By Abby Fletcher
The whole squad stretches in the blistering summer heat on the first day of varsity practice. Senior wide receiver Aaron Bowser thought the heat was, “less painful because it was my last summer practices so I had to cherish them and make them enjoyable.”
Sophomore defensive back Zachary Dillard regains his breath after the first drill of his first varsity practice. While Coach Brandon Wheelbarger teaches the players the new play they will use in the upcoming season. This is Dillard’s first season on the varsity team, “The guys are bigger and stronger and they present more of a challenge than compared to the JV team,” Dillard said regarding the differences of the two levels of competition. The sophomore said he “really wasn’t nervous about anything,” during the first practice of the redounded Tuscarora football team.
Senior wide receiver Gunnar Biebighauser reaches to catch a pass as sophomore defensive back Taye Davis charges toward him to make the tackle. Biebighauser is a very experienced Tuscarora football player this is his third consecutive year on the varsity team while this is Davis’ first. The two are a dynamic pair on the field Friday nights.
Junior tight end Tyler Kijak, senior running back Jeremy Sampson, and sophomore wide receiver Taye Davis get ready at the line of scrimmage for the next play in the annual intersquad scrimmage. The players all have mixed amounts of experience on the football team but all together create a powerhouse on the field.
Coach Wheelbarger embraces senior running back Derek Larson. The coach has a lot of experience playing and coaching the game so he knows what to do to get the results he wants. “Personal relationships are important because it gives the student athletes a reason to push themselves.” said Wheelbarger. ” When they see their coaches have a passion not only what they coach but also the players themselves, it creates an environment where they want to succeed.”
