On September 6th, freshman Jackson Ichesco scored his first touchdown on the varsity football team. Although originally he had dressed to be a backup, he found himself on the field in the fourth quarter. With three yards until the end zone, Ichesco got the ball and ran right up the middle for his first touchdown.
“[It was] just the best feeling ever,” Ichesco said. “Having the coaches trust me to go in, make a couple of plays, and get to the end zone was just amazing.”
Starting the season as the quarterback for the freshman team, and then being fully moved up to the varsity team was a big thing, but it didn’t happen randomly. Jax had been putting in the work for this big step.
“[I’ve been] coming to work every day, lifting at school, and in the summer, just showing up, putting the work in,” Ichesco said. “Just getting better every day, going to all the seven-on-sevens and practices.”
His football journey did not just start here though, he has been playing football since he was young and it has been a big part of his life since then. Coming to practice and lifting daily takes a lot of dedication
“I played flag football since I was five, and then I started tackle football at Pinckney, for fifth and sixth grade, and then middle school,” Ichesco said.
While playing all through middle school with the same team and the start of high school, leaving them must be a challenge. Ichesco talked about being excited to be moved up to varsity and the opportunities that would come, but there would be hardships with it.
“Just being around the people I’ve been playing with for a couple of years now, and having to end up leaving them, it’s just, I’m not excited about that part, and I’m gonna miss playing with them,” Ichesco said.
In spite of his hardships, they led to what would be a lifelong memory. The experience of scoring a touchdown under the lights, as a freshman, would stay with him forever.
“I was nervous for the first play, I just didn’t believe it was real walking up to it,” Ichesco said. “I did fumble the snap, and then the second play, I was like, alright, I gotta lock in for this.”
