Sports

The Foot-Fall of West Brunswick

Addressing Varsity Football record over the past few years.

Dominic Grubb, Staff Writer • Sep 26, 2023

Head defensive coach Scott Loosemore talking to his Varsity Trojans.

Why it matters: The football team has had a losing record for the past two years and this year appears to be continuing that trend. The Trojans have been looking toward major changes and improvements from a coaching and playing standpoint.

Details: The current situation of the football team feels shaky, the team seems to be on a consistent losing streak, despite a new head coach and a whole lot of changes in policy, practice, and overall game play.

“The goal is always to be a little bit better than the week before,” said returning defensive back coach Aaron Powell. “We [kids] get into the habit of pointing fingers and we have to change that mentality.”

The football team’s record over the past three years is 4-21 (win/loss) as of September 22nd.
Currently, the football team holds a ten-game losing streak, stemming from last season (22-23) into the current season (23-24).
Three head coaching changes in as many seasons are what some suspect to be the cause of an uncoordinated team.

On the coaching changes: “You learn and they all do things differently,” said Powell, “If you’re a high school player and you’re doing three different things in three different years, you don’t get comfortable with what you’re doing. With our new coach, consistency has been a driving point, and I think he plans to be here for a while.”

The Big Picture: The football team is in desperate need to find its big break and return to a positive record, which the team hasn’t seen since its 2021-2022 season. The current coaching staff is looking toward multiple new angles to take a step forward in performance:

The new strict attendance policy for practice and school, being tougher on those who can’t follow rules on or off the field and enforcing a drive for players to hold themselves accountable for their actions.
An almost all new coaching staff with only three returning coaches to steer the program in a new direction,
Holding those who do not coordinate with the rules accountable without favoring others.

What’s important: The football program is a necessity for the funding of the athletic department. FNL (Friday Night Lights) is a powerhouse in fundraising for the school; not only does it help fund the football program, but it also funds several other sports that may not rake in enough cash to make up for the margin of money spent.

What they’re saying: “Coaches are instilling a new culture,” says varsity football player Nicholas Chirco. “[They’re] forcing athletes to work harder and better themselves for the team.”

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About the Contributors

Dominic Grubb, Staff Writer

Dominic Grubb may be a middle child, but he does not lack the spotlight; Grubb is an 18-year-old senior born in Freehold, New Jersey. After a short period of time living there, he and his family moved to Calabash, North Carolina where he has lived the majority of his life. After a few years getting settled in Calabash, Grubb later found an interest in wrestling in middle school. Shortly after starting, Grubb soon found love for the sport, now having wrestled for seven years and recently finding interests in other combat activities. “My coach for baseball actually convinced me to join,” said Grubb. “That started my obsession with combat sports.” While being an avid wrestler and combat sport enthusiast, Grubb is also very big on his work in theater. This then led him to get the “Best Lead Actor” award for West Brunswick during his sophomore year. He also actively participates in school musicals and plays, recently playing the role of Atticus Finch “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “The best part about acting is to see the enjoyment in the crowd,” said Grubb. “Whether it’s after or during a show, seeing the excitement on peoples faces makes me feel like a good entertainer.” Grubb plans to immediately get a real estate license after graduation, but he also intends to attend Brunswick Community College for two years. Grubb ultimately plans to transfer to either App State or Penn State to major in biology and eventually pursue physical therapy This is Grubb’s first semester in journalism as a part of the West Wind; Grubb attempted to join previously but had complications with his schedule. “Mrs. Saunders sparked my interest,” said Grubb. “She told me I would be good at podcasts, and that made me really excited to join as I love to talk about things that spark my interest.”

Ava Babson, content creator director

Ava Babson is a 17 year old senior and is starting her 4th semester in journalism. Babson splits her time between living in Ash with her dad and Sunset Beach with her mom. She continues to do journalism because she loves photography and making videos. Babson is starting her 4th and final year of volleyball at school. "I enjoy playing volleyball because it is fun and a good bonding experience," said Babson. "There are also a lot of memories I have made in the past 4 years. I love learning new and different things each year and pushing myself to become stronger physically and mentally." Babson is not 100% positive about what she wants to do with her future. She is currently interested in going to school for Public Relations and Digital Media, possibly doing photography as a side job, and moving out of Brunswick County. In Ava’s spare time off campus, she spends her time with her friends, family, and boyfriend. She enjoys going to the beach, shopping, bowling, making money, traveling, and doing photography at the Race track on the weekends. “Photography is something I've always had a passion for,” said Babson. “You can express all types of emotions and expressions with photography, especially if you are taking photos of sports or anything in public. It is just something that excites me.” [gallery ids="17421"]