'Passing league' gets kids on football field during summer

Several years ago, eight years by his reckoning, Superior High football coach Jeff Schultz was looking for a way to keep football players active in the sport during the off season.

The result: what could be described as a giant gathering of players from throughout the “neighborhood” who take part in a “five players on five players”, no pads, passing only game. 

Like a neighborhood pick-up game run amok. 

Throughout the month of June, Schultz and his Superior Bobcats, along with players from as many as 10 other schools, gather in Superior Monday nights for the “Passing League” unofficial set of games. 

Much like summer basketball games, the football equivalent is an informal gathering of players who want to have fun and keep their skills sharp prior to the official opening of practice in August ahead of the coming high school football season. 

“We love football,” said coach Schultz, who guided the Bobcats to the top of the state’s Class C, 8-player ranks, including a State championship in 2012.  “We started this passing league about eight years ago.  People come (play) when they can”..

The most recent gathering included players from Plains, Superior, St. Regis, Mission, Charlo and Darby.  Teams play two 10-minute halves with a quarterback and four eligible wide receivers.  Defenses are mostly d-backs and linebacker types looking to polish their skills and/or keep the off-season rust at bay. 

“We just like to get a football in their hands,” said St. Regis coach Jesse Allan, whose Tigers are moving to the Montana 8-player ranks after several playing in Idaho leagues as part of a co-op agreement with Mullan, Idaho. 

“The idea is to have fun, get some exercise and play some football,” Allan said. The Tigers are still a co-op with Mullan but those two schools will now take part in Montana league games during the season. 

For Plains coach Mike Tatum, who took the reigns of the Horsemen last year after two straight no-win football seasons for the school and finished last year with three victories, having a chance to play on a varsity field against varsity level players is good for everyone, including the large group of underclassmen he has coming up this year. 

“For the young guys it’s a chance to get a feel for what varsity level football is like,” Tatum said. “It is also a chance to get together and have fun playing the game.” 

The passing league features no tackling with plays ending when a ball carrier is touched above the waist with two hands by the defense. 

As is the case with “regular” football, the teams have four downs to gain 10 yards to keep their drive alive and maintain possession of the ball.  Two games are played at once, with play beginning on each 40-yard line as they attempt to cross the goal line 40 yards away.  The games are timed and when the allotted time expires, teams switch opponents in a round-robin format. 

The championship of the unofficial league was held this past Monday in Superior, with 11 teams indicating they plan to take part.  A minimum of five players is needed and most teams show up with 6-10 players. 

“The first time we came down here,” Tatum said, “we only had four guys who could come.  When we got here, Superior lent us two of their players and they played well like they were still playing for the own school.  It’s that kind of activity, everyone wanting to have fun and play some football.”

    Plains coach Mike Tatum talks to his group of players prior to a 5-on-5 passing league game versus Darby, in Superior last week. (Chuck Bandel/MI-VP)
  

    Superior coach Jeff Schultz works with sophomore Landon Richards during a 5-on-5 Passing League game last week in Superior.