For the past several years, Republic’s current 7th grade football players have been competing only within Republic. Tonight, that changes.
The 7th grade Tigers open their season at home against Lebanon. Coach Tony Trueblood says everything is different from this point forward.
“In youth football, they tend to play against each other,” says Trueblood. “Now you’re representing Republic, and you’re playing the best that Republic has against the best of other schools.”
This particular group of 7th graders stands out for its enthusiasm and motivation, even in practice.
“They’ve been very positive; very excited,” says Trueblood. “They’re quick to learn, and very enthusiastic.”
The Tigers will count on that enthusiasm and motivation to help them overcome a lack of size. Trueblood says it’s one of the smallest 7th grade teams he’s had in a while.
“I had to order seven youth small football pants,” he says. “Usually you want the opposite problem.”
Big or small, Trueblood is in a unique situation among coaches. The 7th grade football coach has a roster full of players who’ve almost exclusively played each other, so there’s no measuring stick to judge where they stand — until the first game has been played.
“The first game is a barometer for me. No expectations have been set. We don’t know if we’re a good team. We don’t know if we’re playing a good team,” Trueblood says. “You can have a kid who’s the fastest kid in Republic, but if Republic is slow in general, he’s not going to seem fast at all.
“This year, we seem very balanced. Tonight’s going to really be an eye opener for me as to what we’re capable of.”
No matter how the game turns out tonight, though, Trueblood says he enjoys being around this group.
“With this team, I go home and I’m excited to be around them. Their enthusiasm is contagious,” he says. “They make you appreciate the fact that you get to coach them.”
Kickoff against Lebanon tonight is set for 5:30.