On August, 30, 2024, School of the Osage kicked off their first football game with an electrifying effort against Bolivar. The atmosphere was exhilarating as students filled their section, anticipating the kick off to the 2024 football season. From the opening kickoff it was clear that Osage was determined to start the season off on a high note. In the first quarter, the Osage defense looked poised, forcing Bolivar to punt the ball. Osage’s defense was looking at its peak the entire game, stopping Bolivar every drive. The highlight of the game was, Drake Williams’s pick 6, as he picked off Bolivar’s QB, returning it for an Osage score. Williams explained his perspective of the game:, “What led us to our win was how we are so disciplined, how we all know our assignments on the field. No one is selfish, so we all get our work done and just work as a team.” Prior to the game, starting defensive lineman Nick Joiner was asked about his confidence level. “I feel pretty good,” Joiner said. “…. We are a lot more prepared going into week 1.” At the end of the game Joiner recapped the preparation process. “Thursdays we do a roll call. We go over all of our special teams, offense, and defense, and then we have a team meal.” Further emphasizing their preparation, defensive lineman Dominic Newell said, “We practiced every day and watched film of the other team.” Additionally, offensive lineman Grant Wilson explained, “We prepared with a chip on our shoulder., We came into the start of the week knowing we had work to do. We worked our butts off to achieve perfection mentally and physically.”
The final score of the game was 35-0 with Osage taking home the victory. This first game win showed off their talent, hard work, and resilience for their craft. After the game, some players expressed how they felt about the game, if they thought they played to their potential, and what the coach said to them at halftime. Wilson said, “We can’t get comfortable, we have got to act like we are one score behind no matter the score, and we can’t get loose” when asked about what can be improved upon. When asked about the offense, receiver Dayne Depeé reflected, “I think our passing game has taken huge strides from last year, and I think we showed that in this game.” When asked about the defense, linebacker Noah Stephen said, “Our defense definitely did the best on our swarm. We were able to all move toward the ball, and if somebody missed a tackle, another player was right there to pick it up.” Kicker Brady Clark talked about playing to the team’s potential but admitted, “There are more improvements to be made.”Newell explained that the halftime speech from Coach gave reminded the team not to get comfortable and “treat the game like it’s still 0-0.”
As the Osage Indians football team looks ahead to their next games, the community remains ecstatic and looking forward to an exciting year. This first impressive win against Bolivar has set the stage for the remainder of the season with hope for a good year.