Last Friday the varsity football team lost against Haskell, leading them to a district record of 2 – 2.
Athletic director and head football coach Braden Ritchey said that practices and games are going “really good.”
“The boys love it,” Ritchey said. “They get up early and have practice at 6 a.m.

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Ritchey said that his expectation is for the football team members to always play to their best ability.
“I want to win,” Ritchey said. “We have to take it one game at a time and make sure everyone is trying their best. My ultimate goal is to be district champs.”
As the season progresses, more people take on new roles.
“A lot of the guys have had to step up this season,” Ritchey said. “We have junior Jake Strenski (middle linebacker), sophomore Maddox Mayo (outside linebacker, sophomore Gage McCord (receiver), senior Noah Cornell (running back), and sophomore Hunner Hall (snapper) all taking on new roles this year. They have all done well. I’m very proud of them.”
Junior Casen Booher said that he has improved greatly since last year.
“With having to step up, it’s been a whole different game,” Booher said.
Senior Landon Smith, the quarterback, said that his main goal for the team is to be district champs.
“We have the team for it,” Smith said. “We just have to work hard and be determined.”
Smith said he feels like this year is going well.
“We have good leadership and a good bond,” Smith said. “All we have to do is want it and work for it.”
Smith explained that they practice two times a day.
“We get up early and get straight to work,” Smith said, “and then we finish off they day with a good lift and a short run through.”
Cornell is taking on a role that he has played in the past.
“This year I play the position of running back,” Cornell said. “At first, it took me a minute to adjust, but the second our games started, it all came back to me from when I played this position freshman year.”
Cornell said he is holding himself and the team to a higher standard.
“I just want to play hard, no matter what my role is,” Cornell said.
“Because this is my senior year, I am going to work as hard as I can for my team. I want to remember this year as the best football team I have ever been a part of.”
Smith said that he just wants everyone to work their hardest.
“I have many expectations for this year,” Smith said, “but as long as we are determined to win I will be happy.”