The OH varsity football team gave it their all against Minooka during the last home game of the regular season as they looked ahead to Crosstown tonight.
“Last year, we took a loss [against Minooka], but this year we came back and we got the dub,” said OH senior varsity football player Tremaine Hanley.
For a home-closer this was a significant match-up. Minooka and Oswego are known for having a friendly rivalry every year. Both schools have good stats and teams, making it a very competitive game each year. Going into the game, Minooka’s record was 4-3 and Oswego was 6-1.
“Minooka’s a good team,” OH senior varsity football player Graham Schwab said “We were just better today,” he said of the Oct. 9 game.
In the end, the Panthers scored six touchdowns against Minooka, utilizing mainly passing touchdowns. This brought the final score of the night to 40-14.
“It felt special and it felt really good,” Hanley said about winning, “[and] that I could get an interception in the last home game.”
The last home game of the regular season left many sentimental feelings with all of the senior varsity players. Most of them have spent the last four years playing football on this team.
“It was pretty sad,” said OH senior varsity player Alejandro Acosta. “I’m a senior, that was my last guaranteed home game of Oswego and playing at Ken Pick [field]. It really means a lot to me.”
The Ken Pickerill Stadium holds a lot of memories for the players, coaches, and anyone involved with the team. “It’s definitely sad,” echoed Schwab. “It’s my senior year, but also exciting for what can happen next in the playoffs.”
In the IHSA playoffs, there are 256 to 384 teams vying for the title of State champ. The schools are broken down to eight classes of 48 teams each based on the school’s classification enrollment.
“I know we’re gonna have another [home game] during the playoffs e do eventually get that bi-week” said Acosta, highlighting how good the team is doing and how that impacts playoffs.
“And I feel like that any team that crosses our way is not gonna stand a chance against our offense and our defense,” Acosta added.
Throughout the season, the team prepared with summer camps in the heat and attended daily practices. With their training, the team feels ready for what’s next.
“I think we’re gonna do really well,” Schwab said. “[We] keep an eye on each other and keep playing Panther football,” said Schwab.
Tonight’s Crosstown game against OE starts on the Wolf’s field at 7:00 p.m.
