J. EDMUND BARNES

LULING – Being the center on a football team is a lot of work. Getting a clean snap, then protecting the quarterback or creating a lane for a running back is not for everyone – those who do it are a specialized breed. Jeramie Wright is one of that breed. As the center for Hahnville High School, Jeramie has to hold the offensive line, both physically and from a leadership stand point. His summer is not a vacation, it is a time for preparation. “I do a lot of conditioning, running, and working with weights,” said Wright of his summer schedule. “We practiced one day a week.” But the real workouts began this past week. “We just got back from camp,” said Wright. The Hahnville football camp was a grueling four day long, three practices a day crash session to get the team ready for the upcoming season. “It was pretty rough,” said Wright. “It’s not just for anybody. It takes dedication.” Wright, a senior, has been the starting center for Hahnville for the past two years. But he’s been playing football for “my whole life, since I was seven years old.” According to Wright, the hardest part about camp was dealing with the fatigue that came from practicing four times a day. “You’re up there for four days. After a while you get fatigued,” said Wright. “You’re exerting yourself, and your muscles are sore. You have to push yourself.” Wright said the best part of football camp was the end results. “We went up there and worked hard. It will reward us,” he explained. Wright went on to say the players had learned the offense, defense and special teams. “We’re in mid-season form because of camp,” said Wright. Wright said the best part about football was the hitting. “(Football is) the only thing you can do where you can hit somebody and you don’t get arrested.” Wright also stressed the importance of winning games. “There’s lots of pride when you win games on Friday night.” To Wright, the worst part of football was the contra-example to winning. “When you lose a game, especially a close game,” said Wright. “When you lose a game after all that hard work – its rough.” As for Hahnville’s chances this year, Wright said “We’ve got a chance, but everybody’s got a chance.”