On Oct. 20, Millard West faced the Bryan Bears in a varsity football game, where multiple sophomores were told to suit up for their first varsity football game.

On the week of the last game, 10 sophomores were told that they were going to suit up for the last regular season game. All of the hard work and dedication for these young players had paid off and they were going to be playing on Thursday night lights. Very few of them played but they were trying their hardest to prove to the coaches that they were deserving of suiting up and playing on varsity.

“It was very exciting to figure out that I was gonna play and I feel like I did something to help the team be better,” sophomore Michael Jones said. “I was happy that I was still able to play with the team. I was excited to experience what a varsity game would feel like and look like. The energy before the game was amazing and it was very fun. I didn’t think that I would suit up. I was not expecting to suit up for varsity this year and happy that I did.”

Not getting any playing time during a game isn’t really what players focus on, but for these sophomores just being able to suit up was enough for them. The feeling of being on the sidelines for these players is all that matters because it is a way for them to realize that they have deserved to be there. Sophomore Michael Coleman was trying to prove to the coaches early on in his high school career so he could have a better chance of playing and getting respect and trust from coaches.

“I didn’t think that I would suit up for varsity at all because I’m a sophomore and there were a lot of other wide receivers placed ahead of me in the depth chart,” Coleman said. “I figured that I was going to wait till next year to play because the season was starting to end and opportunities were starting to go down the drain. I was just surprised that the coaches chose me to be on the sidelines cheering my team on. All the hard work and dedication that I put in during the season really paid off because I really didn’t think that I was going to be on varsity this.”

Parenting a young football player comes with a lot more responsibility due to all the running around that you may have to do to get your kid to practice or to a game. When a parent hears that their kid is suiting up as a sophomore for a varsity game, all of that hard work paid off. 

“I was happy for him,” said  Michael Jones’ Parent Jamie Jones. “ Even though his playing time was short lived, he’s only a sophomore, so it was an honor to suit up. I was super proud of him. Since the odds of playing were low, I’m sure his attitude and dedication were a factor in him suiting up. That matters way more than football. I didn’t expect that a varsity game would be much of a difference than a reserve game, but it was. Much more of a “show” than a reserve game. Exciting lights and sounds and way more fans. I’m glad that Michael was a part of it.”

Overall, being a sophomore on varsity isn’t the most common thing for Millard West. Just being on the sidelines was more than enough for these players.