by Khloe Winston
Staff Writer
Friday night lights will continue to be a staple for Hammond High School. It brings excitement, school spirit, and a sense of unity to Hammond High School as students, families, and supporters come together to cheer on the football team.
Currently,y the GoldenBears’s record is 2-7. Despite the losses, highlights of their season would be games against Centennial, Mt. Hebron, and Reservoir.
Starting off the season with their Win against Centennial. Finishing the first game of the season with the score of 60-12. Senior Captain Ethan Graves went into this game with a chip on his shoulder: “Playing for this school means a lot to me. I love being the underdog in the county, and it makes me have something to prove.” The Bears dominated the whole game. Senior Jayden Payouway was a problem for the Centennial offense; they had no answer for him.
Against Mt. Hebron, the Bears showed great dominance and beat the Vikings 16-0. The game was down to the wire, but in the fourth quarter, Senior, Wide Receiver, Chris Matthews came up big with a touchdown to get the first touchdown of the night. After Junior, Shawn Woodwar. came up with the game-sealing interceptions, and the Bears left the field feeling amazing. Senior DT/OL, Semaj Lowe, had a lot to say as a leader of the team. “Although the game was quiet offensively for most of the night, we stayed locked in, trusted our teammates, and finished strong in the fourth quarter.”
Moving on to their loss against Reservoir. Though the Bears lost, the score doesn’t define the hard work put on the field that night. The night ended with a tight score of 17-14. Captain Ethan Graves says, “During Reservoir, we showed a lot of heart and played football unlike we have in the past.” Despite the loss,s the Bears came together. Senior Wide Receiver Chris Matthews states, “Our team’s bond is very strong; we all love each other, and we are a brotherhood.” Chris Matthews ended the night with an astonishing stat line of 4 catches for 40 yards, 3 interceptions, and pick 6.
Going into the playoff season, Head Coach Banister has a positive outlook. “I believe playoff preparation is something that we’re working on all during the season,” Banister says. “We have shown that we don’t give up… sometimes when you’re having struggles in the season, it’s really easy to get defeated.” The Bears will face Lackey on November 5. They are looking to win on the road and prove to themselves that they can win any battle they face. They are the underdogs this game, but this is where they want to be. Senior Chris Matthews states, “I’m ready to go to war with my brothers, and if this is my last time playing with them,m I want to go out with a bang”
Though the Bears faced a loss to Lackey, they went out fighting and gave it their all to end the year. The Bears look forward to next year and seeing what improvements they can make.
