With the loss of senior standouts Jayden Cunningham, Cam Hubbard, Lewis Allen, and Kevin Douglas, this year’s senior captains Jake Kapp, Danny Ciano, and Jack Voudouris have big shoes to fill. Luckily, the three of them, along with the entire football program, got right to work after last season’s heartbreaking loss to Padua in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. With the help of the new athletic trainer, Carlo Alvarez, the team has gotten bigger, faster, and stronger through their unique and demanding offseason workouts.

The University School Varsity football team has started the season 4-3. In the first two weeks, the team suffered tough losses against Warrensville Heights and Bay Village. In week three, however, the team bounced back with an impressive victory over VASJ, 42-12. In week four, the Preppers suffered another tough loss to Maple Heights but quickly bounced back with a 50-28 win over Cleveland Central Catholic. The Preppers used this victory as momentum heading into their historic game against WRA. With an outstanding performance on both sides of the ball, however, the Preppers asserted their dominance in a memorable 46-18 victory. Continuing on this winning streak, the Preppers defeated Parma 22-6.

Despite the strong senior receiving core lead by captains Jake Kapp and Jack Voudouris, this year’s team has had many young players step up to fill key roles. One of the players to step up this season, replacing standout senior quarterback Jayden Cunningham, is sophomore, Solomon Perez. Since June, Perez has improved significantly, making critical plays in recent games. Similarly, juniors, Jack Borrow, Max Young, and Charlie Brennan, have all stepped up on the defense end of the ball, making tackles and causing numerous turnovers. Sophomore, Khari Tidmore, has been an absolute beast on the defensive line this season, creating constant pressure for opposing quarterbacks.

With the season just ending, University School came out with a record of 4-6. In their final game against Steubenville, the team put up a good fight. The team was able to put points up onto the board, with senior Grant Pawlikowsky having a standout touchdown. Despite falling to some of the top programs in the state, Team 129 was able to take down some huge opponents, including WRA at the Shaker Campus and CCC on homecoming. Congratulations to Team 129 on their season.