Senior football players share pre-game rituals
A Road to States
Center prepares to snap the ball back to the quarterback. Plant’s win advanced them to the FHSAA District 7 Championship game.
As the football season comes to a close, senior athletes reflect on their key to an undefeated season before the state football game against St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. As athletes, it is common to have rituals that they go through every game that become a routine.
“There’s probably a thousand personal rituals that go on, one of the truisms of sports, some people call it superstitions, I call it mental preparation,” head football coach, Robert Weiner said. “You’re prepared to do the same thing that you have.”
“Thursday I just get mad, and Friday I just stay mad
— Juwan Burgess
The team has a set routine before each home and away game that includes eating a team meal, warming up and getting dressed. But between each player the night before and the day of varies.
“In the playoffs we’ve done a dinner with the starting offensive linemen at Garrett Murray’s house,” senior, Bryce Jenkins said. “The first week it was pasta with garlic bread, the second week was steak, the third week was thanksgiving and the fourth week was steak and lobster. So basically we eat good because we’re linemen. But then every morning I have Chick-fil-a.”
Bryce Jenkins, senior, reacts after the team wins in the final moments. Plant v. Lee marked the last game at Dad’s Stadium for the season.
Jenkins also is always the last player walking out on the field as a part of his ritual. “I’m always the last person to be ready and I’m always the last person to be taped and spatted,” Jenkins said.
David Scroggins, senior, who was injured in the game against Lakeland, has a pre game ritual that is more based on routine, rather than superstition. “Thursday I would just pack my bag and get all of my stuff ready,” senior, Scroggins said. “Then Friday I would eat pregame meals, stretch, go out on the field, run around and get warmed up and stuff.”
Injured senior, David Scroggins celebrates the result with teammate, senior, Christian Watson as the game comes to an end. This was their last win at Dad’s Stadium.
Though he cannot play in the game he’s optimistic about the outcome of the game on Friday, “I just feel like we need to go out there and play our best, we have a really good team so I think that we could beat this team,” Scroggins said.
“The night before I clean my room, so I can have like a good vibe,” senior, Whop Philyor said. “Because during the week my room is just like not clean. So I clean my room so I can have like a good vibe going everywhere, and then I wash my clothes.”
Starting quarterback Dane Frantzen goes through game day without his cellphone as a game day ritual.
“I turn in my phone so I don’t have my phone and I just listen to music all day and focus on nothing but the game,” senior, Frantzen said.
University of Southern California commit Juwann Burgess has a straight forward mindset for game day. “Thursday I just get mad, and then Friday I just stay mad.” senior, Burgess said.
Head coach Weiner also has a game day ritual he follows, “You know, I have the same pair of socks everyday that I’m wearing to the game,” Weiner said. “So I’ve got to make sure it’s not another pair of socks that look like it, it’s got to be the same pair that I’ve worn each week.”
