Pictured is Magazines #8 Connor Droemer
When it comes to Jr High football, most spectators try to keep their expectations on the lower side when it comes to the outcome of the games. Especially considering this is the time in a player’s sports career that they are learning big boy football. But on Monday night when the 2A Magazine Jr High Rattlers and the 3A Mansfield Jr High Tigers stepped onto the field, fans were given a real treat. Each team played with knowledge and maturity that even their senior high counterparts would be proud of. And with the Magazine freshmen playing up on the senior team, the Rattler roster consisted solely of 22 seventh and eighth-graders.
Leading the Jr High Rattler den is Coach Beau Sikes. Coach Sikes has been at Magazine for seven years where he started out as part of the two-man crew under the former head senior high coach, Doug Powell. Sikes also doubles as the Defensive Coordinator of the senior high team. The goal going into last night’s scrimmage was pretty cut and dry. While still getting to know the 7th graders, Coach Sikes wanted to focus on each player’s abilities when placed in different spots. “I have solid support from Coaches Ryan Chambers and Dakota Suttles in the secondary. With Coach Chambers calling plays from the sidelines, we wanted to see how the team would hold up to the fast pace. The team struggled with the heat along with trying to figure out the water situation.” Due to the new AAA guidelines set in place, each player must use their own water bottle during matches so teams are still trying to find the best way to get water to their players during water breaks. “We still have a few things we need to tweak.”
With a final scrimmage score of 8-0 Mansfield, offensively the Jr Rattlers were led by the unhesitating fast-moving footwork of Aiden Carter who delivered an electric 12-yard run in the second half on the game and Chakong Yang, who also in the second half, carried out a massive 26-yard dash for the Rattlers. Magazines defense was a lockdown fortress for most of the game giving up very little yardage. If Mansfield tried to run outside, there were ground Rattlers. If they tried to pass, there were flying Rattlers. Getting in on that action was Casey Carter, Jaxon Pickartz, Kolton McCubbin, and Chakong Yang. “One strength our players bring to the table is that they are aggressive. They love contact, they love to tackle and our size up front is good. Dialing back aggression is better than having to teach someone to be aggressive.”
Because of a “great group of little league coaches along with the support of Coach Doug Powell and Josh Scott getting the ball rolling coupled with great guys running the system” this group of seventh and eighth graders are now the products of that system. “We also have awesome parent support. With this being our biggest Jr High group, we are hoping to get up to 30 players next year and be able to play a regular conference schedule for the first time in two seasons.” When it comes to team goals, the coaches leave that up to the players. “We allow the players to set their own individual and team goals. If individual goals are met then team goals are usually met as well.” Some of those individual goals this season are to be stronger, faster, and to make more tackles/receptions along with being undefeated.
On September 11th, the Jr Rattlers will take on the Warriors at Lamar. “Coach Josh Jones always does us a solid by setting up these games multiple times a season for our players,” Coach Sikes concluded.
