Running the field with a team bigger than previous years, PITS played a season characterized by its previous year together.

“We played alright,” senior Joe Cumbelich said. “We had a good number of players on the team and really grew as the season went on.”

The team’s pre-season kicked-off with a two-game trip to Canada where they faced the Gleneagles Talons, whom they had previously hosted on the Canadian team’s tour of the US.

PITS, which stands for Piedmont International Touring Side, considers foreign play a major part of the team experience, captain junior Mason Willrich said.

The team began their regular season with a match against Marin. They had missed their previous two league games due to weather and suffered as a result, according to the PITS website.

Though the team suffered losses early on, it saw improvement as the season progressed, Willrich said.

“We didn’t necessarily win, but we did better than last year,” he said.

The team was loaded with seniors, veterans who had played in previous years.

“We grew a lot; there was only one senior on the team last year and this year we got a lot closer,” Willrich said.

Despite the return of many players, the team still faced challenges going into the season.

“These guys play football — they’re used to being in shape,” Willrich said. “But they were used to a different sport. Some of them are meaty, and you can get away with that in football, but they had to hit the track to get in shape and work on speed, to learn how to tackle.”

Though the experience did not necessarily show on their record, the team played a better season than last.

“The games were a lot closer, they were much tighter and we competed on the field,” Cumbelich said. “As an team we were more competitive, and we were able to really enjoy the sport.”

The team is not ranked within the league, but its standings were similar to last year’s, Willrich said.

“The strongest game was against Alameda,” Cumbelich said. “Not because we won, but it was a really complete game — lots of plays and good tackling.”

The team, largely composed of seniors, will face a greater challenge when they depart, Willrich said.

“We’ll be hurting next year,” he said.

Willrich, who will return as a captain next year, emphasized the need for strong recruitment to replace graduating players and that tryouts are open to all.

“One of our biggest goals is to get more numbers out there on the field, build a fuller roster and get a full squad on the field,” he said.

“It was an great experience, being able to play with the team,” Cumbelich said. “We really grew as a team, and we were able to really enjoy the sport.”