Republic’s summer youth football camp closed out the week with roughly 165 kids taking part, coach Ryan Cornelsen said, capping a camp that has settled into a steady size the last several years.
“I think today we’re probably about 165 right now, something like that,” Cornelsen said. “We were 150-something the first day and we’ve had some show… It’s grown. I’d say the last two or three years have been somewhere in this range, somewhere from 150 to 165, somewhere in there.”
The camp is part of a broader July push that keeps Republic football in front of nearly every age group in the district. Seventh and eighth graders practiced four days a week throughout the month with varsity and junior high coaches, before youth camp closed out the final weekend.
“It’s not just the camp,” Cornelsen said. “In July, junior high goes four days a week all July, so we have our seventh and eighth graders with our varsity coaches and our junior high coaches in the morning. And then we have kids camp the last weekend in July. So really we feel like we’re getting every kid that would potentially play football, from first grade to 12th grade, in the month of July doing football. Good for our program, good for the community… it’s a lot of fun. We don’t get too into our offense or defense. It’s more about coming out and enjoying football and getting to play one-on-ones and do some of those things.”
The week wraps up tonight with Friday Night Lights. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the youth combine for grades 1-8 running on the game field starting at 6. An auction and meal both run from 6-8 p.m. Entry is $10 and includes the meal and youth combine.
The evening includes introductions for the 7th/8th grade football and cheer programs at 7:15 p.m., RHS and youth cheerleader introductions at 7:30 p.m., and player introductions for grades 9-12 at 7:45 p.m. The RHS cheer team performs at 8 p.m., followed by team sessions for all levels at 8:15 p.m. Auction winners are announced at 8:45 p.m.
Photos by David Brazeal
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