The Lane Tech Football Team’s season was cut short after losing to Solorio 40-12 on Friday, Oct. 21. The journey throughout the team’s 4-5-0 season was bumpy, but a lot of good things resulted from it as in lessons on making the best out of a season.

Coming out of a tough start, with only one win in the first five games, the odds were against the team. But the season was not over and began to look up for the players and coaches after a 54-20 win against Dunbar on Thursday, Sept. 29. This was the turning point and start of a winning streak and confidence boost for Lane’s varsity football team. It taught the players hard work pays off even if they did not make it as far as they might have wanted.  

The team struggled and lost early in the season against teams like Simeon, Niles West and Curie, who are known to be strong teams, according to Mr. Gyomory, assistant varsity coach and math teacher.

“The first four losses were very lopsided,” he said. “We weren’t very competitive, and a lot had to do with us playing down, knowing these teams were very good.”

Players also gave factors to why the team did not start the season ideally.

“Ever since the beginning of the season … we have had problems with players being late and getting suspended or kicked out for dumb stuff,” David Rodriguez, Div. 857, said. “So we have always had struggles with adversity. Now we are complete and plan on keeping it that way.”

While these losses highlight dark times for the team, their most popular loss seemed to have the biggest toll on the team. Losing to Curie 47-0 on the school’s homecoming game, Sept. 26., resulted in school-wide disappointment and frustration.  

But the effects were not all negative. After this game, motivation struck the whole team.

“After that game there was a different tone — they were invested, they were into it,” Gyomory said.

Players on the team also noticed a change. “Practice the week after Homecoming was a lot better,” Rodriguez said. The team was tired of losing, and the Homecoming loss didn’t put them down but helped them.

This led to a big win against Dunbar that kept Lane alive.

“With a couple more wins we’re looking at a possible state playoffs so we’re still in the mix,” said Gyomory, at the time. The team began coming back hard and Lane Tech football was showing that the season can come out positively.

The next two games, which were against Whitney Young on Oct. 7, and North Lawndale on Oct. 14, were victories.

After these victories, junior linebacker Tyreye Morris, Div. 853, saw improvement. “After the last couple of games I feel that the team finally started working better together and playing more aggressive,” Morris said. “After homecoming there have been many changes to the team as me and other players have gotten injured. And the team just kept grinding finding a way to make things work on the field. Also with our season in jeopardy we knew we had to make a run in order to not only secure a spot in the playoffs but to secure third in our conference. So many players have played like each game could be their last.”

The season was ultimately not ideal, but the team learned a lot about themselves and how to work together. The juniors on the team plan on making the difference next year.

“We’re not done yet. We’re gonna keep going harder” Rodriguez said.

They couldn’t win them all but with the change in the team after homecoming, the players made the best of the remainder of the season even if luck was not on their side on week nine.