Ah yes, high school football is nearing. Many schools opened practice Monday. Last Saturday I went to the Kansas Shrine Bowl in Emporia.
Football is in the air — and so is the controversy. Yuppie parents are pulling Nigel and Beauregard from football and pushing them into soccer. Mustn’t scratch a knee, honey.
Look, football is good. It tests your mettle, your strength, your stamina, your temperament. I recall we played sandlot football as youths without pads and we suffered a few bumps and bruises but for the most part we escaped any major injuries. It was fun.
We wore cotton flannel shirts, jeans and tennis shoes — no helmets, no pads. We lived to tell about our games.
Yes, yes, youths of today are padded, pampered and protected and still mommy and daddy cringe. Now, before you get all flustered and nettled, there’s a problem in football but it could be rectified. Those helmets they wear are the point of a missile launch. A defender throws himself head-long into a tackle and that helmet acts like a battering ram.
As one grandparent mentioned recently, he was very happy that his pride and joy had played his last high school football game. Why? The concern over concussions.
Defenders love to unload with that ear-popping tackle. Macho man. Big hitter.
Three things can be done to really mitigate the consequences of a big blow. One would be making a change in the rule book. Stiffen the regulation that hitting above the shoulders is a flagrant, major foul, even to the point of suspending the player for multiple games. No. 2, redesign the helmet. I have no statistics available but I would be willing to bet that the days of the old leather helmets yielded far fewer injuries and concussions were at a minimum. No. 3, mandate that the coaches teach the fundamental art of form tackles. The target is the chest with the arms wrapping up the body — not aiming at the head.
Whatever is said now, however, the exodus from the football playing field will continue. A veteran high school football coach told me the other day that he was having trouble getting boys out to play. The concussion issue was a factor. Soccer played a small role. Laziness maybe was a reason. But even bigger than those was that boys have so many other interests, including girls, X-Box and computers.
Maybe the high school football interest isn’t there, from fans to media. I recall how we used to cover high schools with weekly roundups, statistics and game stories. Now, you can barely get in a couple of days where high school football gets a mention in the big dailies.
The Kansas City Star didn’t have a mention — no precede, no game story — on the Shrine Bowl.
For the third time in the last four years at the Shrine Bowl, the East beat the West, this time 48-27. The score represented the most points scored in the series. The West had run off seven straight from 2006 through 2012.
I was sitting with three former coaches at the game and right off you could see how they hadn’t lost their eye for talent. “Oh, I like that No. 32,” one of them said early on. “How about that No. 4, the running back,” another said.
No. 32? He’s Ian Rudzik. Yep, he was named the West’s MVP after recording four tackles, a pass breakup, 2 rushes for 22 yards and a TD catch. From Ulysses, he played linebacker and fullback.
Mike McCoy, a Topeka High graduate, was the East’s MVP after he tied a bowl record with most rushing touchdowns with four. He ran for 89 yards and added 53 more on receptions.
Both of the MVPs are Kansas State recruits.
I liked several players. Jace McDown seemed to be all over the field, finishing with an interception and a pass break-up. From Columbus, McDown weighs 220 and is listed as a 4.6 40 linebacker/tight end. He’s headed for Emporia State.
Maybe a long-shot prospect? How about Jared Green from Shawnee Mission West. Imposing in the middle of the defensive line at more than 300 pounds, he just might make it somewhere if he trims a little weight and shows more discipline, like getting off blocks a little better.
Raye Wilson, a 5-11, 190-pound running back from Junction City, may be another one to overcome recruiting slights. He’s listed as a 4.4 40 dash guy. He showed flashes in the bowl but averaged just 2.9 yards in 10 carries. He apparently has baseball skills and may make a run at that.
A lot of attention came Tucker Horack’s way. During the bowl game, he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He rushed 16 times for 75 yards, was 5 of 12 for 65 yards passing with one interception and caught 4 passes for 27 yards.
He’s headed to Pittsburg State, saying after signing: “I was really happy with what Pitt State had to offer and I’ll be happy there. Division II football is not exactly a slouch. It’s going to be tough, and I’m going to have to work anywhere I went. I’m happy with my decision.”
At Rossville, he became the first player in Kansas high school history to amass 2,000 yards in both rushing and passing in the same season. He may wind up in the Gorilla secondary, but with his quickness and leadership abilities, he should fit in most anywhere.
Several of the more highly recruited players passed on the game because of their commitment to the college game — concern over injury the big reason.
A lot goes on with the high school players. Not only are there worries about health, there’s also the concerns about recruiting and costs.
I was going over some old clippings from my early 1960s work days at the Kansas City Star and came across a story that showed how football uniforms for high school players had climbed to $95.35.
A pair of cleats can cost that and more now.
Here was the rundown on the old equipment:
- Jerseys $8.50
- Pants $9.85
- Helmet $21
- Shoulder pads $20.95
- Rib pads $2.95
- Girdle $9.95
- Thigh guards $4.95 a pair
- Knee pads $3.25 a pair
- Shoes $13.95
Well, I looked over the Dick’s Sporting Goods ad from last Sunday and came up with these approximate costs for now.
- Jerseys $44.99
- Pants/thigh guards $20
- Helmet $149.99
- Shoulder/rib pads $60
- Girdle $34.98
- Knee pads $39.99
- Shoes $129.99
So, to outfit a young football player today, the outlay would be an estimated $479.94.
Yes, football is expensive.
You need to look past the negatives to get into the game. I really like all levels, from high school to pros. But I’m starting to enjoy the preps and Division II more than the others.