Leaving Case on a high note

Friday will mark the end of the football careers for 17 seniors at Case Field, and they will be looking to make sure their final memory at home is a positive one.

When Washington hosts Fort Madison on Friday night, the Demons will be celebrating senior night, with the chance to erase the memories of a close loss last weekend.

?I want to leave Case on a positive note,? Washington senior and captain Bryce Sinn said. ?We know this is our last week of Demon football, so we want to leave everything we can on Friday night and make this last week of football fun. We are locked in but having fun at the same time.?

The Demons fell last week to Oskaloosa in a 28-27 contest, which came right down to the wire, but the Washington loss eliminated the Demons from contention for an automatic berth into the postseason, with the wildcard options seeming slim in the last week of the regular season.

Knowing this could very well be the last week of the season, the senior captains are reflecting on their careers and knowing they can finish their career with a win, something they haven?t been able to do for a number of years.

?I want to finish my career with a win,? senior captain Aaron Vittetoe said. ?It means a lot. We can remember our last game at Case going out on top.?

In a season filled with ups and downs, the seniors have been critically important to the team staying even-keeled and battling a tremendous amount of adversity in 2016.

?This class means a lot to me,? Washington head coach Garrison Carter said. ?They were my first sophomore group and so I?ve been with them all three years as varsity players. It?s been fun to see them develop and turn into really good football players and tremendous leaders. They are going to be missed. The hard thing about coaching is you get so attached to these kids, and then they end of the road comes and it?s hard.

?They will go out as one of the winningest groups in Washington history.?

Going out with a win would be an important milestone, as it would mark a six-win season for the Demons, a mark that would normally guarantee a playoff spot.

?I think there is some disappointment that we didn?t get to the ultimate goals that some football programs have, but at the end of the day, if you win on Friday and finish the season 6-3, it?s a good season,? Carter said. ?It says a lot about where the program is where a 6-3 finish is considered ?disappointing.? There shouldn?t be much to be disappointed about the way we?ve played this season.?

With the end nearing for the seniors, there was a lot of reflecting about their careers, with a few moments standing out to the captains.

?Going to Crooked Creek last year was pretty fun,? Senior captain Karlton Skubal said. ?It was a good bonding experience and we all had a blast there.?

Those preseason camps, which featured multiple practices a day might not have been fun at the time, but they know they?ll remember them for a long time.

?The team bonding has always been fun,? Vittetoe said. ?We went to the National Guard this year and Crooked Creek the year before. We kind of dreaded them at the time (with two-a-day and three-a-day practices), but looking back those were fun.?

For Sinn, he said the ice baths are something he?ll remember, but couldn?t put down a specific memory that stood out to him.

?It?s not really the memories, but these guys have really stepped up and helped me through my life,? Sinn said. ?Having that family atmosphere has helped a lot.?

Carter noted that Friday?s contest against winless Fort Madison will be ?all about the seniors,? so expect to see them on the field for numerous plays.

?We will make sure they get a lot of time on the field,? Carter said. ?It?s unique because we know this is the last game, so maybe you aren?t as quick to pull guys out and make sure these guys can enjoy it.?

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, as opposed to the usual 7:30 start, with Fort Madison being unable to field a full freshman team.