This year was another year in the long tradition where the Salina Central football team matches themselves up with elementary students. The football players spent weeks writing letters to their little pen pals, and on September 30th the kids finally got to meet their big idols by finding their matching number.

The football team coming out to meet their littles.

“It was awesome to meet our pen pals and see how excited they were. I remember how much I looked up to the central football players when I was a kid, so it is really cool to now be on the other end of it.” Said senior Dylan Wentzel.

From left to right: Tyler Chavez, Cade Goertzen, De’Riece Burse, and Dawsen Counts, standing with their littles.

Jordan McMullen and Dylan Wentzel with their littles before the game.

“Having a pen pal was a really great opportunity for me to realize how much the kids look up to us. They treated us like super heroes and it was awesome.” Said senior Tyler Chavez

Tyler Chavez kneeling with his little.

SumJai Kounnavong and his little flexing and posing.

Pairing the little kids with high school football players really has a positive effect on their self-esteem and confidence. Coach Hall and his football team will keep this long loved tradition alive for as long as Hall is around.

Pictures taken by Kim Rayas.