As December rolls around, many Titans put their focus on school or athletics, but for many friend groups at South, they put their sights on the NFL season: the fantasy football season, that is. Many kids dream about playing football in the NFL, but only .08 percent of high school players actually make their dreams come true, according to College Admission Strategies (CAS). Therefore, participating in fantasy football serves as an outlet for students’ love of the game, senior Spencer Courtad, said.

“I love watching football, and [fantasy football is] a very interactive way to be more involved in the game,” Courtad said. “Being able to compete against my friends and root for a wide variety of players every week makes me love doing it every year.”

Courtad was introduced to fantasy football by his father, and has continued to play every year since, never losing his passion for the game. To make his fantasy football league more competitive and fun, Courtad and many fantasy teams add a few twists.

“I am in a league with a bunch of my friends and [we] have a winning pot and a losing punishment,” Courtad said.

Senior Matthew Emerson’s teams winning prize consists of $560, while the loser’s punishment is getting locked in a closet with a 250 piece puzzle, which they cannot leave until the puzzle is completed, Emerson explained. Although some leagues can get very competitive with the variety of different punishments,

Emerson thinks it’s more important to focus on how the game brings his friends closer. Fantasy football sparks conversation, even if it is not always friendly, Emerson said.

“Whether it be trades or trash talk, there’s always something to talk about within the fantasy league that makes for good conversations,” Emerson said. “Fantasy brings my friends closer.”

Two aspects of fantasy football that attracted senior Charlie Kurcz were the ability to root for the random players outside of the
mainstream stars, and how it brought him closer to his family.

“I have been playing fantasy football since I was 12 years old, and I got into it because of my love for football, as well as bringing me and my family closer together through something we all love,” Kurcz said. “Rooting for guys on other NFL teams, like Todd Gurley back in his Rams days, was something special to watch.”

Being involved in three different leagues makes it hard to keep track of, but it’s worth it, Emerson said.

“Give it a shot,” Emerson said. “It may seem intimidating or like a lot of work, but if you do it with friends, it’ll be one of the best experiences you’ll have.”