6th Grade Hutchinson Blue Hawks
Photos by Deb Hagen
5th Grade Hutchinson Blue Lightning
Photos by Michelle Jensen
5th Grade Hutchinson Jets
Photos by Julie Reneau
4th Grade Hutchinson Junior Salthawks
Photos by Marcee Krol
6th Grade Hutchinson Blue HawksPhotos by Deb Hagen 5th Grade Hutchinson Blue LightningPhotos by Michelle Jensen 5th Grade Hutchinson JetsPhotos by Julie Reneau 4th Grade Hutchinson Junior SalthawksPhotos by Marcee Krol
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Every athlete desires to play on the biggest stages. For many boys in the Hutchinson area, seeing homegrown talent such as Ben Heeney and Geno Grissom play on Sundays in the NFL gives them a goal to work hard and maybe someday, that could be them. For four Hutchinson YMCA Gladiator Football teams, they got to live the dream; to play football on an NFL field on a Sunday. And not just any field, the world famous “House that Jerry Built”, AT&T Stadium: Home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Red Zone Games took place on Sept. 20 in Arlington, TX, under the roof and bright lights of AT&T Stadium. Teams from Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas competed in 2 timed scrimmages. As a collective group, Hutchinson showed that Kansas boys know how to play some football, winning most of the scrimmages and standing toe to toe against teams from Texas and Oklahoma. The teams representing were the 6th Grade Hutchinson Blue Hawks, the 5th Grade Hutchinson Blue Lightning, the 5th Grade Hutchinson Jets, and the 4th Grade Hutchinson Junior Salthawks. “We enjoyed it 100%. Parents enjoyed it. To be on the Dallas Cowboys football field, it was great. I had a great time, “said DJ Chapman, Head Coach for the Blue Hawks. “I was impressed by our team, Kansas as a whole. The kids loved it and they will always remember it.” When asked how he thought our teams stacked up to the talents of Texas and Oklahoma, Chapman stated, “We can’t put in the (practice) hours that they can, but we have talent.” Blue Lightning Head Coach Ryan Heneha said, “It was an awesome experience. Our team has never played that fast before. I was like, what team am I watching. (The Blue Lightning) were in awe, but came to play. They stepped up and played and it didn’t matter where the other team was from.” Heneha went on to say that it was an unbelievable experience to build off of. “We grew as a team and as a family.” All teams and families got to tour the facilities. “I’m not a Dallas Cowboys fan, but that is a really nice venue,” said Hutchinson Jets Head Coach Jarod Wannamaker. “Jerry definitely built a very cool stadium. We were just excited to have the opportunity to play where NFL teams get to play, National Championships are decided. Unbelievable.” The Junior Salthawks Head Coach Adam Krol felt a bit jealous of his team.
“I’m 37 years old and I never got to play a game or scrimmage on a NFL field, so for those little guys, it’s quite an experience.” Krol added, “Being a coach, watching those little guys from the sideline, was pretty awesome. |
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