Coming off their undefeated 5-0 record in their non-league games, the Fords’ football team looks to carry their winning momentum into the second half of the season. With lessons learned and experiences from last season, the objectives for this season have long been in the works.
“The goals for the season were established right after EA day last year. Ending the year on a big win gave us momentum going into the off-season,” Sixth Former and offensive lineman Matt Pante said.
The team strives to manifest these goals by reflecting and improving collectively on a routine basis. Every facet of the team plays a crucial role and the results have proved so.
“Building every week off of individual and team mistakes has been a key factor in winning the number of games that we have so far,” Sixth Former and kicker Ivan Harlamov said, “ Every aspect of the game, offense, defense, and special teams has greatly improved from our first matchup of the season.”
Pante echoes a similar sentiment.
“Our defense has been outstanding and so have our special teams. Having skilled guys like [Fourth Former] Matt Brosko, [Fifth Formers] James Falk, and Chace Knox makes it really easy to have an efficient offense and score a lot of points,” Pante said.
Well-prepared for competition, the team gives much credit to their tough schedule and management.
“Coach Martin did a really good job of putting together a tough schedule for us. It’s really important to have a tough schedule in the out-of-conference games because it will have us tested and ready to go for the Inter Ac games. All of the games we have played were a complete team effort,” Pante said.
The La Salle game was one of the best atmospheres I have ever played in and it was an away game. They give us juice and get us ready every time we go out onto the field
Matt pante ’23
Well-prepared would be an understatement to describe these out-of-league games. In just their last two games, Fifth Former Matt Brosko scored a hat trick in a dominant win against Archbishop Wood and the Fords scored 6 times the number of points the opposing Landon team had. Fueled by the “Gents Club”, the loyal student section, the exhilarating environment gives the football team the energy they need.
“The Gent’s Club has been great. It’s a great feeling to know that every single one of those guys is there to support their brothers,” Harlamov said.
Pante also acknowledges the Gents Club in helping the team reach its success.
“The La Salle game was one of the best atmospheres I have ever played in and it was an away game. They give us juice and get us ready every time we go out onto the field,” Pante said.
Full of fresh faces, the underclassmen are quintessential in the team dynamic.
“We are one of the smaller teams in the area in terms of numbers of players, which means we have to have the underclassmen step up, and they have,” Pante said, “Two freshmen, Walt Frazier [’26] and Jayden Rivera [’26] have been game changers on both sides of the ball.”
At the top of the helm, upperclassmen have helped motivate the team through practice and games.
“Our senior leadership has been awesome with [Sixth Formers] Billy Brosko, Gavin Wright, and Louie Atkinson being the guys to hype everyone up coming out of the tunnel,” Pante said.
Going into Inter-Ac competition, the mentality remains the same.
“The mentality going into the season is to dominate in every aspect of the game, and we have the ability to do that if we come together. Every individual has to be ready and locked in for 4 quarters,” Harlamov said.
While there is a lot to celebrate for the Fords’ football team, November 12 remains the ultimate goal.
“We still have a lot to work on but I’m super excited to see how the rest of the season goes,” Pante said. “As we always say, the job’s not finished.”
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