Almost going undefeated, the 2022 Wolves left the regular season with a 9-2 record heading into the playoffs and coming second in the 5A league championship.

The football program in 2022 had what could be called a bounce-back.  The Wolves started off the regular season with a 41-6 blowout against Overland on August 26th, with a whopping touchdown per quarter, and in the third quarter three touchdowns to shut them out.

Despite the two upsets the Grandview Wolves football team had during the regular season, the team recounts their positive memories of the season. “

“I think the season went great, we started off a little slower and once we got connected we started getting better,” Senior Linebacker Delano Jefferson said.

Although there were slip-ups, the team put in their best efforts at practice, even if their season didn’t end as expected.  

“Honestly, I think we practice hard every day,” Senior Cornerback Jordan Gipson said. “The best team doesn’t always come out on top. Overall I think we have done everything good and well.

Still, the team also identified some factors they wish could have had a better outcome.

On Thursday, September 9th, the Grandview Wolves had their Homecoming football game. They played Ralston Valley on a rainy Friday night. The game ended with Ralston Valley winning 33-21. Although they were tied at 20-20 in the 3rd quarter they, unfortunately, could not sneak away with the win.

Gipson shared his reflection on this game, and the outcome he wished the team could have gotten.

“If I could change anything about the season, I would wish we beat Ralston Valley on Homecoming night,” Gipson said. “I was depressed after that game, but it is what it is. If we play Ralston Valley again, we will definitely beat them, though.”

According to sophomore Donavon Vernon, team chemistry, an essential aspect of the sport, was a struggle.

“Picking up energy and building team chemistry at the beginning of the season is a very important component for any team and building it early is a benefit in the long term,’’ Jefferson said.

It took developing empathy for the team to finally cement their chemistry and bonds.

“It took us [understanding] that we weren’t going to automatically gonna beat everyone and that we had to get better and practice and learn as a team,” Jefferson said.

The Wolves ended the regular season game against Cherry Creek with a close score of 24-21 on October 28th, 2022. Quarterback Liam Szarka ran with a one Yard Rush to get the wolves ahead by a touchdown in the final moments of the game. This game was critical as it gave the wolves a final record of 8-2 overall for the regular season with the aspiring wolves heading into the playoffs.

Yet, the team also faced several challenges during the first playoff game, with Szarka breaking his finger mid-game, amongst other injuries. Cole Swanson took over as Quarterback going into the second round.

On Saturday November 19th the Wolves played off against Piney Creek. Although the team put their best efforts forward, they ultimately lost, 3-24.   Although it was a very tough loss, Swanson viewed the experience more as a learning opportunity.

“Although I was nervous, In the end, if we would’ve had one more week to prepare and our players were healthy we definitely could’ve [bounced back].”