The seniors from FHC had extra motivation on Friday night. Senior Night had finally arrived, and it could be their final game played on their home turf.

FHC varsity football defeated Wayland 24-8, and the score still did not reflect how the game turned out. FHC took an early lead in the game on a 25 yard reception for a touchdown by senior Jack Uecker. It was the number one play of the week according to Fox 17 The Blitz. FHC never looked back and led the whole game.

The most dominating part of the game came from the Ranger defense. Throughout the game, Wayland struggled to pick up first downs. They could not move the ball against a stout FHC defense. The defense is currently led by a strong senior class who wants to see FHC make a deep run in the post season. Jack played solid on the outside all game and added an interception. Senior Sal Sidebotham took control as captain. He racked up ten plus tackles and had four tackles for loss. Senior Alec Elzinga accounted for 2.5 sacks and one rushed pass as the quarterback threw the ball away. Senior Nick White added three tackles for loss and one sack.

“We were assignment perfect,” Head coach Tim Rogers said. “We did what we were supposed to do. Everybody kept in their gaps and we did a nice job covering our zones. Our seniors are real prideful; they don’t want you to score a point.”

Offensively, FHC wasn’t perfect as they turned the ball over twice. The Ranger offense did what they needed to for a win. Senior quarterback Tanner Hallock played well overall. He threw one interception, but chased the defensive back down and made him pay by delivering a big hit on the sideline. Jack also played well on offense, as he caught multiple passes for more big gains. Jack also threw an interception on a wide receiver pass. A pleasant surprise for the Rangers came from sophomore Cam Deines. He rushed for nearly 100 yards. His future is bright in the Ranger backfield.

“We just executed well when we needed to,” Jack said. “We haven’t made the playoffs in a long time. There’s a little pressure because we want to keep playing.”

Rogers is excited for the playoffs and is ready to have some fun with this team.

“This is what you work for,” Rogers said. “This is the fun part. I don’t feel any pressure at all. We’ve worked an entire year for this opportunity. We’re gonna have a lot of fun and take it one game at a time. ”

These seniors have been waiting for this moment for four years. They have finally made the playoffs. Rogers knows that he has a special group of guys playing for him.

“They are great leaders by example,” Rogers said. “They’re determined and supportive of one another. They’re a great group of kids with great chemistry.”