Recently, the Flint Hill Huskies played the Bullis Bulldogs in a competitive football game. Unfortunately, our Huskies came up short of the win, but many positives came from this losing performance. The final score was 20-34, but our Huskies had a lead midway through the second quarter. I had the opportunity to interview junior Offensive Lineman Ayoola Obisesan about what went wrong in the second-half collapse and how the team can improve their struggles.
I asked Obisesan how the game was going before they let the Bulldogs back in the game. Obisesan said, “We controlled the pace of the game by playing with strong offense and solid communication. But in the second half, we lost focus, which ultimately led to simple mistakes, and the Bulldogs took advantage of this and gained momentum.” The game was a hard loss but more than a loss. It is a lesson learned. I then asked how the team acts in the film room or locker room after a loss like this, and he responded, “After a loss like this, a team builds chemistry by watching a film on what went wrong, supporting each other, and focusing on improving together in practice. It’s all about learning from mistakes and strengthening the bond to bounce back stronger.” The team has a great bond overall in the locker room, and they get along well. Having a great mindset as a team is critical to winning football games, and hearing it from a player shows that the team is still hungry for wins and hasn’t given up.
Injuries have led to some of the Huskies’ struggles. Star junior running back David Parkes-Johnson tore several ligaments in his knee, and so did star senior offensive lineman Luke Richardson early in the season. Both players were massive contributors to the team’s success last year, but it also opened new opportunities for other players to get involved, such as Obisesan. In football, it’s all about the next man up. These injuries lead to new opportunities to find star players who do not play as much and make a name for themselves. Coach Peterson has done a phenomenal job of making athletes better football players. Coach Peterson has led Flint Hill to winning records before, and I do not doubt that he will bounce back and capture a couple of wins despite the injuries and struggles.
The student section in Flinthill is a great way to bond with our fellow huskies; recently, many students have been attending the games this school year. The Flint Hills student section has not been so present in recent years, which can be a bit disappointing. But this year, it has been different. More students have come out to the game and supported the Huskies, which is great. Some of the Huskies were at the Bullis game, which shows great dedication to our football squad. Seeing some of our huskies at Bullis was great because we care and have great team spirit. We hope to see more Huskies in the student section and have those bleachers rocking!
While the Huskies recently faced a narrow loss to Trinity Episcopal School, they are now gearing up for their next challenge against the Catholic Crusaders. The Crusaders, with a record of 0-5, present an opportunity for the Huskies to showcase their skills on Saturday, October 12th. Despite the past struggles, the Huskies are determined to secure a win and prove their potential. With this optimism, we look forward to a thrilling match on October 12th. Let’s go, Huskies!
