Eight-man football is fast-paced and high-scoring. For those participating, it's also exhausting... 8-man exciting, grueling...

Eight-man football is fast-paced and high-scoring. For those participating, it's also exhausting. Most schools don't have much depth. At Salt River, Juan, Enos and Rivers get a full workout.

This night against Superior, Enos will sit out only a handful of plays. Juan, a lineman, will miss a kickoff, and Rivers, a tenacious linebacker and receiver, won't miss a single snap on offense, defense or special teams.

"The only way you get a break is if you're hurt," added Salt River fan Justin Outlaw, who briefly played eight-man seven years ago at Life School in Mesa.

To their credit, Salt River's players don't complain. Enos, a running back and defensive back, runs on adrenaline. And Rivers, well, he's just having too much fun, flying around and hitting people.

Juan, the lineman, admits to feeling sore on Saturdays. His legs cramp. And he imagines his recent weight loss (from 263 pounds in the preseason to 250 today) probably has something to do with his workload. "But I love everything about it," he said.

Ernie Salazar is in his third year as Salt River's head coach. It took him a season or so to learn an important lesson. During his first year, the Eagles spent most of practice learning a new offense and defense.

By year's end, their legs were gone. So, conditioning became a priority. After almost every practice, the Eagles run the length of the field, stopping to crouch in a three-point stance every time a coach blows the whistle.

"We try to keep it simple," said Salazar, 35. "Defense is the hardest thing because you don't have the two safeties. So, if someone breaks loose, they're gone."

Salt River's field is 40 yards wide, 10 yards smaller than a regulation field. Against Superior, the Eagles' defense crowds the ball, the linebackers inching closer and closer.

Earl Tucker coaches the Superior Panthers. He's gruff and demanding, making his timeout instructions clear not only to his players, but to the Salt River fans sitting across the field. Last year, the Panthers played 11-man ball, but their enrollment dropped them a class and the team is still learning.

"But football is still football. whether you have 11, eight, six or five players," Tucker said. "The key is you've got to have guys on the field. When you only have 15 players, that makes it tough."

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