DES MOINES, Iowa ( KCCI ) -- For the first time, Des Moines Roosevelt and Hoover high schools have merged their football teams, bringing together players from both schools to form a single team.

The Des Moines Roosevelt football family has adopted about 20 new players from Hoover.

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"At first, honestly, I was kind of scared we were going to get treated as the stepkids," Hoover Senior Hushindi Abwe said.

With Hoover's football program shut down, players had two options: play with Roosevelt or quit.

"It's kind of sad but I feel like as long as we all still get the chance to play the game we still love I'm okay with it," Abwe said.

Roosevelt has three full teams, and the larger school environment has excited the players.

"Numbers were lacking," defe

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