Libby's junior high football team dominates

When junior high football season ended last week, a team of eighth-graders came out undefeated for the second year in a row.

Eighth-grade coach Josh Bean has witnessed great strengths in his team, which also went undefeated last year as seventh-graders. In the entire season, only one team scored against them.

“We were lucky enough to have extremely talented people playing for us,” Bean said. “The competition we played ... they played hard, we just, at our middle school level, have some better athletes.”

A lot of junior high students came out for football this year, with 16 eighth-graders and 23 in seventh grade. The seventh grade also played well, losing only one game.

Bean said the team has strengths in offensive and defensive positions, with their ability to block being their biggest. They also have talented running backs, quarterbacks, linebackers and defensive end positions.

“There really wasn’t any standout, we just competed very well as a team,” Bean said. “Everyone does their part.”

The winning team had a large fan-base too, Bean said, with parents and middle and high school teachers in the stands cheering on the team. Bean said he was impressed by the turnout and appreciates the support they’ve received.

As the eighth-graders become freshmen next year, Bean hopes and encourages them to go out for football.