Fans can look not only at the statistical improvement of the Talawanda High School football team this year to see a brighter future but also to the freshman team, which showed promise for the future on a strength of an 8-2 record, which included a stirring comeback in its final game.

“The freshmen had a great year. They were 8-2 and of their losses, one was to a one-loss Harrison team and one was to an undefeated Wilmington team. Both losses were to quality teams,” first-year varsity coach J.D. Vonderheide said.

Freshman coach Jim Carter and his assistants, Mo Nelson and Daren Redpath, led a promising contingent of freshmen who opened the season with four wins, including 46-0 and 53-8 victories over Carlisle and Eaton, respectively, in their second and third games of 2012. After their 33-7 loss to Harrison, they reeled off three more wins with that third win a 26-0 shutout of Edgewood.

They fell at Wilmington 36-21 to set the stage for their resounding 22-16 comeback win at Ross.

Talawanda led 15-0 at halftime in that game, overcoming three turnovers and inconsistent offensive play, according to Carter.

“We were very fortunate to have the lead at halftime because we had not played particularly well at times in the first half,” Carter said. “We played hard the entire game, so our effort was very good, but we are still learning that there are only so many opportunities in a football game, and when you don’t take advantage of those when they present themselves, you allow your opponent to stay in the game and that could come back to haunt you.”

Ross scored on its first possession of the second half to make the score 15-8. Late in the fourth quarter, the Braves were moving the ball but committed their fourth turnover of the game. Ross scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion gave the Rams their first lead 16-15.

“After Ross scored the go-ahead touchdown our kids were deflated,” Carter said. “I brought them together and told them the game wasn’t over until the scoreboard read all zeroes. I told them we were going to get a good return and then we will manage the clock well and we will have our chance to win this game.”

That proved to be prophetic as things unfolded perfectly for the Braves in the final 38 seconds.

Ross kicked the ball to one of the fastest Braves, Connor Wentzell, and he returned the ball to the Ross 45-yard line. The Braves got into position to score with two more plays in which the players got out of bounds to stop the clock.

Quarterback Steve Cunningham then threw the winning touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Orona with 13 seconds left.

“I was very pleased with our kids on the last drive,” Carter said. “We have practiced running the hurry-up offense all year, and we really never had to run it until the last game. The kids did a great job of executing the offense and we have some pretty good athletes that we just try to put in position to make plays and that is what they did.”

Vonderheide was on the sideline for that climactic freshman game and said he was impressed with the win.

“They didn’t give up,” the varsity coach said. “They were a little disappointed they gave up that score, but determined to go in for their own score. They executed well.”

Mason Kuhn led the freshman Braves with 12 touchdowns this season. Wentzell added seven touchdowns, Marshall Nelson scored five times, Cunningham had four TDs and Kyle McIntosh added three.

“We had a total of 10 different players score touchdowns this year,” Carter said. “That is very important because it takes everyone contributing for the team to succeed. The defense also played very well for most of the season. We held six of our ten opponents to a touchdown or less.”

Nelson played three varsity games this year at wide receiver.

Other young players Vonderheide is watching were Kuhn, Wentzell, Mitch Elliott, Cameron Fox, Cameron Siefer and Orona.

They freshman team had two talented quarterbacks, Vonderheide said, in McIntosh and Cunningham.

Carter praised the level of talent on the freshman team.

“I have been coaching here at Talawanda for a long time and I know what it takes to be successful here,” he said. “I expect a lot for this group and the best thing about them is that they expect a lot from themselves.”