Averi Roberts is a student journalist at the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University assigned to cover the Arcadia football team. 

For many of the senior football players, it feels like just yesterday it was their freshman year and they were stepping on the field for the first time. As they come close to the end of their final season, they reminisce on the past four years at Arcadia, and prepared to step on their home field one last time.

The Arcadia High School football team honored its senior athletes on their senior night game against Marcos de Niza at Arcadia High School, Friday, Nov. 1. It was a fitting sendoff, as Arcadia won 26-20.

Senior offensive and defensive lineman Jason McGrath has cherished his time spent with the team and playing for Arcadia. He hopes that the younger players learn from the senior class that time flies by and to capitalize on every moment given .

“Just give it all you got. Because you don’t have that much time,” McGrath said.

In the seniors’ time at Arcadia they have faced many trials and tribulations. Through the seasons, they finished with an 0-10 record their sophomore year, and a 6-4 record their junior year, under a new head coach, Kerry Taylor.

After rotating through two different head coaches within the past years playing at Arcadia, the team finally landed Taylor in 2018.

“They’ve seen the bad days, and they have been a part of the good days these last couple years,” said Taylor, who would eventually step down following the end of the 2019 season.

The tough situations that the players faced throughout their time at Arcadia fed their growth. They used what they had gone through, depended on each other, and came together as a team.

Linebacker and tight end Will Constantinou witnessed how the problems made the team stronger.

“I think just in general everyone on the team goes through something, and the camaraderie of all of us being together, helps us get through those problems.” Constantinou said.

As the seniors' final season came around and their new chapter began, they made sure to be on the same page on how to lead the team. They wanted to hold each other accountable, be there for each other form a brotherhood, work hard, and have fun.

That mission was prominent when senior quarterback Kadin Beler reflected on the team's growth.

“My favorite memory with the seniors is at camp when we just all one night got together and talked about what we’re going to do for the team and just bonded as seniors, and how we’re going to lead this team to a good season.” Beler said.

One of Taylor’s favorite memories with the seniors was watching their growth within the time that he coached them. The seniors grew within the past seasons both in the sport and as students.

“When I first got here they weren’t a very confident group, they didn’t really understand football,” Taylor said. “And just kind of seeing their growth they’ve had the last two years, and this year really going out with confidence and playing hard and having success and watching them mature over the last two years has been pretty cool.”

Taylor had a close bond with this group of seniors and hopes that they take what they have learned from him and football with them in their futures .

“To be with these guys for two years and be a big part of their lives and football has been awesome. I’m always going to remember this group the most,” Taylor said.