In 2020, COVID-19 took their season, now in 2021, injuries and lack of players is their downfall.

The football program came to an end on Oct. 1 when they had their last game against Council Rock South. The team then forfeited their last three games to ensure the safety of the players. 

“It was a very tough decision to make.  I feel really bad for the seniors.  The seniors along with the rest of the team have worked extremely hard and never gave up.  They stuck together and played hard and that is all I could have asked from them.  I am extremely proud of them.  Overall, the decision that was made was based on the safety and well-being of the players,” said head coach Mr. Kenneth Remaily. 

Last season, the team played five games, and this season, they played four. In contrast, many teams in the area have played more games this season than that tally combined. 

The rough season was ultimately caused by lack of participation. Senior Hunter Long said, “So many kids these days think that because our team has had a rough couple of years, they should not even play for the team. Most of the teams we played had around fifty to seventy players in their roster while we had 23.  Most of those schools are similar in size to us, and there is no reason to have such a gap in numbers. I hope in the future that HH football can return to what it used to be,” said senior Hunter Long. 

Many seniors lost their chances for scouting or scholarships, including senior Reda Oueldaissa.

“It was really tough for me to play my last game not knowing if it was my last snaps at Steinly Stadium. In hindsight, I loved every minute competing with my guys, and I would not trade it for anything,” Reda said.

Senior Kaci Tobin had a different outlook at the end of the season. “The cut-off season made me angry and confused, but I put it behind me to focus on training. I personally did not want the season to end and fought for it to continue.” 

Even through a tough season, with low participation and all lost games, the players’ spirits prevailed. 

“As a captain, I cannot feel as if the season was a total failure. I think our senior class left an impression on the underclassmen, a legacy, if you will. Being down in a lot of games, I never saw anyone quit or give a lack of effort,” said Reda. 

Many players felt mixed emotions about the season ending so soon, including junior Aiden Tolentino. 

“I felt sad about [the season] ending, no more games on Friday nights with fans, cheerleaders and band members rooting for us. But we understood why it was best, and we will improve and do better next season,” said Aiden. 

Unlike Aiden, Hunter Long does not have another year of Hatters football to look forward to. “I worked very hard to prepare myself for my final high school season, so it was obviously very hard to accept the fact it was over. I had to take a step back and look at the whole situation. If we were to play out the season, the chances of me and my teammates getting hurt would go way up.”

Acknowledging the state of the team, Hunter said, “We got beat up by a bunch of teams that were not so good, and the rest of our schedule was going to be against stronger programs that we would not be able to handle.” 

“I would not have changed a thing. I loved every single minute and moment,” concluded Reda. “Changing anything about this season would have changed me as a person. And I thank all players, coaches and trainers who have been like a family to me during my entire HH tenure. The last three years have been nothing short of amazing for me as a player and a person.”