ESCONDIDO—It’s the end of the game. The Caiman athletes have just shaken hands with the Holtsville Vikings. Then, as the crowd is applauding and screaming to them, the players line up together and stand before the crowd, with smiles as bright as the sun. On Friday, October 2, the Varsity Caiman Football team won the home game, 27-13.

With this game being their first victory, the Caimans were proud and on an emotional high. “I feel great. I mean, it’s great to get our first win. I mean, there’s nothing better. It’s wins on from now,” said senior Joseph Marino, shortly after the game.

Winning a football game is no simple task. There are many factors needed to accomplish the goal of victory, such as the necessary strength, speed, agility, and knowledge of the play formations. But perhaps the most important factor of playing football is the sense of teamwork and friendship among the athletes:

“A team is a group of individuals who love each other unconditionally, and they play as one,” said the team’s coach, Mr. Jon Goodman. Goodman also went on to list what, in his own words, is needed for a team to succeed. “I think there’s three ingredients. We talk about attitude, effort, focus. That’s what each individual brings, but then they’ve committed to his concept of playing as one, which is to work hard, to live pure, to lead with courage, and to honor the team as a whole.”

When asked about the success of the team, Goodman said that “we will know that we’re successful not this week, not next week, but we’ll know we’re successful in ten to fifteen years, when these guys are husbands and fathers.”

The standard that Goodman talked about was not only inspirational to hear, but has also rubbed off onto the players themselves. “Me and my teammates are really close. We do lots of activities, team dinners and stuff, and I just love hanging out with them. They’re great guys and I can’t wait to be friends with them for life,” junior Caleb Moen said.

“I think if when we were getting penalties and when we were making mistakes, if we weren’t close and if we weren’t brothers, we didn’t love each other, that’s when the games fall apart and that’s when we start letting the other team score,” senior Aaron Vansant said.

The brotherhood and bond between the Caimans is admirable. Anyone can see the many high fives and hugs the players give each other when a touchdown is made or when a play from the opposite team is shut down. Their bond doesn’t just happen on the field, either—the players can always be seen on campus walking and talking together like close friends, especially on game days.

It’s this feeling of closeness and friendship that can and likely will take the Caimans far as the season progresses. As senior athlete Noah Farmer puts it, “We had a great season last year, and I’m hoping to imitate that this year.”