At the end of a generally disappointing season, senior football players took off their helmets and hung up their columbia blue jerseys for good. While many may linger in the past, thinking of what could have been, others choose to think of the future and focus on what is to come. Dwelling on the past will do nothing: all that can be done now is wonder, what is next? Seniors may be focusing on college, but for the rest, there are still many more football games to come. Some that will hopefully be a little more cheerful, with the help of the next generation of Yorktown football.
The varsity football team ended their season with a rough 3-7 record, capped off by an upsetting loss to rival Washington-Lee High School. The odds were a little more in the junior varsity and freshman teams’ favor, for JV went 4-4 and freshman went 5-4, both teams finishing with exciting victories over WL. With the exception of only one tough game against Broad Run, the rest of the losses were extremely close. Thus, the many football fans at our school can go into the offseason with some much needed hope for next year.
Freshman Jake Reilly believes the rising talent is going to be an immense help to the team next year.
“The class of 2017 has a solid defensive core and a few offensive threats, who have the potential to bring the team further than they went this year,” said Reilly.
Not only will the performance on the field be stronger, but the team also works well together off the field as well.
“Football is quite different than most sports. Bonds on our freshman team were deeper due to the fact that not one person can carry a team, 11 players need to do their job to make a play work. This gives me and everyone else on the football team a second family of sorts,” said Reilly
One of the most promising rising stars is sophomore Tanner Wall. Wall was born to bleed blue, for his father played football for Yorktown 25 years ago, along with all of his uncles. As just a sophomore, Wall played on both JV and varsity teams, and hopes to keep improving both his skills, and the team’s as a whole.
“My vision for the future of Yorktown football would be a district championship in the next few years and a deep run in the playoffs. I want to be a part of a team that makes our students and the Arlington community proud. I want our fans to love coming to games and to know that we are going to play hard every game and compete on every play,” said Wall.
Wall is ready to put the 2015 season in the past and focus on the future for the next generation, along with some of his personal goals.
“Overall this season we underachieved. I won’t say that the season was a failure because we did accomplish some team goals and definitely strengthened some parts of the team and program that we can build on next year and in the future,” said Wall.
In order to achieve the goals set for next year, the team is going to have to put in some serious work. Wall’s positive mindset is just what the team needs.
“I want to get better every practice and every game, to prepare myself physically and mentally for every game for the next two years so that I can do my part to help this team be successful. I want to take advantage of every opportunity that I am given to contribute to the success of the team,” said Wall.
Freshman coach and social studies teacher Andrew Holland believes there is a promising future for the football program at the school. His team may just have what it takes to turn everything around.
“If they get in the weight room and work hard, I think that this class has the potential within the next four years to be on top of the district, to be in a really good place. It all depends on how hard they work in the offseason,” said Holland. “If they work hard in the offseason, they are going to be a very capable class by the time they graduate in 2019.”
