FINISHING THE SEASON FHN’s varsity football team ends their season with a 1-9 record, an improvement from last year by Abby Martinez
amartinez240@g.fhsdschools.org
FHN’s football team looks back at their season and how they hope to improve it next year. FHN’s varsity football team finished their 1-9 season with a hard-fought loss during playoffs against Battle High School on Nov. 8. “I would describe this season as a struggle, but I would say there’s beauty within the struggle,” running back AZ Anderson said. “With every loss we had, I gained a valuable lesson to become a better player.” The team went through many hardships throughout the season, but they always worked together to overcome those. One of the main challenges the team faced were the close-game losses. “I think the biggest challenge all season was definitely finishing in the later quarters,” lineman Logan Currie said. “That’s where we always came short.” Along with the challenges the team faced, there
Junior Braedon Salter plays outside linebacker against Washington High school at a home game. He has played for the past three years of high school. Salter subbed his freshman year and played varsity his sophomore and junior year. “I feel like the seniors really stepped up and led the team,” said Salter. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)
were also very special moments the team cherished. The team beat Ft. Zumwalt South for the first time since 2017 on Sept. 13. “Beating FZS was the biggest moment this season,” Currie said. “It showed us that we can compete.” As the boys look back on the season, they begin to notice patterns throughout each game: the mentality of each player. “The biggest improvement was definitely our attitude change,” Anderson said. “Even when we were down losing, it didn’t matter, people still had their heads held up. Last year we’d be down by a certain amount of touchdowns and everybody
would be like ‘oh my gosh’ and I think that has to do with leadership.” Though the season didn’t end the way the players or coaches hoped it would, they still took away the importance of being a team and to play like they know how to. The team has found a way to find the importance in each game of the season, whether it ends in a win or a loss. “I wouldn’t do-over any games because I honestly believe that everything happens for a reason,” Anderson said. “Even the ones we lost by one or two points, because it built me into the person I am.”
DRIBBLING TO RUNNING Senior Joey Albers Prize runs cross country, making a change from soccer by Justin Brewer
justinbrewer15@gmail.com
After playing soccer for three years, one athlete has almost completely set on running cross country. He found a new calling. Senior Joey Albers Prize made had played soccer his whole life, but he also knew the big decision to choose to run cross country his that he was going to have fun on the cross country final year at FHN. team. “I did track my junior year and I just kind of fell in “By the time tryouts came, I already knew I wanted love with running,” Albers Prize said. to run cross country,” Albers Prize said “I had been Although Joey is new to cross thinking about it the whole summer.” country, he is not a new face to FHN Albers Prize sometimes wishes that he sports programs. Aside from soccer, had run cross country earlier, but if given he ran track last year. This, in part, due the chance, he wouldn’t change anything. Follow this link to to his love of running. He loved not He loved the years he played soccer. watch a recap pf Cross Country at only the sport itself but also the team. However, he has also loved running cross Districts A lot of the track team also run cross country and hopes to do it in the future. bit.ly/33tYjAj country and encouraged him to run Head cross country coach Kimberly cross country. Martin believes that he definitely has the “A lot of my friends and family knew that it would ability to succeed and hopes he does. be good for me because in soccer, I was always “After seeing him on the track I knew that he was known for having a lot of endurance,” Albers Prize going to be good in cross,” Martin said. “He has a said. really good work ethic and anybody who has that is Changing up a sport as a senior can be hard. going to be able to improve really well throughout When the time came for fall tryouts, Albers Prize was the season.”
WATCH
Senior Joey Albers Prize passes a competitor at a 5k race during a cross country meet. He has one of the fastest personal records on the team. Albers also played volleyball and soccer in the past. (Photo by Allie Moore)
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SPORTS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY.COM
PAGE BY ABBY MARTINEZ
