After last Saturday’s heartbreaking loss against Bethel College, the Gustavus Football team is recharged and eager to finish out the season with two big wins. The Gusties have gone through a lot of changes this year.
“We have learned a lot this year. Having new coaches and new plays assigned to the offense was a struggle. However, we have done a good job at overcoming those adversities,” Sophomore wide receiver Elliot Herdina said.
The team agreed that the defense had their best game of the year against Bethel College. Senior Captain Jordan Becker felt that it was disappointing that the offense could not execute any plays during the game. “Defensively against Bethel we were without a doubt amazing, but offensively I would say we struggled. We couldn’t seem to execute any plays and forced a lot of turnovers that were not in our favor, which is really frustrating when you’re trying to end the season strong,” Becker said.
The Gusties record of 3-5 certainly does not reflect the heart this team has for the game and they have not let it affect their competitive spirit. Senior Captain Joe Welch is confident to say that no one is giving up yet. “Now it is more important than ever to finish strong and go out on a high note. No one is going home yet,” Welch said.
Junior linebacker Zach Lundquist agreed with Welch. “Our record does not exemplify the heart that this team has. Everyone here is in this for the long haul,” Lundquist said.
The last home game for Gustavus is Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m. against St. Olaf College. The team feels it will be ready and that it should be a competitive game. “We will definitely be prepared for St. Olaf. However, you can only prepare so much, and when the week is over and you’ve done all you can do, it comes down to putting it all together in the game,” Junior linebacker Paul Stommes said.
Despite their record, the Gusties have dealt with bigger challenges on their team. The new coaching staff has been a major adjustment for the offense. They have been adjusting to new plays and a new style that the upperclassmen were not used to. “The new coaches have not been as much of a challenge as the plays have been and adjusting to a new system definitely took some time,” Herdina said.
The team has also struggled with achieving some of the team goals they set at the beginning of the season. Some say they set their goals too high or that they over estimated themselves. However, Stommes felt differently. “We go out with goals, and if we come up short, that’s life. We’re going to pick up and improve until we meet those goals,” Stommes said.
Nevertheless, the team achieved some of its goals this season, and because of that it has developed a strong chemistry both on and off the field. Senior Captain Cameron Maurer was particularly pleased with the way the team has developed this year. “Not every game will go our way, but somehow we are able to stay focused to the end of each game. This team has a lot of heart, [and] no one is giving up yet,” Maurer said.
Having a lot of heart is not the only thing the team has to show for this season. Becker felt that the players do not give themselves enough credit for what they have accomplished. “Because we set our standards so high at the beginning of the year, to not accomplish them is a huge let down. So whenever we accomplish something like our defense having an amazing game, it’s viewed as something to be expected instead of an accomplishment,” Becker said.
The Gusties are determined to not let a couple of frustrating games get to them. Having two more years in front of him, Herdina is especially focused on the next two games to finish out the season strong. “Next year we will have some big shoes to fill with all of the graduating seniors. Everyone will have to step up. But right now that is not really anyone’s concern. We are all focused on finishing the season even,” Herdina said.
Welch is also focused on the present and is excited for the next two games. “We’re just taking it one game at a time. No one talks about next year. We’re all living in the moment right now,” Welch said.
The Gusties next game is at home at Hollingsworth Field on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m. against St. Olaf College.