After long years of failure and defeat, the team that no one anticipated could come back, is doing just that.  

It’s the GlenOak football team. 

After a win against Shaker Heights High School on Aug. 20 it became known that the team is working extra hard this year. This was the first game won against an Ohio football team in four years.  

“The students/athletes have been working for this season since December 2020,” coach Kurt Jarvis said. 

This win was long anticipated. When the football team came out onto the field, that preparation was seen.

This game was not only important for the school, but also for the players. 

“The only thing on the player’s and coach’s minds was that game for the whole summer,” junior Noah Williams said. 

The players knew how long it had been since a win, and they were ready to show what they could do. The anticipation was high, hearts and minds both racing.

The win did not come without any adversity. It came with lots, both on and off the field.

“Communication and energy,” sophomore Omarion Ford said. 

Each challenge was different for each player, and affected each differently.

Both the team and coaches agree the biggest threat was preparing for a dual-threat quarterback.

Not only did hardship come, so did emotions. This was the first game won in years, and was the first game of the season. 

The team went up and down through emotions, happy, worried, excited.  

In addition to the team, the fans also went through these emotions. As the game ended the fans ran down from the stands and celebrated on the field with the team.

This win brought back hope for GlenOak. After so many losses, nobody believed the team could win a game.

“Many people had stopped believing in the football team, and because of that we had to work from the bottom up almost entirely by ourselves,” Williams said. 

The win was not expected by the fans, GlenOak was expected to lose as normal, but the team pulled through. 

The win is special for not just the team but especially the seniors on the team. This season is their last chance to show what they can do. 

“To start out their senior season with a win is special,” Jarvis said. “However, I also believe we are nowhere near playing our best football.” 

Recently the team has lost a game, canceled a game, lost two addition games.

In the near future, the team and the school all hope GlenOak can win another game and make the Plain Local district proud. Until then, the team and the coaches will keep on working hard, and trying their absolute best to bring home the next win.