During a season in which they went 0-10, Baldwin football players said several of the defeats were particularly difficult.

“The Peters game was demoralizing because they went 41 points ahead in the first quarter,” senior Devin Taylor said. The Highlanders eventually lost that game 49-8.

The final game of the season, last Friday against Upper St. Clair, was also a rough game, sophomore Gio Falce said.

“We played well in the first half, but let up in the second half,” sophomore Gio Falce said. USC built its lead and ended up winning 59-14.

Yet the Highlanders also showed their character. The team kept putting in the work straight through until the end, with all players showing up to the last practice. Freshman Noah Mickolay gives credit to the upperclassmen for influencing the team’s dedication.

“Cenzo Pacella, Dominic Brown, Devin Taylor, Noah Sicanni, and Vince Broccoli never gave up and always gave 100 percent,” Mickolay said. 

Senior Cenzo Pacella highlighted a teammate who stood out this year and who provides hope for the future. 

“Landon Frantz had a standout year in my eyes. He played a great game at South Fayette on the defensive side of the ball,” Pacella said. “Landon also made a big unexpected change to offensive tackle this year and thrived at the position.”

Mickolay, who became the starting varsity quarterback as a freshman, hopes to make big strides for his sophomore year.

“I have to grow in every aspect of the game – specifically getting to know the timing to the receivers, and also putting on weight,” he said.

Mickolay also had some bright moments during his freshman season as well.

“My favorite moment was when I scored my first touchdown in a high school game,” Mickolay said, referring to a pass he threw in the Thomas Jefferson game. “The feeling was indescribable.”

Pacella hopes that Mikolay takes a bigger leadership role on the team next year.

“Mikolay is young but he was a freshman who started on varsity for a majority of the season, which brought a lot to the team,” Pacella said.

As the season progressed, the team came together to create a strong bond that helped them get through hard losses. 

“The whole team built the family connection more and more every day,” Pacella said.

Despite the rough season, Taylor still had good memories from his final year of Baldwin football.

“Being around my friends and creating memories was able to get me through the season,” Taylor said.