By: Joseph Robben
Adversity. That is the word that comes into mind when you think of this year’s football team. The team came into camp this year with nearly one hundred players, the highest attendance MC has had in the last four years. The players went through camp with the knowledge that some guys would be ineligible or that some may leave.
By the time week one arrived, many players were dealing with injuries. They had to overcome them, somehow. The team played rival Bethany in week one and, thankfully, left with a 30-13 win. That was the first win. The following week they traveled to Kansas City to face Avila. This is Avila’s first year in the conference as they were in the Heart of America last year. The conditions were not the best; it was rainy and gloomy. After a hard-fought battle, the Bulldogs lost by a score of 54-31.
The bus ride back to McPherson was not the best ride; the team came together and realized that they have bigger and better things for the rest of the season. The next week was the annual Blake Reed memorial game against Southwestern broadcasted by ESPN. This game meant a lot to the Reed family and the town of McPherson. After being down in the game, the Bulldogs rallied and came away with a win of 45-35. The team would have a week off to prepare for Friends. The Bulldogs beat the Falcons 37-21, which put the team at three wins, the total amount of wins the had all season last year.
Senior defensive end Joey Hale said that this team has come a long way. “The number of guys on this team is incredible. Just creating that bond with your teammates is special and that creates brotherhood, and that is how you show that you are here for your team and your brothers” said Hale.
This last Saturday the team was facing another road game at Bethel. The conditions were not great; there was rain and cold wind. The game was back and forth, but the Bulldogs could not prevail with a score of 56-42. The team has overcome a lot of adversity with injuries, conditions, and not winning a road game yet. This team will not let anything get in there way as they prepare to get there first road win at Ottawa this weekend. “We have to keep fighting for each other to get over the adversity; if we have things that go wrong and arguments then we need to come together as a family and fight to be great,” stated Hale.
