Speculation becomes reality
When Northeastern athletic director Bryan Stephens was a student at the high school from 1990 to 1993, soccer was his passion -- so much so, that he came back four years later after graduating college to become a coach in the program and never left.
It didn't stop Stephens and his friends from considering how them and their peers might have done were they have played on the gridiron.
"Still, my buddies and I will sit and drink and say: 'Man, imagine if we would have played football? So-and-so could have been here, so-and-so would have been doing that,'" Stephens said.
It's a big reason that Stephens believes the school and its surrounding communities will rally around the new program. The massive popularity of the sport at the college and professional levels is undeniable and other YAIAA schools consistently draw big crowds for Friday night football games. Stephens said it will take only a single game to elevate football into the top tier at Northeastern.
"I honestly believe that first game, I don't think there couldn't be anything more exhilarating than walking onto a field and you have, let's say, 2,000 people screaming and yelling their heads off and getting excited," Stephens said. "It's funny, you hear some of the people wonder if we'll be able to make this last. It's going to be here to stay and people are going to realize the benefits."
