On Friday, your Rocks traveled south to face the Carmel Greyhounds for the Sectional Championship, losing 35-7. The loss marks the end of the road for the 2019 Rocks, as losses do for so many teams at this time of year. As coaches, the loss brings with it a deep, aching emptiness that echoes the sadness we know that our players feel. Still, as we often remind our tearful young men: It stings because it meant something.
This game was not how we would have predicted our season to end. Obviously, we always have hope that we can win out, and avoid the sting of loss. But deep playoff runs are rare, with championships rarer still. It is both challenge and opportunity that finds us squaring off against the very best teams in the state, both in conference play, and in our sectional. So every year, we prepare for what we know will be a steep postseason climb. In that regard, we felt that this team, especially this senior class, had put in the work and were ready to battle until the bitter end. And, they did, though the score and narrative of the final game felt more fizzle than bang. It was a game that perhaps we wish we could have another hack at. Still, credit and congratulations go to the talented Carmel squad as they earned the opportunity to advance.
The 2019 Rocks end the year with a 6-5 record (3-4 HCC). We wish to express our gratitude to all of the support that we had along the way. The student body, administration, parents, and fans all regularly remind us of how blessed we are to play in a community that loves ours players and the sport of football. One particular image from Friday's game will stick in my mind. The first half had not gone our way and, being on the road, you do not expect a whole lot of fire from the fans when you're going to come out and try to dig out of a big hole in the second half. A solid group of loud fans, parents I assume, clustered around the exit of the locker room and cheered their heads off as we came out. It fills our hearts and lifts our spirits to know how much you care and support us, even when we're down. It's something that I've always felt is a credit to our supporters, as this was not a particular exception, but perhaps doubly meaningful with how the night was going. Thank you for being there.
Finally, as always, we want to express our love and gratitude for our seniors. We would not trade one minute that we had with you, and we hope that your experience with our football family will forever remain one of the highlights of your life. Like our fans now, we will always be here for you. Once a Rock, always a Rock.
