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Falcon football: Taking over Friday nights

Posted 8/23/16

The 2016 football season kicks off with a home game this Saturday, Aug. 27, but it won’t be played on the local high school field.

Instead, coach John Flynn and his team are heading up to …

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Falcon football: Taking over Friday nights

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The 2016 football season kicks off with a home game this Saturday, Aug. 27, but it won’t be played on the local high school field.

Instead, coach John Flynn and his team are heading up to Flagstaff, where they’ll be treated to a tour of the Northern Arizona University campus before getting ready for their season opener against Northwest Christian a 5 p.m. in the dome.

Next Friday will see the Falcons return to the usual setup, with a home game against Payson on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

It’s certainly a different way to begin the season, which seems appropriate for a program that’s entering something of a new beginning. Along with a new head coach, Flynn has several fresh faces helping him out on the sideline, along with many new athletes looking to rebuild Falcon football.

“Last season was frustrating from a lot of different standpoints,” Flynn said. “I’ve talked about this before, but the commitment from the players was not there. In order to be successful in anything, whether it’s the band, football or your job, you need the people who have agreed to participate to participate fully.”

Flynn said this wasn’t something he saw out of the local flock last season, so he’s made it a major focus heading into 2016. He added that one of his major focuses has been on grades and discipline issues. When he took over as coach, he said there were many players struggling in those areas. By the end of the 2015-16 school year, by working with parents, the athletes and teachers, he said the issues had become almost nonexistent.

“We continued that into the summer and we’ve stayed on this season right out of the gate,” Flynn continued. “My student athletes are passing class, and I give them all the credit for that. It’s easy to do my part, which is checking in on them, but at the end of the day they’re the ones who have to decide if this is something they want to do.”

On the field, the Falcons have about 35 returning athletes including eight seniors and 18 juniors and nine sophomores. Added to the mix are about 10 freshmen.

So far this season, Flynn said that the attitude has been stellar.

“The entire attitude, from the time we line up in the gym to go out to the time we get done, I can see that they’re buying into the idea of getting our work done and being focused,” Flynn said. “That’s what I’m most proud of them for.

“In terms of X’s and O’s, on the defensive side of the ball, we are definitely more aggressive and faster than we were last year…On the offensive side of the ball, we’re looking to control the clock better than last year.”

While captains were not chosen as of this writing, Flynn said that the Falcons have already chosen a Team Leadership Council, responsible for motivating, educating and coordinating their teammates. That group includes Derek Weinreich, Tom Ferrington, Trytton Martin, Cole Lupien, Leyton Kauffman and Jake Steuber.

“I’m proud of those guys for, number one, leading their peers,” Flynn said. “For teenage boys, sometimes that’s not the easiest task. They’ve done a great job.”

Looking at the road ahead, Flynn said that, this season, he won’t let wins and losses define the team.

“They’re important, obviously, but what will define us is the character of the team,” he continued. “Do we show up at practice every day? Do we work toward a common goal? In the classroom, are we preparing ourselves so we don’t close any doors? Are we good citizens and leaders on campus?

“If we can continue the trend where kids are putting in the work, then ultimately we’ll be a successful program.”

When asked why fans should fill the stands this season, Flynn got excited.

“I’ll tell you why they should come, and this is a passion of mine,” he continued. “I’ve been involved in high school football for years, and there is nothing like Friday night. Let’s set aside the football game for a second and say that, just the camaraderie of people coming together each week is great…This year, we’re doing something incredible. The Booster Club is hosting a tailgate party at home games, we’re going to have bouncy houses and food trucks behind the stands, the band will come out and play, I’ll come out and say some things, we’re planning to have a flyover for a couple of our games and a few surprises.

“We want to turn Friday night home football games into a destination, and all of that goes to support the athletics program in general. You have to come out for it, and I’m confident we’ll give you a team you’ll be proud of.”