Last Thursday, on August 28th, the Wolves football team lost to Legend 28-16. Although a loss can be frustrating, the team and coaches came away from the game thrilled to take on the rest of the season with a promising team. 

The Wolves’ defense made a statement that night: that they shouldn’t be messed with. They intercepted Legend quarterback DJ Bordeaux, a Boston College commit, an outstanding three times- two of which belonged to safety Zach Johnston (11), and the other went to cornerback Jaxson Flores (11). 

“The quarterback they have is really good. He’s probably the best high school quarterback I’ve coached against in my time,” Head Coach Thomas Doherty said. “So we knew we had a disguise coverages to give ourselves a great chance. The kids did the game plan perfectly, and eventually, [Bordeaux] is going to make his plays, but it was really an exciting game to be part of both offensively and defensively.” 

Athletes carried this positive momentum through the weekend, ready to bounce back

and get ready for their next game in hopes of securing a win against Ralstone Valley. 

“We had a great practice on Monday morning, and I said to my wife, ‘This is a pretty special group, ’cause their [attitudes] weren’t down and they were ready to go,” Doherty said. “Sometimes after a loss, especially Labor Day, kids are a little mopey or whatever, but these guys were locked in. It was awesome. It was great. It was one of my top Labor Day practices I’ve had.” 

While practice maintains the physicality on the field, players know that mindset is also a key aspect in every game. This season in particular. 

“We need to prepare mentally since we are young and new in some areas of our offense. We need to be able to keep our composure when things don’t go our way. I believe this team and our players can make it far in the playoffs, but it’s up to us to execute,” Flores said.

Our pack, despite the great performance, faced unforeseen obstacles the week prior, making their performance against Legend even more legendary. 

“We responded a bit to adversity this past week when the whole team got hit with a wave of sickness. We played amazingly, although we lost,” Flores said. “I think our team is tough and very under the radar. Not a lot of people believe we can hang with them, but we do.”

Playing against Legend helped the Wolves gain a lot of perspective about this upcoming season, especially taking into account past standings. 

“If they truly are the third-ranked team in the state, then I like where we’re at. I won’t say I wasn’t upset about the loss, but I was really proud of our kids, and I’m really excited about where we’re headed.” Doherty said.