In a year filled with disappointments from the looming COVID-19 pandemic, a positive for the football team can still be found. For the first time in three years, the GlenOak football team was able to make a playoff appearance.

This season had more of a weight than many, as it was unclear until just weeks before the season whether or not high school sports would be conducted.

“I was really excited, it was my senior year and we got the thumbs up to have a season,” senior offensive lineman and captain Dylan Philpott said. “It was definitely a good feeling to know we could have a season.”

For many of the players, especially the seniors, it was a culmination of hard work and dedication for the team. For senior Ricky Adams, captain, quarterback and wide receiver of the team, it was something he had looked forward to for a long time.

“I’ve always wanted to be the senior on the field and have the younger guys look up to me,” Adams said. “I was going into the season with all my brothers ready to have fun.”

Along with the hype entering the season, according to many, the team seemed energized and geared towards success.

“I felt super confident, I thought that we had a lot of talent and team chemistry,” Philpott said.

Team chemistry was the biggest secret to success, although COVID-19 restrictions added a hamper. 

“The biggest challenge with playing during a pandemic was not being able to hang out after practices or participate in team bonding,” senior offensive/defensive lineman and captain Aeden Begue said.

However, the captains agree that the energy was still there, regardless of the pandemic. The energy existed not just in team chemistry, but overcoming adversity.

“Our biggest strength was that we kept going through adversity and never gave up,” Adams said. “Every week we went out and played our hardest.”

Although the team finished with an 0-8 record, the team seems to feel that they were stronger than their record, and that their potential was above.

“Our record was not reflective of how we played,” Begue said. “We should’ve been at least .500.”

The team continued with the theme of overcoming adversity and pushing themselves as hard as they could every game.

“Every week was a different story. We held the number four team in the state to 14 points in a half,” Adams said. “We had Jackson beat 20-10 at halftime but then couldn’t close out the game and lost.”

Another positive for the season was the team’s opportunity to play in the playoffs. This was something that many players have looked forward to for their entire careers. For senior running back, captain and linebacker Luke Tyler, it was a similar feeling.

“I was excited to be in the playoffs because I’ve never been in the playoffs in my varsity career,” Tyler said. “It was a chance for us to step up to the plate and show what we can do.”

While the team faced a loss in the playoffs, that did not mark the end of the season for the team. They continued to try and find games to play against other teams, as they were allowed up to three additional games.

For the players, it was an opportunity to continue to grow on the field and an opportunity to make the most out of a pandemic-shortened season.

“I was glad to try and get the most out of my senior year,” Adams said.

For others, it was a time to take one last opportunity to play with the team and have fun with the people they have played with for many seasons.

“I wasn’t the most ecstatic about it, but it was fun to be able to have an extra week with my friends,” Tyler said.

The next look for the team is towards the future, something that seems to have an optimistic look for the team.

“I think they [the team] have a chance to make a good name for themselves if they bounce back from the past few years’ records,” Adams said.

In a year crushed by a global pandemic, the football team managed to pull out some positives and face an optimistic look for the upcoming seasons.