Thanks to a $1,000 grant from USA Football, the football team at Wy’East Middle School was able to replace some worn out equipment. According to coach Tom Neri, the money was used to replace worn out shoulder pads and blocking pads that had lost their cushioning. The new equipment arrived in August, and has allowed the team to practice 11 on 11, something it was not able to do last season according to Neri. Initial participation in the program increased 25 percent over 2015 according to Neri. The grant was part of a USA Football program to help keep football safe and to boost participation in the sport.