Under the lights of Patricia A Bergen Stadium, the freshman football team conquered Battlefield in a dominant win in their first game as Seahawks. Adrenaline soared as the clock ticked to zero and the scoreboard displayed 35-0.
Wide receiver and free safety David Landeryou, described his electric experience in his first high school football game.
“It was really exciting. I liked the atmosphere and seeing all of my family and a lot of people that I knew coming to watch me play,” he said.
Showing great promise for the future, the South Lakes freshman football team has had a strong start to their season, with other decisive wins in both their second game against West Potomac (27-0) and their first scrimmages over Robinson (21-7) and Yorktown (28-0). While it is the first experience on the football field for some, a majority of players have played the sport for years, whether it be tackle, seven on seven, or flag football.
Wide receiver Danny Choueiri has played flag football in the past, and noticed a significant difference in the team aspects in high school tackle and youth flag football.
“Not only are there a lot more positions in tackle, but in flag football you can have just one guy carry the whole team. In tackle, everyone needs to do their job to be successful,” he said.
Not only is the team dynamic in high school different, but freshman players, like Bode Scullion, who has played football for eight years, are getting used to the increase in the training intensity and physicality.
“It’s a different type of environment: there’s bigger and faster players,” he said.
First-time player Devon Wilkerson noted the difficulty of practices.
“Conditioning is pretty hard– it’s exhausting, but the intensity at practice stays energizing and exciting,” he said.
Landeryou expressed how he has been making adjustments accordingly.
“I’ve been getting stronger and keeping a positive mindset,” he said.
Another difficulty that the freshman Seahawks have noticed in high school is balancing school and sports. Practices and games take up much of their time, and they have also been shocked by the increase in homework load that comes with high school.
“The hardest thing to adjust is balancing schoolwork and football together,” said tight end and linebacker Yusef Atiya. “It’s hard because football takes a lot of time and scheduling homework with practices gives little time left over.”
Luckily, the freshmen Seahawks are supported in managing their schoolwork, and are encouraged to take advantage of their opportunities.
“Our coaches help us balance schoolwork by giving us time to work before and after practices,” said Atiya.
The big adjustments that come with beginning high school football can often be challenging, but these teammates have found a supportive environment and a family to rely on.
Quarterback Gavin Satterfield commented on the team dynamic.
“[The team] is fun to be around; everyone is very loving, accepting, and energetic. We all share the same goals,” he said.
Watching from the sidelines, there is not a player that appears to not be having fun. It is clear that, despite the challenges, the freshman Seahawks collectively share a positive mindset– along with a will to win.
“I want to go 8-0 and win every football game,” said Atiya, which is a goal that all the teammates agreed on.
