The Wright State Club Football team is gearing up for the fall season, hoping to bounce back from last year’s shortcomings.
The team will be back in action starting Sept. 8 for an exhibition game against The Ohio Crush, a local amateur team. Shortly after, things pick up the pace for the team, traveling to Oakland University for the first of six regular season games to be played this fall.
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Oakland should be a challenging game, but it is one that team captain Yousof Houssami is looking forward to. “Playing under the lights is one thing but doing it against a team like Oakland is going to be even more special. I made sure from the start of the season all of the freshman knew how important that this game will be,” Houssami said. Oakland has been dominant for many years in the National Club Football Association, not losing a regular season game since 2015 and winning the national championship in 2016. Oakland’s prior league-dominance does not scare off the team captain or his fellow players.
“They put no fear in our hearts, just motivation to beat them,” remarked Houssami. The tough schedule continues for the team, playing conference-opponent Pittsburgh the following week, whom they split the two-game series with last year. From there, the team hosts Ohio State for a homecoming rematch, a game that last year Wright State lost in triple overtime.
The team has had to rebuild quite a bit from last season with many new additions to the team but also some dependable returners.
“A few players to look out for are club president and team captain Yousof Houssami, defensive end Nolin Jackson, linebacker Korben Robertson and safety Peter Ngoh. New players who I look to make a huge impact are running back Da’Kwan Moore, wide receiver Spencer Dissel, lineman Marcus Lang and quarterbacks Jake Jackson and Skyler McDonald,” said Head Coach Ryan Tucker, who is looking forward to the upcoming season.
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“I am most excited to watch these guys grow as a team and learn to count on one another as well as develop mental toughness needed to excel on and off the field. To me, being a part of a team is a huge contributing factor in helping develop great men and women and that is my main goal,” added Tucker.
The team is ready to work hard; a trait that both the coach and the team captain like.
“My favorite part of the team is the hardworking core that we have. This group is full of fighters and we are simply going to be more hungry than other teams, which is why I feel like we will be successful,” Houssami remarked.
The Raiders will play three home games this fall at Wright State’s Mulhollan Field.
