Does Whitesboro provide motivation and added pressure to Spartans?

November 12, 2010, Maine-Endwell headed into the first of its now 6th straight Regional Finals only to fall to Whitesboro 40-18.  That was the football team's most recent loss - almost five years ago to the day.

Kevin Barrett, now a senior QB/S for the Spartans, was in the stands for that loss watching his brother Sean's season come to an end.

"It was hard to watch," Barrett said.

Now, five years and four state titles later, the Spartans are on the best run of any high school football team in New York State History.  Friday night they play that sixth straight Regional Final looking for a fifth straight berth in the State Semis.  Standing in their way?  Whitesboro.

Getting a chance to beat the last team to beat them could add pressure to the Spartans, but also provide motivation.  Barrett's older brothers have all been talking to him about getting back at Whitesboro for that 2010 loss.  It's rare to see one of Head Coach Matt Gallagher's players disagree with him, but he says that it's no more pressure or extra motivation, but Barrett says otherwise.

"It's definitely a little bit of both," Barrett said.  "Pressure wise, just because we don't want the last team to beat us to beat us again and end it.  But it adds motivation, we want to keep the streak going and we just come out here and practice and do what we do every single day."

"It's actually neither, I don't think," Gallagher said.  "We're just trying to focus on it's the next game and it's Whitesboro, so they're the most important and our guys are approaching it that way.  So I don't think it really matters to be honest with you."

M-E plays Whitesboro at 5:00 on Friday at Alumni Stadium.