Published: Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 / Updated: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 01:13 PM
Thursday night lights
Freshmen learn the ropes, bide their time for chance to shine
FORT MILL --
Lights beam down on an intense game in Bob Jones Stadium.
Grass stained jerseys are in motion and you can feel the crushing blows as shoulder pads collide. There are gasps and cheers from both bleachers with every play.
It's big-time prep football, but it's not Friday night.
Actually, it's Thursday night, and the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets' ninth grade team is grinding it out with the Boiling Springs Bulldogs. These players are in a new element as freshman in high school, but you'd never be able to tell.
Running back Kenny Settle feels that he is right at home in the halls and on the field of Fort Mill High School.
“I shine everywhere,” he says.
Many of these players were the cream of the crop in their middle schools. They knew that they loved football back then. Now, they are facing more schemes, coaches that are more demanding – and tougher teams.
Wide receiver Tony Godbolt played at Fort Mill Middle School. After taking the step up, he doesn't get the chance to do some of the things he is used to.
“There is no playing around in practice,” he said.
Quarterback Rylan Wells agrees that the game is a bit different, but he also feels that there is a new factor.
“These kids are bigger,” Wells said, “They hit hard.”
Wells, who played Pop Warner during his middle school years, feels that despite some hard times this season, the Yellow Jackets have a great future ahead of them. They do have some work to do.
“We need to work together and motivate each other,” he said.
Gold Hill, Springfield and Fort Mill Middle schools all contribute to this ninth grade team. So, this is the first year that many of these athletes have played together. This is their year to begin to know one another.
“We really have gotten a jump start on unification as a team,” said ninth grade Head Coach Jeremy Carrick.
Carrick is happy to see his players working hard. He feels that they do have a lot of growing to do, not only as a team, but physically. However, he admits that this is one of the bigger crops of freshmen he's ever seen.
“Some years you have all skill players. Some you have linemen,” Carrick said,
“This year we have a good mix.”
These athletes will soon have their chance to play on the big stage. It's only two years until they will take the field as varsity players, under those bright Bob Jones Stadium lights – on Friday night.
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