Under Friday Night Lights: The Players Behind the GHS Football Team
Tyson Scheel and Carter Dahlke celebrating after a touchdown. Photo by Matilda DiCola.
The GHS Football team has truly broken boundaries this season. With playoffs starting the raptors are poised and ready to take the title. Overall the football team is 8-1 and ranked 2nd in the region as they head into the postseason. Even after the loss of players from a strong 2024 senior class, spots have quickly filled with the rising underclassmen paving the way for another great season.
Players like Bobby Gutzman, Carter Dahlke, and Tyson Scheel lead the offensive side in receiving yards, rushing yards and touchdowns. Defensive players like Bob Springman and Will O’Brien have been strong forces as they dominate the team’s stats in tackles and quarterback sacks. Together, these players and the raptor football team as a whole have set themselves up for success in the playoffs.
The team is also riding the wave of a crosstown win. In an intense and anxiety-inducing game, the raptors beat the hawks for the 2nd year in a row (and in GHS history). With a final score of 23-16, spirits were high and the student section erupted when the clock hit zero as the raptors celebrated one of their most important wins in the season.
Along with the loss of the 2024 seniors, the raptors also lost their kicker, but no need to worry as two seniors from the soccer team have risen to the challenge. Encompassing flexibility, Zeke Leighhton and Eddie Blanco play both fútbol and football.
Balancing school, soccer, and football all in the same week is no easy task–it is both impressive and exhausting. When asked about what he has learned from taking on the role of a kicker, Zeke Leighton shared his thoughts. “Kicking has the same fundamentals as soccer, but I would say the intensity and the family bond the football team has is something that I definitely want to bring back to the soccer pitch.” Whether playing soccer or football, these two seniors have brought an important and lasting impact on our football program.
Now, the football team is looking forward, with their eyes on a state championship. With the regular-season over the Raptors have clinched a playoff spot and are entering as the number 3 seed this year.
They’re walking in with a chip on their shoulder after losing to Glacier in the semifinals the past two years. However, they are determined to change the narrative and come home with some hardware to show off their hard work.
