This is a new series of stories called Senior Season about the senior athletes at Fossil Ridge, highlighting their achievements and hard work. Not all seniors are listed but keep an eye out as they continue to be added, my goal is to have the whole team done throughout their season. Enjoy reading about the different sports and acknowledging them! Up first… football.
“[Football is] harder than I thought it would be,” Max Buffington says. Yet despite this statement, he is already a starter even though it is only Buffington’s first year on the football field, making a name for himself in now a second Varsity sport. His name might be recognized due to his incredible talent on the wrestling mat, but now he is already making himself known in Varsity football as a safety. “I have been learning a lot, but I have a lot to learn,” Buffington explains. It is very easy to underestimate the amount of work these players put into their craft but especially in his first year Buffington has needed to learn multiple plays and adjust to three-hour practices. It is not in his plans to continue after this year so make sure to watch him as a starter while you can.
This season keep an eye out for Ryan Lautzenhiser on the field as he takes it on as a starter, his first year getting valuable varsity reps. Ever since first grade flag-football, Lautzenhiser has been improving his football skills, having played every year since, eventually landing him a spot on Varsity. He has grown with the team, forming a family throughout the past four years he has played for Fossil. “[The players] are very welcoming, unless it’s in practice then we get super competitive which is another aspect I like about [football],” Lautzenhiser explains. Unless the opportunity arises, he is unsure if he will continue his career in football past high school, therefore making his last high school season count.
In his fourth and final year, Austyn Miller hopes the team will be able to make the top eight standings, versus the previous year’s top sixteen in playoffs. After this season ends, so will his journey in football as Miller does not plan to continue playing past high school. He has made a fantastic impact to the team through his contributions to multiple positions, this season focusing on punter and fullback. “[Football] creates real brotherhood between teammates, lifelong friends inside the sport and outside. There’s nothing really like it when you get underneath those Friday night lights,” Miller remarks. Now Fossil gets to witness his final year with several wins underneath those shining lights.
For Bryan Bowerfind, football is not only a sport, but also a way of bonding with teammates and coaches. “When the seniors leave that’s obviously hard, because that’s most of our team, but this year, we should be pretty good. It should be fun,” Bowerfind claims. Not only has he been on the team for all four years of high school and a star athlete for Track and Field but through his incredible hard work will be continuing his football career at University of Central Florida, “I’m excited [to continue playing], I’m nervous but excited,” Bowerfind remarks. He is more than ready to get the team back to their play-off spot and has a personal goal of getting ten touchdowns this season. Make sure to watch Bowerfind’s final high school season before he hits college fields.
Since he was very young football has always been a big part of Trenton Kincaid’s life. “It’s fun spending time with the guys and I’ve made a lot of friends that I probably would have never made had it not been for the team,” Kincaid explains. Not only is Kincaid a top athlete at football but he dominates the lacrosse field, recently being named First-Team All Conference. Along with the rest of the team he has been dedicating multiple hours to perfecting his sport, sometimes at the school for thirteen hours a day, 7 A.M to 8 P.M. Despite thirteen hours being gone in his day this does not stunt him in the academic realm which was proved when he won Academic First-Team All State. Unfortunately, this is his final year with the sport, but he has certainly made his mark on the Fossil field.
Another first-year player, Mark Bouchard, takes on the field, claiming a spot on the team for himself as running back. Football is not his only sport as he has also been involved with Track and Field for Fossil. “Everyone’s really welcoming in the sport, it’s a really good experience,” Bouchard assures. What ultimately led to him joining the team was his love for football, “I figured I have to play high school football so I got to play tackle football at least once in my life,” Bouchard explains. Although this is his first year of playing football he does not plan to continue playing past high school. His goal is to make one Varsity touchdown this year and be a part of the team that makes it to playoffs again.
From flag football in kindergarten to tackle football as a Senior in high school, Alex Coy has always felt happy on the field, sharing a love for his sport with his fellow teammates where he met several of his friends. Unfortunately, Coy was injured last year and was not able to participate in his Junior year, but now is ready to make playoffs again as tight end. Although it is a way for him to escape school, it is a very demanding sport with multiple responsibilities, “It’s a lot of pressure, you know, especially since we lost a decent amount of guys last year who were seniors. It’s also we kind of need to step up and have that leadership with the incoming freshmen and even some of the sophomores,” Coy states. As a senior we are able to witness his final year and comeback season.
Since first grade, Gage Decklever has been sharpening his skills on the football field, confident that when the team plays at their best they can finish the season with at least eight wins. “Football is my life, there’s nothing that could even come close to how much it means to me,” Decklever assures. His passion is football, having high hopes to continue football after college, putting his name in the college circuit throughout this season. He and the team have grown together seeing as most have known each other since 7th grade, “I’m looking forward to playing one last season with the men I would go to war for,” Decklever exclaims. He is bringing his best to the field, making his Senior season the best one. “I want to stand out and leave people in awe,” Decklever asserts.
