If you haven’t heard by now, Lancer football is back in a big way.
And this group isn’t just built to win now, but they also have the tools necessary to be successful for years to come. With sophomores like Jeff Wiedenfeld and Cole Keegan, the class of 2020 seems to be the fuel that will keep this team going.
With 41 upperclassmen and 27 sophomores, this team has the perfect blend of energy and experience that has vaulted them to the top of the standings.
Emerging as the lead running back, Wiedenfeld’s contributions to the team have been pivotal to their success thus far in the season, and between his speed and strength, run ability and a workhorse mentality, his potential is through the roof.
While the season is still young, Wiedenfeld has seemed to fit in quite well with the upperclassmen.
“All of [the upperclassmen] are all great,” Wiedenfeld said. “They give me props even when I do things wrong and they are always trying to help me out.”
The team has gotten out to an impressive 4-1 start to the season. Their most recent game, a 44-0 victory on the road against a struggling Keene team, was a great way to bounce back after an unsatisfactory Mack Plaque weekend.
Every year, the Mack Plaque game brings a lot of excitement for Lancer fans of all ages. The game was hyped up a little bit more everyday and when Friday arrived, the whole school unified as one during the early morning pep rally. All of this excitement can be sometimes be overwhelming for young athletes as they enter the bright lights, but Wiedenfeld felt confident and adrenalized heading into the game.
“It was cool because I’ve always been watching it and now I finally got to play in it,” Weidenfeld said. “I like how I felt I was needed on the team.”
And to help him feel more at home on the field, Weidenfeld got to line up with a few other fellow classmates he has played with his whole life.
One of these athletes is star wide receiver, Cole Keegan.
A six-foot playmaker only in his sophomore year, Keegan has climbed the top of the depth chart and has made a major impact on the team, and he has so much gratitude to the upperclassmen for helping him get to where he is today.
“Since day one of doubles, I have felt welcomed by the upperclassmen,” Keegan said. “[With] them driving me home after practice, going to Juliano’s, and being on the field playing for each other, it’s been great being out there with the seniors.”
The Mack Plaque game can truly be a humbling experience to first time athletes, and Keegan felt that even though the team lost, he learned to always “keep going 100% no matter the score.”
Weidenfeld and Keegan aren’t the only sophomores making noise up at Varsity. In fact, 27 sophomores were named to the roster at the beginning of the season, and in a system that constantly fluctuates, many different athletes are getting a taste at what it takes to be a Varsity level athlete.
The most promising quality of these young men is how professional they are. They don’t get too excited, and they never get too rattled. They won’t dwell on a loss, even if it is a blowout against their rival. Keegan even said “it was good for [him] to learn how to lose” as losing just happens to be part of the game.
“I hope I can contribute more for the team in the future and impact the kids coming up to continue this new trend,” Keegan said. “Our goal is to change the way people look at Londonderry football.”
