Lafayette Jeff football trio embraces one shot at Friday night lights

LAFAYETTE - At the end of every football practice two years ago, Tony Renaldo left feeling bruised and broken.

Never once did it cross his mind to slow down.

A sophomore offensive lineman, Renaldo was asked to provide a good scout team look for one of the best defensive lines in the state and, at just 170 pounds, he was outmatched and it showed.

"I was 170 pounds basically getting thrown around every play," Renaldo said. "But there was never a time where I took a play off because I felt beat up. I really savored every moment because you don't get to go up against that kind of competition every day and you learn a lot from it."

Renaldo learned so much he became a defensive lineman as a junior, post bout with mononucleosis that sapped about 50 pounds from his frame in a two-month span. By then he'd put the weight back on in hopes of helping Lafayette Jeff's varsity on Friday nights.

MORE:Loss to Cathedral expected to benefit Lafayette Jeff

Except, as a junior, he was again a scout team player during the week and at the field bright and early on Saturday mornings to play in a JV game.

Same for Carlos Gutierrez. Same for Chet Adams.

"The thing that motivated me a lot was watching my friends," Gutierrez said. "They were on varsity and I wasn't. During scrimmages that pushed me to just work harder."

For some, being on the junior varsity football roster by their junior year means they'll never contribute on Friday and in some cases, it's a reason to move on to something that's a better fit.

Adams was nearly in that boat. He realized his size and athletic ability was a detriment until his coaches told him it wasn't.

"I thought about quitting, but coach (Pat) Shanley texted me a lot and he kept me motivated," Adams said. "A lot of coaches here keep telling me to just keep at it and I will get my chance."

One of those motivational messages, one Shanley will forever have in his back pocket, is the tale of former Lafayette Jeff receiver Jay Segal.

Segal was a junior varsity player in 2016, a season in which the Broncho varsity finished 6-4.

"His approach that offseason was he wanted to play more. His approach that offseason kind of helped transform our culture," Shanley said. "He ended up being all-state as a senior and it was our first of four straight North Central Conference titles his senior year. We've had a lot of guys who have taken the same approach and it creates a strong culture."

Renaldo, Gutierrez and Adams are among those who took that approach.

Now, the senior trio get their chance on Friday, Renaldo as Jeff's starting tight end, Gutierrez on Jeff's defensive line and Adams in the receiver rotation.

"If you want a job, if you want a promotion, if you want something in life, you have to outwork people," Shanley said. "Anything that is worth having in life, there's other people who want it, too. Our kids have understood that message and they had to work really hard to get out on the field."

All those two-a-days and three years of getting tossed around like practice dummies never broke Renaldo, who embraces his role as a blocker that will ultimately help Lafayette Jeff's offense.

It didn't derail Adams, who overcame his insecurities about his own talent to fit right into a talented receiving corps. It didn't stop Gutierrez, who had five tackles in Friday's game against Cathedral.

"I had to be patient and when the time came, I had to put in a lot of work and dedication," Gutierrez said. "There was a lot of scout team helping out the varsity. Now it's my senior year and I am playing varsity. There's a lot of exciting things and I am learning a lot."

Now their football careers are winding down, but the grind that got them here continues.

"It was definitely an experience. I wasn't as gifted as some of my teammates," Adams said. "There's Asa Koeppen and Abram Ritchie, they are definitely talented. I had to work a lot and I am still not promised anything. I still have to work because there's young talent here that can pass me up.

"If you continue to play hard, you will get your chance and when you do, show out. Until you do, just keep working on that JV spot and don't listen to anybody who says anything about you."

When Lafayette Jeff's season-opening game ended Friday night, Gutierrez, Adams and Renaldo braced themselves for Saturday. But it was different than in years past.

Saturday now is about learning from Friday while other members of the program on the junior varsity roster were at Lafayette Jeff by 7:30 a.m. loading onto a bus to travel for a road game.

Renaldo doesn't miss that aspect of it, but he respects it, calling those players the future of the program.

"It is not bad to play JV. It betters your character," Renaldo said. "Eventually, you will get what your work deserves."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

Lafayette Jeff (0-1) at Michigan City (0-1)

Time: 8 p.m.

Series history: Michigan City won three of the four meetings, which took place from 1955-58.

About Lafayette Jeff: The Bronchos lost their opener to Cathedral 43-12. ... Lafayette Jeff has not started 0-2 in consecutive seasons since 2009-10. ... The Bronchos' 12 points scored last week marked their lowest point total since scoring eight against Harrison on Sept. 10, 2016. ... Stat leaders-Passing: Keyen Crowder (11-23, 54 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT). ... Rushing: Glenn Patterson (21 car., 78 yards). ... Receiving: Brandon Jackson (4 rec., 38 yards). ... Tackles: Seth English (7). ... Sacks: Zachary Yuill (2).

About Michigan City: The Wolves lost their season opener at Warsaw 35-7. ... Michigan City has not started 0-2 since 2015, the season before current head coach Phil Mason took over. ... The Wolves' seven points scored last week matched their lowest total in a game since getting shut out by Valparaiso on Sept. 9, 2016. ... Stat leaders-Passing: Tyler Bush (18-24, 138 yards). ... Rushing: Jaden Hart (17 car., 74 yards). ... Receiving: Cam Bell (8 rec., 66 yards).

Coach Shanley's take: "Phil Mason is a great coach and has had success for a really long time. They are coming off a semistate and have one of the best running backs in the state. They've got a quarterback who is one of the top in the state. They are really well coached across the board. Their defensive coordinator does a good job and they are going to get up in your grill and challenge you. Ames Field is a special place to play and for us to get where we want to go, we have to go up to the Region and have success."

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff football trio embraces one shot at Friday night lights