2020 football season goes down as one to remember
Photo Courtesy of Alex Steffanelli
October 28, 2020
For the first time in 32 years, the Westerville North Football team hosted a playoff game making history this 2020 season.
This massive win for North isn’t anything new for this season. The football team found itself receiving victory after victory, and after beating Central Crossing on October 16th, the team earned their first winning season since 2004.
“When I was a senior in high school, they [the football team] only won 2 games, and then they didn’t win again until I graduated college! Now they’re dominating this season and it’s really cool to see.” — Mr. Hall, North alumni and history teacher
Due to the uncertainty surrounding the completion of the season, the Warriors took charge and made sure to make the most out of every chance they had to practice and play.
Connor Warthman is a junior tight end and linebacker on the football team this season.
“We treated every practice like it was our last. We treated every game like it was our last,” Warthman said.
Koltyn Scarantine is also a junior, and is a receiver for the team.
“What sets this season apart from the rest is the determination we had, we came out of this season playing every game like it was our last,” Scarantine said.
The strong leadership within the football team also played a massive role in North’s success.
Ty O’Hearn is a senior linebacker, tight end, and quarterback for the Warriors.
“We have a strong group of seniors that work really hard and that love the game,”O’Hearn said..
The actions of seniors not only led, but inspired the whole football team. One memorable moment for Connor Warthman surrounded a losing game, and the unforgettable reaction of his seniors.
“In my three years of playing at North, after all the losses, I had never seen the seniors all that upset after losing. After losing the game with South to a heartbreaking finish, they were upset that they lost the game. Those very seniors that cried on Friday got back up on Monday and changed practice” Warthman said.
Junior Wyatt Buxton is a quarterback for the team as well and noted the strong leadership of the team..
“We have a really good team bond and all of our guys want to win. We also have a lot of leaders that keep the team intact,” Buxton said.
This strong team bond shone through after the unfortunate injury Buxton endured this season. After breaking his ankle during the game against Big Walnut, he noticed a change within the team.
“I think my injury caused a lot of guys to rise up, there were players that were put into a position they’ve never been in before… but overall we learned a lot about our team”, Buxton said.
With lots of changes this season, training for the playoffs only added to this list. These heightened practices showcased the passion circling the team, and the determination rose higher than it had been all season.
“We had a lot of hype around the team and a lot of attention on us, but we had the same mindset as every week in the season,” O’Hearn said.
Overall, hard work, leadership, and a determination to win drove the Warriors through their 2020 season. “Being able to be a part of the first team in 20+ years to make the playoffs was something I take pride in being a part of,” Sacrantine said.
