Simon Brennan '26
Nov 15, 2024
This season, Mercersburg’s Blue Storm football team demonstrated its resilience, unity, and unwavering commitment when faced with challenges on and off the field. A brand-new coaching staff, led by Head Coach Jamar Galbreath, and the addition of new players required a period of adjustment. The players pulled together and built a team dynamic centered on resilience, teamwork, and a shared determination.
"Despite our record [1-6], the team did incredibly well this year," Galbreath shared. "In a season of a lot of change and adversity, the team did an excellent job of living up to a culture of being excellent community members, embodying a ‘next man up’ mentality, and being ready to play at a moment’s notice."
Team members explained that the season was about more than just the score. Germany Johnson ’25 reflected on the team dynamic that developed, noting, “We had good chemistry and energy off the field.” For Johnson, the team’s dedication to helping less experienced players learn and adjust was crucial. “No one ever lost confidence, and everyone played to the best of their ability the whole way through,” Johnson added.
For Jacob Bershatsky ’28, the experience of being part of the Blue Storm was quite unique. “I’ve played on a fair bit of sports teams, but none had a dynamic like this. I felt like we were all one big family looking out for each other,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the spirit of family and friendship. Max Friedman ’25 added, “From the freshmen to seniors, everyone came together to make this team awesome.”
The team's composition has changed since last year. It now consists mainly of seniors and a few underclassmen. Captain Wyatt Parks ’25 stated, “This interesting dynamic puts a strain on captains to try and raise spirits and push everybody.” Despite the record, Parks expressed pride in his teammates’ progress and accomplishments, stating, “Linebackers like Reed Warner [’25] and running backs like Germany Johnson and Frank Bonsal [’25] had games where they put up crazy numbers. Although football is hard, [we] don’t let scores define how [we] individually played.” Jerry Wei ’25 echoed this sentiment, noting, “Football isn’t about wins and losses; it’s about learning resilience, discipline, and forming connections that can last a lifetime.”
The football team, however, was bombarded with injuries across the season. Regardless, Warner appreciated the mentality and strength of his teammates, especially players like Wei, August Parks ’27, and Billy Quick ’25 for stepping up and substituting for their teammates despite having limited experience. Warner added, “Football isn’t an easy sport; everyone who made it to the end of the season, especially for [our] starters, truly worked hard.”
Wei's reflections captured the overall sentiment among the players: “This season has been a blur of different challenges and incredible growth for the football team. From the first day of preseason, everyone on the team has shown a commitment to each other that goes way beyond the field.”
While the record may not fully reflect the hard work and dedication, the season stands as testament to the team’s growth. In the face of adversity, the players built strong bonds. The team left the season with strengthened values and the relationships they’ve built along the way.