LEE COUNTY, Fla. — These past couple of years have truly been a roller coaster for these athletes.
As they’re hoping, they’ll get the chance to have that feeling of a football Friday night again.
“I just want to play,” said Wyatt Whalen. “I mean, it’s one more season. I just want to have fun.”
For seniors like Whalen, this is their last shot at a state title before they take their talents to the college level.
“Just have a season where we can just focus on football and not have to worry about other things,” said Whalen, “and if our season is going to get canceled and We have guys in and out. So, that’s going to be a good thing.”
It’ll be nice to get back to that feeling.
But for juniors like Ryan Ganson, they’ve only seen pandemic seasons since entering high school.
So he’s still looking for that textbook high school feeling.
“I got taken away from me was that season of not getting out there as much,” said Ganson. “Not being able to go to as much camps and stuff like that. I felt like that was like taken away from me.”
Although Fort Myers is growing, we are still considered a fairly small city when compared to some of those bigger cities.
And for Riley Bowe, he’s glad to be back here and getting the chance to have his whole family at the games again.
“It means a lot,” said Bowe. “Because over in Fort Lauderdale, it was always limited tickets. Every player gets two tickets. So seeing it freshman year with how packed the stands get, and just kind of miss that.”
Of course nothings guaranteed with covid still a factor.
But these Vikings, are still looking forward to the 2022 season.
“To be out here with the guys every day, to be in the weight room,” said Whalen, “it’s going to help us out a lot when we come to fall.”
