Countless people covered themselves head to toe in bright red, cheerleaders yelled their heads off and bright, big lights flooded the stadium on Friday nights, all for a team that went 0-10 last season. 

The SHS football team has a lot on their shoulders to try and make up for last season’s losing streak.

“I’m extremely optimistic,” football head coach Alex Bettag said. “Our guys handle it well…Our whole season is not predicated on one game.” 

Even though there is still the possibility of not winning a game, the team is already showing improvements from last year. The first two games of the season have been against the Roncalli Royals and the Perry Meridian Falcons. Again, both were losses, but the scores changed for the better.

Last year’s game against the Royals ended with 55-7 while this year was 46-7. The team’s defense was able to keep them under 50 unlike last year. The Cards had similar results for the game against the Falcons. The score last year was 42-7 and this year was 38-17. The defense and offense both improved. 

“We’re learning from our mistakes every week,” junior quarterback Bryce Calvert said.

As in most sports, it was important to improve during the offseason. They spent the summer, on and off the field, working hard. 

The team practiced four times a week throughout the summer. All of the days included weight training, and three involved field training. This routine went on for nearly every week of the summer. 

“Our guys were working hard all summer,” Bettag said. “It was a great offseason.” 

But the offseason is over now though, and the Cardinals have gotten into the rhythm of their practice schedule. Team meetings, weight room visits, and many hours of field training have become their normal. 

As they head into their third game, practices are becoming more crucial. The team is under a time crunch to try and win a game before the season ends. 

“I think that being there and showing up, having numbers and stuff has really helped us this season,” said senior defensive lineman Billy Rust. “We didn’t have that last year.”

The only way for the team to go now is up. Even by simply closing the gaps with scores from last year, the team can improve from last season.

“We’re still young, we were young last year,” Calvert said. “But we’re growing and developing as a team.”