The Clippercats have been fighting to keep the dominance they had last year. But will they be able to show they still have it at their home opener, even without last year’s senior key players?
The Oyster River-Portsmouth Clippercats football have played three games this season but have struggled with the loss of last year’s seniors from not only their team, but their fan section. Having their first three games on the road, the players are looking forward to finally playing on their home turf and having a familiar crowd. This Friday they hope to improve their record to 1-3 at their home opener against Manchester Memorial.
Losing the seniors that made up a large portion of last year’s team was difficult. Finn Gruner (’26) shared, “They were leaders… it’s tough to lose people that everyone looked up to.” Losing those leaders had a negative impact on team chemistry too. While players are slowly building it back up, team chemistry is not quite up to where it was last year.
On top of working on team chemistry, the team also wants to see good fan turnout for their first home game. Some fans think things may change from last year not only on the field but also in the stands. Lucy Fogg (’26), who went to every home game last season, says, “I think the fan turn out is definitely going to change because we had a lot of good seniors that would start stuff [cheers], but I feel like now it might not be the same [without them].”
Going into the home opener with their 0-3 record, this game will be pivotal in the team’s playoff hunt. The players have hopes for the playoffs, but they’ll need to put in the work to get there. “I think as long as we build as a team we can make it to playoffs,” said Gedney. Gruner agreed saying “I’m confident, so I’ll say yeah, we’re going to make it to playoffs.”
The fans are definitely going to be a big part of the team’s performance this year. “We’re looking for a lot of fans, where [the stands] are packed and loud because that’s the environment we practice in,” said Gedney. Even without last year’s seniors the Clippercats are working hard to continue the team’s legacy.
Be sure to pack the stands on Friday September 27th and cheer on the Clippercats at their first home game!
Photo Credit: Gabi Selig
-Isabelle Jackman
Mouth of the River 
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