Hanover Middle School takes ‘big baby step’ toward spring football

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Updated: February 27, 2012 10:02AM

Cedar Lake — Hanover Middle School currently may have only one football helmet but that does not appear to be a hurdle to fielding its first spring season football team.

About 100 parents and middle school boys were on hand Wednesday at an information session in the Hanover Central Auditorium conducted to share details about the planned spring team for seventh and eighth grade students this year, to gauge interest in the number of students who may participate and to outline the potential program’s needs..

“This is a baby step. It’s a big baby step,” said Jeff Brooks, Hanover’s new assistant principal and athletic director.

Brooks and first year teacher and former football standout Robert Harrison were behind the drive to get the program off the ground this year. Brooks said he received a go ahead from the school board to give it a try. Harrison will coach along with teacher Jason Yurechko.

Hanover will participate in the Lake Middle School Athletic Conference spring football program if enough youngsters sign up. At first glance, that does not appear to be a problem. At least 69 youngsters have filled out forms expressing interest prior to the information session.

“That’s unbelievable numbers,” Brooks said.

Since the school is just starting up, fellow athletic directors have agreed to allow Hanover’s seventh and eighth graders to participate the first year.

The seventh grade program is an instructional season of practice and scrimmage that preps middle school athletes for the fall eighth grade football program. At this time Hanover has not been approved to participate in the eighth grade program.

Christina Kras and her son Kyle Fahler, 14, an eighth grader at Hanover, were among those who came out to learn more.

“It’s exciting,” Kras said, adding she and her husband graduated from Hanover and a football program was always something that was talked about but never came to fruition.

“It’s a great feeling,” she said.

Brooks said if the program is successful it could lay the foundation for a long-awaited high school football program. First the middle school program must launch and supplies are needed.

Students who participate in the spring program will pay a $75 and $20 transportation fee. The $75 fee covers practice uniforms and equipment the athletes will keep. The school corporation must find a way to purchase at least 69 helmets and shoulder pads at about $300 a set to outfit the team.

Brooks said it will take community support to bring the program fully on line. Additional equipment will be needed if the team is to play in the fall. He is researching grant opportunities but the program will be looking to the community for funding to get it off the ground.

“If it’s going to move forward at all we have to have that support,” Brooks said.