CTS
05-18-2013, 07:28 AM
LA MARQUE — The big boys are getting their day.
The second annual Cougar Lineman Challenge will be held today at La Marque High School. The event will get underway at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free.
“It’s like one of the old-time strongman competitions like they had on ESPN,” Cougar head football coach Mike Jackson said. “They’re picking up stones and moving them and pushing trucks.”
The idea behind the lineman challenge came up a few years ago and has spread around the state.
“The skill kids have 7-on-7 and the question was raised, ‘What can the big boys do during the summer?’ And this came out of that,” Jackson said. “It’s a way for them to compete and test their strength and competitive spirit.”
To that end, only the larger members of the football team are allowed to compete.
“The only ones that can be in it are the offensive and defensive linemen and the linebackers, so it gives them something to do during the summer,” Jackson said.
There are 14 teams from eight schools — including host La Marque, Texas City and Friendswood — entered in the lineman challenge. Teams can have as many members as they want, but only five can compete in each event.
There are 10 events, ranging from the traditional, such as bench press, to the offbeat, such as the truck push and tire flip.
Even events such as the relay race have some kind of strongman element.
“You pick up a 45-pound weight and put it over your head and use it for a baton,” Jackson said. “You have to pass the 45-pound plate to the next guy and try to get the best time.”
The competitive juices will be flowing at the lineman challenge and beyond.
“It’s neat to watch the big kids get excited with things like tug o’ war,” Jackson said. “We were at one last year and it was our introduction to Class 3A. Coldspring beat us and stood over us screaming, ‘Welcome to 3A!’
“We used that all offseason. We put it on our bulletin board.”
The tactic worked — eventually.
Coldspring defeated La Marque early last season, but the Cougars won the one that mattered, taking down the Trojans in the Division II-3A playoffs.
The second annual Cougar Lineman Challenge will be held today at La Marque High School. The event will get underway at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free.
“It’s like one of the old-time strongman competitions like they had on ESPN,” Cougar head football coach Mike Jackson said. “They’re picking up stones and moving them and pushing trucks.”
The idea behind the lineman challenge came up a few years ago and has spread around the state.
“The skill kids have 7-on-7 and the question was raised, ‘What can the big boys do during the summer?’ And this came out of that,” Jackson said. “It’s a way for them to compete and test their strength and competitive spirit.”
To that end, only the larger members of the football team are allowed to compete.
“The only ones that can be in it are the offensive and defensive linemen and the linebackers, so it gives them something to do during the summer,” Jackson said.
There are 14 teams from eight schools — including host La Marque, Texas City and Friendswood — entered in the lineman challenge. Teams can have as many members as they want, but only five can compete in each event.
There are 10 events, ranging from the traditional, such as bench press, to the offbeat, such as the truck push and tire flip.
Even events such as the relay race have some kind of strongman element.
“You pick up a 45-pound weight and put it over your head and use it for a baton,” Jackson said. “You have to pass the 45-pound plate to the next guy and try to get the best time.”
The competitive juices will be flowing at the lineman challenge and beyond.
“It’s neat to watch the big kids get excited with things like tug o’ war,” Jackson said. “We were at one last year and it was our introduction to Class 3A. Coldspring beat us and stood over us screaming, ‘Welcome to 3A!’
“We used that all offseason. We put it on our bulletin board.”
The tactic worked — eventually.
Coldspring defeated La Marque early last season, but the Cougars won the one that mattered, taking down the Trojans in the Division II-3A playoffs.