Nearing the end of the season, the KO Boys Football team has shown exceptional growth in their season with a record of 2-4. Led by Head Coach Brandon Batory and senior captains quarterback Nate Bowes and lineman Chief Ebana, the football team has shown spirit in the face of adversity. “We’ve fought in every single game we’ve been very, very competitive,” Coach Batory said.
During practices, the team has been focusing on preparing for games with specific plays and strategies based on the upcoming opponent in order to be ready. “A lot of what we do in rep each and every week is very individual to who we’re playing each and every week,” Coach Batory said. “The defense changes slightly, and the offense changes slightly. And so those are the kind of things that we really key on.”
The team recently fell to a strong St. Paul’s School team, 41-8, on Saturday, Oct. 21. St. Paul’s was able to capitalize on their first five possessions of the game, however the Wyverns continued to bring the intensity. They had a few attempts offensively, but were met with powerful defense.
The team additionally struggled with turnovers and went into halftime, losing 41-0. The team, however, was able to keep St. Paul’s scoreless for the entirety of the second half. Some standout players during the game were Ebana with six tackles and senior wide receiver Rhandyn Bair with the sole touchdown. Despite the score, the Wyverns put in a significant effort.
Coach Batory highlighted the main goal of the season, which was to finish on a positive note. “We’re hoping that we can take care of business and finish the season,” Coach Batory said. Luckily, the team is close to achieving this goal, with a recent win, 41-24, against Albany Academies under their belt. This game displayed the Wyverns ability to push forward despite facing challenging losses. “I think we’ve had some really great practice players and guys that are really hard-working,” Coach Batory said.
Something that the team needs to work on is the execution of their plays. In particular, they have been mimicking third or fourth down plays, which are the most crucial moments in a football game. Lately the team has been doing something called “perfect plays” at the end of every practice, where they are pushed to perfect these plays after a tiring practice. “We’re pushing through and doing plays that have to be perfect, because you can’t screw up in these kinds of big moments.” Coach Batory said.
The team is looking to finish the season strong with only one game remaining against New Hampton School on Saturday, Nov. 11.
