For the first time since 2010, the GRC football team has started the year 3-0.

With such a favorable schedule in front of them they could have one of their best seasons in years. 

After last year’s struggles, this year’s team is playing with more drive and determination to win.

“I feel like this year everyone wants to be here,” said star running back Kalen Washington. “Determination and focus have been a big part of our success.”  

The Cardinals have three very winnable games that they will be favored to win. Montgomery County comes to town this week to end a three-week home stretch, before we hit the road for two weeks at Lafayette and at Campbell County.

The next three teams GRC plays all have a combined win total of one game through three weeks of play. As for the rest of the season all the teams have four wins combined and three of them are Madison Central’s. 

Madison Southern took Central to overtime last week, so the opportunity for a win on Oct. 14 in Richmond is not out of the question. A victory there could give the opportunity for a perfect season.  

Therefore a 6-0 start is very doable if not expected going forward. A start like that hasn’t been accomplished since 2005.

The Cardinals have begun to gain respect around the state, being ranked 26th in the state in KSR’s rankings, and 24th in the state in MaxPreps rankings.   

It’s all businesses though for the team as they can’t get caught looking ahead that may cause an unexpected loss. 

“We just have to make sure everybody just stays focused on the team we play and make sure everybody does their job to get the win,” said junior wide receiver and defensive back Zaydin Turner. 

Coach Chirico is trying to make sure his team stays focused and enjoys the moment.

“We just have to understand it is a long season and we are not trying to hurry along,” the second-year coach said. “We want to stay in the moment every day and enjoy the process.” 

Not only have the Cards won three games but all of them have been blowouts. They have outscored their opponents 120-31 in three games.

The offense has been explosive so far led by quarterback Tyliek Maxwell throwing for more than 100 yards in every game and has thrown at least one touchdown each game. 

Then of course there’s Washington, the sophomore running back who continues to dominate on the ground. He’s rushed for over 100 yards in the last two games and was just five yards short in the first one. He leads the team in touchdowns with 5 on the season. 

A player who can’t be overlooked is junior kicker Clay Turley who continues his dominance of being perfect going 16 of 16 on extra points, which is such a rarity in high school football. 

The defense is also a big reason for the Cardinals success. They have forced a turnover every game so far and held the offense to a limited amount of points, including a shutout in week one. With such a strong defense, if the offense were to have an off night, then GRC can still get the win. 

Coach Chirico has built a program that is succeeding for the first time in a long time.

There is a buzz both inside and outside the program that this team could be really really good.

The Cards are off to a great start but there is still a lot of football left to be played.