By Brooklyn Himmelberg
On Thursday, October 19th, the football team traveled to Wynot to play the Blue Devils for the 1st round of playoffs. They knew it was going to be an uphill battle against undefeated Wynot. They ended up falling to the Blue Devils 42-0. Coach Connor Brown said, “Even though we lost, I was proud of the way our team never gave up and they played for each other. Wynot is a very good football team. I thought the offense did a good job at being able to drive the ball down the field, but we just couldn’t finish the drives with points. Our defense did a good job at forcing third downs; however, Wynot just made some big plays that resulted in touchdowns. Overall, it was a disappointing loss, but I am very proud of this team and it is a huge accomplishment to make the playoffs.” After finishing the previous season 1-7, the Mustang football team put in work during the off-season to finish the 2023 football season with a 5-4 record. Coach Brown said, “Our goal as a team was to make it to the playoffs. Our team worked extremely hard throughout the summer and the season to achieve that goal. Every game we improved to become a playoff-caliber team.” Coach Brown discussed the season as a whole and what he was most proud of for this team: “The thing that I am most proud of this season is how much our players improved each week. The first game against Palmer was kind of a gut check and instead of our players giving up, they responded to the adversity and grew as football players.” Lastly, Coach Brown showed his appreciation for many members of the Silver Lake community. “I would like to thank my coaching staff for all of the hard work they put in this season. I would also like to thank the administration and staff for all of the support they have given me throughout the season. The success that we had this season truly was a team effort. This community/school has given me the best support as a first-year head coach. I appreciate everything they have done for me and this team. Whether it be parents scheduling team meals or the school scheduling JV games for our players to get more experience, I know that we will get the best.” Congratulations to the Mustang football team on a great season!