Former Whiteland running back Peyton Emberton is trying to get his carries in sprint football for St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
Submitted photo | Courtney Todd
Peyton Emberton’s gridiron instincts instruct him to run right at larger, stronger defenders if better options don’t present themselves.
Only now, the former Whiteland running back has literally seen the scales balanced.
Emberton is a freshman at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, a NAIA school in Terre Haute which unveiled sprint football in 2022 as the latest of its 16 sports. He looks forward to playing a role in the Pomeroys’ second season.
Sprint football mirrors traditional football in most ways, the difference being that the players weigh no more than 178 pounds. Hence the name.
“Right at the beginning of last football season, one of the coaches here gave me a call,” said Emberton, referring to his senior season with the Warriors, a historic few months in that the Warriors advanced to the Class 5A championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. “I looked into it, and I’m here now.
“Sprint football is definitely different. It’s a faster game, but it’s still football. Everyone is smaller, but everyone is fast. Even the linemen are fast.”
The Pomeroys began practicing on Aug. 22, and play a seven-game schedule, starting with the Sept. 16 opener against Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting.
The team’s home games take place at nearby West Vigo High School.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods was a force from the outset in sprint football, finishing 6-1 in its inaugural season and capturing the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) championship courtesy of a 23-7 victory at Calumet College of St. Joseph.
Emberton, who rushed for 1,365 yards and 11 touchdowns last season at Whiteland, is the lone athlete from Johnson County on the Pomeroys’ roster. He’s majoring in business administration with a minor in coaching, and his time as sprint football player is sure to uniquely benefit Emberton, who aspires to be a football coach.
Pomeroys head coach Blaine Powell, who helped take on this new challenge after posting a 39-16 record as the head football coach at Sullivan High School for five seasons (2017-21), is pleased to have him.
“Your first impression of Peyton is what a great young man he is, and what a great athlete he is,” Powell said. “We expect him to come in right away and compete for carries, but Peyton is such a team player that he’s willing to do whatever is needed.”
This, according to Powell, could lead to Emberton attempting to make an impression on special teams — at least initially.
“Special teams is very important because there are so many athletes on the field,” Powell said. “There are in regular football, too, don’t get me wrong. But I think it’s even more important with our style.”
In time, maybe St. Mary-of-the-Woods will aspire to move to NAIA football. The school is currently satisfied with sprint football as it aligns with its goals in terms of roster size.
The Pomeroys also hope to one day have their own on-campus stadium.
“We’re really happy where we’re at. We feel we’ve found a niche here,” Powell said. “Sprint football is gaining in popularity, and I think more and more schools are going to try to go to this.”
As for the 5-foot-7 Emberton, he played his senior season at Whiteland at 185 pounds. He’s now down to 169 after an offseason of workouts and being more conscious about his diet.
As a result, just maybe the Pomeroys became even faster.
“Obviously, I have some high goals, which includes just keep moving up the depth chart,” Emberton said. “I’m a freshman, so I have to learn the playbook and just get a feel for sprint football.”
