Durfee grad Justin Reis getting a double dose of football

FALL RIVER — When Justin Reis donned the red and black for the Hilltoppers a decade ago, he thought it would be the last time he’d represent his hometown in the game he loved.

Now, the 2009 Durfee grad is back on the gridiron in Fall River, both indoors and outdoors, as a center on the offensive line for the city’s two teams, the New England Bobcats and the Troy City Titans, who will begin play in the semi-pro New England Football League this summer.

“It’s a surreal feeling because I never thought Fall River would have a semi-pro team,” Reis said. “For an opportunity like this to happen, it’s once in a lifetime and I couldn’t turn it down.”

A veteran of local semi-pro football, Reis previously played for the Taunton Gladiators, a powerhouse both regionally and nationally as the team made it all the way to the American Football Rules National Championship USA Bowl in January, where they fell to the defending national champion Detroit Ravens.

He also previously played arena football with the New England Cavalry last season, where he got his first taste of the indoor game.

“From seeing arena (football) on TV to playing it, it’s a different feeling,” Reis said. “It’s faster, dudes are bigger, I’m playing against better competition and it’s only making me better when I play outdoors for the Titans.”

Reis has been enjoying his time with the Bobcats so far, playing in both of their home games at the Driscoll Arena. The team is 2-2 on the season, with their last game being a 40-32 loss to the Jersey Flight in a back-and-forth battle Saturday.

“I’m bonding with the dudes, everybody’s fine,” Reis said. “We’re like a big family, we’re all a bunch of brothers. We fight and argue as you can tell on the sidelines, but we all come here and we know what we want to do.”

As important as it is to play for his teammates, his city and his love of his game, the most important thing he plays for is his son, Benjamin, who often can be spotted on the field with his dad before and after games.

“I didn’t know my father growing up, so having a son opened my eyes,” Reis said. “It makes me want to play this game a little more before he starts playing because I want him to remind me when I’m older about him watching me play.”

Reis and the Bobcats return to action at the Driscoll Arena Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. when they’ll play hosts to the West Virginia Roughriders. The Troy City Titans will kick off their inaugural campaign July 20 with an opponent to be announced. Pending construction, their home will be Durfee’s Mac Aldrich Field or one of the other Fall River high school fields until the stadium is ready.