Football suffers defeat at Homecoming game

Disappointing loss boosts motivations

Lucy zumBrunnen

Senior, Sajid Nathim powers though opposing players helping park towards a touchdown. This was park 4th game of the season. Their next game will be Sep. 27.

Lilly Strathman

After a devastating Homecoming game, the football team is disappointed with its performance but isn’t ready to give up on the season, according to running back coach Arsenio Richardson.

“We did not play well tonight. When the game got tough we didn’t respond well enough. We need more leadership and we need to be tougher both physically and mentally,” Richardson said. 

Senior and captain Tobyous Davenport said the team could have greater improved their effort throughout the game. 

“We did not play to our best potential with our strongest effort, we should have beat this team. If we were playing 100 percent, we should have been playing 102 percent. You can always play and do better,” Davenport said.

According to Sophomore Will Dvorak, the team could have had better teamwork and will work on connecting as a unit for the next game.

“The team didn’t play as well as we should have. We weren’t a team all around, but we will get better, we just have to focus on that for next week,” Dvorak said. 

Richardson said he hopes to increase teamwork and mental toughness to prevent the team from giving up.

“The kids have to motivate each other more. The teamwork has to be consistent throughout the game. They have to stay in the fight,” Richardson said. 

Davenport said losing this game fueled their thirst for winning the next one. 

“We need to improve our catching and explosion to the field. This loss makes us feel like we need to come back and win every game after this,” Davenport said. 

The next Park football game will be against Orono 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at Orono High School.