A Season to Remember

What do you think of when you hear the words Jamesville-DeWitt Varsity Football? The adjectives some of the football players, including senior quarterback Eric Thompson, senior wide receiver T.K Smith, junior defensive end and linebacker Kaalar Wynn and junior running back and cornerback Josiah Williams, heard were “Straight cheeks, not aggressive, not good, straight bad, untalented, terrible, deplorable, awful, sucks.”

Senior lineman Dylan Muller believes other sports helped shape the students’ opinions about the team; “They expect us to do the same thing that the basketball team and the lacrosse team have done.” Muller said. But this year’s J-DHS Varsity Football Team proved the doubters wrong. Senior lineman Dave Barletta says that it is great that the team started something new and that they changed people’s opinions about the football team.

The 2011 J-DHS Football team was the first team to win the first three games of the year since 1997. J-DHS finished the season with five wins and three losses, an improvement from their 2010 season when they finished with three wins and five losses. Thompson attributes the success to the defense’s ability to “shut down” the opponent’s offences, while their offense was unstoppable.” “We did good,” said sophomore running back Rasheed Baker. “We worked hard over the off season and we were like a family and did our best every game. (This year) the chemistry was different. Last year people were playing for themselves but this year we were a family,” said senior lineman Stephen Vallery. Wynn agrees; “ We worked hard, (played) together and stayed focused. People were more focused about not giving up and people last year were more focused about individuality.”

What was the difference? “Things changed (this year) because the coaching staff was more determined,” says Wynn, “when we went to Team Camps like (The Football Camp at Syracuse University) people went to their individual sessions. At the end, we came together as one, to put our different skills together, to work towards the goal of becoming better (as a team) at the end of camp.” Williams believes that last year’s team put this year’s team on the map.“If it was not for last year’s team, we wouldn’t be where we are now. We finished what we started (last year). We had more poise and discipline. We had a lot of pride for J-DHS,” Williams said.

There were many high points for the season to many of the players. The high point for Baker was “the whole season, it was a good season.” Williams said that “having the Post-Standard rank us” was his high point of the season. For others, like Vallery, it was “when we went three wins and zero losses at the start of the season.” For Wynn it was “going out to Whitesboro, and even though we lost, staying in the game with them and not giving up and playing until the final whistle blew.” Barletta is happy overall with the season J-DHS had; “we had a great year and J-D football is headed down the right path for future seasons. I really believe that the guys next year can do even more than we did this year.”

But there were also some low points of the season. Smith says that the injuries to key players injuries affected the season. Williams, junior linebacker Wilie Walker, and senior linebacker Dan Meile all missed games for the Red Rams this season. “(William’s) injury didn’t hurt the team as much (as it could have) because it was (during) the last game. Also, if Dan stayed healthy we would have had a stronger defensive core. We could tell that he wasn’t in some of the games after he got hurt,” Smith said. For Williams the low point of the season was “losing to Whitesboro because all of the players were disappointed.” For Wynn the low point was “coming out and losing against East Syracuse-Minoa. We were too distracted with our record and we were getting cocky and not focused on the game.”

Wynn believes that next year’s varsity football team has the potential to be great; next year they will “bring a state title to J-DHS and win sectionals.” Vallery also shows optimism for next year even though he wont be here; “hopefully they win. My expectations are very high for next year.” Barletta agrees,“ I really believe that the guys next year can do even more that what we did this year.” To Williams, the way to be successful is through team chemistry. “I hope the kids coming up will connect with the upperclassmen. If they don’t, it won’t be a team. But I believe that they will,” said Williams.

Even after the season they had Vallery thinks “that people still think that we could of been better, so we have to keep working hard.”