Windham Youth Football’s seventh and eighth grade team fell to Saco 26-0 in the final game of the regular season but does remain optimistic about making a strong postseason playoff run.
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| William Youth Football's seventh and eighth grade team gathers during a team dinner at Windham Middle School on Tuesday, Oct. 20. After a loss to Saco on Saturday, Oct. 17, the team's regular season record is a strong 7-1 as it now looks to prepare for the playoffs. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
Eighth grader Lucien Kri said that while Windham had a really good run defense at the start, and they could have could have believed in themselves more to have a better outcome in the second half. Kri said they need to work on doing well the entire game, not just one half.
“This is a special group of kids,” said Windham Youth Football seventh and eighth grade coach Bryan Freese. “We have size, speed, and athleticism. I have coached these kids for years in football and other sports as well, and one thing that stands out, to me, is their strong work ethic. Each week we add a little more to our playbook, and the football IQ that the boys have makes it easy for us to change and add formations and plays either in practice or on the fly during games. We've been working countless hours since the beginning of August to reach our one goal, a league championship.”
As Windham prepared for this game, it knew Saco was going to be big and physical up front. The Eagles felt that if they could match their physicality on the line, control the line of scrimmage and time of possession, they would have a good chance of being successful.
After a 0-0 tie at the end of the first half, Windham made some adjustments offensively but mostly how to block the different looks Saco’s defensive front was showing them.
“I think the defensive side of the ball did great we had some big tackles from (Windham’s) Troy Prum and Avery Russell,” said Windham eighth grader and quarterback Kody Freese. “We just had a few mistakes in the passing game. I also think that we were getting good yardage up the middle with Cam Young, and Connor Wade in the first half.”
In the second half, Windham stayed in the game, but Saco found the end zone several times.
“As a team we have dealt with a fair amount of adversity this year,” said Bryan Freese. “Injuries, some disciplinary stuff, and low numbers have taught us firsthand that the ‘next man up’ mentality is something that needs to be taught, understood, and executed in order to sustain success throughout the long season.”
With playoffs on the horizon, Windham will continue to do the things that have gotten them this far; being physical, knowing responsibilities and limiting mental errors will dictate their success.
“We’re ... a really strong team,” said eighth grader Russell. “We’ve worked hard to get here and have been through good times and tough times together. We always help each other get better and support one another. The best part is that we’re really close almost like family. I’m proud of how our season is going, and I’m proud to be on this team.”
Windham will play its first-round playoff game against Bonny Eagle on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. at Windham Field 9. <
As Windham prepared for this game, it knew Saco was going to be big and physical up front. The Eagles felt that if they could match their physicality on the line, control the line of scrimmage and time of possession, they would have a good chance of being successful.
After a 0-0 tie at the end of the first half, Windham made some adjustments offensively but mostly how to block the different looks Saco’s defensive front was showing them.
“I think the defensive side of the ball did great we had some big tackles from (Windham’s) Troy Prum and Avery Russell,” said Windham eighth grader and quarterback Kody Freese. “We just had a few mistakes in the passing game. I also think that we were getting good yardage up the middle with Cam Young, and Connor Wade in the first half.”
In the second half, Windham stayed in the game, but Saco found the end zone several times.
“As a team we have dealt with a fair amount of adversity this year,” said Bryan Freese. “Injuries, some disciplinary stuff, and low numbers have taught us firsthand that the ‘next man up’ mentality is something that needs to be taught, understood, and executed in order to sustain success throughout the long season.”
With playoffs on the horizon, Windham will continue to do the things that have gotten them this far; being physical, knowing responsibilities and limiting mental errors will dictate their success.
“We’re ... a really strong team,” said eighth grader Russell. “We’ve worked hard to get here and have been through good times and tough times together. We always help each other get better and support one another. The best part is that we’re really close almost like family. I’m proud of how our season is going, and I’m proud to be on this team.”
Windham will play its first-round playoff game against Bonny Eagle on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. at Windham Field 9. <
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