First game, First win!

It’s a new year, and that means football season is here! For our first game on Thursday, August 21, our Grizzlies kicked off our season with a good win against the Narbonne Guachos with a score of 42-6. 

We decided to speak to the team’s different coaches before the game. Head Coach Brumen, Coach Gatti, and Coach Randall. 

Coach Bruman said, “I know that our boys worked hard this year, this offseason, and it comes down to execution. You hope that you did enough. We are going to give it everything we got the entire season, and hopefully we did enough to make the playoffs and make a run.”  

Bruman added, “We are always looking forward to trying new things. We got two new coordinators, offensive and defensive, no real major changes, but always trying to get better.” Lastly, “I think so. Our senior group is pretty small this year, with only 7 or 8 seniors, but I think that they learned a lot being here. There are loads of kids younger than them who will soon be in that position. Our program will teach them a lot, and they can use these skills later in life.” 

Knowing some of the people on the football team, I can tell our players are going to give it all they’ve got. 

Coach Gatti said, “ I am very confident. I believe you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.”

Gatti added, “Nah, just keep working hard, every day we work to get 1 percent better. Same stuff as last season, but we are better.” “I think in those kinds of cases, I think we do the best to prepare those who are about to begin a new chapter in their life. I don’t think you will ever be ready, but I mean if you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready.” 

Coach Randall said, “ Yeah, I am very confident. The boys have been out all summer working hard, doing a good job so far.” He added, “So the things that Coach Bruman and I preached to the guys about doing the small things better, they already got the big things right, it’s all about the little things now.” 

Randall said, “ I believe that our program truly gets them ready for that next step in life.”

We agree with all the coaches and what they’ve said. All of our players show some type of promise, whether it just be showing up or showing our opponents what they got. 

Our team put in a lot of work and effort over the summer. Spending long days at school getting ready to apply all of their skills to the field when it’s game time. 

Not only applying skills they’ve already learned, but also new ones that they have learned. 

All my friends and I were very excited to go to our last first football game of our high school life. It was a very bittersweet moment for me personally, realizing my four years are almost over. 

As well as speaking with the players the day before their first game for the new year. 

The first student we interviewed was 12th grader Amari Jones. His response to our first question was “I am very confident in this new season, I’m excited for the first and last game, and I hope we make it far enough to make it to the playoffs”. Reflecting on his final year, he said, “Now I’m starting to think about how it’s my first year playing yet also my last year playing”. 

Our second student was 12th grader RJ Luque, who responded with “I feel good and feel we have a solid team”. RJ also said, “I’m sad it’s my first and last game ever. I will miss all of the friends I’ve made through football”.

Not only did our team play with a passion for the game, but they played it well. Everyone gave it their all and showed off all their hard work. We are very proud of our team and every person on it. 

Everyone in the crowd was so excited and so cheerful. Showing off their school spirit. 

All the energy from the stands and almost everyone coming brings a sense of community that we have within our school.

The season has just begun, and we are already off to a great start. We hope to see more of this throughout the entire season.