With football season in full swing, our West High JV football team has been working incredibly hard to prove they possess the skills to completely dominate competition this year.

To fuel their hunger for victory, new coach Dante Dell’Aringa has encouraged the players to “be as competitive as possible in league play.” When asked why he became the JV football coach, Dell’Aringa said, “I always had a lot of good coaches growing up so I had a lot of positive influences on me… They made me love sports so [coaching’s] always been something I’ve wanted to do.”

From weight training in the fall to hardcore conditioning in the summer, the past months of workouts have proven to be a demanding preseason, but all of the time spent pumping iron, running ladders and simulating offensive and defensive plays has instilled an attitude of determination, perseverance and strength in the players. Sophomore quarterback Juan Arias, started playing freshman year and said that football has helped him become mentally strong and physically fit. “You have to always pay attention at practice,” said Arias. “And you never give up on the team.”

This season is sophomore offensive lineman and linebacker Armando Ramirez’s first year playing on the team, but Ramirez has quickly learned to always be prepared for any challenge that’s thrown his way. “It’s really tough,” said Ramirez. “It takes a lot of conditioning, hard work, teamwork and communication with the team…it’s physical and mental at the same time.”

It is no surprise that the players on the JV football team have thrown their hearts into their sport, and they aren’t going to back down. All of their hard work is going to pay off this season and they will certainly make the ‘Pack proud.