Published July 19, 2008 12:44 am -
Eight-man football gets some spotlight
By Kenton Brooks
Phoenix Sports Writer
Kelly Husted can’t help but be a little emotional this weekend.
The former Porter High School football coach is nearby as two of his former players — offensive lineman Cody Barnes and tight end/wide receiver Kody Dawson — are playing in tonight’s 8-Man All-Star Football Game at Commerce High School. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The Pirates’ duo are among three players in the game along with Midway running back Thomas Lucero.
Husted, who resigned after the 2007 season, is the president of the state’s 8-Man Football Association this year and id looking forward to seeing his two players suit up one last time.
“I don’t get to coach them but I’m excited that I’ll be close enough to be part of their last game,” he said.
Barnes, a 6-foot-2, 265-pounder, was the Pirates’ highest graded linemen in eight of his team’s 11 games.
Dawson (5-9, 165) was a late replacement when LeMarcus Walton had to drop out because of an ACL injury suffered during the basketball season.
“I was happy when they picked Kody for the game,” Husted said.
Lucero (5-6, 180) led Class C scoring last fall with 156 points (23 touchdowns and eight two-point conversions) while rushing for 1,642 yards to lead the Chargers to the first round of the playoffs.
Both Lucero and Barnes were chosen to the All-Phoenix Team after the 2007 season.
Players from the state’s eight eight-man districts make up the rosters for the All-Star Game. Players from B-1, B-3, C-1 and C-3 are on one team, while B-2, B-4. C-2 and C-4 are on the other squad.
In all, 80 players from the eight districts have been chosen for the game.
Barnes and Dawson played in B-3, while Lucero was in C-4 last season.
Former Midway coach Josh Been, now at Dewar, is one of the coaches for the team that has Barnes and Dawson on the roster.
Eight-man football got another shot in the arm recently when Ronnell Lewis, a star linebacker from tiny Dewar, signed to play with the University of Oklahoma.