Tonight at 7:00 p.m., the Saint Stephen’s football team will take on The Out-of-Door Academy in what many regard as the most important game of the season.
The Thunder are the Falcons’ biggest football rival, and they’ll seek back-to-back wins of “The Headmaster’s Cup” tonight on their home field. Last season, the Thunder won 12-2 at the Moore Athletic Complex, but the Falcons hope to bring the trophy home tonight.
After a rocky 1-2 start, the Falcons will look to bounce back, despite a flood of recent injuries. Senior quarterback Harry Jones says despite a trying start, he sees value in these early challenges.
“There’s definitely good parts we can build off in those losses,” Jones said. “It’s not just like a loss is a loss, but there’s also good things inside of that game that we can build on, which we’re happy about.”
Senior defensive end Nick Pagnotta commented on the morale of the squad following the injuries against Sarasota Christian last week.
“We hope to pick it up sometime soon,” Pagnota said. “The boys got to push through. We got to boost each other up and support each other through this tough time.”
According to Jones, the rivalry adds something extra, but the Falcons are trying not to let the occasion overwhelm them.
“We just prep as if it’s a normal game,” Jones said. “We don’t really let the external factors affect our weekly schedule and what we do in practice. So we’re just taking it as another game and trying to win.”
This year, the Falcons have found something extra in new recruits, particularly senior wide receiver Kieran Cloutier, who caught for over 200 yards against Sarasota Christian
“Who’s going to cook? Kieran,” Jones said. “I mean, like, we’ve been knowing that he’s that guy, so we’re just going to keep using him. We have other receivers that are weapons too, but Kieran, he showed that he’s that guy on the team last week.”
According to Jones, the offense is facing anODA defense which he admitted was “pretty decent.” The Falcons will also have to contend with a new Thunder quarterback and a set of receivers that could pose problems for the Saint Stephen’s defense.
The Headmaster’s Cup kicks off tonight at ODA at 7:00 p.m.
