Pirate football triumphs again

It was rainy and it was cold, but on Nov. 19, Wheatland Union High School students and Pirate Football supporters turned out to see our second game against longtime rival the Sutter Huskies. While the mood was nowhere near as tense as during the streak-breaking game a few weeks ago, when the Pirates ended 10 years of losses against Sutter with a score of 13-12, many were still anxious for the outcome.

Fans erupted any time there was a positive move for the Pirates and, despite the weather, the air was alive with optimism and a heady sense of anticipation. Mud-covered players in hardly recognizable colors forged on, determined to emerge victorious.

The final score of the game was 30-6, with the Pirates claiming the win. Cheering erupted as the final horn blew, and ecstatic fans rushed out onto the field to congratulate their players. It was a scene of utter chaos, of completely unrestrained joy, showcasing just how much the entire community becomes enveloped in the victories of its high school students.

Coach Javier Lopez, who is also one of the WUHS Spanish teachers, knows the boys have accomplished a lot this year that hasn't been done in a while, such as league championships, hosting our first championship game ever in Wheatland and being No.-1 seed for the first time since 1999.

Lopez said about the Sutter wins, "It's very happy for the kids, the schools and the community. In 10 years, that's how long it's been since we've beaten them before, and to deal with this group of kids, it's very, very emotional — been a long time coming. I was just very happy for the boys on the team and to help that happen."

Players who have poured their all into these games have achieved something that has eluded their predecessors for 10 years, which could be the beginning of a new decade for the Pirates.

Tyler Kreditor, a senior and wide receiver on the varsity team, has only been playing for two years but is very proud of this year's accomplishments. He said: "We haven't beaten them in 10 years, so it meant a lot, not only to beat them once in one year, but twice in the same year. It meant a lot to us, all of us."

Tyler Larcom, a junior, has played for three years at WUHS, eight altogether, and said: "It was a good year. We had a good team, and it was fantastic to beat Sutter twice — you know, our rival and everything — so that was a good add-on to the year."

Lindsey Anderson has been cheering on the players for three years. She said, "Being in my senior year and we finally beat Sutter — twice, no less — it was a great feeling. Even though I wasn't on the team, I was out there cheering them on and hoping that they made that win happen.

"There were people crying afterward, they were so happy that we finally beat Sutter, it was such a milestone," Lindsey continued. "The second (win) was even better; it was like we wanted to prove to them that it wasn't just a one-time thing, it wasn't just a fluke. Just proving to everyone that we were really that good during the second game was amazing."

Toni Bailey is a senior at Wheatland Union High School. Her column appears every six weeks in Education.