By Bella Cutone
As their Fall II season of play progresses, the Nantucket Whalers Football team has continued to bring their all, despite challenging competition. Following a year with the absence of a normal season and typical games, the team’s main focus has been to get back into their groove. With a current record of 2-3-0 and five games under their belt, this is only a glimpse of the Whaler Football team’s true potential.
Coming off what seemed to be a season of preparation, the captains (Tyler Anderson, Malique Bodden, Gannon Mooney, Oscar Waldman, and Jack Wilson) highlight another important aspect this unconventional season brought to the team. A sense of family has been emphasized amongst the Nantucket Whalers Football team as their time together in the fall not only allowed the boys to grow stronger as a team, but grow closer together as well. Captain Oscar Waldman believes, “…the preseason practices we had during the fall have brought us closer as a team than in previous years and we seemed to have become more well rounded as a result.”
A common goal amongst the team is to maintain this “family-like” bond they have created throughout their time together. The team hopes to become stronger as their season continues and to prove to others that they are a force to be reckoned with. With the Island Cup swiftly approaching, Captain Malique Bodden said “the main focus of it all is keeping the cup, and hopefully we can fulfill that.” However, the Cup has now been cancelled, meaning the Whalers can’t fulfill this goal.
With a total of eight seniors on the team, the Whalers are aware of the impact these eight boys have and that major roles will need to be filled once next season rolls around. As both seniors and captains, the five players reflect on the current state of their team as well as their thoughts about having to leave the team after this season. Captain Tyler Anderson notes the impact football and this team has had on his life thus far. Anderson says, “I don’t see myself without Whaler football.” The feeling seems to be mutual with not only Anderson’s fellow captains but the team’s seniors as a whole. They agree that it will be a major adjustment leaving the team after forming such a strong bond with one another throughout their high school careers.
The seniors understand that they will share this bond forever and have high hopes for the team that they are going to be leaving behind. With a much younger team this year than in years past, Anderson puts it best stating, “The sky’s the limit for these upcoming classes. If they work hard and keep their eyes on the goal there is no team that will be able to stop them.”
Despite challenging competition, the Nantucket Whalers Football team continued to push forward, keeping their morale high and putting up a fight. Unfortunately, with Island Cup cancellation, their season was cut short. The team was eager to showcase their true potential but will come back stronger with hopes of a full season next year.
Veritas 
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