South Eugene’s Varsity football team is far from discouraged.

The South football team is up for an exciting season. A new coaching staff, bringing new energy, ideas, and an intense practice schedule, is getting the team ready to take on each game with fierce determination. But football isn’t just about the wins and losses. 

The team is building a strong foundation with help from Head Coach Eric Scott.

“My goal is to get players excited about football again,” Coach Scott said. “I want them to believe in themselves. When kids believe in themselves, they can do anything.” 

It’s important to build trust within the team. And according to the players these friendships are already making an impact.

“The coaches are good at building strong relationships with the players, as well as being able to relate and connect with them,” team captain Henry Fausset stated. “Together we are a brotherhood and a family. We play for each other.” 

Senior Gus Nelson has seen the ups and downs of South Eugene football and agrees that this year feels different.

“The coaching staff brings a whole new vibe. It’s way more fun,” Nelson said. “Everyone’s having a good time, but we still want to win. That’s the goal.”

The dream is to win, and while having fun is important there are still things this team needs to do to score the points.

“We’ve had some difficulty adjusting to game pressure and breaking bad habits,” junior Elia Somogye admitted. “I’m hoping we can focus on the little things we learn in practice and use them in the games.  We also just need more people to join [the team].”

Not having enough players has taken a toll on the games and score, especially for the second half of the game when they need to sub people in. However, Coach Scott still has hopes for a good season.

“With the losses I’m not happy, but I’m very happy with the things that don’t show on the score board,” Scott shared. “There are many things we are improving in. We just have to put them together and we will win. We’ve played some great football, we just need to play it all in one game.” 

Despite the ups and downs, the football team is excited and ready for the new season. The changes made are laying a strong foundation for years to come.

Article by Ozymandias Zinke-Haschemeyer