The varsity football team will take the turf for the first time this season on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at Schaumburg High School. The Sequoits have put in enormous time and hard work to better themselves for the approaching season.
“[Summer practices] are very difficult, but they definitely have gotten us really prepared for this year,” junior Wyatt Ertl said.
After losing 28-7 to Niles Notre Dame in the first round of playoffs in 2022, returning players took that time as opportunities, such as open gyms, to continue advancing their skills. Athletes can practice with the help of a coach and other athletes who share the same drive and passion.
Football offseason looks different from other sports because the athletes test themselves by lifting, watching film and practicing outside when possible.
“Summer for us is really preseason, not extra like most sports,” coach Brian Glashagel said. “So we’re actually installing and preparing for the season.”
A main focus during camp is building stronger connections with each other. Becoming comfortable as a team to be able to push each other is a major factor in the Sequoits’ overall success.
“During summer, we work on a lot on our individual skills for our position and that’s benefited us tremendously,” senior Ryan Swanson said.
As important as teamwork is, individual growth and confidence in the field are crucial to accomplishing their goals. After the summer months, the results are becoming more noticeable both in and out of practice, working to strengthen their personal skills.
After tremendous progression, they will play Schaumburg, which is a 7A division, depending on the school year, compared to the Sequoits, who fall in the 6A division. Playing at a school like Schaumburg is a great chance to reflect on what they need to improve on before the NLCC. The main goal for the Sequoits is to win conference, and starting the season with tough competition will be an exhilarating start to the season.
“We’re the suburb of 14,000 going down to the suburbs of 77,000,” Glashagel said. “We’re outnumbered, they’re bigger than us… So we take that as a challenge like we’re the underdogs.”
Through immense dedication and efforts, The Sequoits are ready for a challenging opponent to start off the season. They will go in confident, hoping for a great game to start off a strong season.
