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 When Farris got the call he didn’t hesitate to say “Yes!”
What made it an easy decision for him? “They said I could bring five
Lincoln players with me if I agreed to coach the team. So seeing
what a great opportunity it could be for five of our kids, I
agreed.”
The Central Illinois Junior Football League (CJFL) is made up of
Athens, Petersburg, Riverton, Pleasant Plains, Williamsville,
Auburn, New Berlin and North Mac. The elite team training season
began at the close of the Lincoln Youth Football League season this
past September.
The (CJFL) team had 23 players and they were a mixture of kids from
the above schools.
Joining the team from Lincoln were: Stephen Gleason, Logan McDonald,
Nolan Yates, Elijah Pollice and Tony Gandolfi. Coach Farris choice
of the five local players was based on team coaches’ advice.
 Practice took place in Plains every weekend with one weekend in
Lincoln as soon as the summer league season ended in September.
One surprise of the season was Farris choice of a fifth grade
player, Gandolfi, "because he is an animal and will play his butt
off for me. And, he didn't disappoint."
The week before Thanksgiving the team played against Perry Township
out of Indy. Farris said that on the very first play of the game
they handed the ball off and our middle linebacker hit him hard and
the ball popped out. Tony Gandolfi picked it up and ran it back for
a 55-yard fumble return. "Needless to say, after that first game no
one asked me again why I brought a fifth grader," Farris said.
Farris recalled of that first game, "We got some very bad calls
against us and we ended game on a tie 12-12 because they didn't
allow for overtime in first game, even though rules say you are
suppose too."
Next game, the CJFL Team was matched up against Decatur, Indiana.
They won that game easily 26-0.
Then, because of not being allowed to play overtime against Perry
Township, the team had to play Perry again to see who would play Ben
Davis in Championship game.
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"We again battled (Perry) all the way to a 0-0 tie after 4
quarters," Farris said. With about 3 min. to play, Perry Township
was allowed to run play with 12 men, and lined up to run another.”
Farris said, "It was three games of the worst officiating I had ever
seen in my 12 years of coaching. I let them have it and was flagged
for 15 yards and thrown out of game. If refs would have thrown the
flag we would have gotten ball. Instead, after my 15 yard penalty,
they had the ball first and goal on the 9 yard line."
"These boys from Illinois would not give up and stopped them on 4th
and 2nd from the 2-yard line, sending game to overtime where we lost
7-6.
"I hate to be so critical of refs, but the rules stated you get 2
points for kicking, an extra point, and only 1 point for running it
in. We had a kicker who had made two extra points already, and after
Perry scored in OT and got extra points, they had 7-0 lead. So after
we scored, we decided to go for the win and kick and we were
informed by refs that instead of kicking from the 3 yard line like
we had been, we had to kick from the 10 yard line, making it a 27
yard kick instead of 20; a big deal for 6th-grader.
"We protested to no avail and lost 7-6 after failing on extra point
try.”
It was a fun time and great to finish in 3rd place, Farris said.
The CJFL 6th Grade Team also had most points scored and least amount
given up.
"It was an honor to be asked among my peers to coach," said Farris.
It was his second, top 4th-finish in national tournament having been
selected to coach in Iowa four years ago as well. "I have already
been asked by league to coach again next year and I can't wait."
Who from Lincoln will go as players? Farris says, "I wish I could
take them all, but I can't."
There will be five kids out there trying to be the next Lincoln
football player to experience a really fun time on a trip to
nationals, he says.
[Information provided by Steve
Farris/LDN] |
