Varsity:

Football has always been a huge sport at OHS. However, after a tremendous start to their season, OHS football has students and teachers looking forward to Friday night lights more than ever. 

This year, OHS football was not even in the top 20 in the state at the beginning of the season, yet they have managed to make their way up the leaderboard to number 9 in the state, as of Oct. 17. 

“We were ranked 23 in 6A at the start of the season and they put schools over us that we beat by like 30 points. They put Ridge over us which is insane. We lost a few good players but it’s not going to overall degrade our team. We still have players up and coming. The senior players this year are just as good as the senior players last year and for them to put us that low was super disrespectful and now that we’ve won hopefully we get a little more respect from the people in the state,” said Connor Coleman, senior. 

Even though OHS has been tremendously underestimated, they have not failed to maintain a positive environment at practice. 

“Our team chemistry really plays into how we treat each other on the field. How we play for each other. I go out there and I play for the people beside me,” Coleman said. 

Team dynamic is a major part of how a team performs. Having a close knit group almost always equals success in a program.

“When we work better as a team we succeed better. We have very good team chemistry,” said Parker Munier, junior.

Not only does a team’s environment  affect a team’s performance, but also the work they put in outside of practice to get better. 

“We put a lot of work into the off season and I think the off season is really where you get your growth and where you become better and our kids work hard. They showed up all summer long. They did what we asked them to do. We continue to work hard on the field during practice. We continue to lift weights in weight class. We’re just looking for the guys that get better everyday and we expect them to show up and work hard,” said Brian Cole, varsity football coach. 

Cole and his players have a high expectation for the team and expect the best out of each and every one of them. 

“I’ve grown up with most of the guys and we’ve been competing against each other trying to be better than one another since day one. We push each other,” said Ryan Davis, senior. 

With a competitive environment comes a winning record which helps to entice more players to join the program. 

“The seniors are the leaders. Even the younger kids, like the freshmen, look up to them. You build a program one step at a time and hopefully we get some wins this year because that definitely helps. Everybody wants to be a part of a winning team,” Cole said. 

With over 80 freshmen in the program, OHS football is looking forward to working with more and more players, creating an even more united and competitive program. 

“We’ve honestly got a lot more players. We’ve completely run out of jerseys. Completely run out of pants [and] stuff like that. It’s a good thing for our program getting more kids to come,” Coleman said. 

With more players, it may seem more difficult to get through as many plays at practice, but OHS football is definitely adapting to the current surplus of players. 

“If we are more united as a team we are getting through practice quicker. We are getting through more plays so instead of one play we will get in 35 plays and that’s giving us more reps,” Coleman said.

JV:

Much like varsity, JV has also had a fair share of being underestimated. Despite others opinions, the team has pushed their limits to become the best they can be and prepare for their upcoming season. 

One of the main goals of the players on the JV team is to prepare for varsity. The coaches are doing their best to prepare their athletes for the infamous OHS varsity team. 

“We run the varsity plays. Varsity players help us on JV and we do basically the same drills and run the same practice as they do. By the time we get there we should know what we’re doing,” said Garrick Canady, sophomore.

Being able to run the same plays as the Varsity team at the JV level is quite impressive. Not only do the players run the same practices as their superior team, but they also study the game to help improve their football knowledge.

“We watch game film and I think we get better just by that,” Canady said. 

The players and coaches ability to understand the game and critique themselves and others is one of the most powerful skills anyone can have. 

“I think they [the coaches] are helping me know the main ideas of football and getting me more reps so when I get my chance next year, I can take advantage of it,” said Hudson Gray, sophomore. 

Almost every high school athlete’s goal is to make it to varsity and in order to do that, participants must have a plan for how they plan on improving their skill sets. 

“Strengthening my arm, working on my footwork, making sure all that stuff is ready because at varsity the receivers are a lot faster, the game is faster, all that and be ready when that changes,” Gray said. 

Understanding the game itself is one thing, but understanding it enough to know how to critique yourself and the players around you is an even more tremendous skill that goes along with the aspect of team chemistry. 

“I think our coaches have helped us and our players build a bond together and create good teamwork and a better team as one,” Gray said. 

Freshman:

Usually the underestimated team, the OHS freshman football team has strived to get past the “invisible stage” and make a name for themselves. 

Not only are they facing the struggles of feeling overpowered by their JV and Varsity counterparts, the freshman team also has to learn how to mature as a team and work together. 

“Sometimes when we face adversity and we get down and can’t get ourselves back up but we are working on picking each other up and pushing through tough situations,” said Carson Craig, freshman. 

Although it is very important to have a good team bond, it is also important to have the support of the coaches around you. 

“Our coaches push us a lot. They know what we are capable of and they won’t let us get the easy way out,” Craig said. 

The way a coach acts towards their players is crucial for the development of a team. Fortunately, the OHS freshman football team is extremely lucky to have coaches that push them to the next level and make them better.

“Our coaches treat us the same way the varsity coaches would and they are trying to get us to a level where we can play with the varsity players,” said Walker Muiner, freshman. 

With a successful coach comes a successful program, as long as the players mature with the team and the coaches ideas. 

“I think our biggest struggle is off the field. Acting like high schoolers and being all together as a team without any drama,” Walker Muiner said. 

The jump from middle school to high school can be daunting but in order to be successful, the players must be professional and respectful in the way in which they portray the team. 

“We want all of our guys to represent our football program in a positive way and being a good student is part of the deal,” Cole said.