Eskymos Strap On Pads In Fun Intrasquad Game

ESCANABA---The Escanaba Eskymos still have two weeks to go before the high school football season begins. But we all got a taste of what the 2013 Eskymos will look like during an intrasquad game Friday night at the Escanaba Athletic Field.

They broke the game down into four, 12-minute quarters, just like in the regular season. The coaches were on the field with the kids, and they divided the team in two...half in black jerseys, the other half in white. The game was played on a running clock.

Eskymo Cam Beversluis goes out for a pass.

In the end, the Black team (with senior Travis Heller at quarterback) topped the White team (with junior Cory McInerney at QB), 28-21.

"It's kind of like a college spring game that you might see on the Big Ten Channel," Eskymo Coach Jim Hansen said. "It's just an opportunity for them to showcase themselves a little bit.

"We film it, and we do player evaluations based on what we see here."

Hansen says there's another, more external reason, for having this game.

"It's also a nice thing to keep the community involved," Hansen said. "We like to have the parents and the fans and prominent members of the community here so they can enjoy a night of a football practice and see how the team's progressing."

The Eskymos have a tough schedule, as always, in 2013. This year's is even tougher though, with the boys playing Detroit Country Day and Menominee back-to-back.

Eskymo senior Steve Wood.

"We all feel like we're further ahead now than we were last year," Hansen said. "It's the same coaching staff, the same system. The kids are familiar with us and what we're trying to do.

"So we feel like we've come a long way, but obviously, a lot more to do."

"We're getting a lot better," Heller said. "We were a little rough on Day One, just kind of rusty. But we've just been taking off ever since. Our practices are real high-paced, so when we get to the game, we're prepared."

Escanaba senior lineman Derek Krenek is ready to be a leader this season.

"I've gotten ions better from my freshman year and my first year in pads," Krenek said. "I just like being with the team. They're my family."

Escanaba opens its season on August 29th against Alpena.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see more photos and videos from Friday night's intrasquad game.

DATE	OPPONENT	GAME TIME
Thu 8/29	vs ALPENA WILDCATS	7:00
Thu 9/5	at Traverse City Central Trojans	7:00
Fri 9/13	at Cheboygan Chiefs	7:00
Fri 9/20	vs MARQUETTE REDMEN	7:00
Sat 9/28	vs DETROIT COUNTRY DAY YELLOWJACKETS	2:00
Fri 10/4	at Menominee Maroons	7:30
Fri 10/11	vs GLADSTONE BRAVES	7:00
Fri 10/18	at Iron Mountain Mountaineers	7:30
Fri 10/25	at Kingsford Flivvers	7:30

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

8/29	7:00 PM	Alpena Wildcats	7 - 15 (L)	0-1

9/5	7:30 PM	at Traverse City Central Trojans	7 - 28 (L)	0-2

9/13	7:00 PM	at Cheboygan Chiefs	21 - 33 (L)	0-3

9/20	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	35 - 14 (W)	1-3

9/28	2:00 PM	Detroit Country Day	7 - 34 (L)	1-4

10/4	8:00 PM	at Menominee Maroons	0 - 44 (L)	1-5

10/11	7:00 PM	Gladstone Braves	41 - 16 (W)	2-5

10/18	7:00 PM	at Iron Mountain Mountaineers	34 - 14 (W)	3-5

10/25	7:30 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	21 - 28 (L)	3-6