As the 2021-2022 Rolling Meadows Varsity football season comes to an end, here’s what you missed. They had a slow start, but had some fantastic games. They ended with a 5-4 record in the regular season, sadly losing the first round of playoffs. I asked Head Coach Samuel Baker some questions about the season as a whole and this is what he had to say.

When asked what was special about this team, Baker said, “This year was special because of the resilience of this team. This team finished 2-4 in the spring and lost badly to Prospect and then started this year 0-2. They rebounded and came back to finish 5-4 in the regular season, make the playoffs and get an upset victory over Prospect.”

When asked who the playmakers were this year Baker said, seniors, “Ethan Groak, Michael Brigham, PJ Ford, and Nick Benkler.” Groark and Brigham were the top two receivers this year and had a combined total of over 1,900 yards, including 21 touchdowns. Ford and Benkler were beasts on defense and made a lot of plays at crucial moments. Benkler led the team with 3 fumble recoveries and had some big 4th down stops against Prospect.

When asked how Baker would describe this team with one attribute he said, “The ability to focus with their backs against the wall.” He was very impressed with this team despite the odds that were put against them. When asked what he will take away from this season, he said, “How you respond in life is all that matters.” This team had to face a number of different challenges and overcame many of them.

When I asked Groak, Brigham, and Ryan Joyce about what they would miss most, it was always about the brotherhood and the memories they would no longer be able to make. Joyce said, “I’m going to miss the moments that don’t get seen as much. The joking during practice, the pasta dinner pranks, and basically all the other fun stuff that comes with building a bond with the other guys. It’s truly special and I’m going to miss it for the rest of my life.”’

So what does the future hold for our Senior Mustangs? Although most of them are not playing in college there are a few. Groak plans to attend North Central which is a Division III school. Joyce plans on playing in college but is not sure where, but he is currently looking at schools in Wisconsin. Frank Eleftheriou isn’t one hundred percent sure if he would like to play but has talked to a few schools. He talked to Benedictine, St. Francis, and North Central which are all Division III schools.

We can’t wait to see how our Mustangs do in their next chapter and how our incoming Mustangs do next year! We are very excited to see what the next season may bring us!