Football Puts on a Show in Home Opener

Red signs and jerseys dotted the field this Saturday at Big Red Football’s first game of the season. Coming off three weeks of hard preparation, the team looked determined to grab a win over Worcester Academy, starting off hot with a 14-point lead in the first quarter. However, Worcester rallied a comeback, overtaking Exeter 42-34. Yet the players showed great improvement and potential, especially after the 34-0 loss Exeter suffered last year to the same team.

Senior JT Thompson described it as “one of the best games [he has] been part of” in his four years at Exeter. He explained some of the positives from the match.

“We came out hard to start the game and just fell short in the end,” he said. “Although we didn't come out with a win, there were a lot of positives from the game that we can build upon. We really balanced our attack this week and took what they gave us. There were significant contributions from a lot of guys.”

“The wins will come, I'm not worried about that. We just need to focus on getting better everyday.”

Indeed, many players on the team took the game as an opportunity to highlight their skills and talents, performing especially well for the match. The biggest contribution seemed to come from the offensive line, who blocked two punts in the first quarter to help Exeter take the lead.

According to lower Jack Farrell, the team’s offense also looked particularly good, with the new post-graduate quarterback Pete Cahill doing a great job “extending plays and making nice throws;” senior Billy Baker, a tight end, and Thompson, a wide receiver, “played very well down the stretch.”

Yet, despite the positives, one of the problems the team encountered was getting too comfortable. According to senior Jeff MacArthur, after a great start, the team relaxed, causing players to lose focus and eventually “letting the game slip.” Still, he was proud of the team for sticking through the whole game and taking the loss well.

“I’m proud of the way we fought in the fourth quarter and the way we swallowed a tough loss,” MacArthur said. “We know that would could have beaten that team and we had the tools to do so. I'm hoping the guys can take this loss as motivation for the next seven games.”

The team has a lot to improve if they hope to beat Choate, the defending New England champions, in an away game next Saturday. Thompson said the team will focus on avoiding careless mistakes with special teams as well as on holding strong field position. “As always, we will work this week to tighten our defense, trust one another and get firing on all cylinders on offense,” MacArthur said.

Farrell said that after the tough week of practices the team has worked through this week, they should be ready to play Choate when the weekend comes around.

MacArthur agreed, saying that “the wins will come” as long as the team remains focused on improving daily. “We have a lot of wins ahead of us,” he said. “We came out Tuesday ready for a hard week of practice and feel prepared for a tough game against Choate this Saturday. The wins will come, I'm not worried about that. We just need to focus on getting better everyday.”