Big Boy crunches players like potato chips

By Michael Ashcraft --

He's big -- 250 lbs, 6'2" to be an exact. This year, he learned to move fast and furious. He ran up on an unfortunate ball runner and crunched him like a potato chip.

You don't want the job of facing him down on the football field.

This is the new Alex Brick, Lighthouse team captain, a senior. In previous years, there were deficiencies in a player who had a lot to offer. He skipped Hell Week practices because he was "tired and hurt."

Duh. That's why it's called Hell Week.

Not this year. He was there for every practice. He shows up for every game ready to wallop.

"I wasn't expecting us to be as good as we are this year," Brick says. "I knew I was going to step up. But I wasn't sure everyone else was going to step up. Everybody is making tackles."

Lighthouse Christian Academy jolted a higher-ranked team Saturday to pass through Round 1 of playoffs. Their next game is Friday night.

What happens on the gridiron is less important than what happens in the heart of boys, who learn to regulate their emotions, battle through failure and contribute to and depend on a team.

For Alex, the learning this year was a huge dose of discipline.

"If it weren't for football, I'd be pretty lazy," Alex says. "Doing 2-hour practices is not really fun. Sometimes you get yelled at for doing the wrong thing. It builds a lot of character. I've learned to structure my days -- like packing the football the day before."