Last Friday night, one of the toughest days of the year occurred as we had to see the last time a group of Seniors will take the field as we lost a hard-fought game to a disciplined Lakeville South team 41-14. The effort on the field by our boys was awesome, and we just played a team that took advantage of its' opportunities and controlled the game up-front.
Offensively, we were able to make some big plays but did not maintain anything throughout the evening. Both Micah Vayee and Anthony Gipson averaged over ten yards a carry, but we were unable to make plays on 3rd downs to keep drives going all night. Give their defense credit, they made the plays necessary to get the ball out of our hands when the time came.
Defensively we played a team that requires you to play mentally sharp to the most finite detail. We did that much of the game, but when we did not, they capitalized and kept the chains moving or landed a big play. Tom Kampsula played linebacker again for the first time in many weeks and he excelled with 16 total tackles throughout the night. Also, Anthony Gipson, Jaden Matchette, and Nate Becker had over 10 tackles on the night. This group had a great year and led us throughout this season, so I am very proud of all they accomplished this year.
This year was one filled with many obstacles and the kids showed resilience each step of the way. Not often do you completely change an offense week 3 and the kids maintain their approach and win 5 of their final 8 games after the move. That speaks volumes about the character of the young men we got to witness week in and week out this season. They truly are a great group to coach and people that I want my children to emulate as human beings. I will miss them greatly, and even though the result was not what we wanted, the fiber of what you showed during this whole process is what will carry you to success way beyond high school football. I want to thank a great group of Senior Parents that have been unbelievably supportive during this journey, and I hope the journey provided great memories that will last a long time. To the community, football staff, administration, and our own families that have invested so much time into making this the best possible experience for these young men possible, I sincerely thank you. We truly are a family and you Seniors have left a permanent imprint in Crimson football and more importantly, our hearts. GO CRIMSON!
Lombo