On Thursday night, August 24, the SaberCats traveled to Windsor High School where they scrimmaged the Wizards in an exhibition game before the start of the 2017-18 season. The Cats took a 7-28 loss, but used the scrimmage as a learning opportunity instead of dwelling on the unfavorable outcome.

The atmosphere of the stadium was almost enigmatic; the students in the crowd were wondering whether or not their respected team would perform well, the parents were on the edges of the bleachers concerned about the possibility of their child getting one of those awful first-game injuries, while also encapsulated in conversations with fellow parents they hadn’t seen since last season. The air was static and dynamic all at the same time. Senior and captain Nathan Meyer mentioned in an interview, “I felt like our team was just ready to go hit someone else. We got to the point where we were all just counting down the minutes until we could take the field.”

Windsor had possession of the ball to start the game, and after a few drives they were in Fossil’s red zone. However, Fossil’s defensive line stopped the Wizards in their tracks, which showed promise for the upcoming season after losing defensive beasts Brady Russel, and Nick Edridge last year.  

After Windsor scored the first touchdown, possession went back and forth between the teams during the first quarter. It seemed as though the SaberCats were on defense for the better part of the scrimmage, which isn’t surprising due to the offensive talent Windsor has. Windsor Head Coach, Chris Jones, has led the team to two State Championships, once in 2015 and the other in 2011, validating the depth and talent his program has always had.

Following the game Meyer commented, “I think we started to figure out our identity during the scrimmage. We now know how we are going to play and what it will take for us be successful. A couple of our goals this year are to have the closest locker room in the state and to be able to handle adversity. If we can focus on those two things, I believe we can be the best team in school history.”

In the first three weeks of league play, Fossil will face rivals Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain, and Poudre High School, all of whom are known to have powerhouse offenses. Senior and captain Riley Jones commented, “I thought the team played very well Thursday night, when adversity hit we responded positively. We were better conditioned than they were thanks to Coach Bigs, but we do have a handful of things to work on this week before league starts.”

This team is very optimistic about what they can achieve this fall, and it all begins in six days. Jones said, “We are all very excited about the game next week! We can’t wait to be under the lights playing the game we all love.” Come out and support your boys as they kickoff the season on Friday, September 1, at 7:00 P.M. on French Field against rival Fort Collins.