UNC-Chapel Hill vs. NC State. Army vs. Navy. Cowboys vs. Redskins. When it comes to the very popular American sport of football, rivalries are inevitable. From the National Football League to Pop Warner, rivalries are found everywhere. While some are stronger than others, adversaries are always playing their hearts out to best their opponents. When two teams are playing their hardest and battling to move the ball, things can get rather intense on the field, just like things got intense for our Cougars in their last game of the season.

Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, the Apex Cougars faced off with the “Apex” Friendship Patriots on the football field at Humie Olive Road. With the great amount of tension between the two schools, the game was very intense all the way to the final second. Even without winning any of their previous games, the Cougars walked on the field and fearlessly faced their opponent.High spirits, the support of the fans, and the team’s desire to win fueled the Cougars in the territory of their competitors.

Apex lost to Friendship 49-20, but the Cougars without doubt gave it their all. The Cougars scored a total of three touchdowns. The touchdowns in the game were made by senior Quentin Hunter, junior Michael Lussier, and junior Isaac Reitz. Apex lost a few players to the game against Friendship. They were seniors Walter Gibson and Jacob Bentzel. Gibson suffered from a dislocated shoulder and was out for the game. Bentzel received an injury to the knee but was able to return to the game.

Although the Cougars had a losing season this year, there is hope the team can make a comeback next year. The rising seniors and juniors of next year have potential to bring the team to victory.  The Apex football team receives some negativity, but the students of Apex High should be encouraging them (along with all our sports teams) to play hard while supporting them regardless of the result. To all the students who are reading this, instead of feeding our team’s negativity, give them the energy to unleash their Cougar spirit and be driven to victory.