JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Adversity: when circumstances or situations work against you. The St. Johns Country Day Spartans know a lot about it.
The Spartans coaching staff and players had to make the quick adjustment of playing eleven-man football to eight-man football due to injuries.
The Spartans only had 12 active players this season. This made preparing for games a bit more difficult according to Head Coach Rocky Bantag.
“With us only having 12 players it’s very hard,” Coach Bantag said. “Our only live scrimmage is in a game. We do one on one’s but everything that we do is just a hope that it’ll work until we get to game day.”
To aid in mitigating injuries amongst the players, the St. Johns coaching staff implemented different strategies throughout their 8 v. 8 season.
“We had to get a rotation in to ensure that these guys were not beat up and worn out,” Defensive Coordinator Vincent Williams said. “We did our best to make sure that the water breaks prescribed by the refs we adhere to those, and we got the players in and out accordingly to make sure they were rested enough to continue to battle in the game.”
The Spartans faced the mental and physical challenges this season of playing with eight players on the field and being outsized. But the coaching staff used this season as a metaphor for what life is like.
“We tell them, we all have to work to overcome adversity,” said Coach Williams. “In life and on our jobs, we all have to overcome adversity.”
The coaching staff praised the senior class for their leadership on and off the field during the off-season and regular season.
“We did a summer program that the seniors led in June,” Coach Bantag said. “They led it the whole way. When we went from 11-man to 8-man there was a two to three week period where we thought there was no football. The seniors are the ones that kept them going by coming out when middle school was practicing and staying involved.”
While holding back tears, Coach Williams delivered his final message to his senior class.
“I love those guys,” he said. “They led by example. They were first on the field and last off the field. They really invested in the underclassmen. When you have leaders that care about what they’re doing and care about the program, that’s how the program grows. I’m thankful to have each and every one of those seniors.”
In his final act as a leader in a St. Johns Spartans football uniform, senior Vincent “Deuce” Williams had a message for his younger brothers.
“To my underclassmen,” Williams began. “Don’t let this last game or 8-man defeat you. If you love football then come out here and play it everyday. There’s nothing that’s going to stop them or anybody else.”
