The first win of the season is something every team is desperate to get. Some get it early and can then focus on other goals, while some have to wait a bit longer.

The Woodland High School varsity football team wasn’t quite as lucky to experience the luxury of an early or mid-season win, but it wasn’t for lack of trying or belief. The Wolves’ sheer will and determination were rewarded in one of the best ways possible Friday night, following a fantastic 14-12 senior night win over Golden Empire League rivals El Camino.

“I feel like I could play another football game right now,” Wolves senior Brady Colbert said. “I’m so excited. This is the best way to end the season: in the rain, out in the mud with all my favorite people.

“I know we are 1-9, but this win makes everything complete. Every weight lifted, every rep in practice, every sprint we ever ran, and ending it with a win feels amazing. We finally got one for coach Gally, who helped us with everything. I don’t believe he is a 1-9 coach or that we are a 1-9 team.”

While it took 10 weeks to get that first win, it is no less sweet to the coaching staff and senior team leaders who never gave up or checked out of first-year coach Dane Gallagher’s coaching methods or messages.

“Week in and week out, the coaching staff and the kids kept a positive mindset throughout the year,” Gallagher said. “It got frustrating at times because there were a few games we were in positioning to win, but securing this one was great for our seniors. To be able to ring that victory bell at home was awesome.

“It was a big monkey off my back. It was one of those weird things with it being senior night, and the weather that it didn’t hit me well after the game that we got that win. It was a relief, to say the least.”

Following the victory and celebratory bell ringing, Gallagher lined up the seniors on the goal line while teammates and coaches went down the line one-by-one with heartfelt goodbye and thank you messages. Tears, laughs and almost every other emotion were on display from the coaches to the players to the soaked parents who had by then assembled on the field to celebrate.

“It’s a sad moment, but it feels amazing,” Colbert said. “It’s the most heartwarming feeling especially on a win. That moment with my coaches and teammates was the best I could ask for. Thats why we play football.”

“I just love how the seniors responded to my style and how everything worked out,” Gallagher said. “All the seniors responded, stepped up, listened, trusted us and had faith all year even though we weren’t getting the wins. They fought every week and continued to have that positive mindset while having fun out there. I appreciate every single one of them. We tell them all the time that we love them. I’m going to remember them forever. I truly appreciate what they did for me during my first year.”

While the weather eventually subsided to a light sprinkle following halftime, the first half was quite treacherous.

“The rain limits our style of offense and our play-calling abilities, so we had to work around that, limiting our playbook,” Gallagher said. “We knew it was going to rain, so we had some things installed. I wasn’t expecting the downpour in that first half, and it definitely played a factor. It turned into one of those early-90s slugfest where both teams just run the ball.”

Following a defensive stop, the Wolves got the ball on their own 30-yard line, looking to mount a drive. In the process of a handoff exchange, the Wolves fumbled the ball into El Camino’s possession, leading to a touchdown run to put the visitors up 6-0.

On the next drive, with the rain soaking everything in the stadium, the Wolves slightly changed their offense by putting in ‘Iron Man’ Colbert at the hybrid quarterback/tailback position. From there, the Wolves managed great success on a drive that eventually led to a short punch in from Cobert to tie it up at 6-6.

“That touchdown was honestly just me doing my job,” Colbert said. “It felt awesome, but it wasn’t just me who scored. It’s all the boys on the field who scored. That was our touchdown, not just mine.”

On the 2-point conversion, the Wolves went right back to Colbert for another hard-nosed run to go up 8-6 heading into the break.

“He has been playing some running back, and with the rain, we noticed our exchanges were getting hard,” Gallagher said. “We decided to go with a ‘Wildcat’ look and give it to Brady as a bruiser. It allowed us to move the ball down the field. We wanted to minimize any mistakes, so we ended up going to that, and it paid off for us.

“It was awesome to get him that score,” Gallagher continued. “Brady is the guy at practice that is full tilt no matter what whe he is on the field. The 2-point conversion he scored essentially won us the game as well. He never comes off the field and is a special player, one of those throwbacks. He has been our iron man.”

Along with his heavy offensive load, Colbert had his usual outstanding day on defense, amassing 20 total tackles, with 3 of them for a loss. Fellow defender Lincoln Twilley also had a huge game on defense, racking up 9 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 2 tackles for loss while setting the edge.

With the start of a new half came a new ball game as the rain had finally stopped.

El Camino came out hot on the first drive and rumbled their way deep into Wolves territory via the running game. Once inside the 20, the Eagles moved their way up to the 5 and then 1-yard line before punching in a run to the right side to make it 12-8. The Wovles luckily managed to force a fumble on the 2-point conversion attempt to keep it a two-point game.

With about three minutes left in the quarter, Woodland got the ball and went right back to a steady diet of Colbert, Joseph Cadotte and Joseph Quezada touches.

Colbert, who played every defensive snap along with special teams, had more than enough energy for the running game as he picked up three first downs on the next Wolves drive, while Quezada picked up another.

Following two straight Colbert runs that made it 3rd-and-4, the Wolves dug into the playbook and trusted a hunch from Cadotte and offensive coordinator Jay Munoz.

“He (Cadotte) came over to the sideline, telling us coaches that a pass is open since his corner was keying in on the run,” Gallagher recalled. “He told us it was there. Jay (Munoz) then came over and told us it was there as well.”

On the play-action, Wolves quarterback Joe Abarca faked the handoff, waited for Cadotte to get open, and connected on a huge 30-plus yard bomb for the go-ahead touchdown.

“He deserved to score that touchdown on senior night,” Gallagher said. “He has stepped up all over the field for us. He sees the field very well and is one of those instinctive players. It was great for him to get that touchdown for us. I’m glad we pulled it through.”

“It felt great to score,” Cadotte said. “I had been telling my coach that I’m open and once they pass it to me, I get it into the endzone. Everything worked out tonight. I played football with most of these kids since WJW, or PJP. Wherever I was, I played with people on this team. It feels great finishing off the season with a win. It was a long-awaited win. We needed this.”

After an unsuccessful 2-point conversion, the Wolves held a slim 14-12 lead with just over eight minutes left in the game.

Five minutes of game time later, El Camino had the ball on the 50-yard line. Despite being down, the Eagles opted to only run the ball. While they managed to move the chains thanks to a few first downs, time was no longer on their side.

Woodland’s defense, up to that point, had held very strong, only allowing two scores all night. On fourth down, the Eagles ran it right up the middle into the waiting arms of the Wovles defenders.

“That was a huge stop on defense,” Gallagher said. “The whole game, we were flying around on defense. Rallying to the football and securing tackles. Guys weren’t slipping or missing tackles. I love how our defense stepped up. Defense has always been something that Woodland has prided itself on, and I’m so glad that’s how it finished.”

All Woodland had to do now was get a first down.

Once the Wolves’ own fourth down came around, they opted to hand it off to none other than Colbert. With the game on the line, Colbert rumbled his way past the first down marker for a game-clinching first down.

As time expired, Wolves players and coaches congratulated one another and shook hands with El Camino before gleefully sprinting to the school’s victory bell to ring it for the first time all season.

“The support of our staff from top to bottom, including junior varsity, was fantastic this year,” Gallagher said. “The parents have been so supportive and made a great senior night for the kids. I truly am excited for this program’s future and our vision for it.”