The football team will face Wethersfield on Friday, October 4, in the annual Blackout game, a tradition at the high school for more than 10 years. Kick-off is at 6:30 p.m. and shirts will be sold during all lunch waves leading up to the game and at the game itself. 

The team is 2-1 heading into the game, beating Pomperaug High School and E.O Smith High School. While Farmington has found success early in the season, they will face one of their most challenging opponents of the season in Wethersfield this Friday. Wethersfield is widely regarded as one of the premier teams in the state and is a Class L State Championship contender. 

Senior captains Riley Chapman, Jake Conrad, Nick Greco, Mike Gregory, Mitch Guglielmo will be playing their final Blackout game in their high school careers. They have been playing with each other for years and feel that this has impacted their gameplay. 

“This year we really have a tight group of seniors, and we all have been playing with each other from a young age. This really boosts our team chemistry,” Guglielmo said.

The captains have been working on toughening their mental state before the games to effectively lead the team and serve as role models. 

 “As a captain, you not only serve as a leader on the field but off the field as well. It is our job to demonstrate what it means to be a team player and be someone others can look up to. Our role is to embody what is expected from the team, and what I am personally focused on is being someone who others can view as a role model,” Chapman said.

Head coach Christopher Machol enters his eleventh year of coaching for the high school. Machol, having over a decade of experience on the field, learns from his past seasons and uses it to better his coaching style. 

“I see the main responsibility of a high school coach as that of shaping young athletes into productive adults. I really like the program building aspect now, trying to involve the younger players, the town, the community. I believe that is what has allowed us to be successful in a tough league even though we are not a traditional football town,” Machol said.

“The Tribe” has been supporting the high school’s soccer and football team in each home match, showing their school pride through coordinated outfits and booming chants. They are expected to show up again on Friday to boost the team. For more on “The Tribe,” follow @fhs_superfans on Instagram, and for more on the football team, follow @fhs.football on Instagram.