*This article was originally posted on the first DHS news site in September of 2022*

On August 27, at the first game of the season, the Davenport Wolves took down the Blanco Panthers 41-27. This game rang in the new school year and showed that the Wolf Pack finds strength through their shared dedication and camaraderie.

This win was certainly well earned. Over the past few weeks, the football team has put in the work to make certain they could play their best. Studying isn’t just for academics; the team applied their strategic thinking skills to understand what they were up against.

“We owe a lot to the scout team that scouted their offense, if we didn’t have them then we wouldn’t have been able to prepare ourselves. We also watched some of their film and we positioned ourselves strategically,” said junior Judge Erickson, “they ran a very compact offense so we had to run a very compact defense.”

But football isn’t just about strategy. Like any team sport, a group’s success is built on trust and self-discipline. Coach James Zimmerhanzel understands this and stresses its importance frequently.

Erickson said, “Coach always tells us you have to be disciplined, do your job because if you don’t do your job then you’re gonna let other people down, you’re gonna let the whole team down.”

With this foundation well established, the Wolves were able to rely on each other’s diligence and accomplish this win.

The football team wasn’t the only organization that had to prepare for the game. The Davenport Wolf Band put in 40 hours a week this August practicing for the stands and field alike.

“We have a summer band, [and] everyday we’d be marching and working on music,” stated sophomore Ethan Torres.

And the band’s dedication is unceasing. “We still do that today,” Torres said, referring to practice. Thankfully, though, their rehearsals are only two and a half hours since school started.

Another group that had to ensure they were ready for the game was the team of athletic trainers. These are the students and teachers that assist in any injuries at sports events. They are vital in making sure everyone stays safe while on the court or field.

“We had a little pep talk and came together to choose roles,” said Annie Hiebert, a senior who tends to players on the sidelines. “I was on blood.”

The liveliness in the stands, especially in the student section, brought forth an uplifting energy that displayed the power in support. For the first game of the season, students flooded the stands in white apparel to demonstrate their school spirit.

Annabelle Delgado, a junior who was in the student section, said, “The best part is everyone coming together to cheer on their team. A lot more people showed up than I thought”

With the love and support of the student body and organizations, the Wolves have persevered and shone through despite the hardships that Davenport has faced in this past year. Their strength and ongoing perseverance reminds us all to hold on to our determination and to have faith in one another.

“We say during practice ‘BTP! I got your back!’ and we stuck to that 100% and without that, we wouldn’t have won the game. It’s so easy to get on one another and get down on ourselves but we didn’t, we overcame the bad things,” said junior Carter Traynor, “for that reason alone, I’ll probably never forget this win.”