By Greg Gielczyk
ST. HELEN – With 25 players on the team, including freshman, the Charlton Heston Academy 8 Player football team is enthusiastic for the new season in the Bridge Alliance 8-Player Football Conference.
The season was scheduled to open Friday with the Patriots facing Engadine in their home and conference opener, which will be followed by their only non-conference contest of the 2016 campaign against Brimley. Home games again will be played in Grayling.
Freshmen do get to play on the varsity since the Patriots don’t have a junior varsity program, but head coach Steve Bednarik would prefer not to rush his younger players onto the field if at all possible.
“It’s completely different than our previous two years when we were struggling to get kids,” Bednarik said. “That first year we were really sweating it to see if we would even get to play the games.
“But now we have more than enough. We have about 12 returning kids and that’s good. These kids started when they were freshmen and sophomores. Now they’re seniors. They’ve been in the program three years, and some of them going on four years.”
One of the key players coming back is quarterback Anthony Peters, who has been under center for the Patriots since Day One and Bednarik is hoping that experience will bear fruit this season as the team looks to put itself on the football map.
Peters has been religious about participating in the weight room all summer to get himself stronger which is hoped will translate into not only a stronger arm but a more effective running game when he decides to tuck the ball in and take off.
When he throws the ball one of his favorite targets is wide receiver Nathaniel D’Snyder. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards last year. Like Peters he’s been a starter since the team’s inception.
The Patriots will be pretty young up front with only one returning starter and they lack experience at the running back spot as well. D.J. Silva returns at the tight end position and will be relied on for blocking as well as catching passes.
“I think we’ll be alright this year if we can stay healthy,” Bednarik said. “Our line is pretty beefy. There are some big kids. Our season kind of depends on our offensive line. If our offensive line’s good then we’ll be alright and I think it will be.”
Defensively the Patriots return defensive end Morgan Smith. He was a terror last year in shutting many teams on the Patriots’ schedule down and forcing them to run away from his side of the line. A couple of young kids will fill in the other spots on the line.
Peters and Jake Tapia return in the defensive backfield while freshman Marshall Benson looked good in the team’s 7-on-7 scrimmages this summer. Benson will also be the Patriots’ backup quarterback and is expected to get a lot of reps this season as he’s groomed to take Peters’ place next fall.
Bednarik feels that the Patriots are finally beginning to match up against their opponents much better this year as the players have more experience.
