Here at WHHS, sports are a big part of many students’ daily lives. One sport that is widely supported through the whole school is football. With the work they put in through practice and balancing school activities and football, a lot of perseverance is needed.

Xavier Wiles, ‘24, is playing his first year on the team as a free safety. Wiles says that he cannot get down about a bad game or play because he knows he can do better and he pushes himself until he is  the best he can be. Wiles acknowledges that in order to do great on the field he must work hard. “I would say the hardest part is conditioning but I know it will help me in the long run so I just keep going,” says Wiles.

Others, such as Jacob Gillotti, ‘25, have to work extra hard to claim a spot on the field. “The hardest part of being on the team is that it is a combined team and I am in seventh grade so I have to block people twice as big as me but sometimes I get help from eighth graders so that is easy and helps” Gillotti said. Gillotti hopes to succeed in football and hopes to go on as far as the NFL.

With all the hard work and effort put into making the team great, school still has an important role in all the players’ lives. Players such as TJ Nelson, ‘24, are working hard to maintain good grades and a spot on the field. “I have to make sure I keep up with all my work and whenever I have free time whether it’s like study hall or in the car I need to make sure that I am doing work or something productive” Nelson said. Nelson would like to keep working hard and get as far as he can in the sport.

With all of that, the junior high football team knows that hard work will pay off and the players know that those rules do not just apply on the field but also in the classroom. For more information about practices, games or the team in general, visit http://www.walnuthillseagles.com/athletics/staff.aspx?s=11.