WOLVERINES
WOLVERINES WIN!!!
By Jason Vilberg
Last Thursday, our Belen Wolverines went up against the BridgePrep Bulldogs at De La Cruz Stadium. Coming into the game, the Wolverines were keen on taking advantage of a rainy day to catapult them to victory. If they won this game, the Wolverines would secure their first victory of the season and a much-needed morale boost.
As the Wolverines began to play, a pass by QB Jose Batista to WR Julian Quijano rendered the opening drive successful. Then, a pick by Batista on the second drive could’ve spelled doom, had it not been for the work of the other players to tackle the BridgePrep DB. Even after the pick happened, the Wolverines were not deterred, and soon secured another touchdown thanks to a toss thrown to TE Joshua Durran.
After starting 14-0, the Wolverines hit the ground running. A 43-yard break by RB Marcelo Perez launched the team into blowout territory. Adding to the carnage, an interception by DL Marcel Narino propelled RB Angelo Mora-Echeverry to a short touchdown. The Wolverine defense seemed to reinvent itself, with LB Lucas Carrillo also adding a fumble and an interception to his stats sheet. Besides turnovers, LB Cesar Aguado, DL Aiden Rodriguez, and DL Milo Figueroa each sacked the QB Nico Au-
gustin to hold the Bulldogs at bay.
Even as starters were gradually getting benched in order for the backups to get some playing time, the Wolverines never let go of the pedal. Touchdowns rained from left and right, with players such as WR Andres Tirse, QB Jake McFarlin, and RB Eddie Pulles scoring garbage time touchdowns. DL Daniel Alosno also recovered a fumble, leading the drive in which Pulles ended the game with a score of 48-0.
As always, our Wolverines put their best effort on the field, and secured a humongous win for the team. In particular, a healthy O-Line created lots of room and time for QB Jose Batista and his RBs to make accurate and precise decisions. On the other side of the ball, increased defensive aptitude was on full display, even despite the absence of DB Myles Edison-Trapp. Smart playmaking and reading led to an overall amazing day for every single player on the team.
Going into homecoming week, fans and players hope that the game against the American Patriots results in a similar score. The Patriots will face the Wolverines at De La Cruz Stadium going against a pack of hungry players looking to turn their season around, mixed with a packed crowd cheering on their beloved team.
Stand-Out Senior: Marcel Narino
by Jason Vilberg
On the field, you’ll probably see #60 keeping a steady stance. Sometimes, he’s #61. Tomorrow, he might even be #90. Or #67. Who knows. Not even senior Marcel Narino knows what number he’ll be for a given game. Sporting a varsity jacket without a number on it, Narino plays multiple positions over the course of a game. Depending on who’s injured, he’ll play at left tackle, left guard, or even defensive end. But, to play these positions, he had to try out, for which he credits his parents, saying:
”I started off because my parents wanted me to do a sport. And you know, football is the sport. So, my parents signed me up for football my 6th grade year, and I was actually a right tackle in 6th grade. But then, I hurt my shoulder and was out for the rest of the season. Ever since then, I switched to D-Line and I’ve loved the game, so I just kept going.”
Even after his switch to D-Line, Narino is no stranger to injuries. Ever since his injury free sophomore season, various ailments have affected his seasons. During his junior year, a pulled hip forced Narino to get wrapped before every game. This season, the injuries took an even more prominent role. Narino said:
”This year hasn’t been the greatest season healthwise. During the first week, I strained my left calf, which meant I was out of practice for the entire week. I came back before the game, played, but in the first quarter of the third game I was running down and my hamstring pulled. So that meant I was out the entire game. During the week coming up, I was constantly with the trainer, getting checked up. Couldn’t stretch, couldn’t do anything. The team needed a right tackle, so suited up against key West, but I couldn’t run or jog so I just had to block. Even coming up to the last game against bridge prep, I couldn’t practice or do anything.”
Despite not practicing for the entire week before, Narino had a day to remember against Bridge Prep. During his only two drives, Narino had a tackle for loss, a fumble recovery, and his first ever interception. On top of this, his interception was about a yard shy of being a pick six. When asked about when that first touchdown was going to happen, he had one thing to say:
”Watch out next week.”
Wolverines Seniors
2025 Team
Jayden Mcfarlane
Myles-Edison Trapp
Nico Arrieta
Jose Batista
Eduardo Pulles
Nicholas Guede
Sebastian Suniga
Andres Tirse
Gabriel Lacayo
Julian Quijano
Amari Johnson
Alek Jurado
Aiden Rodriguez
Yunier Martinez
Henry Rodenberg
Jorge Marcello Olivella
Marcelo Perez
Gonzalo Lacasa
Francisco Irurita
Danny Garcia
Adriano Cajigas
Jake McFarlin
Cesar Aguado
Giancarlo Morales
Gus Vega
Angelo Mora-Echeverry
Julian de la Osa
Lucas Rovira
Oliver Alonso
Joshua Duran
Marcos Alvarado-Toyos
Milo Figueroa
Lucas Carillo
Jayden Armstrong
Luca Toledo
Nayib Nader
Diego Gurdian
Sebastian Caraballo
Esteban Suarez
Michael Carney
Antonio Franyie
Noah Rodriguez
Connor Cueto
Rafael Castro
Nicolas Succar
Andres Izquierdo
Magdiel Cortez
Richaard Jacques
Francisco Moscoso
Tristan Corral
Marcel Nariño
Micael Guillaume
Roar of the crowd; Spirit ignites the field
By Joaquin Salvade
Students don Belen colors during school today as they prepare for the legendary homecoming game against American Senior High. Students were asked to dress down with a different theme each day to follow the ‘homecoming week’ tradition, and the excitement can be felt throughout the halls. Yet the power of homecoming can be felt in more than just the fans. Wide Receiver Amari Johnson comments on the true essence of homecoming week.
”It’s really more than just a ‘fun day’ at school. It really brings the whole community together and reinforces the school spirit in a way that I don’t really think many other events do. It raises the team’s morale, yeah, but it also gets us closer as brothers, and as a community.”
‘Homecoming’ gets its literal title from the fact that former alumni come home to cheer on their successors. As they watch, they see their legacy live on firsthand, and the protégés who follow in their footsteps couldn’t be prouder to be there. Amari comments:
”The whole team is really excited to put on a show for them. For me at least, its really cool to see our former leaders and brothers cheer us on while we play. It gives a whole new perspective to football that makes it seem more like a real tradition than just a game.”
This week, the entire school has come together and supported our players. Certain teachers can be seen honoring their students by donning their jerseys. Younger athletes garb their jerseys in respect to the Varsity players. Events are held during lunch to spice up the day and establish what our athletes are fighting for. The week is not done to “just have fun” but is built on the idea of a tradition that brings Belen together.
