GHS Varsity Football On a Come-Up
Quarterback Ethan Hefel ‘22 keeps his eyes on the prize as he carries the ball toward a touchdown. “Running the ball to the end zone, I had a huge adrenaline rush,” said Hefel. “It was important to me to win the last home game of my high school football career. The past two seasons have been different from before in that the team has been more motivated, with a goal of getting our team back into the playoffs.”
With record of 3-3, the Galena High School Varsity Football players came together to win another close game against Eastland-Pearl City, where they won by just one point. Three years ago this might not have been possible for the Pirates. In the 2017-18 season, the team didn’t win any games. Over the last two seasons the Galena Varsity Football team has been showing great improvement and adding more wins to their record.
“My team and I have been working harder than ever in practice,” says Tanner Wienen ‘23, “We are coming together as one to put more wins on our board in future games.” This year is different from past years because of the combination of players. They work well together, have a passion for the game, and there is great depth in the team. The boys have been showing great leadership and have been pushing themselves to be the best they can be.
Two of this year’s big leaders, Ethan Hefel ‘22 and Brady Schemehorn ‘22 have been stepping up to lead their team through some tough games. “I’m proud of the team for how much we’ve improved,” said Schemehorn. “We’ve been working so hard and it’s really been paying off.” This season the team is boasting a record of 3-3 and they stand a good chance of seeing some postseason action. “ I look forward to winning more games in the future and finishing my high school football career off strong,” said Schemehorn. “This team has shown me a way to express my talents and all my teammates have grown to become my family.”
Football coach Ed Freed says, “We have been very fortunate these recent years to have a great group of guys who love the game of football. They are motivated and have a great chemistry that we have lacked in past years.”
“I think we as a team have improved greatly over these past couple of years,” said Jacob Heisler ‘22. “I hope we continue to get better as time goes on.”
The team will be playing their last two games of the regular season at Durand on October 15 and at East Dubuque on October 22. Fans who cannot attend the games are encouraged to watch the action live on the Galena Stream YouTube Channel.
