Sunday in the fall means football, of course. And at Mesabi East, it means red and yellow flags everywhere.

Over 60 kids are part of the flag football program.

One of the quarterbacks we met is Brayden Bueckers, a 6th grader. He told us on Sunday, “I got three touchdowns and a really cool toe tapper catch.”

What’s unique about this one is that their coaches are the Mesabi East Giants football team. And this is the third year this generational coaching has been taking place.

George Maish, a senior, told us, “It’s going really well. We definitely have some talent on the field.”

“It’s been really fun, and nice to give back to the program,” added Landon Luke, another senior.

Cooper Sickel, another senior, told us that they implement plays that they use at the high school level, as well. “Just on a more simple level,” he explained.

5th grader Jude Layman said, “It’s more fun, because they’re not grownups.”

And Beau Burgess, a 6th grader, added, “They aren’t too hard on us. But if you swear, they make you do 10 pushups.”

“I think it’s fun, they know how to play football and they make the right plays, a lot of the time,” Jaak Layman said. He’s a 5th grader.

The older Giants also learn more about what it’s like to lead on the field. “It teaches us patience,” shared Zade Baker, a senior.

Their season runs through mid-October.