Football Team Adds Temporary Players for Homecoming Game

Payton Blalock, Gabi Appel, and Sydney Chien

With a number of injuries on an already limited varsity football roster, Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine and Head Coach Tony Banks have added several student-athletes from other sports to the team for the Oct. 1 Homecoming game.

A total of 10 players are currently on the bench due to injuries, reducing the number of healthy players from 33 to 23. This is very small for a varsity football team, and that led to the idea of enlisting other student-athletes to play in the homecoming game this Friday against the Coram Deo Academy Lions.

Among athletes who have signed up to play in the Homecoming game is senior Ari Appel, who previously played for the team.

“I missed playing on the football team, and this was the perfect opportunity to participate while helping out,” he said.

Other seniors who are slated to join the roster are Ryan Saqueton, Henry Johnson, and Jacob Lieberman.

“There is no better opportunity to play than at my senior Homecoming,” said Appel.

The addition of older players will allow Greenhill to avoid moving younger and smaller athletes into roles too quickly, Banks said.

“The more numbers we have, the safer it is to practice, the less young guys have to play varsity football,” Banks said.

Banks says he is excited to have more mature bodies playing this Friday, and not having to resort to freshmen and other younger, less developed players.

“It’s just tough to ask a little 15-year-old kid to go out there and play with some grown men,” Banks said.

Freshman Milyon Esayas recently suffered a season-ending injury on the varsity field, breaking his collar bone in the game against St. Mark’s School of Texas.

“I felt crushed when I realized that I would be out for the rest of the season, but I am thankful that we will now have enough players,” Esayas said.

While the Greenhill football team has seen its share of disappointments this season, with an 0-3 record and double-digit injuries, players say the volunteer players have brought high energy to the team heading into Friday night’s game.