Last Saturday was a day of firsts, as all 20 members of the Tanque Verde High School football team played their first football game for the new team at the high school, which is in its second year.
For many of the players, it was their first team football game ever.
Coached by Chip Stratton, the Class 1A team played against Whiteriver East Fork Lutheran, a team that traveled for four hours and slept in a multipurpose room at Tanque Verde High School the night before the game.
The Tanque Verde players arrived at 7:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. game to get dressed and help set up the football field and carry over the benches that had been stored in a room near the field.
Despite losing to East Fork 38-14, it was a game Tanque Verde quarterback Tim Pernu will always remember.
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"Before we went onto the field, everyone realized that, 'Hey, this is our first game.' It was pretty cool," Pernu said.
Pernu scored the first touchdown of the game — which was also the first touchdown in the team's short history. Pernu played on the school's first baseball team last year.
"I (hit) the first home run for the baseball team last year, so to score the first touchdown was pretty cool," Pernu said.
"I am proud of them. You know, it's their first game. In fact, all of them have never played before and they played hard," Stratton said after the game. "And they will always remember their first game."
Here's Tanque Verde High School quarterback Tim Pernu's take on his first football game, which he played last Saturday at the school, 4201 N. Melpomene Way.
Q What were you thinking before the game?
AWe just wanted to show them that we weren't there to mess around, we meant business. We wanted to make it really special to win our first game, but we found out that didn't happen.
Q. Were you nervous?
A. I got a little nervous during the first series on offense, but then I settled in.
Q. How long have you been playing football?
A. This is my first year.
Q. What other sports do you play?
A. I have played baseball for the past 10 years, and lacrosse for the past five.
Q. How did you feel about scoring the first touchdown in the school's history?
A. It was really special to be the first one to score a touchdown and more exciting because we were winning at that time."
Q. What goals for the football team do you hope to have or achieve?
A. I'd like to have the team come out and win everything. If we can have a winning season, that would be great for us.
It would bring in some more kids to our school and make it bigger. We always want more people.
Q. What is your favorite thing about playing football?
A. I like playing defense and hitting people.
