What's up, guys? It's Rocco Micciche. I’m under the impression that you guys had the same record that I did when I was a senior, when we made our state run. I just wanted to say some words of encouragement, or hopefully inspiration, to get you guys ready for a playoff run and give you some insight into how my class was feeling at the time.

First of all, you guys have to take practice and film as seriously, or more seriously, than you have in the regular season. You can't be goofing off. You’ve got to watch as much film as possible and practice as hard as you can to give you that edge over the other team, whoever you may face.

Second of all, you can’t be tearing each other down when someone makes a mistake. You’ve always got to build each other up. That’s why you call each other brothers, and that's why you’re on the same team.

Finally, most importantly, seniors—this is going to be your last time ever playing football for most of you. You’ve got to play every game like it could be your last because it very well might be. You always have to play your hardest since you never know which game is going to be your last. Hopefully, I’ll see you guys down in Indy. Peace.

Hey guys, Coach Marshall asked me to make a short video talking about a similar situation we were in during my senior year, and how we overcame that as a team to have the season we did.

After that second loss, there was a sense of embarrassment and disappointment on the team because we knew we weren’t living up to who we could be and who we knew we were going to be. Through that came a change of mindset. I would describe that mindset as, “How do you want to be remembered?” We were not okay with being remembered as an embarrassment, and we weren’t going to let that happen.

So, in practice and games, it was everything we had—100%. There was no other option. We weren’t going to be remembered as a disappointment. We were not going to be outworked. We were going to play harder than the other team—there was no other option.

I know you guys are going to be a great team. I know you’re going to get this together. You just have to play with no regrets. Don’t look back years from now and think, “Man, I wish I could have tried a little harder in practice or on that one play during the game.” If you play with everything you’ve got, you’re going to be a great team and go far. Have a great season. Play with no regrets, and you’ve got this. Good luck this week against Portage—you’re going to kill it, I know you will. Play with no regrets. How do you want to be remembered?

What's up, guys? I'm Zach Brown. I was a part of the 2022 state champs team. There are three things I want to talk about today: accountability, perseverance, and effort.

For accountability, hold yourself and your teammates accountable. Learn from your own mistakes and from your teammates' mistakes, and fix it the next play.

For perseverance, one bad play doesn’t define you. It’s about how you respond to that bad play and what you’re going to do to fix it next time.

For effort, just remember what the coaches always say: Go 100% every play. That’s the best way you can contribute to the team.

We were also in the same position as you guys are right now. It’s not too late. We all want the best for you. Good luck for the rest of your season.

What’s up, boys? I’m Connor McAll, graduated in the class of 2023, and was a member of the 2022 state championship team. I think what allowed our team to come together and put together such a great postseason run comes down to three things: attention to detail, communication, and holding each other accountable.

Attention to detail, for me, just means doing the little things right. It can be something as specific as making sure you’re lined up correctly. Our team specifically made sure to do all these little things right, and it ended up making a big difference in the long run, especially in a Friday night game when your season's on the line.

Having communication with your teammates is just as important. Being a voice on and off the field allows your teammates to understand what's going on, but it’s also going to help those around you during the game.

Lastly, be sure to hold each other accountable. The season is long. For my team, specifically, we came into the season with a goal, and we didn’t want to stop short of that goal. So, be sure to hold each other accountable and stay focused and locked in for the rest of the season.

Lastly, I want to wish you all the best of luck for the remainder of the season. I’ll be rooting for you.

What’s up, boys? It’s Pete Crossin, and I just wanted to give you guys some words of encouragement and advice moving forward for the rest of the year.

You guys are sitting in the exact same situation that me and my senior class were in our senior year. We were able to get things rolling against Portage after that Merrillville loss and go on a magical run the rest of the way.

What I can tell you is that it’s going to take everybody—from the bottom up. Everybody’s got to believe you can make this run because nobody else will. My motto, or our team's motto, my senior year was “Against All Odds,” and it truly was. We came into playoffs 5-3, having barely beaten Lake Central in week nine, and nobody really thought we were going to do anything. But look at the run we ended up going on: We avenged that Merrillville loss in regionals, we beat the number one team in the state in semi-state, and beat a team from the south in the state championship.

That came from us believing in each other, trusting each other, and the bond we had. That’s another big thing—team chemistry is real. Regardless of how much talent you have, if you don’t have chemistry, you’re not going to go anywhere. I played with a lot of you guys, and I know you have that team chemistry. I know there’s leadership on that team to get things turned around and get you going in the right direction again.

But it has to start with all of you. You have to believe that while everybody on the outside is doubting us right now, we’re going to play the rest of the season with a chip on our shoulder and a pissed-off attitude. We’re not going to let outside noise dictate the rest of our season. We didn’t in my senior year—we were pissed off after that Merrillville loss, and I remember thinking, “I do not want to feel this again.” That team better pray to God they don’t see the Vikings in the playoffs, and that’s got to be your mentality this year.

If you see Merrillville again, play like they shouldn’t even be on the same field as you. That’s the type of mentality you need because they are your enemy, and everybody else you face from now on is your enemy.

Like I said, you have to come together. Don’t get down on each other—pick each other up. Right now, you’re being challenged. How do you respond? After back-to-back losses, it’s all about your response. You can either let it dictate the rest of your season and be a sectional or regional exit, or you can take these losses, grow from them, and go on the same run we did. Prove everybody wrong.

Good luck the rest of the way, boys. I’ll be watching you week in and week out. Peace.