Timberlane kicked off their season with an away game at Windham, the Owls had high hopes for the game but ended up coming out with a 7-53 loss. Going into half, the Owls only trailed by 11 with the score being 7-18. While this was not a huge lead by Windham, there was not huge hope for Timberlane as they “lost a lot of important guys on both sides of the ball,” said Senior Captain and Quarterback Jeremy Mlocek. The team took a huge hit, losing Senior Captain Liam Kelley, the Owls Kicker, Punter, Middle Linebacker, and Running back. Liam has a chip bone fracture and is unsure when he will return. Kelley says that “Our team has suffered three or four big injuries as a whole which will affect the team much more than just my injury.” With multiple injuries on the field, the younger and less experienced players have had to step up and fill these roles. The home opener game against Merrimack was a wake up call for the Owls as they had to use these younger players. Sadly, the owls came out with a loss of 6-27. Frankie Carrasquillo, a Sophomore who had to step up in this difficult time says that “Everyone needs to do their job, so that the team does better as a team.” These underclassmen are the future of the Timberlane Football Program and need to put the work in to become better players. While having Junior Varsity players starting on both sides of the ball is not ideal, it is important for the team to trust them and have faith in their future.
The owls went against the #5 ranked team Alvirne, and came out with a tough 20-48 loss. Timberlane falls to 0-3 on the season and are hoping to bounce back. After these tough losses, Head Coach, Kevin Fitzgerald, says that “It is no secret we are struggling, 0 and 3 is 0 and 3.” However, he remains hopeful and trusts his guys to work hard each and every day. The team feels that they are seeing good and bad things on and off the field and are hoping to get some of the guys back healthy. The Owls keep a positive attitude whether they win by 100 or lose by 100 and show up to practice each day to work and get better. While the team has sustained many injuries to some of their star players, Senior captain Caleb Goldman says “For the younger guys it’s just another opportunity to get better, but for us Seniors we just have to keep working hard to get in the playoffs.” The owls have some favorable matches coming up that they are looking forward to. Even after their first couple tough losses, they have faith and believe they will be able to make a comeback.
The Owls are looking to step it up in the second half of their season, hopefully setting them up to be in a good position for the playoffs. Junior Matthew Fitzgerald first started off his pre-season with a broken finger the day before their first scrimmage. Matthew then went on to tear a ligament in his foot in the Owls season opener against Windham. Matthew played a big role for the Owls starting on both sides of the ball and shares that “We are returning many injured players and we will be way better at the end of the season.” While Timberlane is facing many losses, on and off the field, they are staying positive and working just as hard to keep their season alive. On the outside, it might seem like the Owls are having a tough season and will not make it far, but as the injured return back healthy and look to reach their full potential, they could be a serious playoff contender.
