Texas School for the Deaf’s Football Team to Play in First State Championship: ‘We’ve Arrived’

Amy Furr

The Texas School for the Deaf’s (TSD) football team is eager to play against its rivals on Friday night in hopes of winning its first state championship.

“If the school takes down Austin’s Veritas Academy in the TAPPS Division 1 6-Man football championship game at 6 p.m. in Hewitt, it’ll be the first state title in school history,” KXAN reported.

During the game, the Rangers will rely on a drum that calls the cadence and helps the players know the snap count. Although they cannot hear the drum beats, they can feel them.

“It’s become kind of a legend at TSD and in the deaf community and I don’t know if the neighbors would agree but it is really characteristic of our deaf football team,” school superintendent Claire Bugen explained.

“It’s a beautiful way to feel the vibrations. A lot of people all can feel those vibrations and that’s what the drum does, it calls the play through vibration,” she said.

The football team that practices in near total silence are hoping all their hard work will pay off very soon, according to NBC News correspondent Morgan Chesky:

“For me, I’m just happy. I think it’s a great experience for us. We’ve worked for it and we’ve arrived,” one of the players signed to Chesky.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, TSD was forced to move to six man play as many students living outside Austin’s city limits opted for distance learning this semester.

Despite the changes, winning a state championship would be “huge,” said TSD’s football and basketball coach John Moore.

“To win during a season like this, where every single football program in the country has been affected by COVID-19, would be outstanding. Knowing our boys put in the extra work on the field and off-the-field to stay safe really makes my staff and I proud,” he noted.

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