By Logan Bare ‘27
Everyone wants to know how the superstar quarterback Sawyer Esbenshade (12) does it every Friday night. Well, here is your answer.
On Saturday, September 27th, the Buckskins will travel to Annville Cleona for a bright and early morning clash against Lebanon. Three key players include captain Sawyer Esbenshade, defensive captain Sam Matonti (12), and starting center Tre Forney (12), a first-year football player.
In the game against McCaskey on August 30, Sawyer Esbenshade had a rough time getting the offensive passing game together. He only had 67 passing yards with 5 completions on 13 attempts, with 2 passing touchdowns and an interception.
You can write the narrative that it was an early morning game and no one was awake yet as the excuse, but hopefully that won’t be the case against Lebanon.
When asked about the change in preparation for Lebanon, Esbenshade said, “I plan on getting a good night’s sleep the night before. When I wake up I’ll make sure I get a good breakfast and hydrate and then probably listen to music on the ride.”
On the flip side, captain of the CV defense, Sam Matonti, had McCaskey all over the place with 5 tackles – all of them for tackles for loss – and a blocked punt.
To keep the same energy going with the last morning game of the year for the Bucks, he said, “I plan on executing my job as perfectly as possible. Whether I’m the one making the plays or I’m eating up blocks so my teammates can make the plays we play and fight as a team.”
Esbenshade and Matoni also have a new teammate to work with – Tre Forney. Forney, who was a 13-year soccer player, made the switch over to football to originally be a punter/kicker.
“I loved soccer for years, but during my senior year, I lost my passion for it,” Forney said. “I found a new love for football. When the team needed a center, I stepped up and worked hard all summer. After five weeks with the team, I can truly say that this football program has changed my life, and I’ve gained brothers who will always have my back.”