Fantasy football fever: CCHS students and their leagues

FANTASY FOOTBALL FEVER

CCHS students and their leagues

For football fans, this time of year signifies the start of an annual sports tradition: fantasy season. Like any other sports community, fantasy football has fostered fun competition and life-long friendships throughout the CCHS student body. Fantasy football is a popular game in which football fans can create and manage their own teams using players from the National Football League (NFL). The simulation allows fans to create their own leagues and compete against their friends and family. While fantasy football requires no athletic ability, the game requires participants to rely on their sports knowledge in order to build the best team. Prior to the start of the NFL season, each league participates in a draft, where they can select NFL stars to make up their teams. Many groups utilize the opportunity to get together for a “draft party.” A team’s success is dependent on the players’ performances in real NFL games. Fans earn points when a player performs well, whether it be scoring a touchdown or sacking a quarterback. They can also lose points for poor performances, such as missing a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of each week wins their matchup. For many CCHS students, the fantasy football tradition starts at a young age. One group of seniors has kept up their league for the past nine years. The boys have played fantasy football since elementary school, and have continued to this day. Over the years, the league has grown significantly in size. As the boys grew up, they made new friends, who eventually joined the league. This includes some of the seniors’ older brothers, who continue to participate in the league from their college. “Our league has grown, and so have we,” senior and original league member Adam Avin said. Each year, the group hosts a draft party, where each member has the opportunity to come together and select their teams. While many chose to participate in virtual drafts, the boys use physical boards in order to make the competition more personal. “I like watching football men score points for me,” senior and new league member Nathan Eccher said. Although intended to be fun, the boys take the game rather seriously. Last year, the loser of the league was forced to wear a shirt that read “I lost fantasy football.” Despite the antics, the league has ultimately brought the friend group closer together. The fantasy football tradition has helped keep their group together for the past nine years and intends to do so for the years to come. While fantasy football is often viewed as an aggressive game for competitive sports fans, the group of CCHS seniors has proven that it can be so much more. Their league represents lifelong friendships built through friendly competition: the true meaning of sports.

Pictured on left: (Left to right) CCHS seniors Kennan O’Malley, Jake Ligouri, Colby Dernis, Nathan Reed, Adam Avin and CCHS alumni Jagger Ligouri and Brendan O’Malley pose for a picture during the second year of their league.

Pictured on right: (Left to right) CCHS seniors Nathan Reed, Kennan O’Malley, Adam Avin, Jake Ligouri, Colby Dernis, Nathan Eccher, Jake Gold, Jesse Staple and Zachary Roisman pose for a league picture this year.

BY KAYLA GATES

Photos courtesy of Adam Avin