From fan to player to coach: Semifinal berths becoming a tradition for Sycamore

SYCAMORE – Some families have a specific meal as a tradition or maybe a movie they watch on a holiday. For Brody Armstrong and his family, the family tradition is playing for Sycamore football in state semifinal games.

Armstrong’s dad, Bob, played for the Spartans the first time the program made a semifinal in 1976. His brother, Gage, played for the 2016 semifinalists. And now, Brody Armstrong is on the Sycamore team playing No. 2 Fenwick at 1 p.m. Saturday at Triton College for a berth in the Class 5A State Championship game.

“It’s nice to have some type of family tradition,” Brody Armstrong said, “especially things that don’t happen all the time.”

The team qualified for the semifinals in 2013 and lost, 42-20, to Montini. Then in 2016, Vernon Hills topped the Spartans, 21-16. Sycamore also earned a semifinal trip in 1978 and still is seeking its first berth in a state championship game.

Whether there’s a family connection or not, most of the current Spartans have a connection to a past semifinal team.

When he was in elementary school, Tristan Countryman was on the sidelines for a pair of semifinal playoff games, acting as a waterboy for the Sycamore football team. This time around, the sophomore defensive end will be on the field for Spartans. And this time he won’t be handing out water.

“It was cool to be on the sideline for all those games,” Countryman said. “It was cool to see that as a little kid, and that I’m there now is just crazy to put that together.”

Like Countryman, Gable Carrick was on the sidelines in 2016, and now is a starter on the offensive line. He said the biggest thing he remembers is the focus level of the players.

“It’s a big game, but everybody’s ready for it,” Carrick said. “All those guys were all locked in and ready to go.”

In the 2013 game, one of those players was Daniel Coovert, who is now an assistant with the Spartans under head coach Joe Ryan.

Coovert, a 2015 graduate of Sycamore who played for Central College, said it’s been an amazing experience going from player to coach, and a bit surreal.

“It’s pretty cool watching them bring water out in elementary school when I played, to now making big plays for us,” Coovert said. “Tristan has been big rotating in for us on defense and Gable has been an anchor on our offensive line. High-school me would have never thought they’d be as productive as they are as sophomores.”

Ryan said it’s a rewarding experience to see the young fans from eight years ago become the players now. He said he hopes the next generation of players are watching this year’s run as well.

“To see those kids that witnessed it, watched it in the stands, and now get to be a part of it, and hopefully that’s what the kids are doing now,” Ryan said. “Hopefully, they’re watching it from the stands going ‘I want to be a part of that. I want to be that next group that does that.’ And it’s really hard. It’s really hard to get to this level and to be in semifinal games. Our kids deserve it, and hopefully the young kids are excited about that and want to be the next group.”

Coovert said it’s much different this time around as a coach. He’s been trying to instill in his players a sense of normalcy, trying to get them to approach Saturday as a normal game and appreciate the opportunity.

“There’s a lot of high schoolers who would love to be in this spot right now,” Coovert said. “There’s a lot of teams sitting at home wishing they were Sycamore High School right now. Especially teams in our league. Just take advantage of the opportunity.”

He’s not the only one finding it surreal, as Armstrong said it’s been a trip going from watching as a fan to playing as a high schooler.

“That was crazy,” Armstrong said. “Watching the games as a younger kid, wanting to be up there one day, and now we’re here. It’s just unbelievable.”

Coovert’s message of treating the game like any other is one all the players said they’ve been hearing. Armstrong said that’s the message his dad and brother have been telling him, and it’s what Carrick said the players he’s talked to have relayed to him.

Countryman, like Carrick, said he remembers seeing that focus in action on the sidelines in both previous semifinal games.

“You just have to put everything you have into it,” Countryman said. “You play like there’s nothing to lose, leave everything on the field and the outcome will be what it is. That really stuck with me seeing what they did, and I want to duplicate that the best I can.”