HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: EXPERIENCED SPARTANS HOPING FOR BIG THINGS THIS YEAR (24 PHOTOS) (August 23, 2022)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA HEIGHTS — The past couple of years the Edison football team was trying to compete against more experienced teams with a young roster.

Now, that young roster has gained experience and the Spartans enter this year with a roster that includes some talented younger players, and a lot of experience.

“Our numbers are good,” Edison coach Kyle Erickson said. “We are around that 20 mark, 21 or 22 and we are kind of the opposite of where I’ve been the past couple of years. The last two years you guys come talk to us, where are you guys at, we are young. The Covid Spring season we were led by honestly a lot of freshmen and sophomores. We took our lumps and the same last season the fall we were still a young team, only a couple of seniors, a couple of juniors, most of our juniors were freshmen on varsity that Covid season so we have varsity experience. We are looking to make that next step, be a competitive team, let’s win some football games.”

For the Spartans it’s special to be back on the field for the first week of practices.

“It’s beautiful,” Erickson said. “We don’t have any more Covid stuff, we don’t have to worry about masks, it’s fun being out. Beautiful weather today, we had a little bit of rain yesterday, but we are just excited. We are out here working hard, the kids are excited, the coaching staff is having fun to. We are just having fun.”

With more experience this year the Spartans have a lot of excitement coming into the year.

“There has been that extra excitement,” Erickson said. ‘I think it’s because we have been that group of kids that put in the work during the offseason. We had a decent turnout for the weight room. Us being a smaller school it’s hard getting them in the weight room. Most of the kids play three sports, but this summer we got a ton of guys in the weight room. Our summer turnouts were the best I’ve ever had. I’m excited because the kids are excited. They want to be here. They are excited about the new offense, we are installing this year, they are ready to go and they are fired up.”

The Spartans had some strong performances down the stretch last year, and they had some players move up as freshmen at the end of the year, and that gives them more confidence coming into this year.

“We got the freshman that came up,” Erickson said. “I put them down as new guys, but we had five freshmen come up and play the last three games of the year for us, and three of them got significant playing time and that’s really leading into what we are doing this year. We have a couple sophomores I’d almost say are our leaders now. They are taking it and running with it and we are excited and ready to go.”
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The Edison football team practices on Tuesday. PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES