The fans were cheering in the stands, players about to make the next play, tension was high. The coaches called out plays for the players. There was no room for error, or they risk losing the game. The smell of victory is in the air. This is Highlands High School football.
Friday, Aug. 15, the Highlands High School football team had its blue and white scrimmage at David Cecil Memorial Stadium. The point of this scrimmage is to see what the players have been doing in their practices. It also shows if any of the junior varsity (JV) players are ready for a higher level of high school football.
“It is basically a JV vs Varsity game to see if theJV team is ready,” Carson Hoeh (10) said.
While this game is a chance to see who is ready for the starting role on the varsity team, it can be challenging to go up against the people you see at practice every day as they know the plays and game styles.
“I need to work on my throwing mechanics and working in the pocket,” Rio Litmer (12) noted.
Litmer’s (12) stats were 7/9, 70 yards, and one rushing touchdown. The backup quarterback, Bryce Armstrong’s (9) stats were 11/14, 217 yards, and two touchdowns. The final score of the scrimmage was 28-19 in favor of the blue team. While this is just a scrimmage, it still sets the tone for the rest of the season. This also shows where there are some gaps in the team, and that helps the coaches see what they need to work on in practice.
When a player is playing a high-intensity sport like football, there will be certain challenges in the game; however, this game went according to plan for the team.
“There were no big things during the game, but it is just fun to go up against my teammates, it feels just like a practice,” Max Merz (12) said.
This game was a good way to start off the season. It was good for the Birds to get some extra reps before their game versus Frederick Douglass on Friday Aug. 22. This will be a big game for the Birds because it will set the tone for the rest of the football season.
“It is great to see what I need to work on and how I can transfer it into the game.” Litmer (12) said.
Even though this is just a scrimmage, it is a great way to get some reps in before it actually matters in a real game. Also, it is an amazing way to see if the people who do not get much playing time possibly earn a spot on the roster. It will be a good season for the Bluebirds.
