WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderFreeport H.S. rifle team stands out by a long shot

Freeport H.S. rifle team stands out by a long shot

By Samantha Ptashkin

FREEPORT (WREX)- Concentration, dedication and a strong dose of discipline.

They're all required traits for members of the Freeport High School rifle team.

This year the team is ranked in the top 10% of 600 naval junior ROTC rifle programs nationwide, so 13 News decided to find out what makes this group of shooters stand out by a long shot.

The team practices in an old Menard's at the Lincoln Mall in Freeport. Surrounding the shooting area are signs of "caution" and "danger".  Add a dozen or so teenagers with guns and it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but through the watchful eye of retired Marine Sergeant Major Michael Dechy, twice a week, for two hours at a time, the teens get to have at it. "I just thought it would be interesting to join," said Junior Jacob Barboza. "I get to go shoot things."

But spend one day with this group and you'll realize it's easier said than done. "We do a lot of stretching. We spend time in the weight room, lifting, because it's very strenuous on your body. You have to be very flexible to get in some of the positions that we're in. You have to be dedicated," said Team Captain Jenna Samples, who ranks 109 out of 2,500 naval shooters nationwide.

Together the team stretches, travels to competitions across Illinois and as they line up to shoot that perfect ten, together they recall the five fundamentals: body position, set alignment, sight picture, breathe control and trigger control. "It's only 10 meters, but it's such a tight tolerance you have to look through it with binoculars to see what they're doing," said Coach Dechy as he watched his shooters aim from the firing line.

At the end of the day, when the buzzer sounds and it's time to roll up the mats, being on this team isn't just about hitting that tiny bull's-eye. Team members say each day they're learning a little bit about themselves.

"The program itself started making me come out of my shell a little more, because I used to be really shy," said Junior Raymond Colon, who ranks in the top 15% of shooters nationwide.

"There's no point when you can no longer make mistakes. You can always make mistakes," Barboza said.

"You don't have to be a tough guy to be able to shoot," Samples said.