ELDRED – It was a special night on Friday as the Eldred Yellowjackets welcomed the visiting Tri-Valley Bears on senior and team spirit night. The festivities started before the game with a “Passing of the Spirit” ceremony. Every senior on the team passed on the legacy of pride and team spirit to the incoming class of 2039. This gesture was intended to support them during their time as students and serve as a constant reminder that once a Yellowjacket, always a Yellowjacket.

Eldred’s athletic director Amanda Zgrodek explained how combining the two events brings the entire community together in celebration of both “the appreciation of what the seniors have given and the hope and optimism that the future classes hold.”

The team’s strong spirit had the desired effect, as the Eldred squad came out fast and furious. They jumped to an early lead and maintained it throughout the evening, never allowing the visiting Bears to gain any momentum. Ultimately, they won the game easily, with a final score of 46 to 6

All the Eldred seniors contributed in a big way; Trai Kaufmann, Conner Ranaudo, Mason Tice, Koen McGill, and James Deyermond scored that night, and offensive guard  Jayden Daletto created openings and protected the quarterback to make those plays happen. Eldred head coach Sean McAveney joked about trying to get Daletto out there as running back so all the seniors could have scored.

Tri-Valley head coach Kevin Crudele said of the game, “They are a good football team, they have speed, they have strength and they’re well coached. We’re young, we’re working, we’ve made progress on the running game, Paxton Meade ran well, James Kachelriess also,” who ran for Tri-Valley’s touchdown. “We just have to continue that progress to the other phases of the game.

Coach McAveney added, “We challenged our players, last week we were a little sloppy. Tri-Valley has a good program, they’ve gotten the better of us the last five years, but our kids responded. We executed on both sides of the ball at a very high level. We came out and played football. If we come out and play every game like that, we’re going to be tough for anyone to beat. And I’m glad for our seniors, that they were able to have a night like this, they deserve it.”