Article Photos

Advertisement

HARRIS - The Stephenson and Bark River-Harris football teams spend considerable time together in summer workouts and have formed a good bond.

They get together again Friday night, but this time there is a much bigger stake. The Division 8 district championship game is at 7 p.m. at Harris and the winner goes on while the loser begins planning for next summer's workouts.

"We both use it to motivate our kids to work and get practice time in," Stephenson coach Chad Brandt said of the 7-on-7 drills. "It is a credit to both the Stephenson and Bark River kids being there. The kids get along in the summer."

BR-H coach Joe Derouin said he talked to Brandt Sunday, after the Eagles had qualified for the game, and said "who would think after playing in summer we would be playing for a district championship.

"We're out there playing touch football and throwing the football around. We're not really looking to see what they're doing," said Derouin.

"He calls out some of his plays, Michigan or something like that. I'm sure he will change that up just because."

Derouin does not expect to get any special insight from those sessions. "There is no line blocking and no pressuring the quarterback," he said. "It is a lot different than a game."

Brandt agreed, although noting players do run some of their game patterns in summer drills.

"Most of what we get is off the film from the past few weeks," said Brandt.