Susquenita football hopes to build off 1-win season toward new heights

DUNCANNON, Pa. (WHTM) -- Susquenita Football struggled last year, going just 1-9 on the season, but the Blackhawks are hoping to flip the script this season.

“Let it still be sour,” said head coach Joe Chrismer IV. “We don't want to repeat that. I think we did a lot of good things last year, even though the record doesn't show it.”

“I think we have to use the fuel that those losses gave us, kind of the anger and disappointment built up to have a more successful year this year,” said senior quarterback Rex Wilson, who's coming off a season where he threw for just under 1,100 yards and 9 touchdowns.

“I think this year we got to prove a lot of people wrong,” said senior offensive tackle/middle linebacker Trentin Gallagher. “A lot of people think that we're going to do the same thing, even go maybe 0-10, but you got to fight through that. Show them that we're not the same anymore.”

Entering year three under Chrismer, Susquenita’s squad features some veteran players with several varsity starts under their belt.

“Our confidence in practice and stuff like that, especially the games racking up like we know how to play the game now,” said senior wide receiver Noah Griffin. “We were a young team in the past, but now like we got a few games under our belt and we’re better now.”

Even with the added experience, the Blackhawks understand they need to come together as a unit if they want to add to the win column.

“This year, team goals definitely were to build a better connection between everybody and build more of a family team,” said Gallagher.

That goal inspired this year’s team motto, FAMILY, which stands for...

“Forget about me, I love you,” said Wilson. “It means just like not being selfish as a teammate and thinking about what's best for the team, not what's best for myself.”

“In the past, we worried about ‘me-ball’ a lot,” said Griffin. “We didn't see us as a team at all. We just kind of worried about our individual stats, and that's the reason why we had bad seasons in the past, but I don't see that with this team this year.”

This “family” kicks off their season on Friday, when Susquenita hosts York Catholic.