He played in two games for the junior varsity his sophomore year while his parents, Tom and Allison, wrestled with the decision.
“His mom and I, to be 100 percent honest with you, tried to push him away from it. His instant reaction was he broke down and he said, ‘I really want to play football,’” Tom Sutliffe said.
It was difficult for Hunter and his many youth football teammates now at Valley Vista to adjust.
“Football wasn’t really football without Hunter. And everybody was shocked and upset that he couldn’t be with us,” Foster said.
Hunter did not play his junior season. Instead he was a team manager, and more.
Tom Sutliffe said coaches and players do not have to ask him because he knows the game of football and he knows what happens next. He knows when kids are going to need water, or he’ll go set up the drill.
“We call him the MOFO. Iknow that’s going to come out funny. We call him the master of football operations because he does a little bit of everything. And you can trust him to get it done,” Sekoch said.
At times the coach would get upset at others because Hunter was doing their jobs too — like picking up after everyone at a team pizza party Oct. 26.
“In 22 years I don’t think I’ve had a manager that was so bought in. He’s committed to it and helping his teammates. He had perfect attendance in the summer so he has his own big locker even when he wasn’t playing. Which usually you don’t