News : V-S Alumni football organizers hope to make first game a huge community event

Joey Seidel ('10) runs the ball during practice for the V-S Alumni team.

Players from several decades will play together July 8.

Brent Hanna ('85) blocks for Joey Seidel ('10) and QB Payton Schirm ('05).

Payton Schirm (class of 2005) takes a snap at quarterback during the VS alumni practice.

Randy Scheel gathers the players to discuss the Alumni Football program.

Alumni practice includes 10-yard sprint drills.

Players begin their practice session with stretching exercises.

Joey Seidel speaks to '83 alums Mike Kaufman, Randy Scheel and Dwayne Simnacher.

V-S football players return to the field July 8 for an Alumni Football USA game vs. CPU.

Some of them showed up for practice Sunday evening wearing the Vinton-Shellsburg t-shirts they wore just a year or two ago as high school players.

Others arrived in knee braces and baseball caps covering hair not nearly as dark as it was when they first wore the Viking football uniform, back when Ronald Reagan was President.

But all of the players, from three members of the class of 1983 to three members of the class of 2010, and a couple dozen in between, hope for a big event (and a win) when they play the first Vinton-Shellsburg Alumni Football USA game July 8.

The former Vikings will take on Center Point-Urbana at Center Point on July 8. The team is still recruiting players on its Facebook page. The $95 fee each player must pay covers uniform and other game expenses, as well as a DVD of the game and a shirt. Organizer Randy Scheel said he hopes the game on the second Friday evening in July will be a "huge community event." He said the Center Point team is organizing pre-game get-togethers and he hopes to see similar events from Vinton-Shellsburg residents.

"I'd like to see 2,000 people there," he said.

While waiting for the coaches to arrive, Scheel led the players through some stretches, warm-ups and some plays. Although the purpose of the event is fun, the desire to win is clearly evident. Some good-natured trash talking has already begun among players who know their opponents. Also, Scheel announced that from now on, he will be sending information about the playbook only via email; he told his teammates that he is concerned that CPU players have been reading the V-S Facebook page for "scouting" purposes.

Scheel is also planning to begin work on t-shirts to help promote the event this week.

The team practices each Sunday behind the Tilford building. Mike Timmermans is coming out of retirement to coach the team, assisted by VSHS sophomore football coach Dave Boisen. See the team's Facebook page HERE and the Alumni Football USA main page HERE.