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DeSoto might be the last high school football program anyone would think is carrying two freshmen on its varsity.

DeSoto is a state-ranked 5A team that has scored 113 points in its first two games. It's a powerhouse, not a team struggling to fill a roster.

Yet, freshmen Ryan Polite and Antoinne Jimmerson, two 14-year-olds, are on DeSoto's team alongside standout seniors like Cyrus Gray and Adrian Bushell.

Polite and Jimmerson aren't just there for depth, they're actually contributing. Polite even subs for Gray at quarterback for at least a couple of series a game.

DeSoto coach Dave Meadows said he had never played a freshman on varsity in his seven years at DeSoto before this season. But he said he wasn't nervous the first time Polite trotted out to play quarterback in a varsity game.

There might be some 5A coaches who would rather snap the ball directly to a running back rather than hand the controls of the offense to someone who's only a few months removed from eighth grade.

"I'm sure there's a lot that wouldn't [play a freshman quarterback], but if they had him, they might change their mind," Meadows said.

The key for Meadows is that in addition to physical maturity, Polite and Jimmerson, a backup slot receiver, have the mental maturity to handle varsity football.

"The question is, can they handle the pressure of being on the varsity team?" Meadows said. "Their whole world changes."

Not that coaches aren't strict about freshman football, but much more is expected of varsity players, Meadows said. That means taking care of classwork, being on time for practice and showing up early for training room and film sessions.

"There's just a lot of things they've never had to deal with before," Meadows said. "These guys haven't missed a beat."

Both have played a little more than planned because DeSoto has had big leads in both of its games.

Polite has completed 10 of 15 passes for 159 yards and no interceptions. Jimmerson has caught two passes for 42 yards.

They may have been more nervous than their coach about playing against Garland and Tyler John Tyler, but it hasn't shown.

"I was nervous because everybody's way bigger," said Polite, who is listed at 6-0, 175. "People were always telling me the speed was going to be way faster. But everybody's kind of accepted me, and I feel better now."

Jimmerson (5-10, 175) also was worried about making the jump from playing against eighth-graders.

"It was a little harder," Jimmerson said. "You've got to have the heart for the game to be on varsity. It's a lot different than playing on Tuesday nights."

Meadows feels that Jimmerson and Polite are capable of handling the jump from freshman football to varsity.

"You're taking a 14-year-old and treating him like a 17-year-old. The right kid can handle it," Meadows said. "These guys are super athletes and they're both quality people, which allows them to handle the pressure of playing on a varsity team."

MILTON HINNANT/DMN

From left: Senior Cyrus Gray (32) takes a break with freshmen Antoinne Jimmerson and Ryan Polite. Jimmerson and Polite have made a quick transition to varsity football.

Polite, the older of the two, will turn 15 on Oct. 25. Jimmerson turns 15 on Dec. 30, which would be after the season is over, even if DeSoto plays for a state championship.

Polite said he was most concerned with being able to take the hits 18-year-old seniors can dish out, even those on his own team.

"I was the most nervous the first practice in pads," Polite said. "In junior high, we didn't have the blue jerseys [to protect the quarterbacks], and I was kind of worried about the hits coming."

Polite said he took his first solid varsity hit in last week's win against John Tyler.

"From the backside," Polite said. "I tried to avoid them as hard as I could, but I knew it was coming. I made it through, though."

So far, Polite said he and Jimmerson haven't taken any ribbing from their older teammates. Their freshman peers also have been supportive.

The only problem is that both of them are still too young to even have a learner's permit.

"I've got to hitch rides all the time," Polite said.