With a 33-27 win against Newton, the Glen Rock Panthers finished up the season with a 3-6 record. The season was filled with ups-and-downs as great football was played despite the Panthers’ disappointing record. The Panthers, led by fourth year head coach Jim Kurz, had high expectations coming back from last year when the season ended with a 20-0 loss to the Pompton Lakes Cardinals in the state championship game.
As always, a number of seniors brought experience and leadership to the table. Unfortunately, the Panthers seemed to be plagued with injuries this season which cut the year short for a few seniors. Many underclassmen found time on the field this year and made good contributions as well. The highlights of the season were victories against Manchester, Garfield and Newton. The Panthers fell to Hasbrouck Heights, Elmwood Park, Pompton Lakes, Lodi, Rutherford and Hawthorne in close fought battles.
“We fought till the end”, said Kurz, “The seniors fought hard and had great careers.” Even as a member of the team, it still is hard to fathom the amount of time and dedication the seniors have all put in over the past four years. There is a lesson to be learned from all of this. “It’s not always about wins and losses,” says Kurz.
And I think that’s true. As Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand”.
