By Kayla Markowitz and Harshitha Kothapalli – Editors-in-Chief 

The Jonathan Law football team ended its regular season strong with an impressive win over Foran on Thanksgiving Day.

The final score of 33-6 earned a home playoff game for the Lawmen, and capped off the season with a record of 8-2. Law led for the entirety of the game and brought home a win against Foran for the fifth year in a row. 

“This game is always exciting as it’s the culmination of all of our hard work being displayed to our hometown,” Senior Captain Nick Cosmas said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to come together and have a good time while playing the sport we love.”

Quarterback Matthew Witteman, who was given the Paul Gestapo Most Valuable Player Award, was a large contributor to the win with 102 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and four touchdown passes.

Witteman opened the scoring when he threw the first touchdown pass of the game to senior Brian Gonzalez early in the second quarter. Gonzalez finished with three touchdown catches for the game.

Despite the high expectations from both sides to perform well, Witteman knows how to stay grounded during a game. 

“I really just try to focus on the game at hand, and that helps distract me from all the outside noise, and once the game starts, all the pressure goes away,” Witteman said. 

Another crucial component of the team’s win was the Joe Beler Defensive Player of the Game, junior Alex Konlian. Konlian, a defensive back, believes that this annual game is the perfect tradition for Milford. 

“Going out and playing against kids I grew up with also adds a unique element to the game,” Konlian said. “It is so special that the game attracts a large crowd, and as a team, we drew from that to show Milford how hard we’ve been working.”

One of the biggest obstacles for any team is adjusting to unforeseen circumstances and quickly adapting to new roles. Cosmas, who received the Robert Taylor Sportmanship Award, stepped up when needed and was a big part of Law’ssuccess.

“Challenges we have faced have been getting prepared, due to injuries, we have a lot of young guys who need to step up and fill big shoes,” Cosmas said.

With 14 seniors leaving the team this year, underclassmen are left to become leaders. Gonzales, who led the team with nine total touchdowns this season, knows that they can succeed with enough grit and dedication.

“For the younger players, they have to stay focused and play for each other just like they did this year, and work hard during the offseason to dominate next season’s opponents, just have a good work ethic, and be mindful of their actions on and off the field,” Gonzales said.