Football’s season came to an end on November third with their playoff loss to Rancocas Valley. Although unhappy with the outcome, Coach John Doherty said it was awesome just being there.

   “I’ll have to say making the playoffs,” Coach Doherty said when asked what his favorite moment from the season was, “It was a great moment for all the guys.”

   In their playoff game against Rancocas, Eastern jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter before RV rallied in the second half, tying the game in the fourth quarter before winning in overtime. The Vikings finished the season 6-3, an improvement from 5-5 last year. The players, however, feel they have more to give.

   “We had a big opportunity this year and we blew it, but we’ll be back next year,” said Moe Howard, a junior.

   Although the season didn’t end how they wanted, Coach Doherty still felt that a lot of players had great seasons.

   “Andrew Heck had a great season at QB for us,” said Doherty, “Dante Kiett was great, playing both wide receiver and defensive back. Ben Sperling was awesome too, probably our unsung hero. Our offensive line as a whole deserves a lot of credit.”

   When asked who he thought the team MVP was, Coach Doherty said one name stuck out.  “TJ Franden has to be at the top of that list, he was a leader both on and off the field.”  Franden finished off his senior year with 710 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the team in both categories.

   Next year, Doherty is ready to get back to the basics.

   “It starts in the weight room,” said Doherty, “we will continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger, and really work on fundamentals.”

   As for the veterans, they felt this was their best team yet.  “I think this was a great season for us,” said Rocco Tursi, a senior, “we, as a team, should be proud of the football we’ve brought to Eastern this year.”

   The end of the season is always tough, but the team is still proud of what they did.  “In my opinion, we left a lot out on the field,” said Ryan Lombardi, “we did a lot of hard work, but we could have done better at the end of the season. This was my favorite team that I’ve ever played on.”