By Josh Gettings

Lowell, MA-  The pressure is on to turn the season around for the Red Raiders.  

With a long history and tradition on the gridiron the Lowell football team receives more scrutiny than most athletic programs at the school. Students, City residents, and alumni expect winning results each year from the home team and that was no different this season.

The 2015 football team began the season with a 1-4 record, one of the most disappointing starts in years. Even so, players still describe a positive atmosphere in the locker room and remain optimistic about turning around the trend coming into the season.

“As long as everyone stays on board we can still be successful,” said senior starting safety Shaymus Dunn about the remainder of the season.  

With half the games remaining the team can still prove itself and show growth, according to Dunn.

Despite being one of the hardest working group of players that has come through the pre-season program, according to the coaching staff, LHS still lost 3 of their first 4 games.

“In February we start team lifts, and we lift throughout the summer until August,” said Dunn about pre-season preparation.  

With an impressive offseason work ethic, Dunn spoke about the team’s lofty goals

“My goal for the team was to make the playoffs,” he said about the team’s pre-season aspirations. Dunn admits disappointment about the start of the season but he is quite optimistic on the rest of the year.

Even with the losing record he insisted that tensions remain low in the locker room.

“We are all very close,” said Dunn as he spoke about the camaraderie of the team.   Looking at the team’s upcoming years, he maintains a positive outlook for the team. “[The LHS team] has a “bright future,” he said with expectations for continued improvement.

His confidence was apparently contagious as senior lineman Joao Tamborindegui shared some similar preseason goals.

“Going to the playoffs,”  Joao said was also on his list of ambitions for the year.  Despite having a less significant role on the team than Dunn, Joao still possessed the same sense of optimism coming into the season.

Regardless of the lack of success experienced by the Lowell team so far this year, players remained upbeat with “hopes to see the program grow,” according to Dunn.  

Lowell has 5 games remaining in the 2015 season, including their annual Turkey Bowl game on November 26 against Haverhill; a game full of tradition, optimism and anticipation.