KITCHEN ROOM –
Tuesday was a good day for the football players at Jacob Hespeler High School in Cambridge.
The Hawks won junior and senior titles at the Waterloo County High School Athletics Association (WCSSAA) championships.
“We all come back for that one thing: soccer,” Dylan Gillespie said. “We wanted to play football, we wanted to win it for our team.”
The 2020 football season was canceled due to the pandemic, so for Gillespie, who is in his final year, the victory was especially sweet.
“That year it really hurt us,” he said. “We all wanted to play that extra year, but we are glad we did this year.”
“The kids need this, this is fun,” added head coach Greg White. “That was the message last night before the game. Let’s go out and have fun.”
The senior team won 49-14 against Bluevale Collegiate Institute, while the junior team beat Grand River Collegiate Institute 39-7.
“I think we earned it, we all worked hard and practiced all season long,” player Kenyan Dalton said.
“I was pretty confident in this team,” player Julian McKay said. “We were pretty good together and he was very proud of what we did.”
McKay stepped out onto the snow-covered field with the loudest cheers. The ninth grader started the season as the team manager.
“I did that at first, but I realized that I wanted to play with my teammates,” he explained.
“I’m excited that we could finish the season after everything that was going on,” said head coach Mark Paddock. “We have a great group of children. I am very happy that they enjoy it.”
Jacob Hespeler’s students said that the return of soccer was important not only for those who play, but also for the school community at large.
“It’s been electrifying,” said student Daniel Hancock. “The atmosphere that has adapted to this game has been crazy. Everyone wanted to come here and cheer on the team.”
“In every game we’ve had, more and more fans come out,” player Chase Judge said. “It’s a good community overall.”
A community that is now celebrating two great victories in the WCSSAA championship.
Reference-kitchener.ctvnews.ca