Are you psyched to be a Hawks fan? You better be because the Urbana Hawks are 5-1 with only three games left in the season. The last game against Tuscarora on October 4 resulted in a win for Urbana with a score of 42-28. In that game, junior running back Eric Kolar ran for two touchdowns and caught three touchdown passes. Adding 250 rushing yards and 147 receiving yards to his name, Kolar has been on the varsity team since freshman year and is Player of the Week. 

Eric Kolar, also a varsity lacrosse player, said that due to his Dad playing and coaching football, as well as his friends, he was drawn to the sport. Due to these factors, Kolar started playing football in third grade, stating “I saw the physicality art and thought I really wanted to do that and when I started I loved it.” He gives credit to lacrosse for helping him with his hand-eye coordination and speed. In freshman and sophomore year, Kolar was number 22 in lacrosse, which is also his number this year for football. He explains that 22 reminds him of “the foundation and legacy I will leave here at Urbana.” Kolar mentions that lacrosse and football are very close to his heart and have done so much in his life. He says that football has “made me tougher, more physical, and helped me a lot with going through adversity.” He continues by stating that the sport has allowed him to mature, improve his attitude, and make him more humbled. 

Kolar shows his appreciation for his team by giving them, especially the offensive line, credit for him being named Player of the Week by Military Bowl for week 6. When asked how it felt to be given that honor, he states that the offensive line “deserves as much credit, if not more.” He continued to explain his gratitude for his teammates and coaches by saying that “all the time and work they put in for this team and for me,” can’t go unrecognized. Kolar also references graduates from last year’s team such as Joe Funk, Anthony Schifano, Austin Giesler, and Ja’ren Kenyatta, stating that they all set a foundation for him along with the seniors currently on the team. He made it known that “This team would not be where we are right now in our season if it wasn’t for the will and grit to win and change things about Urbana football.” This includes the work that has been put into the offseason, which consisted of conditioning, lifting, and running. Kolar points out that the team has overcome adversity and become an Urbana team that hasn’t been seen in years. Specifically, during the game against Glenelg, Kolar states proudly that the “team could have easily given up but they fought through that adversity and the outcome was very good!” 

So far this season, Kolar has learned to never take anything for granted. In addition to that, he has been able to improve his performance as running back by learning a lot “on my cutting, blocking, and how to read my blockers.” By the time the season is over, he would like to be even better at his position as well as beating Linganore in the process. He goes on to say that he would like to “bring back the I-70 trophy and get really far in the playoffs.” Kolar wants to “give the seniors and the Urbana community the season they deserve.” He credits the fans of making the games more hype and energetic as well as them being a huge part of the successful season. Kolar wants to leave his legacy at Urbana High School, which he is well on his way to doing so. Answering the question of whether he will continue football to the collegiate level, he said he could see himself playing and it wasn’t until this year that he was able to envision it. 

Eric Kolar, one of the team captains, is very optimistic about Friday’s game. He states that the “team wants this win more than anything. We are always reminded of how badly they beat us last year at our home field. Our team is competing very hard in practice with a very big chip on our shoulder.” 

The Urbana Hawks football team plays tomorrow at Oakdale High School at 7 pm.