Chopping into the postseason with an 8-2 record on the year, Warrior football looks to further victories after a dominating win against rival Saint Vincent-Saint Mary (41-14) this past Friday night at home. They continue down the warpath at home in the first round of playoffs against Maple Heights tonight.

The excitement is palpable in the student section at Conway Memorial Stadium as each win riles up fans under the bright stadium lights. Themed nights, student chants, powder clouds, and a vibrant energy fills the stands and spills onto the field.

“I am very excited to get the school spirit up for the playoffs from the student section. We need the WJ community more connected energized than ever right now for the football team,” super-fan Elie-El Richani excitedly shared.

Behind the scenes and before a cleat ever hits the field on nights like tonight, countless hours of strategy, practice, and hard work go into each game. “It starts with having a great Monday, and then a great week of practice each day,” Head Coach Nick Alexander says.

Preparations for games extend well beyond the practice field and into the weight room where the team has a regimented course of training under the watchful eye of Strength Coach Matt Redmond.

“It’s not just an improvement thing—it’s a stay the course, keep the grind, and continue to bang out these workouts and get where we need to go,” Coach Redmond shared. The team has had a consistent play style throughout the year to bring them to this postseason spot. “The numbers speak for themselves. We are where we need to be right now,” Redmond continued.

The team is meticulous at tracking in the weight room. Making sure nobody is losing weight and that everyone is gaining strength as the season progresses for both the coaching staff and the players.

“Once we get our chemistry down, no one in the state can stop us. Team meals, Saturday morning dance-type training sessions, and the inspiration of our coaches is how we build this bond together” senior defensive tackle  Hunter Knauf said. “Without great coaches like Coach Keough and all the others who are so invested in the program, I don’t think I would have the motivation to even play football anymore,” Hunter continued.

Team captains Ryan Kerscher, Don Bernard, Josh Grogan and Brock Sherman also provide motivation and lessons from their experiences on the field. This wisdom comes from both wins and some tough losses.

“One of our toughest losses this season was against Hoban. They kept running the clock out on us and we just ended up with less points on the board at the end of the fourth. We were two well matched teams, but we just came up short in the end. From there we get up again and get ready for next week,” quarter back Ryan Kerscher reflected.

Losing to Hoban, who is going into the playoffs undefeated this season, was just one setback for the Warriors as they move into the playoffs this season with the same 8-2 record as last year.

“I feel confident going into the playoffs because of all the hard work the guys put in day in and day out, I think we just need to build on the sideline enthusiasm and clean up the little mistakes like ball security and missed tackles,” senior kicker Cooper Kirda said.

Tonight’s game has the momentum of a great season behind it, “but Maple Heights is going to be a tough team to beat as we keep on the path to states, which we totally are going to do” junior defensive end David Hawersaat confidently shared.