The Roxborough Eagles six-year-old team (that’s right, six) hosted the Fox Rox Ravens in their Northeast Suburban Athletic Conference (NESAC) opener, but it was not the result they wanted.
After falling behind 21-0, the young Eagles eventually fell 27-12.
After a halftime pep talk, the youngsters came out a different team and made a game of it in the second half.
Linemen mix it up in the trenches. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Donald Falso tries to elude the tackle by Bentley Windle and Ray Fuentes. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Fox Rox Shane Davis follows his blockers enroute to a 70 yard TD gallop. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Bryce Corey tries to keep Fox Rox’s Joe Getter at bay. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Fox Rox Joe Getter drags down Kahsir Evans for a loss. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
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Linemen mix it up in the trenches. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
TD runs by QB Semaj Brothers (40 yards) and Austin Clark (25 yards) put the Eagles right back in the swing of things.
However, Fox Rox Shane Kelley added a late TD to seal the Eagles fate and dash any hopes of a comeback victory.
Eagles coach Mike Long lends a helping hand to Rhys Holzshu. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Kelley also had a TD run in the first half along with Mateo Callazo and Chase Davis, who also found the end zone.
Eagles coaches Eric Corey, Mike Long, Bobby Clegg and Felix Morales have made great strides in preparing their charges for play in the highly competitive NESAC league by starting with the basics and trying to build from there.
Learning the snap count, blocking technique, and ball exchange are all works in progress.
Mitchell Long finds some running room around left end. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Eagles Ayden Gooding, left, and Austin Clark tackle Shane Davis in the back field. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Eagles Mitchell Long closes in on Shane Davis. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
Eagles Austin Clark can’t turn the corner on the Fox Rox pursuit. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
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Mitchell Long finds some running room around left end. (Photo by Rick Cawley)
And running an offense that involves timing and finesse is a challenge at any age, let alone six year olds.
Football can be a frustrating sport, but the coaches have shown great patience and the youngsters are eager to learn and that’s half the battle.
I anticipate seeing great progress over the coming weeks as the neophytes continue to build on their learning experiences.