By William Wombacher
Photo By William Wombacher
This year, the Willow Lions football team finished with a record of 5-6, after last year’s record of 6-4. Most didn’t expect much due to the issues on the line and the team being plagued by injuries and other setbacks in the off season.
One of the most significant issues that affected the team’s performance was injuries, with up to six starters missing certain games.
“The biggest challenge we faced was injuries,” said junior defensive back Sheldon Petty. “Many players got hurt or had to miss a number of games, and this made us play worse overall because one person can do a lot for both the defense and offense.”
Petty isn’t the only player who agreed with that statement.
“The biggest challenge that our team faced this year was probably injuries and not being strong enough to make tackles,” sophomore defensive end Nathan Somma added. “While we did have extra recovery days here and there, some people were unable to return from injury.”
The injuries were primarily addressed with a “Next Man Up” mentality, which involved promoting players from junior varsity or utilizing backups from the varsity team. This approach aimed to mentally prepare every player for the possibility that, if something happened to a certain player, another would be ready to step in.
Another factor that made our season challenging was the increased difficulty of our opponents. Last year, we didn’t play against teams like Newman, Belle Chasse, or Haynesville, all of which are among the top 100 teams in Louisiana. Out of 315 eligible schools in Louisiana, they all are in the top third.
24-25 23-24
Overall 5-6 Overall 6-4
0-1 in District 1-1 in District
LA Rank 221 ↓4 LA Rank 217
NO Rank 77 ↓1 NO RANK 76
4A District 9 4A District 9
PF 267 ↓38 PF 305
PA 329 ↑137 PA 192
Average Rank Played 199 ↑37 Average Rank Played 236
Average Rank Lost 130
Average Rank Won 280 https://www.maxpreps.com/la/new-orleans/willow-lions/football/schedule
| School | Score | Overall |
| St Martians Epicoipal 147th | 34-6 L | 0-1 (0.000) |
| Ascension Christian 275th | 34-20 W | 1-1 (0.500) |
| Metairie Park Country Day 243rd | 23-20 (2OT) L | 1-2 (0.334) |
| East Jeff 135th | 33-0 L | 1-3 (0.250) |
| Newman 68th | 44-0 L | 1-4 (0.200) |
| King Charter 244th | 25-20 W | 2-4 (0.334) |
| Belle Chase 95th | 63-22 L | 2-5 (0.287) |
| Arthur 306th | 61-0 W | 3-5 (0.375) |
| Ben Franklin 293rd | 50-28 W | 4-5 (0.445) |
| Haynesville 93rd | 56-13 L | 4-6 (0.400) |
| Abramson 286th | 36-8 W | 5-6 (0.454) |
Moving on to more positive topics, next year will be significant for the team, as the largest group on the football team will be seniors, alongside the incoming freshmen. Hopefully, fewer injuries will be something to look forward to next year.