Mount Union senior football players and cheerleaders gather for a photo during the 2025 senior recognition night. From left to right: Addison Price, Abram Weirich, John Welsh, and Sayde Wise.
By SAYDE WISE | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — On October 20, 2025, the head coach of the Mount Union Trojans football team announced that the 2025 season would be coming to an early end. Head coach Jamie Brumbaugh, along with the assistant coaches, decided that there were too many injuries for the season to continue safely. There was one regular season game left, which would have been senior recognition night, as well as playoffs.
Principal Chad Mickle stepped in to organize a celebration recognizing the senior players for their effort and dedication throughout the season. Senior recognition was held on November 7, 2025, in the Mount Union Area High School gymnasium. Mr. Mickle conferred with a board member, the coaches, and the band director before finalizing the plan.
“The motivation behind the recognition was that we didn’t have a senior night since the last home football game had to be cancelled,” Mr. Mickle explained. The conversation surrounding the cancellation led to the creation of the event. As part of the celebration, the band performed their halftime show, led by Tyler Dixon. The celebration was not only special for the seniors but also served as a way to show the athletes appreciation for all of their hard work.
Mr. Zachary Myers, assistant football coach, said that it meant a lot to see his players, as well as the band members and cheerleaders, recognized. “It was really good of the school to find a way to get those seniors recognized, and I know it meant a lot to them,” he said. Mr. Myers believes the event was a small way to show appreciation and thank the community for their support.
By the end of the season, Mr. Myers reported that there were not enough healthy players during practice to properly prepare the starters for game reps, ultimately leading to the decision that was made. He noted that the coaching staff was taking into consideration the work that goes on behind the scenes. He explained, “When practices become ineffective, there’s no real preparation. When there’s no real preparation, that is when players are at risk.”
After head coach Jamie Brumbaugh conferred with the school district and the assistant coaches, it became a unanimous decision that the Trojans could not finish the 2025 season. “It was really difficult, especially for him (Brumbaugh), and especially considering the success we were having this year, but there are things more important than football,” Mr. Myers said, explaining how heavily the decision weighed on the coaching staff.
Courtney Guiliante, head cheer coach, was grateful that the young athletes had the opportunity to be recognized. “I was happy the senior cheerleaders had this opportunity, even if it was different than expected,” she said. Ms. Guiliante believes that her athletes, not just the seniors, put forth a great deal of hard work and showed strong dedication throughout the season. She noted, “The season ending early was disappointing, but it was the responsible decision.” She was glad the health and safety of the football players were taken into consideration and ultimately believes that the coaching staff made the correct decision. “The memories and bonds formed between the athletes made it a successful season for everyone,” Ms. Guiliante concluded.
The 2025 football season unfortunately ended abruptly, but there are far greater things to look forward to in all of these seniors’ futures.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
Leave a Reply