Football Feature: Fayetteville Rockets
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Fayetteville athletics aren't known for football at first mention, but if you look closer, you can see there is something brewing with their still-young program, and two seniors in Nate Allen and Trevor Koch have been there since nearly the beginning of the program.
Allen and Koch have been starters for the Rockets since their freshmen season, as they are a part of a senior class of 10 players who have been playing football together for a long time.
"We've got 10 seniors out here, and we've all been playing with each other since we were kids, so we all know how each other work," Allen said, "The majority of us have been starting since we were freshmen, since varsity began, so we're hoping to go out with a pretty good record this year."
Even with a young football program at Fayetteville, both players got their start in area youth leagues.
"I started in third grade with Blanchester, and then a year later I came up to Fayetteville until sixth grade, when I had to go to Seton," Koch said. "Then I returned back here in high school."
"Well, I started playing football for Blanchester in the first grade because Fayetteville didn't have it," Allen said. "I played there until fourth grade, when we got youth. We are the first team to play all four varsity seasons."
Putting work in for the sport is nothing new to the Rockets players, as Allen and Koch spoke about how they prepared for their final season, even speaking about two-a-day practices.
"Our summer's been Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8-10 a.m. every week," Allen said. "We had a great turnout. We're still having a great turnout.
"Two-a-days are just two-a-days. I don't really know what else to say about them. I just stick through it because football's football. It's a part of me. It's really as easy as breathing."
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"Pretty much all summer, we've been doing what he said," Koch said. "We had an amazing turnout, and then two-a-days come around. I just love the game. It just gives me a reason to come out and do stuff."
As their senior year is about to start, the players thought about seeing the program evolve from their freshmen year up to this point, taking pride in the fact they were a part of making the program better than when they started.
"It's really the best feeling in the world. It makes you happy, but it makes you a little anxious because everybody's been putting pressure on us this year," Allen said. "It fills you with pride because you're seeing all your best friends progress and just making themselves better, putting in all the work.
"Seeing that makes you want to do work too, and that's why we're going to do work this year, because everybody's making each other better."
"It's been great," Koch said of the program. "We've seen programs that have been around for years having 10-plus seniors each year, and this year we have 10. We've been able to grow and get to know about varsity football a lot better."
Their favorite part of the game? That's easy … the hitting.
"I'm a defensive man," Allen said. "Hitting's my job, and I love it. That's why God put me on this earth, to hit people in football.
"I prefer defense. I just love to hit."
"I love hitting people … and scoring touchdowns," Koch said. "It's just the greatest feeling in the whole world."
Fayetteville wants to take that next step in their program this year, and again, the duo spoke about overcoming and facing the pressure of gaining that improvement.
"There's a lot of pressure, but then it's just an amazing feeling because you know you're getting the ball rolling," Allen said. "We've got all of these kids that look up to us, from peewee on up.
"No boy in America doesn't want to play Friday night lights. Having all that history behind you and being in a leadership position is a little scary, but it just fills you with pride. It's an amazing feeling."
"It's a great experience," Koch said. "There's a lot of kids out there that are looking up to us. We've got little kids out there Friday nights watching us, and it's just a great feeling."
Allen and Koch have been starters for the Rockets since their freshmen season, as they are a part of a senior class of 10 players who have been playing football together for a long time.
"We've got 10 seniors out here, and we've all been playing with each other since we were kids, so we all know how each other work," Allen said, "The majority of us have been starting since we were freshmen, since varsity began, so we're hoping to go out with a pretty good record this year."
Even with a young football program at Fayetteville, both players got their start in area youth leagues.
"I started in third grade with Blanchester, and then a year later I came up to Fayetteville until sixth grade, when I had to go to Seton," Koch said. "Then I returned back here in high school."
"Well, I started playing football for Blanchester in the first grade because Fayetteville didn't have it," Allen said. "I played there until fourth grade, when we got youth. We are the first team to play all four varsity seasons."
Putting work in for the sport is nothing new to the Rockets players, as Allen and Koch spoke about how they prepared for their final season, even speaking about two-a-day practices.
"Our summer's been Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8-10 a.m. every week," Allen said. "We had a great turnout. We're still having a great turnout.
"Two-a-days are just two-a-days. I don't really know what else to say about them. I just stick through it because football's football. It's a part of me. It's really as easy as breathing."
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"Pretty much all summer, we've been doing what he said," Koch said. "We had an amazing turnout, and then two-a-days come around. I just love the game. It just gives me a reason to come out and do stuff."
As their senior year is about to start, the players thought about seeing the program evolve from their freshmen year up to this point, taking pride in the fact they were a part of making the program better than when they started.
"It's really the best feeling in the world. It makes you happy, but it makes you a little anxious because everybody's been putting pressure on us this year," Allen said. "It fills you with pride because you're seeing all your best friends progress and just making themselves better, putting in all the work.
"Seeing that makes you want to do work too, and that's why we're going to do work this year, because everybody's making each other better."
"It's been great," Koch said of the program. "We've seen programs that have been around for years having 10-plus seniors each year, and this year we have 10. We've been able to grow and get to know about varsity football a lot better."
Their favorite part of the game? That's easy … the hitting.
"I'm a defensive man," Allen said. "Hitting's my job, and I love it. That's why God put me on this earth, to hit people in football.
"I prefer defense. I just love to hit."
"I love hitting people … and scoring touchdowns," Koch said. "It's just the greatest feeling in the whole world."
Fayetteville wants to take that next step in their program this year, and again, the duo spoke about overcoming and facing the pressure of gaining that improvement.
"There's a lot of pressure, but then it's just an amazing feeling because you know you're getting the ball rolling," Allen said. "We've got all of these kids that look up to us, from peewee on up.
"No boy in America doesn't want to play Friday night lights. Having all that history behind you and being in a leadership position is a little scary, but it just fills you with pride. It's an amazing feeling."
"It's a great experience," Koch said. "There's a lot of kids out there that are looking up to us. We've got little kids out there Friday nights watching us, and it's just a great feeling."