The start: The usual Christopher noise about quitting before we even get started this season; this time the answer is “You are going to do one year of football at the high school; I want you to see what it is like and how different it may or may not be. After that, it is up to you.”
- So he went to summer conditioning; three days a week starting at 7:29 am and going to 10:30 or 11. Some muttering about the early wakeup times but, I mean, as far as Cpher grumbling goes, it is pretty minor. And he’s downright happy and upbeat sometimes when we pick him up after practice. Seemed to be doing well in practice and getting compliments about how well he runs for his size. Still clearly the biggest kid on the freshman team; in fact, there might be two kids taller on both JV or Varsity. And he is also one of the faster lineman…a few seniors are faster but that is it. Freshman don’t have to do as many reps as the JV or Varsity but Cpher ran with the JV and Varsity
- Real practice starts in early August. Again, some grumbling but more often than not it’s upbeat. Seniors on this team seem to be doing a really good job of making it a good environment and it seems like Cpher is having a lot of success
- Family day is on a Saturday; we get there late and miss the practice part but several parents tell us that Cpher is singled out as the most improved freshman on defense (they picked one kid from each team). He barely played on defense last year…..
- We have a scrimmage against Fowlerville; no score recorded but it seems obvious to me that our line, both offensive and defensive, is just blasting the other team off of the ball. Beginning to think we might be good as a team this year
- Cpher looks like he might have figured this football thing out. Is blocking and pursuing to the whistle. Took Fowlerville’s biggest kid and pancaked him on one block.
So the first game is Wednesday at Mason. I’m taping from the press box; Suzanne, Kevin, and Matthew sitting in the visitor stands. We’ve been to a lot of varsity games here; Suzanne commented it was nice to finally see our son on the field.
The game: We won 22-0. Could have been a lot more; we were stopped on two fourth and ones at the goal line. Scored a safety on the next play each time. I don’t think they ever really threatened to score.
Matthew took a few pictures for me; another parent took some more.
Cpher played every snap on offense at left tackle. He played about 70% of the time at defensive tackle. They would rotate him and other lineman in and out on defense and later in the fourth quarter when the game was basically over.
In previous years I wondered why this group of kids never did better; it usually boiled down to having some good lineman but not having a full crew…and the other teams would just blast past the kids who aren’t good and that was that. This year, it looks like we have a full good line AND the best lineman, Cpher and two others, have really come into their own.
Because other teams just can’t move those three out the way on defense or get past them on offense. And it just opened everything for our skill players
Didn’t have many tackles…had this one but it is about 10 yards downfield on one of the few positive plays Mason had. Glad that he was following the play to the end though.
Maybe the most shocking moment of the game for me; watching Cpher, Alex, and Brock walk out as Captains. Finally remembered (it was some time after we were home) to ask him how this happened. “Well, coach said that Brock, Alex, and I were the strength of this team and we’ve been working really hard on both sides of the line and that we should go out there and represent the team.”
Floored. Just stunned that this happened.
This new and improved Cpher is fun to watch; I don’t see a lot of it during the game because I’m following the ball but the video…..he is finishing his blocks and sometimes ends up 10 yards off the line of scrimmage with his victim in tow.
There was one play where he came off the line and there was nobody in front of him. Old Cpher would just stop at that point and watch. New Cpher turned and absolutely creamed this outside linebacker who wasn’t expecting Cpher to do that.
I *don’t* think he will move up to JV or Varsity although I definitely have the impression he would be more than fine on JV. At Varsity the kdis aren’t necessarily bigger but they are more developed in terms of strength training. I think, if this team has success, that they will keep them together to have that success. And the initial signs look promising.
This picture is the first safety. Cpher didn’t make the tackle but the whole play happened because of that he did….he beat his man to the gap (the guy couldn’t move him out of the way). The blocking running back ran into Cpher and bounced off; the running back had to try and go outside and you can see how well that worked out.
Apparently the head coach is ex-military; he likes to run the sprints with the lineman at the end of practice. Cpher has to really move to beat him, and has, more often than not.
Not sure why he went with the not-tucked-in-shirt look. He was the only one out there like that…..seemed out of place but looked, if anything, taller(!) because of it.
