Dartmouth Indians Thrilled to Play at Gillette Stadium

Pop Warner football coaches are all too familiar with the feeling. Sometimes it feels like you are herding cats, especially early in the pre-season when the kids are young.  Every second counts in August, as you prepare the little guys for week-one action.  It can be an accomplishment to have the kids get into a straight line without pushing one another or talking.

Like it or not, Dartmouth 8U coach and league president Sam Blevines had to pull off a miracle.

Blevines had seven days to get his team ready for their first scrimmage. The site of that scrimmage?  You may have heard of Gillette Stadium. It's located off of Route 1 in Foxboro, and is the home of the six-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.

There's nothing not to like about that. Blevines could hardly believe his eyes last week when he opened his email. He had filled out an entry form to have his 8U Dartmouth Indians football team play during halftime of the Patriots' first pre-season game against the Carolina Panthers on August 8.

The Kraft Foundation responded with an invitation to play.

Do the Kid's "Get It?"

Do the kids have any idea how special it will be to play on the Gillette Stadium turf?  You better believe it. The team's parents have created a mini-trend of filming their reactions. Here's one.

How Will Blevines Prepare the Team?

"We're going to stick to the basics, for sure," Blevines said. "We'll definitely attempt a pass, though. We're lucky because most of this team played together last year, so they know a lot of the plays."

READ MORE: Former New England Patriots Player Visits New Bedford Barbershop

Who Will the Dartmouth Indians Play at Gillette?

The 8U Indians will play Chicopee.  Two games (four teams total) will play simultaneously on the field during halftime.  They'll each start at the 50-yard line and use half of the field to drive toward opposite end zones.