JV Football Gets Flagged a Loss

BRYAN ALBARRAN STAFF WRITTER
Montebello High School, home to the Oilers and the scene of the JV football team’s first loss of the season on Oct. 6, 2017.
Currently, the JV boys have a season record of 4-1. Based on this record, the team has proved to be doing very well in their games. Regardless of their successful season record, the boys have shown some disappointment in their recent game against Montebello. The game was very close but ended in a score of score of 14-12; many complaints about referee call and other things were amid the game.
According to multiple responses from the players, the referee made multiple bad calls. The calls had occurred to both teams but many of these calls were thought to be false. The most common call made throughout the game was a pass interference even when the ball was dropped because of the receiver. Along with the calls, the turf that the boys played on was very unfamiliar, in the sense that it was hard to run on and slippery. Aside from those two factors, many athletes believe that their team’s attainment was to blame.
“I think we lost because we didn’t believe in ourselves and we weren’t executing very well and blamed each other the entire game,” JV player Jacob Nieto said.
Outside of the their competition, the players all feel pretty good about their season this year. The team appears to be very well-knitted together. In and out of practice, the team continues to improve and play harder. The practices have been carried out since the spring of last year and for many, practice is very fun and is enjoyed very much.
“JV doesn’t get as many [practices] as the Varsity team but I mean it’s good and we learn more from it,” player John Ortega said.
In team sports, it is always expected for the team to come together and work as if they are one single organism. The athletes all contribute their own personal skills in order to make the team stronger. Aside from the practices and the bonding, the mental health of the team is where the strength comes from. It is the athlete’s individual responsibility to improve and perform the best they could by setting goals or by reaching expectations. On the football team, it is very common for many of the athletes to have personal aspirations and team expectations. Besides striving for league champions and more wins, many players just really want to perform their best on the field.
“The goal for the team is to win the rest of our games and win league this year,” Player Jacob Nieto said, “For my personal one, I just want to be able to play at the best of my ability and to have faith in god.”
Expectations for the following next games are high for the team but the stress that is given off by spectators should not be taken seriously. In the athletic world, whether a team loses, wins or ties a match, it is safe to say that any athlete tried their best. The teams will learn from their mistakes and improve those mistakes in order to be ready for their next game. The team continues to practice at the school daily and the coaches plan to end the practices around the time the season ends.
The JV football team’s next game will be a home game on Oct. 19 against Bell Gardens High School at 7:00 p.m.