Farley is currently 4-1 and well on its way to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Yet just reaching the playoffs this year won't be enough for the Finest.
Farley has 10 seniors on its team and these seniors know all too well what it feels like to fall short in the playoffs. The Finest's seniors have lost in the quarterfinals twice and in the semifinals once. Coming so close to the Stadium has driven Farley all year to finally achieve its goal.
"We know how it feels to lose in the playoffs so that's been our motivation," senior captain AnaliseAlthoff said. "We are ready to go all the way to the championship this year."
The Finest are certainly on the right track to fulfill their goal as they have just one loss. With one game left in the regular season, the Finest have only allowed 12 total points.
Farley's defense is loaded with impact seniors. Whether it's lineman Elise Jordan, safety Claire Kueny or linebackers Erica Vesnaver, Katie Smith or Brittany Scherer, it seems as though one of them is always making a big play.
In addition to their shutdown defense, the Finest possess a strong offense bolstered by a plethora of seniors including quarterback Megan Bastedo, receiver Kaitlyn Vitale, receiver Laura Yoviene and lineman Caroline Curry.
These seniors identify team chemistry as a main factor of their success.
"Most of us have known each other for a long time and so we kind of know what each other is doing," Bastedo said.
The other advantage Farley has over other teams with less seniors is an abundance of experience on the field. Most of Farley's seniors have played three or four years, Althoff said.
"We know how things should look and work, and we know how to execute it," Althoff said.
In the end, because of their combination of team chemistry, experience and fierce determination to finally attain their goal, the Finest may have their best shot at reaching Notre Dame Stadium in four years.
