Despite loss of key graduates, football team still ranked number one going into second week of State tournament

By Ryan Duffy
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Last Friday the varsity football team began its run for another State championship against Westfield, by beating the Shamrocks by a score of 21-7. The team will continue its schedule with another Sectional match tomorrow against Fishers at Fishers.

The team has been to the State championship game for the last three seasons, losing to Warren Central, beating Pike and losing to Center Grove, and is hopeful to make a fourth trip this season to play at Lucas Oil Stadium. Despite graduating several key players last year, the team still managed to pull through, finishing with an 8-1 regular season record.

Quarterback and senior Adam Shaffer said he hasn’t been surprised by the turn-around success of the team. “Obviously we lost a lot of offensive starters, but we had a lot of talented guys behind them,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer also said he thinks the effort the team put forth is the main reason it had such a successful regular season. “I would attribute a lot of our success to all the hard work and preparation we put in,” Shaffer said, “both in practice during the season and our off-season workouts.”

Head Coach Myron “Mo” Moriarity said he attributes the success to the whole team, but more specifically the play of the seniors. “I learned long ago that good senior play is the most important trait in determining the success of the team.” Moriarity said. “Players’ senior year is supposed to be their best year, and to this point we’ve been getting that.”

The team finished the regular season ranked Number-1 in the state for 5A, but Moriarity said the ranking means nothing to the team. “Any time you are ranked Number-1 you get a bull’s eye on your back, unfortunately,” he said. “But we have been ranked Number-1 on and off for the past couple seasons, so we just know to tell the players it means nothing, and once Sectionals start it’s a new season.”

Shaffer said the role the seniors will play in the tournament is even more crucial than it is in the regular season. “We have to be the guys who go out there and set the tone,” he said. “We have to go out there and play as hard as we can every play and lead by example.”

The tournament is single elimination, which means one bad game and any team can be sent home. Teams have to win six games to become State champions, including three Sectional games.

Moriarity said the team doesn’t change much to prepare for its postseason games. “Nothing changes. We treat practice like the regular season,” he said. “The only thing that changes is the amount of time we’re on the field for practice. We cut back practice time so we can stay fresh for the game.”

Shaffer said the team has a “do-or-die” attitude during the postseason. “You have to approach it like every game could be your last and take it one week at a time,” he said. “Our goal is obviously to win the State championship, but we don’t think about that too much until we get there.”

Moriarity said the team has just as good a shot as any at bringing home the title this year. “That is obviously our goal when we start the season,” he said. “We work really hard to have the opportunity to get to State.

“We can get there,” Moriarity said. “But it’s going to be a long, tough road.”