With the coming of winter, Fenwick football is wrapping up its season. The football team winds down with a gain of 5-2, secured with their homecoming win against Saint Patrick High School. As the season comes to a close, the football team remembers and reflects on its progress. 

      According to Mr. Barabasz, offensive coordinator of the freshman football team, this season was filled with many great moments. One noteworthy moment was a big win against Notre Dame High School in which our freshman Friars beat the Dons 13-6. On the same day, varsity triumphed over the Dons, 42-7. Barabasz determined that the biggest highlight of the season for him was the freshman football team’s current gain of 5-2. He also recognized the growth of the players among the various wins and losses of the season. Barabasz stated, “On day one, we couldn’t even figure out how to line up.” Barabasz made a point to acknowledge the growth of his players in terms of knowledge of the game, team positions, and leadership roles. 

     When asked about the team’s spirits with and without fans in the stands, Mr. Barabasz said that there was a difference. He explained that support from fans is very important, especially when the team is at a low point or a high point in a game. According to Mr. Barabasz, support from the fans “changes the momentum of the game.”

      Alex Ponzio, running back and cornerback of the sophomore football team, was also interviewed on the topic. Ponzio stated that some highlights of the season were the sophomore St. Pat’s game and the De la Salle game in which the sophomore team “ran up the score pretty high.” When asked about his favorite moments, Ponzio said he enjoyed starting the season off with a win. Another noteworthy moment was at the St. Pat’s game when a different quarterback stepped in during the fourth quarter and almost led the team to a win. Along with scores, Ponzio has noticed team growth this season. He said that “everyone’s been doing better with their tackling. The quarterbacks have both developed better arm strength and accuracy. [The whole team has] developed speed-wise, strength-wise, and skill-wise.”

     According to both Mr. Barabasz and Alex Ponzio, this year’s homecoming game was a definite highlight of the season. Other big games such as Notre Dame mentioned by Mr. Barabasz and De la Salle mentioned by Ponzio, were included as noteworthy moments. As Ponzio said in his reflection on the season, “Everyone’s gotten better and we just have to keep our eyes on next week.” The football team keeps its head up as it looks forward to its final games of the season and playoffs in November.