October 31, 2014, was a date that haunted football fans in Clark County.

When this season began, this date was the last time the Cardinals pulled through with a win.

This date is no longer relevant to the Cards because they rose above and defeated Montgomery County on Friday, Sept. 9.

It’s no secret that the football program struggled the 2015 season. That struggle
impacted the momentum of the community and the overall high school experience;
however, the Cardinals are coming out of the nest and are ready to soar this season.

Some of the players elaborated on what their biggest problems were last year and what they are trying to change about their collaboration.

“The senior interaction with the rest of the team is really positive this year,” said senior and captain Brandon Kiniry.

One of the team qualities they have emphasized for this year is their desire.

“We have to win. We have to compete,” said senior and captain Caleb May. “There’s much more heart this year; you can see we really want it.”

One of the biggest setbacks the team faces is an emptiness where school spirit should be.

“We need a better support base,” said quarterback Pearce Nisbet. “People come to our games for a social event and don’t give their hometown football team a chance for the win. I miss that feeling.”

The players say the mindset of the student body has an immense effect on them, especially on game days.

“When we walk down the hallways on Friday, we should have students making an effort to say good luck,” said Kiniry. “When you hear that, no matter who you are, it lifts up your mentality.”

The Cardinals say they believe that if the student body banded together and strived for unity, they would get the results they’ve been waiting for.

“It’s hard that the students are supposed to be on our side, our team, but some of them are part of the problem,” said Nisbet.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some loyal fans out there, such as our very own Get Rowdy Crew.

“The student section by far plays the biggest role in keeping us going,” said Kiniry.

The Cardinals are also faced with challenges out of their control that sometimes people don’t take into consideration, such as playing in a 6A division with only 40 players.

“It hurts that we don’t have numbers like our competition,” said May.

The lack of true home facilities also contribute to the uphill battle the Cards are facing. “Our facility doesn’t match the size of our school,” said May.

Being in a 6A division, your competition is no joke, and the majority of those schools have turf fields.

“Having a rock hard field with barely any grass hurts the team more than fans, parents, or an school official could understand,” said Kiniry.

The longing for a new field has come to an end as the Board of Education has voted in favor of the new sports facilities being constructed.

“The facility reflects our team,” said Kiniry. “We deserve a field where other teams want to play and we’re finally getting that.”

The football team has come a long way since the 2015 season, facing both interior and exterior challenges; they say they are ready for change.

“We’re done being the team that’s marked as an automatic ‘W’ when people see us on their schedule,” said Kiniry. “We are getting some wins this season.”

The boys say they are ready to change the mindset that’s been common in the past. “The traditional GRC mentality has been to hang our heads after a loss,” said Nisbet, “but not anymore.”