- Peter Desler ’21
The 2019 Sacred Heart Prep Varsity football team has big shoes to fill from last year 11-2 season, but they are nothing if not up to the challenge. After finishing last season with an appearance in the CCS Open Division III championship game, the Gators look to keep this success going.
Although the team lost key seniors from last year, returning players look to step up into an even larger role. Senior captain Tevita Moimoi says that “This upcoming season means a lot to [this year’s] seniors”, and that this team “will finish what [last year’s team] started.” Tevita headlines a class of seniors that feel like they have something to prove. Fellow captain Thomas Hardy says that this is “a team where everyone wants it.” While the seniors look to build on their contributions from last year, new Juniors on Varsity look to step into whatever role they may earn.
Starting quarterback, junior Teddy Purcell, repeats the team’s goal for the season, saying that they are striving for a “15 game season”, and “that the road to the state championship starts now”. The Gators have gotten off to the right foot in hopes of completing this goal. In the first game of the season, they defeated the Carlmont Scots 28-7. Then, in their second game, the Gators defeated the St. Ignatius Wildcats in a 28-21 thriller. The Gators battled back from a halftime deficit, and persevere to the win. Clutch plays such as Cav Williams’s interception, as well as Wilson Wiesel’s game sealing interception helped the Gators come out on top. The Gators look to build on this momentum going into the rest of the season, which includes games at Half Moon Bay and vs. Hillsdale before entering league play.
Sacred Heart Varsity coach Mark Grieb says has repeated to the players that they need to stay humble. This is Coach Grieb’s third season as the coach of the Gators, and they had newfound success last year, and hope to continue into this year. With all the attention around the program, the players look to stay humble, and just keep on doing their job.
