After seven-and-a-half months of offseason training, workouts and practices; football returned to the field in hopes of not only winning games but building new relationships with each other.
For head coach Ed Gallagher, he is looking past the difficult schedule that was set in stone for the 2024 season.
The goal of being a “playoff team and contender” was more of the focus, no matter how hard this year’s schedule was.
“We should be a playoff team and contend for a league championship,” Gallagher said. “All these goals should still be attainable to us, and I really think that we are going to be able to get to those places.”
According to Gallagher, he wants to make sure throughout the season the football team can show growth and improvement, especially up front in the trenches.
“We can’t take a step backwards, especially offensively. Most of our offensive linemen are seniors right now,” Gallagher said.
“We definitely need to continue to develop these younger linemen and get them ready for next year.”
No matter how long an offseason can be, being prepared at day one is how teams can put themselves into better positions for the season.
For defensive coordinator Mike Heath, he believes starting preparation early can help the team in the long run.
“It’s January and I’m already starting to prepare for August,” Heath said. “I always try to get the younger guys some reps so there is never a year where they never took a snap at that position before.”
Heath also enjoys seeing the improvement and growth throughout the summer and the season. “I love seeing players who show flashes when they were younger and put in the work while lifting,” Heath said. “Nothing makes me prouder than seeing someone get better. It’s awesome.”
For some teammates, the bond that comes from spending lots of time with each other becomes an unbeatable factor.
For senior captain Jayden Bergey, the close relationships and high trust amongst everyone is a huge reason for success.
“I feel like we’ve gotten stronger, I feel like we’ve gotten closer as a team,” Bergey said. “Obviously, being a part of a team, we need to trust each other and I feel like we’ve grown stronger to that point.”
As for Bergey, he wants to be able to retain the tradition of winning and making playoffs.
“I just want to keep this tradition going and keep winning. We’ve done a lot of winning here,” Bergey said.
For a lot of teams, the end of the season can be the end of a run for the senior players who have spent many years in the program.
But senior Austin Paturzo believes there is more to the end of the year than just the playoffs. “I just want to see all of the seniors play amazing one last time,” Paturzo said. “All of my friends and I having one final ride before we finish our time here at Souderton.”