With Winter approaching, fall sports are coming to an end. Football is one in particular that many cherish and remember fondly. At each level the different teams had their own successes throughout the season. It was Varsity Head Coach Jason Harder’s first year coaching at South. He stated,

“I really enjoyed my first year here.  I appreciated the kids attitudes and efforts.” Members of the team welcomed him with open arms and appreciated the accomplishments that were made this season. Senior Kyle Alvarez explained,

“Coming together and fighting together under a completely new coaching staff was quite an accomplishment for the team.” The Varsity team ended with a record of 1 win and 8 losses. Despite the statistics, the team made great improvements and has aspirations for the future. Harder voiced,

“I look forward to working hard at making strides in this program.  It will take time, but it’s what I love to do.  Football is a great sport to interact with young men.  They are our future leaders, fathers, husbands, etc.  The game of football is the perfect place to instill many life-long values.  I look forward to having a full offseason to prepare for next season.  I really like the group of kids we have coming back.” For those returning next season, they have a lot to look forward to with the future of the program. For the seniors who are continuing their journey somewhere else the feeling is bittersweet.

“Having free time is nice, but it’s sad to think I won’t be on the field Friday nights,” expressed Alvarez. Some of the younger members of the Varsity team also play on the JV team. Sophomore Noah Londre’ is one example of a player who participated on both JV and Varsity.

“It brought more experience to the younger players. We got a chance to both practice and play at the Varsity level.” JV players getting Varsity experience proved to be helpful when looking at their record. JV ended the season with 3 wins, 1 tie, and 5 losses. One of the bigger accomplishments that the team had this year was tied in their game against Green Bay Preble, a team that was predicted to win. Throughout the season JV showed overall improvement.

The Freshman team celebrated a significant amount of wins this fall. Freshmen Coach Alex Diedrich happily shared,

“This year was one of South’s best records for the Freshman team. We ended with a record of 6 wins and 2 loses.” He was proud of the team’s chemistry and how much effort they all put into the season. He added,

“Even when things didn’t go the way they wanted them to, they wouldn’t let it bother them so they were able to come out on top for most of the games.” Keeping a positive mentality is important for any athlete in any game. All three teams kept a positive mindset and persevered through the hard times during the season. Returning players plan to keep this same mentality as they prepare for next year. Although Freshman Zachary Adams was very pleased with how this season went, he expressed his excitement for what the future may hold. He said,

“I’m looking forward to next year because we will get the chance to grow and learn from new coaches and teammates.” Players and coaches alike are already looking forward to what next fall may bring for the football program.