Edgewood's Triplin heading to Bellmarine for academics, football

What is sprint football?

According to sprintfootball.com, it is a full-contact, intercollegiate, varsity sport and has the same rules as regular college football, except for weight.

Players can weigh up to 190 pounds, but weigh-in is only on gameday, so some players are 210 for bulking/cutting reasons.

The league has been in existence since prior to World War II.

Zar Triplin didn’t fully understand the concept when seeking out places for school and to play football.

But the Edgewood senior soon embraced the idea.

“It’s still real college football — same field, same rules, same intensity,” Triplin said. “It’s about speed, conditioning, technique, and effort every single play.

“Everybody on the field can move, so the game feels quicker and more competitive in a different way.”

The soon-to-be high school graduate will head to Bellarmine University to continue his education and play his sport.

“The staff went above and beyond to make sure I saw campus by myself, I was greeted by plenty of teammates and the way staff they made it really feel like home,” Triplin said of the Louisville, Kentucky school. “They cared about me and my future more than just what I can do on the field.”

Triplin, who is projected to play wide receiver, also considered schools such as Gannon University, Marietta College and Ohio Northern.

“In order to get ready for college ball, I feel like I need to work on my speed overall agility, and ability to read the defense to see how they’re trying to manipulate the offense,” he said.

Before he goes to Bellarmine, though, Triplin is scheduled to go through basic training, as he signed a contract for the Army reserves, starting July 21.

“[Bellarmine] will hold my scholarship while I’m at basic and I’ll join the team during spring ball, and start playing ball with the team in December/January training,” he said. “They promote it. They are a military-friendly school, they told me that they will always support young athletes.”

Triplin said his goal is to become a truck driver after college.

“Joining the military as an 88M [major transport operator] will make me eligible to get my CDL [Commercial Driver’s License] directly after my contract and have paved a pathway to almost any trucking job with my military background,” he said.

There’s another reason Triplin, who plans to major in business and minor in business management, enlisted.

“I’ve wanted to serve since i was in middle school, and what better time than while in college and if I decide to go active, I will already have a six-year contract done,” he said.

On the field, Triplin said he is looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing football at a more intense, strategic level.

Warriors coach Olajuwon Cooper believes Triplin will be a great asset to Bellarmine.

“Zar has worked tirelessly on his skill set and turned himself into a DI prospect,” Cooper said. “He possesses good size and speed, and will really do well at the next level no matter what side of the ball he plays on.”

Bellarmine is a Division I school in athletics, and plays football in the Midwest Sprint Football League, which formed in 2022.

The MSFL has five teams, and each school will play the other four twice, one at home and one away, for a total of eight games. The top two teams will advance to the MSFL Championship Nov. 21.

That’s not to say he won’t miss playing at Edgewood.

“The Edgewood community is strong and supportive,” Triplin said. “The community is invested in making sure the students are equipped and prepared for their seasons as best as possible.”

But he can also take the lessons learned playing for the Warriors in his future.

“One thing I learned from Edgewood that I’ll be able to take to Bellarmine is the want and will to grind through adversity,” Triplin said. “Coach Cooper always preached to us before games that it takes more than one quarter and more than just one guy.

“We need 11 guys, and four strong quarters in order to win a football game.”