Future Looks Bright: Tyrone Junior Varsity Finishes 6-2
Brandon Lucas
While the Tyrone varsity program started out hot but ended on a six game losing streak, quite the opposite happened with the 2018 junior varsity football team. The JV squad was strong throughout the season, finishing with a successful 6-2 record.
Everyone rose to the occasion this year and really played with a lot of heart and effort — Coach Kenny Vandevander
The coaching staff changed a lot from last year with new coaches filling almost every position. The only coach that stayed the same was Head Coach Kenny Vandevander.
Vandevander as very pleased with JV’s performance this year, especially with sophomore quarterback Brandon Lucas.
“I thought Brandon really came into his own and helped carry our offense,” said Vandevander.
In addition to the experience that he gained on JV, Lucas also become familiar with the varsity playing field, filling in for Denver Light at quarterback and cornerback at times during the season.
Lucas said that one coach that really helped him improve his skills was Offensive Coordinator Dan Beatty.
“Coach Beatty was a huge help this year. He helped me so much and made this year really fun,” said Lucas.
Another thing Coach Vandevander was enthusiastic about was the defense. Multiple times the JV defense proved capable of stopping teams inside the red zone.
Sophomore defensive end Matt Clifton also thinks the JV team did well this year, and that the progress they made this season will translate into more wins at the varsity level next year.
“[I’m glad] I got to work with the kids who are moving up to be a part of next year’s varsity team,” said Clifton.
The JV team had to overcome many obstacles this season from an ever-changing roster to playing new teams that aren’t normally on the schedule.
This flexibility helped these future varsity players prepare for different situations and how to adapt to them for the future.
Dean Grassi is a hard working guy and fun to be around. He spends his days in Tyrone High by playing Football, Wrestling, and Tennis and is going into...
