Dallas' Woodrow Wilson High School Football Team Holds Virtual Spring Game
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It's not been easy to be a high school student this spring.
At Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, head football coach Tony Benedetto says he is making sure his players keep a positive frame of mind despite the fact that they are separated due to the restrictions from the coronavirus outbreak. Spring football practices were forced to be canceled.
"I think the biggest focus is on the players. As a player, you only have four years to enjoy your high school career. So, even when spring is taken from you, that's tough," Benedetto said.
Any football coach will tell you that tough times create character.
The Woodrow Wilson High School football coaching staff practices what they preach. In these current tough times, Benedetto's assistant coaches created video game characters for every member of the Wildcats football team using NCAA Football '14.
The staff then streamed a Wildcats virtual spring football game on YouTube.
And no details were left out.
"If you watch the virtual spring game, you can hear cheerleaders in the background, we had our own coaches announce, and the band playing in the background," Benedetto said.
The double overtime video game contest has been quite a hit for Woodrow Wilson football players, parents and fans.
Benedetto says the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. "I had one mom text me that she was crying because she didn't realize how much she missed football," he said.
"Some kids even asked for the stats from the game, as if they were playing in it," Benedetto added.