Excited fans rushed to McLean High School on Friday, Aug. 29, excited to cheer on the Highlanders in their first game of the season, hoping the storms from the early afternoon would clear out. Fans endured the chaos of thunder, lightning and paint hoping the game wouldn’t be postponed. Unfortunately, due to a severe weather watch until 9 p.m., the decision was made to reschedule the game to 3 p.m. the following day.
Even after this disappointment, students, family and staff still showed out the next day to support their football team. Despite slightly reduced numbers, the energy was high, with fans repping their paint-splattered shirts from the night before. Everyone, including the team, was excited for the football season to begin.
“We’re looking for a great game,” head coach Joe Cockerham said. “We have a lot of guys that have a lot of experience, and we plan on getting fueled by the fans throughout the game.”
As the Highlanders stormed out to the thunderous cheering and music, gray skies greeted the fans. However, they did not allow the bleak weather to stop them, and after halting a relentless smashmouth drive from the Mustangs, the offense took the field. The game was slow, but after a grueling series, a tantalizing placed punt by senior kicker Nathan Bender sent the ball to the three-yard line.
The Highlanders quickly got the ball back, however, they were unable to do much of anything with the ball. An interception on the goal line by Meridian ended a promising McLean drive. Back-and-forth play led to a stalemate, the quarter ending at 0-0.
The second quarter began, and the monotony broke as senior wide receiver Sebastian Carmanentes took a short pass 55 yards to the endzone. Bender punched in the extra point, and the score was 7-0.
On the next series of runs, the Mustangs scored, and an onside kick left the Highlanders reeling, fumbling the ball right back to Meridian. The Highlanders desperately needed momentum.
A long run by senior running back Noah Jander led to a massive touchdown, the Highlanders now leading 14-7. With four seconds left in the half, Meridian missed a field goal attempt wide, the score remaining with the Highlanders in the lead at halftime.
As soon as the game resumed, the crowd was screaming, and the team was focused. A big drive resulted in two end zone shots from junior quarterback Christian McNeill to Carmanentes. One was dropped and the other resulted in pass interference, ramping up the nerves of the crowd. The palpable tension was cleared when senior wide receiver Ben Irish scored McLean’s third touchdown, putting the Highlanders up yet another score, albeit with a missed extra point, leaving the score 20-7.
The Highlander defense continued to stand up to the rushing offense of the Mustangs, forcing punts left and right. The Mustang secondary continued to cause costly penalties, shoving McLean’s receivers. With their secondary forced out of rhythm, Jander took advantage, taking the ball 40 yards into the end zone, breaking tackles all along the way, scoring his second touchdown of the afternoon.
Special teams were a struggle for the Highlanders, with another extra point being blocked. This seemed to give some encouragement to the Mustang offense, and a long reception set up the Mustangs inside the five-yard line. A dive into the endzone made the score 26-13.
The Highlander offense took the field in full force, putting themselves past the 50-yard line in just two plays. A long run from McNeill led to a 1st down, but the Highlanders were forced back after a personal foul. The fans were on their toes, waiting for an exciting moment late in the game. A subsequent 1st-and-25 seemed like a no-win situation, but McNeill aired it out and Carmanentes appeared wide open in the end zone to put the Highlanders up 33-13, the fans cheering through all of it.
The game was by all means over, but the Highlanders needed to close the curtains. Senior linebacker Carter Brown, a wrecking ball all game, took the initiative, sacking the Meridian quarterback and forcing them back. The Highlander defense stood strong, holding Meridian’s offense back and forcing a fourth down incompletion, recovering it inside their five-yard line to effectively end the game, 33-13.
“First and foremost, these guys have put the work in,” offensive coordinator Damen Hart said. “It’s a deserved win that shows that when things are close, and things aren’t exactly going well for us in the beginning, we can support each other and execute.”
Next week, the Highlanders will head to Lewis High School on Friday to continue a strong start to the season.
“A lot of teams last year said that [our success] was a fluke,” senior defensive lineman Will Lewey said. “Starting right is a big step in the right direction, and it feels great to prove them wrong.”
