ROCHELLE — Joe Tourdot has a very important task as the head coach of the Rochelle Junior Tackle fifth grade football team.

With many of his players coming from the flag football level, Tourdot is responsible for guiding the fifth-graders through their first season of tackle football. Several players suited up in full gear for the first time this past week, and perhaps no one was more excited to see the boys working through contact drills than Tourdot.

“We have a big group of kids this year,” Tourdot said. “We’re looking forward to the season. There are a lot of athletes on this team and I expect a lot good things out of these kids this year.”

The fifth grade roster consists of roughly 40 players, a big step forward from the 2016 season, when only 18 kids suited up for the Junior Hubs. The players will get their first taste of tackle football when they face Morrison at home on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 2:30 p.m.

While Tourdot and his coaching staff are tasked with teaching the fifth-graders fundamental skills needed to play tackle football, the fifth grade level is also a foundation level, and one of Tourdot’s biggest goals is building an excitement for the game early on that propels his players further into the system.

“We try to get kids to stick with the program,” Tourdot said. “We kind of base our season on how many kids decide to try out for the next level… Our ultimate goal is to get them to play football in high school. With these kids, we want to get them used to contact… It’s a big jump going from flag football to full-on contact.”