College Football National Championships: A Victory and Loss

On January 9th, the Georgia Bulldogs took home the victory in the NCAA College Football Championship against TCU (Texas Christian University). With a final score of 65-7, the Bulldogs were able to dominate “the most lopsided bowl season game in college football history” (CBSsports.com). 

Ramapo senior, Charlie Greene states, “I’ve been watching the team all season. I had a feeling they were going to win, but I didn’t realize it would be such a blowout.”

They finished their season undefeated, with a whopping record of 15 wins and 0 losses. The team worked its way up to the top throughout the course of their season. They won the South East Conference and were ranked as #1 in the U.S. After tackling a difficult match against Ohio State in the semi-finals, the Bulldogs were able to take home their second consecutive title, which has not been done since Alabama won over a decade ago. Ohio State missed a field goal in the last play of the game with a score of 42-41, allowing the Bulldogs to advance to the final. Since 1998, no team had ever scored this many points in a championship game. 

The coach of UGA states, ”We wanted our kids to play without fear…All year I told them, I said… ‘We ain’t getting hunted guys, we’re doing the hunting, and hunting season’s almost over. We’ve only got one more chance to hunt,’ and we hunted tonight.” After losing 15 NFL draft picks a few years prior, the team still possesses immense talent both offensively and defensively. After this historic performance, the team celebrated their victory in glory (CBSsports.com). 

However, in the end, the Bulldogs still endured a difficult loss: the loss of a teammate. Devin Willock, a former defensive lineman at Paramus Catholic, passed away in a car accident at 2:45 am just hours after the celebratory parade. The driver of the vehicle, who also passed away, was University of Georgia staff member Chandler LeRoy. LeRoy reportedly ran into multiple trees and two power poles (nj.com). The accident left the remaining passengers, offensive lineman Warren McClendon and Victoria Bowles, in critical condition. According to police reports, the condition of the driver was “unknown.” She was exceeding the speed limit when they hit a curb and veered off the road.

Willock grew up in the town of New Milford, New Jersey. He was a pivotal member of the team, playing in the offensive line in all 15 games of the season. Recognized for his talents, Willock was invited to join the NFL Draft. His aunt and uncle remark, “Devin is always smiling, no matter what. Devin has a smile on his face and he was doing very well in academics. He was doing very good. He was good, very good student, very good person” (cnn.com). Within 24 hours, the Bulldogs endured both a victory and a loss. However, Willock’s name will live forever as the football star of Bergen County. 

Ramapo Italian teacher, Mr. Castano remarks, “It is so unfortunate for the family to have lost their son to such a tragic death. It is great to celebrate, but it is also important to be responsible. Always have someone with you when making certain decisions.”