Last week the varsity football team played against Centerville in the Battle of I-45, with the Bison working hard for the win but ultimately coming up short.
“I feel accomplished regardless of the outcome,” sophomore Abraham Medina said. “We worked hard and I am glad my teammates were there to help me make the touchdown.”
The football team put in a lot of work on and off the field. They practiced many hours and received plenty of pep talks before the big game.
“We had practice every day,” sophomore Aden Gonzalez said. “Mornings, during the day and after school – it felt like 24/7. We had a speech every day and it really got us ready for the game.”
Out of the many speeches, one in particular, given by Coach Ray Stanfield, seemed to have stuck. Stanfield told the story of two fishermen with the moral of “keeping your worms warm.” Long story short, it means doing the extra thing that your opponent isn’t doing.
“It’s about when you are ice fishing with a friend,” sophomore Cole Davis said. “Keep the worms warm. You need to go above and beyond, do whatever it takes to win.”
The preparation, practice, pre-game and hard work the players put in all add to the team’s energy, whether it is returning players or new ones like Aden Gonzalez who is playing football for the first time in his high school career and has already made it on the varsity team.
“I put in a lot of work during the summer,” Gonzalez said. “I competed in seven-on-seven tournaments and practiced continuously, and it got me on varsity. I have been having a good time with my teammates, especially when we are getting hyped up for the game.”
Regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard, the football players continue to work hard behind the scenes in preparation for district.
“This is the game and score that people mainly pay attention to,” Gonzalez said. “But it does not define our season.”
