As the last member of the 2024- 2025 starting line, Barrett Osquist (10) is joined by many new teammates and an entirely new offensive line. Osquist said he hopes to use the lessons taught last year to help Westview return to the CIF championship game and win.
Last season, the offensive line was made up of seniors who had worked together for three years. Although he was a freshman, Osquist said the team welcomed him with open arms, and he became a starter at left tackle immediately.
Throughout the last season, he said that the seniors taught him a lot about how to handle high-pressure situations.
“The seniors taught me how to stay calm during games,” Osquist said. “When you practice a million times and then stuff hits the fan, you just gotta rely on the stuff you practiced. They taught me that really well.”
Osquist’s relationship with the O-line was particularly strong with two of the seniors, Osman Azam (’25) and Logan Foster (’25), an All Division 1st team player.
“When I was a freshman, I looked up to Foster the most just because of his strength and the way he played was very physical,” he said. “Also Osman Azam, he was the first guy I ever met at Westview, and I made a really early friendship with him.”
Although the team was very welcoming, Osquist said he still felt like an outsider. However, the seniors made sure to make him feel better about his technique and footwork in the line. His teammates also showed him that regardless of how well he played, the team would always have his back.
“I wasn’t doing that great during (a game against Mission Hills), but they still welcomed me, and they were like, ‘Hey, just put all the bad plays aside and think about how we need to work together instead of working individually,’ and I think it really brought me closer to those guys,” Osquist said.
This season, Osquist said he hopes that the technique and overall skills training he learned last year will translate into his new team.
He also said he wants to make sure that the team keeps the determined mentality that their predecessors had, which could get them to the championship game.
“Just getting back to that point that we were at to get back to the championship,” he said.
Osquist also acknowledged how the team culture has changed with the graduation of former members. The intensity and energy the seniors and captains brought to practice were so critical to the team last year. Osquist said that the team has been performing well now, especially in strength training.
“I think (our team mindset) shifted a bit,” Osquist said. “I think we’ve definitely upped our game and expectations because we’re doing really well right now, especially in the weight room.”
Osquist said he hopes to achieve many goals with the current team including making it back to the CIF championship—goals he thinks are attainable with the proper communication and camaraderie within the team. Their mindsets changed regarding their offensive strategies and completely new offensive front. Osquist said he hopes to finish what his friends and teammates from last year started.
“Long-term, [our goals are] to get back to the CIF championship and win, but right now, I think our relationships need to get stronger because we are still a really young team,” Osquist said. “Once we get comfortable, I think we can do really great things.”
