The CHS varsity football team heads into its game  tonight against Warren Central with a winning record, and the regular season is pulling into its home stretch. Despite a variety of obstacles over the course of the regular season, the players continue to push forward and have many goals for the playoffs.

The team faced two losses early in the season against LaSalle and Center Grove, but Defensive Line Coach Sidney “Sid” Swartzendruber said, “As always at the beginning of the year, there’s a lot of holes that need to be filled, a lot of experience that needs to be gained, but all in all the kids are fighting and working really hard and trying to do whatever is asked of them.”

According to Swartzendruber, although the team has faced many tough rivals this season and has not necessarily had the record that they wanted, the most important thing is that the team plays at their highest level of football by the time the playoffs roll around.

Cameron “Cam” Hunt, football player and senior, said that the team has been doing a number of different things to help improve their gameplay, and prepare for the playoffs.

“The biggest area for improvement for us is coming out on fire, or on top, Hunt said. “We did that once with the Hamilton Southeastern game, we came out with our foot on the gas, and we did not let up. And then the LaSalle game, we kind of came out timid and scared and gave them a chance to breathe, and they jumped all over us.”

With the team able to identify its weaknesses, the team members have worked to improve and become stronger players. John Halden, football player and junior said, “I think we’ve really picked up as the season has gone on. I think each week we’re getting better and better, so I definitely think it’s possible (to win the State championship).”

This year’s team has constantly been compared to last year’s football team, which went undefeated until the State championship game when they fell just short of a victory to Ben Davis. According to Hunt, who has been on the varsity team for four straight years, every year the team is different and faces different obstacles, but ultimately the team’s ability to overcome that adversity is what shows in the playoffs.

Swartzendruber concurred and said, “Hopefully we’ve eliminated a lot of mistakes and we’ve made changes. By the time week 10 rolls around we are playing our best football. That’s our number one goal, and the rest will take care of itself.”

While every team has the end goal of winning the  State championship, Hunt said that he has hopes beyond just winning.

“By the end of the season, I just want the team to all be one,” Hunt said. “I don’t care about the record, I mean I would like a winning record, but at the same time I just want everybody to go out and have fun and know that there’s a purpose behind playing football other than just hitting people.”