The football team went to states for the first time in the school’s 71-year history. The season was not as picture-perfect as it may appear. The team faced challenges of injuries and illnesses but ultimately pushed through to states. They showed the school that they could do something great.
The season was challenging. The team only has so many players to use, so when someone was down, it affected the whole team. Rather than giving up, they powered through and encouraged fellow players, so the morale would stay high.
“Do not underestimate your players,” head coach Matthew Reidenbaugh said. This is one of the big things that Reidenbaugh learned from coaching this year’s season.
The game that Reidenbaugh realized that they might actually have a chance of going to state was the game at Sherando High School. According to Reidenbaugh, the players trained for speed. This would be something that they would often work on, and even when they were going to the championship game, they still practiced the same.
Reidenbaugh says that the team worked really well together. That was a big part of why they succeeded this season. A lot of the players have been playing since their freshman year and they have become a big family with all of the adults helping to provide per-game meals. They really care about each other.
The team went nearly undefeated for the season, going 9-1, defeating Tuscarora for the first time in two years, breaking Loudoun Valley’s winning streak, and winning a nail-biter against Woodgrove ending 21-20 leading them to the Catoctin District Championship title.
After being featured in a segment on Fox News and being recognized as a Top 20 by The Washington Post’s High School Football Rankings, the team made history, defeating Lafayette 25-23 on December 6 and heading to states.
Reidenbaugh, who was named All Catoctin District Coach of the Year, spoke about the team’s dedication when things got tough. He shared a story about a player this past season who dislocated his arm during the championship game. The player proceeded to pop it back in and continued playing, even though they were losing by 36 points. This shows how much they were willing to put on the line to try and win this game.
The chemistry on the team in no way goes unnoticed. One way that the coaches do this is with teamwork and leadership. They do a summer camp where they teach teamwork and leadership, which they apply on the field during each and every game. It means everything to the team and shows the teamwork that they were putting into this.
Reidenbaugh said that making it into states was the end goal, and then they actually did make it to states. He continued saying he feels really great about how they did in the tournament and feels proud of the success of the players.
The team’s bond is stronger than ever, but it’s not the only community that has grown. It’s going to foster the spirit of Loudoun County High School community, making it stronger.
