Learning football, one yard at a time

By Lily Holmes,
HUB Correspondent–

With enough rules to fill a book (367 to be exact) and mysterious terms like “punting” and “broken tackles,” football can be a tough sport for spectators to understand. At its core, however, football is about moving the ball from one end of the field to the other.

“Basically, you get six points for getting the ball across the field,” said Davis High football player Nathan Curtis. And, of course, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

One team runs as far as they can with the ball before being stopped by the other team. The more yards the players gain, the closer they are to the finish line. The “finish line” for football is called the end zone, and it is that crucial place where most points are scored.

“A touchdown is when you get the ball in the end zone,” football player Nathan Ortiz said. Ortiz advises spectators to also watch for the “extra point,” where the team gets an opportunity to win another point by kicking the ball through the goal posts after a touchdown.

Varsity football player Marquis Turner says that “big hits” are definitely some of the most exciting parts of the games. “[It’s exciting] when two guys come at each other full speed,” Turner said. “We always play at full speed.”

Curtis advises watchers to keep an eye out for passes. “Passes are big plays,” he said. “You gain more yardage, but there’s also a risk.” The biggest risk is an interception, where the defense catches the ball instead of the offense.

The Davis blue devils play the Monterey Trail mustangs this Friday. The junior varsity game is at 5 p.m. and the varsity team kicks off at 7:15 p.m.