The Beginning of an Era

This was certainly a historical year out on the gridiron, as

43 student-athletes, six coaches, and one manager united to launch the era of Highlander Football. After three years of partnering with St. Stephen’s and low numbers, it took a bit of a leap of faith to believe that we could build our program from the JV level up. We knew it might not be an easy sell, but it was a challenge we were ready to face.

ABOVE: Football program director Rick Reetz coaching his team.

AT RIGHT: The 2021 football team took a bold first step in the era of Highlander football.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stratton.

The first step was finding the best candidate to lead our Football program. Enter Rick Reetz, Football Program Director. He had significant experience building multiple successful programs at independent schools similar to ours, with participation numbers that had also been down. Not only skilled on the field, he had an equally impressive academic background. Add it all up, and Coach Reetz was the perfect fit for our program. “What a great first season," Coach Reetz stated, "reclaiming a program is never easy, and it’s a lengthy process. We faced a lot of adversity putting this team together in such a short time and ahead of schedule, but when we saw the leadership we had on this team, we knew the time to start was now. The players bought in and held each other accountable to a standard that we needed to be successful. That’s what a team must do, and I am proud of this group for taking ownership. We are well on our way to establishing a winning tradition for the players, the school, the community — we want that Highlander pride.”

After Coach Reetz's hiring and only having had the chance to meet as a group on Zoom, this brave group came together for spring football for a week in May. The initial turnout was strong, although there have been previous years where those numbers did not hold on into the fall. A large amount of credit goes to our seniors in particular for leading the way and encouraging each other and the underclassmen to stick together and build something lasting. Rico Beuerlein ’22 stated "We had a great group of players and coaches that always worked hard, and we all had a great time. I am excited to see the future of this program." Coach Reetz added, “We relied heavily on our senior class to set the example and be the foundation on which we would build our program. We will

be forever indebted and grateful to the seniors for their commitment and trust in coming out for the team. They were committed to being part of the group that turned it around and made it a special place. We were lucky they were up for the challenge. They not only improved the program for this team, but for years to come.”

As the season got underway, not only did the numbers carry over to the Fall hold, they increased from the end of spring football. After facing some very strong opponents to start the year, the team stuck together. The Highlanders finished the year with a ton of momentum, winning four of their last six games, one of which was against a Varsity opponent. Anthony Tassone (’23) shared: “The brotherhood on the team is unlike any sport. You have a true connection with each other which makes the game much more fun to play and gives you something to play for every game.”

As we turn towards the 2022 season, we are ready for the next step in the evolution of our Football program. We are committed to play an Independent Varsity schedule, with the hope of being able to offer a JV experience to our younger players as well. “We’re going to compete this year,” Coach Reetz stated. "We might not win them all, but we’re going to take a big step. We have a new attitude, player commitment, and a lot of excitement around the program. I have seen it before. It’s one constant that, given time, always results in one thing – winning.”

Although it might be years until they fully see the fruits of their commitment, the 2021 team took the bold first step in the era of Highlander Football.