Kicker Will Gustafson was set to kick off the ball to begin the game. A few seconds later, FHC found themselves down six.

On Thursday, the FHC freshman football team put their undefeated record on the line against the Northview Wildcats. The Rangers came out on top in impressive fashion, winning 35-6. The opening minutes did not go the Rangers’ way. Northview took the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. They went for a two point conversion, but the attempt failed. The game had just begun, yet the Rangers trailed 6-0. Ty Hallock, head coach of both the freshman and JV teams and a former NFL player, said special teams are going to be a focus in the upcoming weeks for the Rangers.

“I’m really frustrated right now more than anything else,” Hallock said. “We have to get better at blocking on kick returns, and we have to cover the football on kickoff coverage. Two weeks in a row, either on JV or freshman, we’ve given up a kick return [for a touchdown]. It’s because guys are being silly and not doing what they’re drilled on.”

The Rangers struggled in areas of special teams, but that’s the only thing they struggled with. The offense and defense dominated the game and never let up. Freshman quarterback Jimmy Scholler led the way with three rushing touchdowns. Freshman running back Hayden Sarjeant accounted for two touchdowns on the ground and showed elusiveness in the open field. Through the air, the two top targets were freshman receivers Jackson Clay and Wyatt Engler. They both had key catches on third downs to sustain drives.

“The biggest play of the game was probably when Wyatt caught that seam pass,” Jackson said. “It was a big play. [Jimmy] threw a great ball, and it was a great catch by Wyatt.”

On the defensive side of the ball, FHC was stifling. They gave up only a few first downs in the first half and didn’t allow an offensive touchdown the whole game. The Rangers delivered a few big hits, but none were harder than the sack by freshman defensive lineman Payton Corcoran. The Northview quarterback dropped back, and Payton was already on top of him, forcing a fumble.

“Defensively, we had to change things up a little bit,” Hallock said. “We were short one of our linebackers today so we went into a different front. Our guys are good about getting off the ball and also rallying around the football. The guys that had assignments and alignments had to read and wait for things to happen before they took off. They were really good.”

Next Thursday, FHC’s freshman will play FHE, as FHN does not have a freshman team.

“It’s a community thing,” Hallock said. “We know a lot of these kids. We’ve lived in different neighborhoods together. We grew up playing football, baseball, and basketball together. So, anytime you get an opportunity to play another Forest Hills team, it’s a special game.”