Football Cut Out by Choate

Big Red Takes a Hit After First Win in Two Years

After a victory against Worcester Academy, the varsity football team lost 7–14 in a close game against Choate Rosemary Hall on Sep. 28. The match was tied until the second half of the game—only one touchdown determined the victor.

Choate’s Wild Boars have historically been one of the most successful teams in the league and are currently ranked first in Central New England. Before the first game of the season, Choate had a winning streak of three years.

Going in, Big Red expected a challenge. “We knew … that the game had high stake,” senior and captain Gannon McCorckle said. “This team has lost one game in the past six years, so it was our chance to see how we paired up against one of the best football teams in New England.”

Team members felt that, despite the loss, the game was hard-fought. “They are a very talented team and we played toe to toe with them the whole game,” upper Ryan Pettit said. “Our team played a very strong passing and run game. We just need to clean up some things and we’ll be ready to compete and beat the next teams.” Pettit pointed to improved plays and reducing minor mistakes as potential areas to work on.

Coach Bill Glennon stressed the collaborative nature of the game. “It was a great team effort from practice all week until the final whistle with a chance to win it at the end … No real disappointments except the final score, but again we were in it at the end,” he said. “Everyone contributed, from the starters to those that played on special teams to the excitement by those on the sidelines. Too many excellent performances by all to single out just a few!”

McCorckle agreed that the game was a toss-up. “Both their touchdowns were off mistakes that shouldn’t have happened, but, when you are playing a team that good, they have a way of capitalizing,” he said.

However, he also noted that the team was in a good position for a comeback when the game ended. “We had the ball with thirty seconds left, and our player caught the ball for the first down on their three yard line, but the referee missed the call, and the game was over like that,” he said. “I don’t know if we would have won after that, but we deserved a shot we didn’t get. But, hey, that’s the game.”

Other team members expressed regrets as well. “We could have done a lot better. There were some players who weren’t staying with their blocks, and that allowed some Choate defensive players to tackle our backers,” senior Deniz Akman said. “If we had held them back, we could have scored more touchdowns.”

Still, Exeter’s performance was remarkable against such a strong team. “After being outscored … the last two years before this year, the close … game definitely represented the amount of improvement the program’s experienced this year,” upper Hugh McLaughlin said. “Although it was not the result we wanted, it was definitely a good feeling for the team to know we’re headed in the right direction.”

McCorckle felt that it would be best to look ahead. “We need to move forward. We played a good team very well, but we can not be satisfied,” he said. “We have a big home game this Saturday against Loomis, and we need to stay hungry.”

Akman looks forward to working on the technical aspects of the game. “We just need to practice our base techniques. We need to practice what we started doing on day one—getting our footwork and our handwork on point,” he said. “That comes a long way in the game, much more than most realize.”

Glennon felt that keeping morale high was important. “Keeping up the great work ethic to improve every practice and continue to perform as a team [is something to work on],” he said. “[I want] everyone [to] continue to do their job and keep up the great positive attitude as a team!”

The team continues to practice for its next game, which will be held on campus on Oct. 5 against Loomis Chaffee School.