By Spencer Bodow
Choosing to go out every week and sacrifice your body by crashing into other people is not a great choice for one’s health. But there’s something about it that makes the Tempe Prep football team excited. It’s the pure adrenaline, the competition, and the brotherhood that comes along every fall that makes twenty or so guys put their bodies on the line.
This fall saw many differences from past years for TPA football, but that football spirit hasn’t changed. The team went out and had their first winning season since 2017, finishing with a record of 4-2 and placing second in the East region. This secured them a spot in the state tournament against the West region champs, Bagdad. It would be the biggest challenge of the Knights’ season as they were without quarterback Diego Foster, suffering from a broken ankle. “I really wish I could be out there for this game,” Foster says. He knows how important this game is and doesn’t want to be a spectator.
But that’s all he could do, watch and cheer, as the Knights took the field on a chilly Friday night in Bagdad. Foster watched as his backup Hayden Sampson led the team to two touchdowns in the first 12 minutes. And although the offense was holding its own, the defense seemed a little overpowered by Bagdad who put up 30 points in those same 12 minutes. The Knights were only able to find the end zone once more in the game as their season came to an end.
It’s always a crushing feeling for seniors when they play their last high school game, and these seniors felt it. “It’s tough not knowing if you’re ever going to put the pads on again,” says Senior Thomas Holmes. “But at least I was able to do it with these guys.”
It is never easy to go out on a loss, but it was definitely a successful year for TPA football. Thanks to the seniors, there was a brotherhood and a winning culture that was created. And although the seniors are leaving, that won’t take away what they created. The juniors will carry the torch next season and hope to add onto what has been built.
