Many people on the football team are aware of their record but are committed to improving their skills. Cam, Chase, Brady, Will and Adein all shared about their leadership positions that football provided for them. This Fall, they sat down with
The Ville answering questions about how the team has been and about their personal lives.
1.How do you feel football is going so far for you personally and as a team?
Cam Finney (12) said, “Personally I feel like it’s going great. They’ve been working hard and praying on and off the field. He says even though there’s been big ups and downs having challenges like staying together as a team when it’s hard it’s been going good as an overall.”
Chase Browning (11) said that he’s improving his movements with his team which has been exciting and feels he’s making good friends, bonding with his teammates, and getting to know them outside of the team.
Brady Bell (10) feels like he stepped up into a bigger role and had to learn and adjust too. He said, “It’s been a lot of fun going out there and competing, making plays. I think our offensive plays have improved especially during these weeks regardless of the outcomes of the games but overall it’s been rewarding”.
2.How do you think you’ve improved during the season and what do you need to work on?
Adien Venne (12) feels he’s been improving as an individual already and explained he needed to work on setting a higher bar for himself, exceeding the standards he had last year to continue to grow and have progression.
Will Van Vorst (11) played “corner” last year and soon transitioned to “free safety” because of this he’s been learning new moves and new calls. He expresses it’s going great so far and he really enjoys his new position. He needs to improve his “eyes on the defense” especially while calling out plays because he always wants to improve his part on defense.
Browning feels like he needs to improve on scoring touchdowns and said, “we haven’t reached our full potential” He sheds light on their hard work and is well aware that he, as well as his offensive line needs more work. Browning said that before he was on varsity, during the summer, he was going to every single off season practice to prove his dedication and desire for this sport which soon paid off because he started as a varsity QB as a junior!
3. What do you appreciate about the student section and what do they do that improve the energy for your team?
Van Vorst and Bell have loved and appreciated every time the student section have shown up to support them, even through the ups and downs. Will said, “I like the energy they give out to us, the positive atmosphere at the games and overall it’s nice to see people who support us.”
Coach Stephenson said this year’s students section has been the best since he’s come to RAHS. They’re learning how to cheer when the team is down, and even staying in the rain and other terrible conditions. Coach Stephenson has seen the growth of the team this year on the field and off the field.
4. What are things as a team you’re focusing on to improve in general ?
Finney described what he and his teammates do each day to show improvement, such as better techniques on the ball and off the court. Finney said, “We talk about doing 1% better everyday, having the right guys come on varsity and compete everyday has been phenomenal. Some of my teammates have been able to experience their first snap on varsity and it’s been going great so far, right now we need it all to come together now”.
Venne said they’re focusing on being good people in general and people in the community by volunteering and going out to different centers offering help and guidance towards the younger generation.
All the boys agreed on improving their focus by doing the little things right, focusing on the game mentally and staying disciplined. Because they’ve all been practicing this they hope to be playing their best while also improving their execution these next games.
5. How has football been implemented into your life?
Van Vorst said, “I’ve been taking leadership roles in my home and growing up in general. I’ve been encouraging other people such as my teammates on and off the field and we also do a lot of community fairs, lead by example and help other people because we really do care for our community” Venne explains the positive attributes football has had on his life and to other people.
Browning talked about commitment to other things such as hobbies in his life. Football was a way for him to find purpose in something he truly loved and go all in with it. Football has helped him improve on becoming a better person, a harder worker, and overall the best version of himself.
6. What are your goals for the last 5 games of the season?
Venne reveals his desire to win the last 5 games in the season. Competing in the whole game, especially 4th quarter would really mean a lot to him and his teammates. He explained wanting to “leave everything on the field” and continue to strive towards potentially going into finals for football because that’s been a big goal for the coaches and the team.
7. What are you most proud of this football season?
Browning is most proud of his offensive line for putting in the work by protecting him so he could further do his job. He expressed they’ve been playing better every week due to us almost winning our last game against Eastview high school.
Finney is most proud of the work they’ve been putting in because it’s really starting to show in the community and on the field so he’s excited for these last games to show what they’ve been working on.
Coach Stephenson said, “I’ve seen countless growth moments on the field and off the field. I’m so deeply proud of every single guy on this team and what they’ve done to contribute. Overall the guys are coming closer together and learning how to compete all 4 quarters and strive till the end”.
