What does it take to lead an interhall football team to a once-in-a-lifetime championship game in Notre Dame Stadium? Togetherness, heart, resiliency, trust.
Wait.
Does this mean that the dorm must have a perfect record going into the playoffs or the best quarterback in the entire league? Absolutely not.
McGlinn went 4-2 last season (and was the sixth seed) and managed to win it all in the end.
"We were a pretty inconsistent team, but we were a team that grew together," Shamrocks senior captain Ally Scalo said.
Dillon, the men's interhall champion, did not have a perfect season either. In the regular season the Big Red went 5-1 and had plenty of difficulties along the way, according to junior captain Kevin Fink.
"We overcame second half deficits in the semifinals and finals, largely because we trusted each other and had a never-say-die attitude," Fink said.
The coaching staffs of both teams may have made the difference in order to win the championship. They ran strict practices twice a week to ready their teams for upcoming games. The student coaches demonstrated great leadership to their teams by bringing a relaxed yet dedicated attitude to each practice and game.
"[Junior] Mike Trivella was an irreplaceable piece of the puzzle and was essential to our success," Fink said. "He played a huge role in our organization and game planning."
The coaches spend hours preparing plays and making sure the team is ready each week.
As we head into the playoffs, everyone will be looking to Dillon and McGlinn to see if they have the same togetherness as last year to make it all the way to the Stadium. According to Scalo, McGlinn is ready to defend its championship title.
"The win [last year] has just made us hungrier for another championship," Scalo said.
Contact Sarah Connors at sconnor1@nd.edu
