If attending the U.S. Naval Academy isn’t dedication and commitment enough, how about doubling up by playing sprint football for the school during the same four-year span?

With three former players coaching on NFL staffs in recent seasons and another at the Division I college level, the Oakton High School football team has been a training ground for that profession.

The list is a long one of local high-school football players who have returned later in life to coach on some level at their alma maters, or for other nearby prep teams.

They certainly would rather be playing games and holding normal practices.

Will Murphy is quite happy to be enrolled and taking online classes at Rochester Institute of Technology while he prepares to wrestle for the Division III college team at some point.

As of Oct. 12, high-school sports teams from all three seasons in Arlington were allowed to start holding optional and limited practice sessions, which are basically conditioning workouts with no balls or contact permitted.

It’s no surprise, really, considering the Flint Hill School football team won consecutive high-school state championships in 2017 and 2018, that many players from those Huskies squads are now members of college teams.

The heart and soul of a local community newspaper’s regular sports coverage is most often youth and high-school action, and that’s the case with the Sun Gazette.

Yorktown High School graduate M.J. Stewart is receiving significant playing time in the defensive secondary for the Cleveland Browns through three NFL games this season.

It took Nate Smith a bit of time to figure out his sports niche when he was a multi-talented high-school athlete for the Bishop O’Connell Knights.

It’s not his preference, yet becoming patient and learning to wait are traits Tanner Wall has reluctantly accepted, while diligently continuing to prepare for the opportunity he wants.

For sure, this is one of those fish-out-of-water stories.

Jake McSteen and Tanner Wall are good examples of the don’t-give-up spirit. And their inspiring efforts may pay off in coming weeks.

A number of former Bishop O’Connell Knights High School football players and coaches remain involved in the sport in college level, some at the highest level.

DAVID GALLION: Arlington resident David Gallion was chosen to the 2019-2020 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete team as a result of his sophomore efforts in both men’s swimming and men’s water polo for Gannon University.

In the high-school football annals in Arlington, Friday, Sept. 11 of 1987 was the only time in county history that all four Arlington varsity prep teams were involved in games against one another on the same date.  

In normal times, high-school football fields would be busy with scads of noisy activities this time of the year, with teams practicing for the upcoming season.