Football changes culture for winning season
Senior captain Billy Polymeros (left) catches the ball in a game against Marlborough which the T-hawks lost 14-29 on September 18.
December 8, 2015
The football team continues to change school culture with increased success of two straight winning seasons.
The football team has clinched their second straight winning season, the first time the team has had back-to-back winning seasons since 1986 and 1987, as a result of the new culture surrounding the program.
Few thought the football team could turn around so quickly, but head coach and social studies teacher Justin McKay knew a change was needed following the 2013 season.
“I think one of the biggest things is the commitment to kids wanting to be involved in football and understanding what it takes to be very successful,” McKay said. “Football is not a simple sport to play and we have to understand what it takes.”
It was clear to the players that this was a new program, and the seniors felt a huge difference from when they first joined the team.
“Everyone is coming to lifting and working hard,” senior captain Tom Polutchko said. “They aren’t giving up when something goes wrong and the kids are really invested and they want to see it [the football program] succeed.”
Some think that the mindsets of players from the past compared to now have drastically changed.
“We had the biggest [offensive and defensive] line, but they didn’t really put the work in when they needed to,” senior captain Billy Polymeros said. “Now we are in the weight room four times a week, running and conditioning over the summer, and just getting ready for Friday nights.”
Many agree that this change in work ethic has truly helped the team succeed for the last two years.
“Part of it is a mindset,” Polymeros said. “No one really complains about practice and how much work we do. We had some of that last year, so it’s nice not to have that on the field or in the locker room.”
“When everyone works hard, you get better as a player and as a team, so that really helped on the field,” Polutchko said.
While many credit the players for the team’s turnaround, the team’s captains believe it was all because of coach McKay.
“If you’re gonna put it on somebody’s shoulders it has to be coach McKay’s,” senior captain Brendan Earley said. “He came in here four years ago and walked into a bit of a disaster. He pulled in the guys he needed and built a staff around him and to win Metrowest Coach of the Year just shows how good of a job he’s done for us.”
Now many of the players believe that this is no fluke and that the team can continue its success.
“People know we broke that down period in the history of our program and I hope that’s what our team’s legacy goes down as: the team that turned this program around,” Earley said. “I think that’s credit to the rest of our team because that’s the legacy we wanted to leave and hopefully that motivates everyone going down the line.”
“We are able to show how football can be fun while still putting in a ton of effort,” McKay said.
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