Spanish conquistador Cortes inspires football team

Team adopts hashtag #btb for season

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On the Wildcats float trip August 11,  there were no boats going up in flames but the Cats’ new slogan #burntheboat resonated with the players.

“Get our minds off football for a bit, and bond with our dads,” said Caleb Seawood, Senior middle linebacker for the Wildcats, when asked about the float trip. In comparison, when Cortez told his men to burn the boats, he was creating a bond because they had to come together to not perish.

It was July 1519 in Veracruz. Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes is planning to attack the biggest city in the western hemisphere and a lethal group of Aztec Indians who greatly outnumbered his sailors. Like the Aztecs, Pulaski Academy had a lethal offensive attack lead by senior tight end Hudson Henry. “This game was a progression game and we are going to do everything to do our best and be our best.” said senior guard, Dallas Vargason. Vargason was mentioning the Pulaski Academy game where Har-Ber lost by a score of 50-14.

“We are going forward into our season with high hopes, with love for each other as a brotherhood…” said Caleb Seawood. Fear bled through the group of Spaniards. Cortes ordered the boats he had sailed to Veracruz to be burned. Cortes knew if the boats were burned it meant his men would have to conquer the city or die.

“There is no turning back… we are gonna fight, we are going to win.” said  Seawood. There was a point of no return for the Spanish. The Wildcats use this as a reminder there is no turning back this 2018 season.

“We are on a journey, we are burning the boats, we can’t turn back.” said the senior, middle linebacker, Caleb Seawood. The football team have adopted this as their motto for this season. Cortez was a conquistador and in English that translates to conquer. The Wildcats look to conquer this season on the football field the same way Cortes conquered the Aztecs.

“We are lifting or running everyday… it’s a grind,” said Seawood. The Wildcats have worked hard in practice by implementing a scheduled workout. Which means that they go to different stations and work on different football skills.

“It is a slogan for our culture at Har-Ber.” said, junior cornerback, Cole Bowen, when asked how the burn the boat saying was created.

“I think it came from the bible,”said Vargason. In history this slogan meant conquer or die, but for the football team, it has a little bit of a different meaning when Coach Day, a football coach, came up with the saying in January.

“Forget about everything that has happened to us and move forward,” said Bowen.

Last season is in the rear view mirror for the Wildcats after a disappointing first round exit to Northside by a score of 21-9. There are at least 8 sophomores or juniors that will get playing time for the Wildcats on the offensive side of the ball.

The young cats look to prove that they can again compete for a state title and this burn the boat saying has been a ”…huge motivation for me and the team…” said starting, quarterback, Blaise Wittschen. The Wildcats have a bright future and will continue to burn the boat.