Last year both the varsity and JV football teams walked off the field of Walter Johnson stadium feeling defeated after the varsity team finished with a record of 3-6 and the JV team finished with a record of 2-6. This year their spirits are much higher as the varsity team held a record of 4-5 and the JV team held one of 7-2, going into the final leg of the season.
The varsity team has won four games this season, 3 of which have had a point differential over 14. The JV team has had some closer games, however, they continue to win against tough teams like Clarksburg and Georgetown Prep. “The football team has definitely grown in the way that they have played, especially with all the new players. I remember going into many different games thinking we were going to lose, and now I go into the games thinking it could be anyone’s game,” senior Captain cheerleader Ellie Mollica said.
Another big change that happened this year is the crowd at the games. The crowd is noticeably louder than last season, “Without question, the crowd noise and cheering help the team, the student body, extended family members, and those who live in the community support the team and cheer definitely gives them an extra boost. It’s like a big party, a party with a purpose,” Coach Ivan Hicks said.
While the team does feed off the energy from the crowd and cheerleaders, they have also developed much more trust in each other and it feels as though the team is clicking and it makes the plays feel more smooth. When the students, teachers, and other members of the community do come out it adds to the confidence. “I would say we definitely stepped up a lot since last year. We’ve made major improvements and had better games than last year. But there’s always more that we can work on.” Senior Outside Linebacker Will Jong said.
Hicks is in his fourth year of coaching here. Through Hicks’ time here he has a record of 9- 19, with four of those wins coming this season. “The senior class has probably contributed most to the success, not one individual specifically, the reason why I say the senior class is because there are a lot of them. We have 28 seniors and because we have so many seniors the maturity level is such that for the most part, there’s always consistency with behavior and consistency in play, consistency in the classroom, which in the end helps the whole team as a unit,” Hicks said.
Consistency and accountability are two things that are stressed to the team during practices and games. When someone misses a play or doesn’t do something right the players and the coaches hold everyone accountable for the mistake and along with that, the consistency of plays and how players perform plays a huge role. “It’s a team game, everyone needs to do their job in order for the team to succeed,” Jong said.
