Now locked at 3-4, the Saxon varsity football team started the season out strong. They won two consecutive games before suffering from crippling injuries to two of the team’s key players, starting quarterback Austin Vasiliadis and starting linebacker Marcus Harvey.
Coach Howerton commented, “Obviously, when you lose two of your best players on both sides of the ball, the team will take a hit. Austin is one of the best athletes in the region with basketball and Marcus is the fastest kid in the region. We never get that and to lose them in their senior year has a big impact.”
However, coach remains optimistic about the season and the potential talent of new starting quarterback, sophomore Nick Casso. “Casso has done a nice job, but [even so,] new players still have a lot of learning to do. On one hand it’s a shame to lose an athlete like Austin, but on the other hand you get a good head start with the newer players.”
After its initial 3-1 start, the team experienced hard losses at the hands of Stonebridge, Madison, and now Yorktown. The Madison game proved disappointing as the Saxons were unable to convert two different field goals attempts, which, if converted, would have won the game.
In the Stonebridge game, the team was down 14-0 in the late 3rd quarter and drove all the way to the one yard line when Casso threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and ended teh teams’ opportunity to win the game. Coach Howerton thinks that even during the Chantilly game, “We outplayed them in the first half, [but] they’re one of the best teams in the region.
Despite their sub -.500 record, Coach Howerton believes that he has several players that are “just as good as or better than any other players in the region.”