The football season is over for the Wildcats after losing their first playoff game against Northwest 45-7 earlier this month. Equipment will be packed up and spotlights will fade as the players reflect on their performance this fall. A performance riddled with missed opportunities, glimmers of hope and disappointment. What caused the 4-6 record, and how are players feeling now that it’s over?
The Cats season started on a high note following a blowout 44-6 win against Gaithersburg, sparking optimism about the team’s prospects. However, WJ soon received the same treatment, as their second game of the season was a bloodbath at their home-opener against Quince Orchard 56-6. The schedule brought the team up against some of the best competition in the state earlier than expected.
While it was difficult to recover after losing to Quince Orchard so soon, the team made a great comeback the next week, narrowly beating Wootton 27-20. This victory was then followed by three heartbreaking losses against Seneca Valley, B-CC and Northwest.
“It was just execution,” senior quarterback Jake Forburger said. “We had all the opportunities in some of the crucial games we had. We lost a couple at the end where we just messed up, and it was on us.”
An interesting story line in the team’s season was their coaching. Since different new coaches were brought onto the team this year, players had mixed opinions about their strategy.
“I trust them, but I think that people have turned to them as a scapegoat when the burden is really on the players and the coaches,” senior captain Hank Amaditz said. “I feel like some people don’t really want to take accountability.”
The culture of the team has also been a frustration. Some noted that the team felt disconnected and wasn’t as focused. Improving the outlook of the team took time and meant that they took longer to find their footing, eventually getting two late-season wins against Whitman and Blake to end the regular season.
“It’s just unfortunate,” junior David Turner said. “Recently, our last one against Blake, I think that was showing what we could have been doing this whole season.”
At the end of the day, there is more to football than a record. While the statistics were worse than previous years, many players look back on their season with pride at having overcome such difficult circumstances and forming deeper bonds with their teammates.
“I think more people bought in this year than last year,” Amaditz said. “Even though the record hasn’t changed much…the intangibles are different this year.”
The season was a mixed bag, with ups and downs varying each week. While many factors played a role in the outcome, the Wildcats will be sure to take what they’ve learned this autumn and come back better than ever in 2026.
