It was a spectacular football season for UC High that kept many astounded. The players, along with the spectators, were excited as the regular season came to an end with an 8-2, and the team progressed into playoffs and  made it to CIF semifinals.

   This year’s team rewrote UC High football history.  According to Varsity Head Coach Ryan Price, the team had the best record in 23 years with 9 wins, tying the most wins in the history of  UC High football. They received a First Round Bye and made it to the CIF Semifinals for the first time in school history. They also broke school records for the amount of passing yards, completions, touchdowns, total yards, all purpose yards, tackles, sacks and fumble recoveries.

   Price knew exactly what the team was up against in the semifinals. “I knew it would come down to the fourth quarter and be a close game. I knew Bishop’s would bring its best. It’s always tough to beat a team twice in a season,” said Price. “If we were to play in the semifinals again, we would execute it better, minimize turnovers and make adjustments on offense. We would also focus more on our defense in the fourth quarter,” explained Price.

   Price took pride in his successful team. “I’m so proud of how our team fought and competed in every game. They embraced fighting through adversity, even during practice. They put in a lot of time, worked hard and committed themselves to the team and each other, and the results showed,” said Price.

   Varsity Outside Linebacker Grant Ruthenberg met his own personal goals and couldn’t have asked for a better season. “My objective this year was to not miss a game because of injury. I have been haunted by injury the past couple of years, and I hate not participating because of it. This year, I was successful in achieving this goal,” explained Ruthenberg. “The team as a whole has come a very long way from start to finish. Throughout the year, we worked hard to bond as a team and to become one. Everyday we had practice, everyone was giving it their all to improve, and by the end of the year, we became a polished football team,” said Ruthenberg.

   Ruthenberg had a positive attitude about the team’s last game, as well as his last high school football game. “In the semifinals, our team matched up very well against Bishop’s. We had beat them 20-19 in the first game, and in the semifinals we battled it out with a score of 7-7 at the half. We did all we could to beat the Knights, but we fell a little short. It’s football; it happens,” said Ruthenberg. “After the last game, I did not feel regretful or sad as most might think. I felt proud of what we had accomplished in the year, as no Centurion team has made it as far as we did in playoffs in school history. So instead of grieving in the past, I looked forward into the positive,” said Ruthenberg.

  Varsity Right Guard and Nose Tackle Jacob Lapp was grateful  just to be a part of this incredible team. “This year’s team was something special. Going into it I knew we were a very competitive team in Division 4, but I didn’t know how special our team would actually be until we started spending every day and every practice together. We became a family and would create a much stronger bond as the days went on.  I am just so proud of the season we had and the bonds we made,” explained Lapp. As all good things must come to an end, Lapp was left with something extraordinary after the last game had finished. “Once the last game ended, my team and I were all upset that the season was over and that the magical run came to an end. But we knew that we left it all on the field, and that we would be brothers for life,” said Lapp.