As the team faced many challenges, hopes are high for the upcoming years for UC High’s Varsity Football Team. According to a website about high school sports, the Centurions went 1-9 overall, and were ranked 9,417 in the nation (maxpreps.com). Although these statistics may not reflect it, the team put their strongest foot forward, and put great effort into their season.

   Senior Captain Gunnar Gray said, “The highlight of the season was the win against Mission Bay High. Our team fought hard and played our hearts out and won the game as a team. I enjoyed every moment I had with my team and created a great brotherhood with them.” The UC High Centurions earned their only victory against the Mission Bay Buccaneers in a close game with a final score of 27-26. 

   The team played many good games and put up lots of hard fights but their win-loss ratio unfortunately does not represent their efforts well. Faced with many obstacles throughout the season, Gray has a positive outlook for the future,  “With high school football, you can call every year a rebuilding year. I think that our team next year will be better and they will have much more experience.” 

    Although the Centurions did not take home the victory, they played a great game against Christian Highschool in El Cajon. The final score ended up being 35-42. It was very exciting, especially in the fourth quarter when 15 points were scored by UC High making for a nail-biting game. 

   Gray added, “I think we struggled the most with experience. We had a really young team. It was most of our players’ first year playing varsity and that affected us most. This season was about giving young players a chance to develop.” Sophomore Garret King mentioned key Sophomores Thomas Jones, Ethan Moore, and Freshman Troy Granfors as players who made great strides this season. King also added, “Thomas Jones is the team’s starting running back and was able to score consistently despite poor performances from the offense overall.” 

   This is one of the main reasons why hopes are high for the upcoming Varsity Team. Some of the crucial players are underclassmen and will continue to contribute to the Varsity Team. Freshman Troy Granfors is another bright spot on the Varsity Football Team as he is already a great wide receiver. In addition, he has three more years to improve and help lead the Centurions back to their winning ways.

       At the end of the day, high school sports are a chance for students to grow and enjoy themselves. Gray said,  “I had an amazing season and enjoyed every single moment of it. I would have loved to keep playing and finish the season in CIF, but I loved playing with my team. I had an awesome senior season.” 

    Junior James Lee, a junior varsity and varsity football player said, “Things are looking good for next season, especially if the team takes the Off-Season as an opportunity to improve.” This is reinforced by a website that discusses athlete’s skills: “Athletes are constantly developing their skills, and they return back to the basics during the off-season. It’s important to develop better, stronger foundations and systems” (onlinemasters.ohio.edu).

   Some up-and-comers who played freshman and junior varsity this last season will have the opportunity to play on varsity next year such as Freshmen Ryu Kosaka, Samuel Mangaoang, Terry Donati, and Troy Bassler. With these new players, along with the returners, next season is looking to be a success.

  “I can’t wait to see what happens next year with our Varsity Football Team. I think we will have a much better season, and I am very excited to be a part of it,” said Freshman Ryu Kosaka. He added, “Lots of amazing players on the team are juniors and younger. I can’t wait till next season to have the opportunity to work and play with them.”