The football team this season dropped to a 1A classification. 

“Football is classified every two years: they go by grades (freshmen, sophomores, and juniors),” head coach Matt Biehler said. “Last year when those grades were added together, we were just two students below 2A, so that made us the second largest 1A school.” 

They now have to play against new teams that are also of 1A classification.

 “It’s been very different playing new teams and all the travel. Also, it’s exciting because these new teams haven’t seen our style of play,” Coach Beihler said. 

Some members of the team said the competition has not been up to what they are used to. Others have said the new teams are easier to play against than the past teams.

“The district we’ve had this year hasn’t been as competitive as the districts we’ve had other years,” senior Jonathan Wright said.

Others enjoy the new opponents and the new struggles to learn more about their way of playing. They are playing against completely different teams with different skill sets and methods of playing.

“It’s been good not playing against the same kids since middle school,” senior Heath Hilger said, “but at the same time we don’t know much about who we’re playing.” 

Despite the different preparation required, team members said their goals to work hard and improve remain the same..

“(I) feel like no matter what classification we get, we’re gonna go out and compete and get better,” Hilger said.

The team plays Plainville for Regionals Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.