Celebrating the annual comeback of high school football season, Doherty’s varsity football team has been showing some intense grit.
In the season opener, the Spartans pummeled the Liberty Lancers 41-6, with energy high both on and off the turf for Sparta.
Head Coach Harlan Hale has shown his respect and admiration for the school spirit flowing through their stands, as well as the determination and athleticism of his players. Players have shown their confidence surrounding their performances on the field in interviews, stating their skills and proving that Spartans are never scared to back down from a challenge.
Keanu Henrickson, the team’s middle linebacker and running back, says he is excited about starting his position as middle linebacker during games. He said, “I know I can do it. I am very capable,” showing his confidence level going into Doherty’s first few games of the year.
Many players have been assigned new positions, and some have stuck to their original spots. Both groups of players have been picking up quickly on how to really gain advantage playing in those spots, whether that’s by learning new training techniques during practices with their coaches after school, or by learning new tactics and techniques to stay prepared and ready for game days.
Wide receiver and defensive linebacker Brody Noll said, “It’s been pretty good. I think I’m filling in my role pretty well.”
With that being said, every team still has its struggles. Even though the Doherty varsity players seem to be in good spirits about their game performances, they are still hitting some lows. Aydan Jenkins, wide receiver and middle linebacker, shares how he feels he’s been challenged during two games so far.
“I could have played better, definitely, at our first game against Liberty,” he said, and when asked about the team’s tough loss to Palmer Ridge and whether they struggled during the game, he says “Yes, definitely.”
Quarterback Leland Frescaz also shares his experience, saying, “It’s been alright, [but it has] been pretty rough.” Then when asked about how this season has been rough for him, he responded. “Our team faced a little adversity last week because we faced a pretty tough team and lost 42-0, so we gotta bounce back.” He was referring to the game against Palmer Ridge, currently ranked as the number sixth team in the state of Colorado.
Laron Donald, wide receiver and offensive linebacker, shares his experience at the Palmer Ridge game, saying, “I feel like we’re doing good, but we can be better if we come together and execute as a whole.’’
Although the team did face some difficulties, the varsity coaches seem fairly pleased with their team this year. Coach Hale states, “It’s been good, thank you!”
Overall, the Doherty football team has been thriving this year and doing their best to get back after a hard loss. They are currently preparing and training hard for their homecoming game against Rampart on the 20th of September. Students and athletes alike have all shown lots of excitement and enthusiasm for this upcoming game, as it is arguably one of the best football games for the school all year.
This game will feature performances from the Doherty band, the school’s JROTC members, the poms squad, and many more. The student section seems to be prepared and ready to bring their A-game to the Gary Berry stands, wearing all black attire for the designated Homecoming game theme: Blackout!
During this game, middle linebacker Levi Colvin will be coming off of the injury that held him out during the Palmer Terrors game. He feels ready to go and confident that he can play his best for his team. He says, “I feel ready to go, I believe in our team and the hard work we have been putting in during practice.”
