The smell of popcorn, the lively splendor of the band, and the school spirit shown through nightly themes all contribute to the excitement of Friday nights. Football Fridays have always been a tradition at MHS, and the support this year is greater than ever. The Mustangs are off to a better start than in previous years, and tonight’s game against Andrean will either solidify support or yield a significant drop in morale. 

“Our boys love the support they get from their classmates,” Coach James Grunewald said. “They feel that appreciation because they put in a lot of hard work through the week and through the years. So I know they really appreciate all the support they get.”

The MHS football team has stepped up their game in comparison to recent years and now has a score of 3-4. Coach Grunewald attributes a lot of that success to the players of this year’s seniors. Most of these seniors have been playing with Coach Grunewald since freshman or sophomore year, and he hopes these players and their success will serve as a stepping stone for the next year’s players.

“Hopefully our juniors or sophomores and freshmen can see hey if you can be like this group and hold your teammates accountable to that standard you can have success like they did.”

Success has also been attributed with a shift in morale within the team. This has been done through small things like the defensive backs’ motto “DBQ,” which essentially means do not quit and stay together. Wing Isaiah Ramirez saw team camaraderie form during a football camp over the summer, where most of the football team attended.

“Our coach took away our phones for the entire camp, I think that forced us to get closer and play more as a team,” Ramirez said. “That’s where I found my love for football and for all the guys, we just got really close.”

Whether their success can be attributed to a great senior class or high morale, this football season is off to a great start, especially since at this time last year their record was 0-2. The team plans to keep the wins cruising, and they’ve focused a lot recently on special teams—the section of the team responsible for scoring extra points. They made this decision after their loss at Kankakee Valley, a game where their special teams were scored on twice. 

“[Then] we do like some kind of special teams. Yeah, like maybe we’ll kick the ball, kick field goals.”

After the hard loss at Homecoming last year, players and coaches alike are ready to do their best to ensure a victory tonight. They’ve been spending time working hard at practice and preparing on their own. 

“We’re preparing every day in practice, like we’re going after it. We’re really motivated because last year, our homecoming didn’t go too well. So we’re trying to you know, bounce back.”