NORFOLK – It may be June, but for a group of football players in northeast Nebraska it’s still football season.
The Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football Classic is this weekend. Players from all over the area are in Norfolk this week practicing for the game.
The players were divided into two teams — Red and White. Crofton High School coach Tom Allen is heading up the Red team. Ron Beacon from Neligh-Oakdale High School is in charge of the White team.
40 high schools are represented in this year’s edition of the game. This means for some players, it’s a case of foe-turned-friend.
“I think they’re having a good time with each other,” Beacom said. “You get a whole different look on a kid that maybe you played against before. Now he’s a teammate so that’s a lot of fun.”
The game should be competitive, but under these circumstances and with only a week to prepare, the final score is not what matters the most.
“The game of football is so good for teamwork and playing hard and work ethic and just character and all those things,” Beacom said. “I hope the kids have a good experience and through the week they’ll learn a few things that they will carry through their lifetimes.”
The players get the chance to show off their skills on Saturday. The game will take place at Memorial Field in Norfolk and kickoff is set for noon. It will also be broadcast on News Channel Nebraska.
“I do think if people get a chance to either come out to Memorial Field on Saturday or to watch it on TV, they’ll be real impressed with the talent we have right here in northeast Nebraska.
