Jude Chamberlain
eSomehtin Staff
Only one student from Perrysburg started the first snap of varsity football as a freshman: Reed Gerken was the one to do that. For him it must have been scary starting the football season the same week that his first year of high school was starting.
Gerken said, “I was really nervous, and I didn´t know what to expect.”
Gerken didn’t think at the start of summer that there was a chance of playing varsity but he said that it was like a dream to play varsity as a freshman.
Gerken said, “It’s not an easy thing to do, to play varsity in any grade even.”
(Reed Gerken (74) is making his blocks on September 8th against Southview. Photo taken by Jude Chamberlain)
Gerken is in the class of 2027. The freshman football team went undefeated this year and next year Reed will get to be reunited with his former teammates, the freshmen who will move up to varsity as sophomores.
Gerken says, “A lot of the starters (of his former team) are coming back. It’s sad to lose the seniors but I’m excited to see how the next season goes.”
Chris Purtee, a player on the freshman team, said, “He’ll do a lot better plus he will have it all down.”
Gerken also says, “It was really sad to leave the freshmen team but I had a blast with the upperclassmen.”
Since Reed was a freshman he didn’t know many people who were on the varsity team he said that his mentor and favorite teammate was Andrew Boden.
Gerken said, “Boden, he taught me so much, he brought me in and made me feel a part of the brotherhood.”
Reed thinks that playing football for four years he will get into the college of his dreams. Others also think that Reed can get into a good college.
Geken said, “I really hope it does. I just hope I don’t have an injury and can’t play for a season.”
Purtee said, “Oh yeah 100%, it will definitely help him get into a good college.”
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