As junior captain Jake Foerster passes the ball to sophomore Sam Sudac at the game against Griffith on Aug. 30, the student section cheers loudly for the team. Head football coach Romison Saint-Louis reflects on the pride he holds for both his football team and their supporting student body.
“There’s a great community and there’s great support and we’re excited to build something special,” Saint-Louis said. “We understand it takes time and we’re willing to invest what it takes, but with patience at the same time.”
Junior linebacker Jose Lemus says that the new coaching staff not only focuses on helping the players get better at their sport, but also on helping them be the best people they can be. Lemus says that the coaching staff displays a lot of care for their players.
This year, captains of the team are seniors Henry Adams and DJ Certa, along with Foerster.
“I wanted to take a big leadership role this year, a big step up compared to last year,” Certa said. “Getting that final clarification felt really nice, I was excited.”
Student sections are a big part of high school football season, they show the support the players have from the student body.
“I tell players this all the time,” Saint-Louis said. “You can’t expect Friday nights to be packed and everybody coming to support you, yet you don’t go to any of the other sports and support them.”
The team gets a different perspective of the student section, playing on the field and being able to see the crowd.
“When you have people to play for, it’s so nice,” Certa said. “It makes your games more fun. When you see the student section leaving at halftime it really brings your morale down.”
According to Lemus, homecoming spirit “gets everyone more excited in general… We’re gonna have good energy throughout the whole week.”
With a 0-3 record, the team is fueled up to conquer their homecoming game against East Chicago Central tomorrow.
“I know it gets tough to continue to show up when your team is struggling, I get that, and I don’t blame one second,” Saint-Louis said. “Just know that we appreciate it and it’s definitely an advantage.”
