On Friday, October 10th, Brookfield Central came together for the annual Hope Game hosted by the BCHS Hope Squad to celebrate World Mental Health Day. “The purpose of the Hope Game is to raise awareness about mental health and spotlight our Hope Squad as a resource for the whole school,” explains Lauren Lippe, a 10th-grade Hope Squad member. The Lancers won against the Nathan Hale Huskies 34-0.
The student section was dressed in all black with red accents in order to “show our unified stance on the importance of mental health awareness. Plus, black is an element of the Hope Squad logo,” says Lippe.
The Lancers started strong with an early touchdown in the first quarter. Their offense smashed holes in Nathan Hale’s defense and the Lancers’ own defense left no way for Nathan Hale to score. The first quarter ended 6-0 in favor of the Lancers.
The second quarter started with a turnover to the Lancers after a false start from Nathan Hale. Augie England (#41) scored the second touchdown and AJ Seymour (#7) got the 2-point conversion that made the score 14-0 for the Lancers. The BC defense was just as strong, stopping the Nathan Hale Huskies in their tracks on several plays and forcing a second turnover. After an impressive 41-yard pass to Rece Hopfensperger (#2), the Lancers scored their third touchdown of the night in a breakaway by Aadil Bajwa (#12). Nathan Geckerman (#45) intercepted a pass from Nathan Hale and Rece Hopfensperger caught a 25-yard pass to score the 4th touchdown for the Lancers.
During halftime, the senior members of the marching band were recognized, including drum majors Sophia Beaudoin, Sydney Boyung, and Elizabeth Feist. The halftime featured performances from BC’s Marching Band and Color Guard, who performed songs like “24 Karat Magic” by Bruno Mars, “Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King, and the BC Fight Song during an exciting field show. Some members of the WHMS 8th-grade band also joined the BC marching band during their performance on the sidelines. They were followed by the BC Cheer team and BCHS Lancerettes, who performed fun shows full of acrobatics and school spirit.
The score was 28-0 going into the 3rd quarter, with the Lancers starting with the ball. Augie England (#41) scored his 2nd touchdown of the night, but Central failed to score the extra point. Shortly after the Huskies received the ball they were given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, pushing them back 20 yards and ending the run. AJ Seymour (#7) made a breakaway through the Husky defense midway through the quarter, pushing the team closer to a touchdown. Unfortunately, the Huskies intercepted a pass from the Lancers around the 20-yard line before the offense could get into the endzone. A drive to the 24-yard line by the Huskies pushed them into the distance of the endzone, but the Lancer defence kept them out. David Rivera (Nathan Hale #20) was injured but was able to walk off the field. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the score was 34-0 to the Lancers.
Lancer defense sacked the Husky quarterback at the start of the 4th quarter, causing an incomplete pass. The Huskies attempted a field goal, but missed, turning the ball over to the Lancers’ offense for another round of explosive plays. Connor Brennan made a long drive, sparking a series of plays that pushed the Lancers into the endzone once again. AJ Seymour (#7) scored a touchdown, but it was not counted due to a holding penalty that pushed the Lancers back down the field. The Huskies received the ball after recovering a fumble around the halfway point in the quarter. The Huskies were slowly gaining ground, but time was running out for them to make a move. Noah Brezovar (#13) intercepted the ball from the Huskies with 1:56 left to go, and the Lancers held it until the end.
“It was a great team win, and it’s really good to see the underclassmen who don’t normally play as much get in the game like they did tonight. This was a big confidence booster, and it should set us up great for our game against Sussex next week,” said running back Augie England (#41) in an interview after the game. “…Unfortunately a lot of good players were hurt at the start of the season, which is upsetting from a game and morale standpoint, but I’m proud of the people who stepped up to fill their role.”
