Not goodbye but see you later.
I say that because y’all mean so much to me. We were a 1-9 team picked to be dead last by Dave Campbell’s. What did we do instead? Well let me start from the beginning.
We changed a culture. We and I mean WE took control. We is everyone and that includes freshman. My freshman year I put up goals that I wanted to achieve and drew a state championship ring that we were going to win. It didn’t take long for me to be told by upperclassmen it would never happen and I wasn’t any good.
At some point in the season the goals and pictures were stolen from my locker. Sophomore year I made Varsity and never felt part of the team. Seniors and Juniors didn’t want me in the locker room with them. I didn’t belong because I was a sophomore and hadn’t paid my dues yet. I felt disconnected from everyone.
My fellow sophomores had their own routines and lockers. I never wanted anyone else to feel how I felt is what I said and needed to change it somehow. Junior year. We all know about the 2018 season. Nothing to add other than those of us who were going to be seniors said NEVER AGAIN. Senior year. Started November 2018 after the last game. We became a team. We didn’t do the normal we are seniors and on varsity no matter what attitude.
We didn’t expect that and killed that attitude. That culture is DEAD and never ever let it come back please.
No one was above anyone else we were a unit. If you wanted it you knew it started in November. If you didn’t earn it by August you were going to be ready if someone ahead of you went down. That someone could be any grade and we respected that and welcomed it with open arms. We held each other accountable. We put in the work and pushed everyone to do the same. We taught the underclassmen what it was to be a Ranger. We taught them to be selfless and do what was best for the team. We did it. Not anyone else but we as a TEAM and a unit went out and proved everyone wrong. 8-3 and in the playoffs.
We weren’t supposed to be there but we were and we earned it. I loved my senior year and proud to be a Ranger. Now it is up to y’all to keep that culture and squash anything that interferes with what we built this year. Never let anyone be above the team and treat anyone less than. That isn’t a championship attitude in football or life.
Go to the freshman games and talk to those guys. Let them know you care. Go to the middle school games and youth practices. Start the Ranger pride early and often. I love everyone one of you and thank you for being my teammates.
#55 out- Luke Horne
