With the senior class on community days, there was a different ‘feel’ at practice last week. It was not a feeling of uncertainty, inconsistency, or abandonment, but rather one of promise and intrigue about the future.
With their absence, I couldn’t help but think what our team will look like next year and what, especially, the leadership will look like; furthermore, I couldn’t help but wonder if there is any insight into how our team in the upcoming years will handle adversity.
But I was not only thinking about the varsity team. I was also wondering about the junior varsity and freshman teams. With a bye-week last week for all three levels of the Jesuit Ranger Football Program, we were all given an opportunity to rest and regenerate for the upcoming seven game Division 9-5A stretch against teams like Skyline, Berkner, and Lake Highlands.
Yet, this bye week also meant something special within the football program was about to happen… the annual Freshman Gold vs. Junior Varsity Game! Although this may not seem appealing to the average person, the players, no matter which level, find this to be a very exciting part of the season.
Ever since Coach Brandon Hickman became Head Coach of the Football Program in 2011, on every Wednesday of the bye week before district, the Freshman Gold Team and the sophomore players on the Junior Varsity Team have suited up with full pads for a one hour display of the program’s future talent.
Coach Hickman described the underlying significance of the game, commenting that “[it’s] good to get the [freshmen and sophomores] out there [competing]. We’ve done it every year [so that we can] see [and focus on] our younger group and what kind of talent level we have out there.” He continued by explaining the valuable lessons freshmen learn during the game, saying “It’s a good way for the freshman kids to compete with some of the older sophomore kids to see where they’re at talent wise.”
From what I remember, these games have always been filled with surprises, astonishing plays, and the occasional “oooohs” and “ahhhhs”, and this year’s game did not disappoint.
Varsity/Junior Varsity sideline favorites, CB Daryl Johnson (‘16) and S Zach Kissick (‘16), responded well to adversity. After missing a possible interception, which hit off of his helmet, Johnson returned with a successful interception and a return of more than 30 yards. After being “juked” earlier in the game, Kissick, playing a key role on the offensive side of the ball, finished up with a solid game by ultimately helping the offense move down the field with positive yardage.
WR John Michael Priddy (‘16), who earlier in the week cracked off a piece of his front tooth during Ranger Drill, a one-on-one competition with full pads on,
courageously decided to play in the game. On his second play in which he received the ball, he ran to left half of the field and was upended by one of the freshman players. Yet, to the surprise of everyone on the sidelines as well as the coaches, he somehow stayed upright and sprinted down the field. Palming the ball around the 30 yard line, Priddy, utilizing his major height difference, threw the surrounding freshman defenders off of him and dashed into the endzone.
Also noticed by the coaches for the JV team were QB Rusty Landon (‘16) and WR Connor Lanpher (‘16). These two connected on a deep post route for a more than 40 yard touchdown against the freshmen.
John Wunderlick (‘17) also had an outstanding game, catching a touchdown and providing a source of life to build upon against the older JV team for the Freshman Gold offense.
In addition, both coaches were very optimistic and excited about the future. Coach Thompson expressed his mindset looking forward, saying that “[we are] always [looking] to the future, always talking about the future [and] down the road. I thought there were definitely some freshmen kids that caught my eye…You look at that kid and you’re like ‘Wow! I get this kid in the offseason.”
Coach Thompson also noticed the effort of the freshmen, pointing out how Evan Sonnier (’17) and Josh Goodell (’17) gave great effort during the game.
There will be much more to come from this young group, and I can’t wait as a teammate to see them develop into the players I know they can become.
***Next Varsity Game: Versus Skyline HS on Friday, September 27, at 7:00 pm at Forester Field
