A glance into the Northview captains of the 2026 fall sports season.

Brooke Gavin, Editor-in-Chief & Ana Michel, Photography Editor

As the new school year begins, each sports team at Northview takes part in an American high school tradition, selecting captains for the 2026 to 2027 season. Being a team captain is a prized position earned through merit and hard work. With the return of fall sports, The Messenger recognizes the fall captains, what they do for their team and school, and what their role looks like in their sport.

Football

Football is the fall sport. With the spirit of the Friday night lights, high school football is a staple for Northview Titans. This year's captains are Seniors Drew Beane, Omari Drayton, Wyatt Harper, and Cade Zeman. In football, it is extremely important to have leaders that underclassmen not only look up to, but respect and follow. Sophomore Nick Reynolds has been a Titan football player for two years now and has seen this leadership firsthand.

"Honestly, they're just a great group of guys. And they were selected by Coach for a reason because they do what they do best," Reynolds said.

Coaches select the captains for football, making the leadership position about more than just what happens in the locker room and on the field. The players have to prove themselves capable and responsible. Captain Drew Beane expresses why he thinks the coaches selected this specific group of four.

"I think it's just been the dedication and leadership and leading out on the field and off the field," Beane said.

Leading a young and growing team is not an easy task, but there is no doubt Beane, Drayton, Harper, and Zeman are up to the challenge.

Sideline Cheerleading

Alongside the staple that is football, there is cheerleading. The sidelines are not just filled with players and coaches, but with a team of eighteen girls cheering them on from start to finish. This year, Laila Bowen and Naudia Morton lead the squad.

Coaches selected Bowen and Morton at the end of last school year, giving them the summer to grow into their roles, lead the new team, and get ready for the season. Over the summer, captains taught cheers to a brand new set of cheerleaders. This year is unique as more than half the team are new to the squad, now outnumbering the veterans. Freshman Karalynn Saetern is not only new to the team but also to the school. A major reason she was able to adjust to the new aspects of high school is because of her captains.

"They're our captains, and they help us with cheer. But they're also friends you just hang out and talk to, and they're really kind," Saetern said.

A cheer captain not only teaches and leads the team, but also brings them together in order to be ready for the sidelines and to hold each other up, physically and mentally.

Volleyball

A rapidly growing and fast-paced game, volleyball has become a huge sport in high school. Northview has had many past successes in volleyball, and this season's captains are carrying on the legacy: Seniors Caylee Beyer and Megan D'Souza and Junior Emma Rupekia.

A unique part of being a volleyball captain is that the team votes rather than the captains choosing. The team vote creates an environment of respect and trust in who they select. Senior D'Souza has been a Lady Spiker for all four years and is finishing her career as a captain.

"I work with my other captains, and we help lead our teams. We work together. We help set a good example," D'Souza said.

The team has five seniors who have grown the program, creating high expectations for next year's leadership. This year's captains are working hard to prep a young group to continue the hard work and keep the dedication going.

Softball

Captains of a team share a bond rooted in leadership and reaching a common goal. Rarely do captains share a bond of blood. Twins Alexandra and Stephanie Bombard have been a part of Northview Softball all 4 years of high school, ending their careers as co-captains. The team is predominantly young, with the Bombards being the only seniors, and with that there is a lot for the team to learn. Freshman Scarlett Pyne has recently joined the team and has been a part of the learning process.
"If someone's struggling with something, they'll reteach it to us without hurting anyone's feelings, and they'll do it really easily and slowly so we understand," Pyne said.

Something special about the Bombard captains is not just that they are twins, but their family's dedication to Northview. Both parents work in the math department; their dad even coaches the softball team. Lynn Bombard, the mother to both captains, has a front-row seat to Northview softball team's hard work and growth these past four years.

"I was excited for them because they've been playing softball for almost 10 years, and varsity for all 4 years.  So I was excited for them to be able to kind of step into that leadership role, because they've been building for that." said Mrs. Bombard.

Being a captain is quite the accomplishment already, and the Bombards get to do it alongside each other after years of hard work. From being freshmen on varsity together to leading the underclassmen as captains, these two have led by example on and off the field.

Color Guard

Aside from the football team scoring first downs and field goals, another team takes on the field with color and dance. At halftime, the Color Guard performs, with a new theme each year, using props and incorporating different styles of movement. This season's captains are Rishika Sharma, Virginia Dickerson, and Sharon Song. When it comes to practicing and competing, color guard is different than the rest of the fall sports. It is not a scored sport where you win or lose; it is a performance. With that, being a captain also looks very different. Junior Virginia Dickerson explains the difference.

"Color guard is very heavy on. It's not like you train. It's like you're putting together a show to tell a story. So while in other sports you're competing, training to play, and everything's different with guard, it's the same every time. And each rep you're trying to get better than you were at the last rep," said Dickerson.

Color guard dances with flags and rifles and has to cover a lot of ground on the field. Though it is not a traditional competitive sport, it is definitely a big undertaking to perform in front of their friends and family at each game, consistently striving to improve.

Marching Band

The music behind the Friday night lights is the marching band. From the drum line on Friday mornings to playing the fight song when the Titans score, the band fills each event with music and excitement. Leading a large band in the craziness of a football game is a feat taken on by drum majors. This year's drum major is Senior Isabel Campbell, and the assistant drum major is Aayush Prasad.

"My main role is to keep the band in line. I make sure that all the sections are doing their job, and I also hold the band together when the show happens. I conduct [them]," said Campbell.

There are many more leadership roles that come with managing each section and instrument. Aside from playing at each football game, the marching band will also perform at the Fulton County Marching Exhibition on October 5th. Preparing for these occasions comes down to a lot of prep and practicing, most of it led by Drum Major Campbell.

Fall sports are undeniably an exciting part of the beginning of each new school year. While each team takes on the new season, a new group of captains also grows into their leadership roles and plays a bigger part in the Titans' success.

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