This doesn’t normally happen, a freshman on the varsity football team. But this year four players are getting a chance many freshmen playing football wish they had.

Chase Otto (9), Jake Cracchiolo (9), Andrew Carter (9), Carson Smith (9), and Matt Rouse (9) are the freshmen playing on varsity this year. Over the summer, each freshman traveled with the junior varsity team to games at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Webster Groves. They gained a lot of experience.

“Playing is a lot of fun,” Rouse exclaimed with a big smile.

Cracchiolo is often talked about because he is the only freshman to score not only one touchdown, but a total of three touchdowns so far in the season.

Cracchiolo thought for a moment, then said, “It’s a good experience; yeah, it’s tough, but it is what it is.”

Head coach of the varsity team, Arlee Conners said that before last year, it had been ten years since a freshman was on varsity. Out of all the freshman players, Coach Connors said Cracchiolo plays the most while the others help to contribute.

“We have to pull from the best, and if the best just happen to be a freshman, so be it,” Connors said. “I hope the freshman fall in line of being regular players on JV.”

You can catch Cracchiolo and the rest of the varsity team this Friday, Sept. 23 when they host the game against Fox.