There are days when West High lineman Tay Scott would like to take it easy after school, eat with his friends and recharge for the next day of school and football practice.
There are days when Panthers lineman Ernesto Prado wishes he could give 100 percent effort to all of his duties and commitments as a student, athlete and fast-food restaurant manager.
There are days when West safety/receiver Tevita Fangupo would like to be relieved of his enormous responsibilities at home.
There are days when Panthers lineman Sione Talakai would like to politely decline when he's asked to work with his father to help provide for his family.
But for Scott, Prado, Fangupo, Talakai and other West High football players, taking it easy and shunning major family responsibilities aren't options. Their daily routines don't consist of simply going to class and practice, and hanging out and having fun like typical high school football players.
Because of various commitments to their families, the West players put in long and sometimes stressful days of school, football and work.
"They're grown-ups," said West coach Justin Spencer. "It's like these kids are 18 years old and they're grown up. It's not because of mistakes that they've made. Some kids have to grow up fast because they've made a mistake here or there. It's not the case, it's not the story."
Busy days
Prado, a manager at a local KFC/Taco Bell, has some long days during football season. He wakes up around 6 a.m., then prepares for a day of school, practice and work. He works Monday-Thursday at his job, usually going straight from practice to work. He gets home between 11:30 and midnight and then prepares to do it all over again the next day.
Prado doesn't put in long days so he can drive a nice car or buy expensive clothes. He does it to help provide for his family, as his mother was laid off from her job and he has younger siblings who attend West and Northwest Middle School.
"It's really hard because sometimes I want to have my head in the game (at football practice), and I try, but there's always something bothering me like if I fell behind on a homework assignment because I had to work or I did bad at work because I was too tired after football practice," Prado said. "I always want to give 100 percent at school, work and football, even though it gets tough."
Scott works with Prado at KFC/Taco Bell and has similar responsibilities. Both of his parents were laid off from their jobs, and he works to help provide for his family, including 12-hour shifts on the weekends.
His schedule is lighter during the week, but on the weekends he usually works 12-hour shifts.
"I'm always busy," Scott said. "I think there are times when I would like to go home and relax like some of these other guys, but you just got to go to work. I'm the only person in my house who has a job and I have to support them (my family) as much as I can."
Fangupo worked at Raging Waters during the summer, even staying through two-a-days and working long shifts on the weekends following the grueling workouts. Fangupo isn't working now, but he's relied upon at home for reasons more important than money.
Fangupo's grandma, Heilala, who has always been the backbone of his family, is suffering from the effects of Alzheimer's disease, and the responsibility to watch after her often falls on Fangupo when he's home. In addition to dealing with the sadness of seeing someone he loves suffer like his grandma is, Fangupo has to keep a close eye on her to make sure she's safe when he's around her.
"It's stressful," Fangupo said. "My whole family has always relied on her. She's not the type of person you would think it would ever happen to."
Talakai worked at Family Dollar during the summer to help provide for his family. He quit when school started, but he still occasionally works with his father at the Johnson Mathey gold refinery when he needs help. "It's pretty hard because it's hot and it's (the gold) heavy, but it's just to help out the family," Talakai said.
Juggling act
Spencer, in his first year as a head coach, has to be flexible about which players he'll have at practices on a daily basis. He is more than OK with juggling their schedules because he knows his players' situations at home are real and serious.
"It's a totally different situation," Spencer said. "When I got a job in high school, I got it to try and buy fancy shoes or something like that. Ernesto doesn't work for that reason. He works to contribute for his family."
When West players have to miss practice time for work, they can make up for it during the week in "overtime." Spencer uses that time to catch the players up on missed conditioning and aspects of the game plan for Friday nights. Spencer usually ensures that practices end by 5:30 p.m. so that his players can move on to their other responsibilities.
"My assistant coaches probably don't like it, but to me it's the reality of what we have," Spencer said. "We only have 45 varsity football players. If I were to cut Ernesto because he has to go to work, I wouldn't have anyone left. It's my job to work with them as much as I can."
Wouldn't change
Scott and Prado have to cram a lot of stuff into a day. Fangupo has major responsibilities within his family structure. Talakai is basically on call to help work when his family needs him.
Their current situations aren't easy, but the West players wouldn't change anything about them.
"I love my life," Scott said. "I wouldn't change it for anything. I love playing with these guys. I wouldn't trade it for the world. … I'm happy with what I've got, but it is hard work."
Prado feels that the work ethic he's gained will continue to pay off later in life.
"I think it is (worth it)," said Prado, who also plays in a recreation soccer league on Sundays. "I don't have a lot of time for other things. I'm either here (at football practice), work or school. It keeps me out of trouble. I don't have time to go mess around or do anything bad."
Spencer recalls his days as a high school football player and how the time after practice was basically social hour. It was time to get something to eat or hang out with friends. His players don't have that luxury, and he admires the way his players handle their responsibilities.
"This (the end of practice) is like the beginning of a new day for a lot of these guys," Spencer said. "They have to pack up and they have to go to work. Then they go home and do their homework. I don't know how they do it, how they balance it all. It's tough. I know it is." It's tough, but the players do it for reasons that are more important than football.
"If I could just play football, that would be really nice," Prado said. "But I do it for my family, and my family comes first."
Prep football rankings
Class 5A
Team Rec. Pv.
1. Bingham 2-0 1
2. Alta 2-1 2
3. Pleasant Grove 3-0 3
4. Brighton 3-0 4
5. Syracuse 3-0 5
Class 4A
Team Rec. Pv.
1. Bountiful 3-0 2
2. Mtn. Crest 2-1 4
3. Timpview 1-2 1
4. Springville 3-0 5
5. Olympus 3-0 —
Class 3A
Team Rec. Pv.
1. Juan Diego 3-0 1
2. Hurricane 2-1 2
3. Bear River 2-1 4
4. Park City 2-1 5
5. Wasatch 3-0 —
Class 2A
Team Rec. Pv.
1. San Juan 3-0 1
2. South Summit 3-0 2
3. South Sevier 3-0 3
4. Beaver 3-0 4
5. Grand 3-0 5
Class 1A
Team Rec. Pv.
1. Rich 1-0 1
2. Duchesne 2-1 2
3. Altamont 2-1 5
4. Milford 2-1 3
5. Layton Christian 1-1 —
e-mail: aaragon@desnews.com