ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Junior Tackle seventh-graders earned themselves a taste of postseason play last year, when the Junior Hubs qualified for the playoffs out of the Big 14 Conference as sixth-graders before taking down Kewanee 30-24 to finish with a record of 6-2-1. With one more year of experience under their belts, the seventh-graders will be looking for more success this season under new head coach Cristian Perez.

“We had a decent turnout in camp last week and we had everybody show up for our first practice,” Perez said. “The kids looked ready to go and they’re paying attention. They look like they really want to get better from last year… I think they’re striving for higher goals this year, and as a coaching staff we’re hoping that we can take them there.”

The seventh-graders open their season against Princeton at Helms Park on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. While the seventh-graders won’t combine to form a very large squad (there are only 16 players on the team this year), a lack of participation didn’t hold the Junior Hubs back from defeating most of their competition as sixth-graders. As the seventh-graders gear up for their first game, Perez will be seeking to bestow his appreciation for football upon his players.

“The main thing is getting these kids to understand the game of football,” Perez said. “I relate a lot of football to life, and for the kids to learn that things from football can be applied to life is important to me. My biggest goal for every season is to make sure the kids love the game and understand how to play the game.”