After coming out of an intense victory against the Downers Grove North Trojans with a final score of 23-6, varsity football captain Howard Willis ‘17 appreciated the incredible success of this year’s team so far.

“It’s an amazing feeling being 6-0 when you know you contributed to the success,” Willis said. “It’s something we haven’t done in years. There is definitely something special about this team.”

For the first half of the season, the LT varsity football team started off strong with six straight wins, racking up an overall record of 6-0 and a conference record of 3-0. Currently, the team carries two additional losses from the games against Hinsdale Central and OPRF.

Although the beginning of this year’s season displayed more success than the last couple of years, there were not any new coaching styles or techniques that contributed to this accomplishment, Head Coach Kurt Weinberg said.

“I don’t think there is anything really different [from last year] other than gaining experience,” he said. “We were young, and a lot of the guys who played last year as sophomores and juniors now have a year of experience under their belt.”

In addition to the gain of proficience, the team’s chemistry also played a major role in achieving the undefeated record, Weinberg said.

“It is a very tight-knit group,” he said. “They all care for each other, laugh a lot, and work hard together. I never see any problem areas.”

The bond that contributed to the team’s success can be attributed to the strong players that lead the team, Weinberg said. These leaders consist of all three captains, including Willis, Chris Wojcik ‘17 and Reggie Terrel ‘17, and the rest of the senior players.

“I like to push our teammates past their limits,” Willis said. “Whether it is forcing an extra rep in the weight room, or keeping high intensity during everything we do on the field, I want our team to be confident in everything they do so I can lead them to victory every Friday night.”

Even though there has been much emphasis on the team’s undefeated beginning, Weinberg did not see the record itself as something the team took pride in.

“We don’t think about the record a heck of a lot to be honest,” Weinberg said. “It’s just about being 1-0 every week, and moving on to the next team. There are a still a lot of things to do, and we still have a lot of improvements to make. We are not really thinking about where we currently are, but rather we are thinking about where we can get.”

Although achieving the 6-0 record produced a surge of confidence, the LT varsity football team lost to its rival Hinsdale Central in a fierce competition on Oct. 7. On the following Friday, team experienced another loss to the OPRF Huskies with a final score of 27-3. Now, the team carries a weakened overall record of 6-2 and a conference record of 3-2.

Despite the unfortunate losses, Willis is confident that the team will continue the success it had experienced in the beginning of the season.

“This year’s team is something amazing, and I think we can most definitely make it really far in the playoffs.”