On Saturday, Sept. 7, the McNicholas Varsity Football Team competed against Oakridge Secondary School at Penn Station Stadium, winning with a score of 66-0. Oakridge traveled 388 miles from Ontario, Canada to play the McNicholas Rockets.
Since there are eight teams in McNicholas’ league, seven games are automatically scheduled. However, it is the school’s responsibility to find three non-league teams to play.
Athletic Director Rob Heise reached out to Oakridge’s head coach, Mike Darling, through the Ohio High School Athletic Association. “[Oakridge] wanted to experience American football and what it means to us, plus there’s the cultural piece of seeing another country,” Heise said.
Coach Mike Orlando believes that this win was just what his team needed to gain confidence. “Coming off a loss, we were eager to get back out there, no matter where the team was from,” Orlando said.
Captain Daniel Sandmann is proud of the team’s accomplishment. “I motivated my team by setting an example of working hard at practice and not taking plays off,” Sandmann said. “I told the team that we had worked too hard and too long to not go out and get a victory.”
The Varsity Football Team plays Wyoming on Sept. 12 at Wyoming.
The McNicholas Milestone 