Back on the gridiron

It was a hit last year, and in 2015, the Washington Alumni Football game is looking to be even bigger.

The Demon alumni took on Mt. Pleasant last summer in an alumni football game (the Panthers won 21-20), and the pair of teams are scheduled for a rematch, this time to be held at Mt. Pleasant.

?Last year it was a blast,? Class of 1993 graduate Adam Mangold said. ?At first I was a little cautious, and then we got together at practice and getting in shape and had a lot of fun with each other. The actual game was the first time we had pads, so in the first quarter I was a little hesitant, but it was fun when we got going.?

The practices for the 2015 Washington Alumni football team are still in the early stages, with 18 players attending Sunday?s workout.

Right now, the Demons are going through workouts and only touching on a couple of the base formations they will be running in the game, but the more players who attend the practices (Sundays and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. on the practice fields behind Case Field), the more they can install.

?Ultimately, I would like to have 22 guys, because then we can have 11 on offense and 11 on defense, and then we can do some things,? Washington alumni head coach Don Miksch said. ?Last year, at the first practice we had nearly 40 guys, but then it started to dwindle down. The more guys we can get, the better, but no matter how many guys we have, there is one guarantee: We?ll come to practice and get a good workout.?

This season, a new transplant rule has been put into effect for the Alumni team, opening the team up to more eligible participants.

To be eligible, one must either be an alumnus, have a child who is attending or has graduated from the school, or be a school employee.

One ?transplant? for the Demons, Eric Manz, has already been practicing with the team.

?It?s pretty neat,? Manz said. ?Even though I didn?t graduate here, they treat me like family. My boy didn?t get to see me play high school ball, and it would be pretty cool to have him see me play for the Demons, because he goes to school here and my wife teaches here. They are reaching out; it?s fun to put the cleats back on and play football again.?

Manz also said that when he learned about the chance to lace up again, he couldn?t pass it up.

?They are opening up to you guys,? Manz said. ?If you have a spouse that works at the school or kids who are going to school here, it?s a pretty neat opportunity. I couldn?t pass it up.?

This year?s game is set for June 13, with pre-sale tickets costing 10 dollars. Money raised from this event will all go to a charity that will be determined by the team captains at a later time.

?This does a lot of things,? Miksch said. ?One major thing is that it raises money for a good cause and the major way we raise money is through ticket sales. Another thing is for the Washington Demon football program, it brings a closeness to it, and I?ve always been a big proponent of bringing back as many alumni as possible. I want to give back as much as I can.?

Another benefit this event has is that it helps keep people in shape by going through tough football practices.

?It?s rewarding because you start getting back in shape,? Mangold said. ?It?s a reminder that you need to do more than sit on your couch or desk, and that you need to be active. It?s very rewarding because I remember how I felt after those first practices last year before I started getting in the groove. Now I?ve started to prepare a little bit by lifting weights, and I haven?t done that in years.?

With all the benefits this program is bringing, it?s a safe bet that last year?s close loss is fresh in many of the guys? minds and they can?t wait to add another chapter to the storied rivalry of Washington and Mt. Pleasant.

?We want to win, and we want to win down there,? Mangold said. ?We had a good drive going on in the fourth quarter (last year) down by one and then we fumbled. We would love to win this year, and it?s a great, great rivalry. I?m really looking forward to it.?