While some students can have trouble just balancing their school life, one student must balance two varsity sports at the same time.

Wingspan’s Connor Lefkof has the details.

Although most people know the excitement and festivity of the school’s football games, not many explore the district ice hockey games.

One student knows the feeling of playing on each of these teams, and his name is Brandon Steele.

“I play center in hockey and safety in football,” Steele said.

Playing two varsity sports alone can be demanding, but even more so as the hockey and football seasons overlap.

“The Heritage football game, my hockey game started at 9:45, so I finished football and right after the school song I got in the car, still dressed from football, and went to hockey,” Steele said. “I made it there by the second period and I was exhausted.”

Although there have been conflicts, neither of his coaches see the other as a conflict

“There’s been times where his body had to be weary because he’s going through a physical game of football and then a physical game of hockey,” head football coach Chris Burtch said. “But man what a testament to how great he is and that he is able to do all that and be at every football practice and, to my knowledge, be at every single hockey game.”

“I don’t know if interfered is the right term,” head hockey coach Ryan McLean said. “But when you play two different sports at high levels, I believe he’s missed three games for football; so does it hurt the team when he’s not there, yes, but I support that he plays both.”

When asked about his future plans, Steele said that although football held more of a priority, hockey is more fun and he is looking to play in college.

And while the two sports aren’t necessarily similar, certain things may carry over.

“Sometimes he wants to body check in football instead of wrapping up,” Burtch said.

The football has also carried over to hockey.

“Sometimes he gets penalties on the ice because he is so much stronger than the kids that he plays against,” McLean said. “I guess some officials see that as a threat, so sometimes he gets penalties that he is not necessarily deserving of.”

“I am kind of like the grinder on the hockey tea,” Steele said. “I’m the first to take anybody’s number and go and hit them and I guess that has carried over to football, being second on the team in tackles.”

Although some things differ, both coaches say the same thing.

“Great kid, bright future,” McLean said.

“Good kid,” Burtch said. “I can’t wait to see how he impacts the world in the future”

For WTV, this is Connor Lefkof.