The first football game of the district season is finally here. On Thursday, September 22nd, the Tomball Memorial Wildcats will be taking on the Klein Cain Hurricanes in the first of many potential revenge matchups this year. This is the 3rd time the two schools have faced off against each other, and both teams have taken one game each. This week will decide whether or not the Wildcats have learned enough from last season to bounce back.

Everyone is aware of how last season went for the Wildcats, as the team struggled and failed to put a single win on the board during the district season. Against the Hurricanes, the Cats suffered an embarrassing 14-63 loss at the Klein Memorial stadium. The Cats were not able to find a winning solution to deal with their precise attacks and exceptional defense. However, this year, the Cats are confident that they can flip the script.

Looking back to the preseason, many students are skeptical of the Cats’ performances. Senior defensive lineman Ayden Abuzlam stated in an interview that he believes that the team has learned enough from the preseason to be able to pull ahead. “Overall, the team reacted well to the loss, as we fixed what we needed to fix, and we grew from the loss,” Abuzlam said. This season is not Abuzlam’s first year on the varsity team and felt there were many positive changes that happened over the offseason. “This year not only have the players stepped up, but also the coaches, and over the offseason, everyone was committed to the team.”

The Ibis’ currently have an impressive 3-0 record, and contrasting that to the Wildcats current 2-1 one might think that at first glance that the Wildcats are going to lose. However, senior defensive linebacker Hayden Landry stated that he believes that the team can not only win this game but also make it to the playoffs. “There is more chemistry within the team compared to last year, and that makes me confident that we can win the district season this year,” Landry said. He also pointed out that even with the injuries that have been plaguing the team since the first game, the injuries have not slowed down the team. “We have been able to roll with the punches. The people who got injured are important to the team, of course, but we’ve been able to adapt without them.”

However, the confidence the football team gained over the past few months is not shared by all students on campus. In fact, several students fear there might be a repeat of last season. “I don’t believe that the team can win this week,” Robert Mata said. Will the Wildcats be able to prove him wrong?

The highly anticipated matchup is expected to fill up most of the seats at the Klein Memorial Stadium tonight. Wildcats will have to prove they can compete at the district level again and take the win from the Cains.