Central College opens the 2016 college football season Saturday in Spokane, Washington, but the Dutch got their first taste of real football this past weekend.
More than 80 alums showed up for the alumni game on Saturday, which is held every three years between Central’s current team and a group of former players.
As head coach Jeff McMartin enters his 13th year at Central, most of the alumni playing in the game played for him when they wore the red and white, and he told us Monday night live on the Central College Radio Coaches Corner on KRLS that it was a very special day.
“It makes me happy to see the passion these guys have when they come back, and how bad they want to play again. Some of these guys are dads and they’re bringing their kids and their kids are carrying the pads out with them. Then after the game, everybody’s taking picture of three generations and all this other stuff. Cousins will play against each other, or big brother little brother. Corbin Blythe’s two brothers who both played (at Central) played (in the game), and then afterwards they’re out on the field drive blocking each other to see who’s stronger.”
McMartin says that if the alumni team were in the Iowa Conference, he feels that they’d win the league championship this year because there was so much talent and many of the guys were in tremendous shape. He says that made it a great tune-up for the season opener this Saturday against 2015 NCAA playoff qualifier Whitworth.
No score was kept in last Saturday’s game, but, predictably, the alumni are claiming victory.