Throughout the entirety of their 2023-24 season, Oswego High School’s freshman football team has won every game they have played, allowing for a successful as well as undefeated season.
“We’ve been particularly blessed this year with depth so both teams have been very competitive,” said Mr. Adam Galuhn, the head coach.
Hard work and dedication motivate the team as they have practiced vigorously every day after school since summer.
According to Galuhn, the team “generally meets for about two and a half hours a day, from 2:50 to 5:30 Monday through Thursday. Friday is shortened down to about an hour of pre-game practice and then we usually play on Saturdays.”
Each practice is dedicated to refining skills in preparation for the next game being played. Different days of the week are used to work on different techniques. For example, Mondays are focused on watching films from the previous game, while Fridays are used for polishing formations and alignments.
However, long and intense practices aren’t the only reason for the team’s success. Multiple players on the team are well-versed in the fundamentals of tackle football, thanks to the many youth teams that run throughout Oswego.
“We have a great program from OYTF, Oswego Youth Tackle Football, and the Oswego Bears and the other teams, that contribute to sending kids our way with some knowledge of the game and how to play,” said Galuhn.
OYTF and the Oswego Bears are tackle football teams that are open to kids who aren’t old enough to play on a high school team. These teams allow kids to gain skills at a younger age and maintain them as they continue into their future years.
The freshman football team is split up into an A and a B team. However, these two teams put in the same amount of practice and focus on the same main goals each day.
“The A and B team runs the same types of plays, we run the same defense, we prepare them in a similar way. We all watch films, we all practice and participate together. B team is undefeated as well,” stated Galhun.
The 2023-24 season has brought a large number of talented freshmen students to try out, allowing for a skilled and unified team.
“We have a huge participation, we have 74 kids playing football this year on the freshmen level, and so that means there’s a lot of competition for playing time in the A games,” said Galuhn.
The team scored massive wins throughout the whole season, such as a 57-0 A team win against Joliet Central High School and a 56-0 A team win against Plainfield Central High School.
The A team also scored a 37-0 win against Neuqua Valley High School, as well as a 40-0 win against Minooka High School.
Each game played has allowed for growth and improvement in the team, and OHS can expect amazing results in the future of football through the school.
Hi, my name is Allison and this is my first year in Digital Journalism. I am in multiple clubs such as BIONIC, Commotion, and multiple different honor societies! I am so excited to be a new member on the 42Fifty team.
