SEPTEMBER 2016, MCNARY FALL SPORTS PREVIEW, PAGE 15
Middle school
football expanding
Larimer said he had several kids on his
By DEREK WILEY
heavyweight team last season who would
Of the Keizertimes
have benefi ted from playing on a JV squad.
Middle school football in Salem-Keizer
“You could have a player who was two
will look more like high school football in
pounds too light who was awesome play-
2016.
ing on the lightweight team when he could
Along with more practice time and
have been the best player on the heavy-
at least one additional game, maybe two,
weight team,” Larimer said.
schools are abandoning the heavyweight-
“You could have a lineman who was re-
lightweight model for varsity and junior
ally big and not good at all and never have
varsity squads.
played and he would be playing against the
At least one coach on each team is also
best big kids. Last year I had several over-
required to take Heads Up concussion
weight kids that should have been playing
training.
the line on a JV team
The changes come
full-time and learn-
from
recommenda-
ing instead of being
tions by a committee,
backups on a varsity
made up of coaches
team and not getting
and
administrators,
to play as much.”
formed by Matt Bion-
But just because a
di, director of middle
kid has never played
school education for
before, doesn't mean
the
Salem-Keizer
he'll be placed on the
School District.
JV.
Principal Julia De-
“Last year I had a
witt and coach Thom-
Thomas
number of kids that
as Larimer represented
Larimer,
had never played that
Whiteaker.
Whiteaker Coach
were some of the very
“One of the things
best kids on the team,”
we heard from our
Larimer said. “Those
community was they
kids need to know
wanted a longer sea-
that they can show up
son,” Dewitt said. “The
to play football when
football season was
they've never played in their life and that
pretty short. They wanted a full season that
they're going to be valued and that they're
was comparable to what they were used to
going to be good.”
in clubs.”
For the fi rst time, Whiteaker held a
In the past, teams have played six games
three-day spring camp in May and will have
but will get at least seven this season and
fall practice the week before school starts.
possibly eight, depending on the number of
Each student must have a physical and
teams each school fi elds.
the cost to play is $45.
“The hope is that everybody will get
“Just like high school, the kids will show
eight,” Larimer said. “The school district
up for preseason practice and I'll determine
said we're losing too many kids to these
which kid will be on which team,” Larimer
youth leagues so let's make our product
said. “We can move kids up and down each
more compelling. But at the same time not
week.”
abandon our motto, which is based on ev-
Dewitt is pleased with the safety mea-
ery school having an opportunity for every
sures the district has put in place.
kid at a low cost.”
“I'm very proud that the district has sup-
Biondi hopes the switch to varsity and
ported that (Heads Up) and are actually
JV teams will result in more kids participat-
funding that,” she said.
ing.
Larimer is looking forward to another
“I think that's going to be a real positive
season at Whiteaker.
thing and it will also allow students who
“I'll never forget when my son Marcus,
haven't played football before or who don't
who's now the offensive coordinator for
have the skill or experience, they'll be able
me at Whiteaker, he was in eighth grade,
to start with other students who are similar
we were playing Claggett, two undefeated
to them,” he said. “Our goal always is to just
teams that were so evenly matched that
have a great environment and sportsman-
ship for our students but we also want to
Please see MIDDLE, Page 20
increase participation.”
“ Every play that I run
is a McNary play.
Every piece of
terminology is
McNary terminology.”
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Whiteaker Middle School head football coach Thomas Larimer instructs a group of eighth
graders during an early practice.
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