Friday night lights for the Huskies have faded for the 2025-26 season, but their perseverance and dedication illuminated the field more than ever. After an undefeated run last year, Huskies finished this season with an impressive 8-4 record, proving the dedication of the team as they didn’t let a single win or loss define them.
The CIF LA City Section Football Championships are just the beginning of the rigorous playoff tournament, where high school teams are divided by competitiveness at the end of their season. Rankings, scores, and executions determine which schools will be able to compete for their division’s championship title, and ultimately determine which team will be able to make it to the end and take home the trophy. The champions will then move on to the CIF State and Regional Championships, where they will face higher competition and compete against various high school teams across California.
Once the season is over, the playoff committee divides teams into divisions; Open, Division 1, II, III, or 8-Man rounds and continue until there is one champion crowned. 8-man refers to a specific division for schools with smaller football programs, allowing games to be modified based on the amount of players on each team. In our case, North Hollywood’s football team is ranked at division II in the CIF LA City Section.
The 2025 season marks the second consecutive year that North Hollywood’s football team competes in playoffs, highlighting the consistency and dedication of both the team and the coaches, being able to prepare players for the competitive games, driving them to victories.
Assistant Coach David Sanchez reflects, “I think this year we made great progress from last year, bringing a team together and commitment.” Sanchez shares his belief that the best attribute of this year’s team is their “unity.”
Players have been working hard from summer practices to everyday after school practices, along with morning lifts in the weight room. Balancing practice, conditioning, and weekly games.
Senior captain, Sean Lee (#50) recalls, “It was such a difficult schedule. I think in the beginning of the year we had like our morning weights. So morning weights are usually like 6:45 to like 7:45-ish in the weight room, and we just lifted and I’d say that was like twice a week. But besides the morning weights we also had after school practices, which was like four or five to like 6:30, sometimes 6:45.”
Football is commonly recognized for promoting consistency and discipline; yet for many, it has become more than just a game. Lee continues, reflecting the vital leadership skills he’s learned from this season. “As captain, I learned to communicate better, and I also learned how to speak up for myself, because I feel like from all of the leadership roles that I’ve had, I feel like football is the most different because you’ve got to yell at people and you actually got to be loud and be mean sometimes.”
Similarly, senior Julian Mendez (#15) recalls the growth he acquired throughout the season. “Football has taught me a lot in these four years. It has taught me discipline, how to stay focused in stressful situations, and it has also taught me to not take moments for granted because it can be over in an instant.”
During the first round, the Huskies defeated Sylmar High School in a nail-biting 42-35 win. Unfortunately, the Huskies’ playoff journey ended in the quarterfinals against Cleveland High School, with a score of 42-0.
After the loss, the Huskies reflected on the quarterfinal game against Cleveland. “We could’ve had the chance if some of the players weren’t injured and if the team wanted to perform better,” senior Angel Rodriguez (#52) explains.
Despite their season ending earlier anticipated, the team carries with them the lessons learned and the growth achieved this year. Senior Sergio Sanchez (#6) states,“I wanted us to go further. We fought but it didn’t end the way I wanted, still we had a great season.”
Nonetheless, the Huskies look on the bright side, and cherish the substantial lessons learned from this season. Sophomore Tony Santiago (#18) states, “If you put in work, you’ll find your way in the field and everyone on the team is your brother,” highlighting the family-like team the Huskies have developed.
“Football definitely takes a toll on your body and mental health, but at the end of the day, football was a big part of my life and was one of the best things that happened to me,” Rodriguez adds on.
Although Friday night lights came to an unfortunate end, their success this season shouldn’t be overlooked. Ranking as the ninth seed in playoffs is already a major triumph itself. The players’ hard work, dedication, and teamwork have already showcased what makes this football team special. With a trophy or not, they have proved once again with their hard work what football is all about, and what it means to be a Husky.
