As the school year gets underway and football kicks off, the underclassmen have a unique situation in front of them: a combined JV and freshman football team. Sometimes, adversity within a program can be a momentum stopper, but with more talent than ever before, the freshman and JV boys will not be stopped.

Adversity is always going to be a reality in sports, and every team faces it, but what matters is how you overcome it. Unfortunately, in the first game of the season against Jenison, the JV squad ran into its first problem. Late in the fourth quarter, sophomore starting quarterback Max Holser, broke his collarbone after a hard sack. 

Back-up players need to be on their toes and ready; sophomore Brady Osterhouse is an example of this. Sophomore Orion Roskam explains the team’s situation and his confidence in the team’s deep roster.

“We lost our starting QB, Max Holser,” Orion said. “But I’m sure Brady Osterhouse will step up, and have the next man up mentality.” 

They will need to be able to have a sound and consistent game in the areas of running, passing, and catching the ball. After grueling two-a-day practices during the summer months, the Rangers will need to be familiar with each other to develop a good team chemistry. The freshmen also have a unique situation ahead of them. Freshman Henry McNamara discusses his thoughts on the future mindset of his fellow classmates.  

“Hopefully the freshmen will work harder knowing we will have to grind to earn a starting spot on JV instead of just thinking it will be a given [to us].”

The Rangers’ next opponent will be Portage Central; the Mustangs will prove to be a task for the newly combined JV team.

“Watching the film, Portage Central runs a different offense,” Henry said. “The wishbone, they run it right through the middle of the line, so hopefully we will step up and have a good game in the trenches and in the secondary.” 

The boys will need to be focused on one game at a time to come out of the gates firing on all cylinders. The Rangers will attempt to even their record at 1-1 on August 31, at 6:30 p.m. as the Mustangs travel to FHC turf.