Putnam City West’s football team struggled through a difficult season marked by defeats, leaving them feeling hopeless. However, homecoming day reignited their spirit, inspiring both players and fans to aim for a significant victory that could turn their season around.
Before the season started, during summer break, Putnam City West’s football team worked hard daily to improve and get ready for the upcoming games. They focused on improving individual skills and enhancing how they played as a team.
Before they had their first game, the school hosted the Blue and Gold Scrimmage. The football team was split into two teams, and they played against each other. Some players said this was their favorite part of the season. When asked what his favorite part of the season was, senior Israel Chuku responded, “Definitely the Blue and Gold Scrimmage and getting mic’d up.”
Some of the players thought their teammates weren’t taking practices seriously during the week leading up to their first game. “I felt like we were playing around too much, and we thought it was going to be easier than it was,” sophomore Kendall Weaver stated.
After their first game, they lost. Some players said that the locker room was quiet, and everyone was disappointed with the outcome. Freshman James Janzen stated, “The loss was hard, but it was needed to help us learn what we needed to work on to play to our full potential.”
After the loss, they didn’t have time to sulk—they had more important things to work on before the next game. Sophomore Jace Lee stated, “After we lose a game, we don’t have time to stand around feeling bad for ourselves. We have to get back to work to prepare for the next game.”
Their second game of the season was against Putnam City Original, and it was very important for many different reasons.
This game was important mainly because of the long-standing rivalry between Putnam City West and Putnam City Original. It was also an important game for some players because they would be playing against their old coach and some former teammates.
When they lost the game, they were embarrassed. Some felt like they had disappointed their coaches and school. After this, they lost a few more games, and the team started to get ridiculed by other students. Sophomore Kendall Weaver stated, “At the end of the day, all the bad comments weren’t helping.”
Instead of letting the negative comments bring them down, they used them as motivation to work harder. Some players were also motivated by the people who believed in them, including their coaches. Senior Israel Chuku said, “The coaches did an amazing job of keeping me and the team encouraged and engaged through the rough patches of the season.”
They lost a few more games, and it was bringing down their confidence a lot. The week before the homecoming game, they knew they had to focus primarily on the upcoming game and less on the games they had already played.
The student section at the homecoming game was filled with people with high hopes, cheering on the football team. “The student section is everything; we feed off of their energy. It’s the best part of home advantage,” stated senior Israel Chuku.
The team was giving it their all throughout the game. There wasn’t a single play where they felt like they were slacking. Sophomore Jace Lee stated, “Even after we made our first touchdown, we didn’t let it get to our heads. We kept the same energy all throughout the game because we knew the job wasn’t done.”
When they won the game, the football team was proud of how they played individually and as a team. Some players were happy to win a game for the seniors on the team, and others were just happy to make their coaches proud. “I was overwhelmed with emotions and just glad to win for all the seniors and make Putnam City West proud,” stated senior Israel Chuku.
Sadly, the team didn’t win any more games after the homecoming game, but that one win gave them a lot of hope for the next season. Some players are hoping to win at least half of their games next season, while others want to make a run for state. Most of the players just want to make the coaching staff and the students at Putnam City West proud.
The expectations for next year varied widely, from how many games they would win to how the students would support and motivate the players. Even with all the different answers, one theme came up often: “My expectations next season are that we get our team together as one,” sophomore Kendall Weaver stated.
The season has presented challenges that tested their resilience, but the unity and growth they’ve demonstrated have set a solid foundation for the future. With renewed commitment and teamwork, they are optimistic about the seasons ahead.
