It’s the end of the Cleveland Warriors’ season. This season was a rough one, with the Warriors losing eight games by double digits and only gaining a win due to Wilson’s disqualification halfway through the season as a result of the illegal use of a player on their roster. The Warriors came close to beating Madison High School during the 14-30 loss on Oct. 23, but for the most part, the team found it difficult to keep the games close.

Special moments throughout the season, along with the arrival and continuation of leaders on the team, kept the team together throughout the tough season. Players like Colton Lish, the starting running back, and the new starting quarterback, Jake Cashion, pushed the team onward with their offensive performances and defensive stops. In one game, Cashion had 100 rushing yards and 100 passing yards. In a game against Madison, Lish scored two touchdowns. The effort and heart that players like these put into the game helped the team to move along. Without these players, the team could have fallen apart completely.

The Warriors suffered several key injuries throughout their season, one of which

occurred in the first minute of the Warriors’ first game. Nathan Tsai’s ACL injury was a brutal loss for the team, and started the team on a frustrating, saddening note. Losing one of your best players the second you start the season has to be one of the most demoralizing events a team can possibly endure. Then, near the midpoint of the season,  the starting quarterback, Jake Cashion, injured his arm and was out for several consecutive games.

The demoralizing injuries and losses that the team endured were only made bearable by the ferocious support of the Cleveland Warriors’ fans at every home game. During an interview with Coach Wayne Harris, he said, “If I had to rate the fan support at our home games out of 10, and 10 was amazing, I’d rate our fan support an 11. Usually if you don’t have a good product on the field, the fans won’t come to the games, but the Cleveland family was always there for us, and we deeply appreciate that.”

The coach was also questioned on how he thinks that the team can improve next season. “We have a lot of kids who just have a lack of football experience. Hopefully next season we can get that under control, and if we do, I think that the wins will take care of themselves. We just don’t know how to win yet, and that’s gonna come along as the players become more adjusted to the game,” he said.

The answer seems more natural than a majority of the fans might think. The team is very young, and it will take much more time than a single season for players to become more comfortable with football and the team around them. It’ll take time, but the team will improve, even if it’s a slow process.

It will be a long offseason for the Cleveland Warriors. Some players will grow, some players will embrace a new attitude, and most will look forward to the new season ahead of them. Football is a team sport, and the Warriors will keep working hard to learn their teammates’ different behaviors and mindsets when they begin their practices for next season. The devout, ferocious Cleveland fans will still be there in many months from now to cheer on their team, and the sportswriters for the Cleveland Clarion will keep writing, ready to see what the team has to offer for them. It’s goodbye to the team for now, but the fans will see them again next season, and when they do, they’ll be ready to watch them through the good and the bad, just like they have always done, and like they did this season.