"It would mean the world:" Greenfield High School works to build up athletic program
GREENFIELD -- It was a rainy setting at Greenfield High School on Friday night, October 23rd as they hosted Union Grove for a playoff game. It was a rare site at Greenfield High School but there was a lot of momentum, not only with football, but with the athletic program as a whole.
"Stands are filled like from the top like we run out of space in the bleachers," said Angela Deubig, Greenfield High School senior.
Greenfield High School
It's been a long time since the students at Greenfield High School have been this excited about the school's football team.
"We've never won a first playoff game so winning tonight, that would mean a lot for our whole school and for the team especially -- it would mean the world," said Lizzy Kalous, Greenfield High School senior.
"We celebrated the conference championship for our football program. First one since 1978, so we had a football championship/playoff pep rally," said Greenfield High School Athletic Director, Trent Lower.
Trent Lower
"That was a new experience. We've never done that before," said Deubig.
The Hustlin' Hawks hosted Union Grove in a level one playoff game which is a big deal for the school's athletic program and athletic director, Trent Lower.
"As your football program evolves it typically can benefit other programs," said Lower.
With new leadership, Hawks football is helping the athletic program gain momentum.
"Taking the East Division championship as well as the conference championship, and now us hosting a playoff game, a lot of great things in his second year here," said Lower.
Volleyball is one of the teams also seeing success. Senior, Angela Deubig, is a captain on the team who just so happens to be playing Union Grove in a post season match on Saturday.
Angela Deubig
"It's just a coincidence, Like we've played Union Grove once before in our four years and our boys, I don't think have ever played them so it'll be a new experience and hopefully we can take both of them," said Deubig.
"Oh, it's really exciting it's like we hope they beat them we hope we beat them cause it would be a lot of fun everyone would be cheering so much and it would just be a lot of positive vibes around the school and everyone would be going crazy -- it would just be awesome," said Kalous.
That success is also changing the way students are supporting the school's teams and it's very noticeable to another senior captain of the volleyball team, Lizzy Kalous.
"And I just didn't expect it to happen so I wanted to just go and really have them going at it," Kalous.
Which is why Lower is hoping to ride that support into a new era of Hustlin' Hawks athletics with the introduction of an athletic hall of fame.
"It's something that I'm going to begin forming a committee this spring, winter-spring and looking at where we can have that in the building, what's the criteria," said Lower.
While that hall is in the planning stages, Heritage Hallway currently connects the old gym to the new gym as well as the school's athletic past to today's program.
Heritage Hallway
"Heritage Hallway which is a really nice collection of pictures of sectional championship conference championship teams, state qualifying teams and state championship teams," said Lower.
The future is as bright as ever for the Hustlin' Hawks as they look to continue to build this athletic program.