. Working hard in the classroom also translates into other areas of your life and just opens a lot more opportunities.”

Senior Rocky Palacio Displays Achievements in Both Academics and Athletics with the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award

Maya Tedini and Parmin Zamani | April 12, 2024
Multi-sport coach Julie Primero and girls’ lacrosse huddle to discuss strengths and weaknesses from their last game as well as new strategies to implement in their upcoming matches. “Coach Primero is a really hands-on coach,” lacrosse player and sophomore Isabelle Borrison said. “She loves to get involved with us and show us exactly what we're doing wrong. She watches our form and footsteps and gets little details that you wouldn’t see if you were watching the game.”

From the Dance Floor to the Playing Field: All-Star Coach Julie Primero Redefines Coaching Excellence

Sky Nguyen and Kelly Yeh | March 28, 2024
Sophomore Wonny Jang raises his shinai and strikes his opponent with precision. “My favorite part about kendo is the friendships I’ve been able to make,” Jang said. “I’ve met so many great people doing this activity and they’re definitely one of the top reasons why I keep going back to practices even when I don’t feel motivated.”

Wonny Jang ‘Strikes’ to the Top Through Kendo

Alice Ahn and Maitri Allani | March 5, 2024
Softball coaches Lili Belton and Olivia Pino play in a collegiate softball game on Westcliff University’s team. Belton completes a back door slide safe at home to avoid the tag and score the run, and Pino makes a play by getting an out while playing second base. “They take it very seriously and what they bring to the program is skill and discipline, and kind of just this youthful experience,” head softball coach Alexandra Dobbs said. “I would say they are this perfect combination of sensitive and kind, but driven and serious.”

New Softball Coaches Lili Belton and Olivia Pino ‘Pitch’ in with Passion

March 4, 2024
Senior Krishna Gade guards a Marina High player against advancing farther. “He was a big presence for us on the court,” head coach Brian Smith said. “More than that he was excited to be playing, he had basketball taken away from him, so he was enjoying being back out there.”

Senior Krishna Gade ‘Slam-dunked’ His Last Year Of High School Basketball With His Teammates After Facing Injury Repercussions

Nina Krish and Olivia Ganes | February 23, 2024
Unleashing Potential: Senior Jason Liu’s ‘Leap’ of Resilience Brings Long Jump Success

Unleashing Potential: Senior Jason Liu’s ‘Leap’ of Resilience Brings Long Jump Success

Madeline Chung | February 21, 2024
  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
Donate to Portola Pilot
$235
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Menu
Activate Search
The student news site of Portola High School
Spotlight