The football team runs back onto the field after a tough game against St. James Academy, willing to prove their reputation to the community. Through this fall season, the football team’s record is less than previous years: 1-7.
Head football coach Jon Holmes shared that with a younger team, 35 seniors and juniors combined, compared to last year’s 35 seniors in total, the team is working every practice to bounce back to each game, with a new slate.
Junior running back Jeremiah Johnson shared that Holmes establishes a team mindset after every game while players leave the field because there is nothing that can be done after the game.
“There’s no reason to reflect on something we can’t go back and change,” Johnson said. “So every time we bounce back by preparing and practicing.”
Throughout the games, regardless of winning or losing, senior defensive back Brayden Lane shares that being an older player on the team gives him the responsibility to communicate with underclassmen. He believes that the younger boys looking up to experienced players plays a key factor throughout the season.
“As a senior, you have to be someone they can look up to – that’s definitely best when you communicate with them too by encouraging them to stay in the game,” Lane said.
As practices continue throughout the year, practices remain the same, even with the records and seedings. Holmes expressed that practices have stayed the same. According to Holmes, consistency is a key factor for the players. He feels the team constantly stays competitive in practices putting players head-to-head.
“I’m a creature of habit when it comes to practice schedules,” Holmes said. “I want them to understand the expectations and goals at each practice, especially because as a coaching staff, we don’t want to throw them in a loop.”
According to Holmes, the team’s end goal is to keep fighting to come back on Nov. 29, with a state championship trophy. Players such as sophomore running back Vincent George shared that his goal is to live up to the teams’ expectations and make the school proud.
“In the end, we just hope to keep improving each week, and snap our losing streak with wins under our belt,” George said.
Teammates have not only recognized the difference in ages on the team but in the dynamics and closeness with one another as well. These relationships show in the players’ forms of faith, hope and spirit. While individuals may vary in identity, the team bonds together over the losses and brings them closer.
“The group this year is closer than last year, whether it’s because of friends or faith,” Johnson said. “Especially due to the leadership on the team.”
As the fall season approached the end, junior tight end and defensive end Ashton Reiser considered the team’s spirit much different than the regular season. He notices that the team starts off stronger in the first half of the games as expectations tend to be higher.
“Our goal is to win the state at the end of the day,” Reiser said. “Even from just looking at practices, players playing on Friday or not, have gotten more hungry and have been attacking our goal harder and harder.”
According to Holmes, the team is working every day and is flexible to changes especially in practices or games, when plays get called. He described the team as very hard-working, especially throughout the tough season. The team does not stop working for their goals.
“Our community has been great, and that’s the same thing we tell our players,” Holmes said. “Losses are a part of the game and as long as we get back on that field after every loss, it shows that we will come back every time”
