Varsity football kicks off season strong
After six games, the Warriors are tied at third place in the Fox Valley Conference with only four weeks to qualify for playoffs
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Leonidas leads the Warriors onto the football field during the 2018 Homecoming game against Cary-Grove on September 28. The 2019 team went into Homecoming with a record of 3-2.
October 8, 2019
The varsity football team have their sights set on the postseason after a promising first half of the 2019 season.
Six weeks into the season, the Warriors hold a record of 3-3 and find themselves tied for No. 3 in the Fox Valley Conference. With four weeks remaining, the Warriors will need to win two to three more games to qualify for the IHSA playoff tournament.
“Our work has put us in a position to have continued success, but we are not satisfied. We have developed a 1-0 mindset. We’re going to find out a lot about this team in the next few weeks,” said head football coach Jon Niemic.
The varsity football team has found success with a team mostly comprised of sophomores and juniors. Though the starting varsity team is made up of seven seniors and 15 sophomores and juniors, it has led to more success than previous seasons. “Winning as an underdog is not an easy thing to do,” Niemic said. “When we beat Jacobs in week 4, the guys believed in themselves and got the job done.”
The program has implemented the phrase “be uncommon,” which holds a significant importance to both the players and the coaching staff. “Every team in the Fox Valley Conference lifts weights, practices, watches film, and goes through summer camp,” Niemic said. “Those are all common things. If we want to take that next step, we need to do the unseen things, the uncommon things.”
East Campus Kevin Sandoval has stood out this season with his speed as well as his ability to get in the quarterback’s face and disrupt plays. “This year we are really close to being playoff bound,” the senior said, “and it would mean the world to both me and the team if we did make it to playoffs.”
The Warriors have four weeks remaining to find their identity as a football team in order to have the opportunity to make a deep run into the IHSA playoffs. McHenry has upcoming games against Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake South, Crystal Lake Central, and Hampshire.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since October 7 to reflect the team’s more recent record and standing.
