PARIS — Jon Flanders looked around at his Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School football teammates and smiled, at least on the inside.

Vikings crowded around the water bottles as if they were the only working air conditioner in a 40-mile radius. Others took a knee and struggled to catch the breath that would permit them to finish practice, an appropriate reaction to last week's record, early-September heat wave.

Flanders, by comparison, looked and felt relaxed as a tourist.

“Last week was probably one of the hottest weeks ever in football, and I barely broke a sweat,” Flanders said. “Ninety-six degrees and I was like, whatever.”

Oxford Hills' defensive end and tailback understands the meaning of heat – not to mention commitment and dedication – better than most high school seniors.

Although he won't turn 18 until November, Flanders already has completed his basic training for the United States Army.

He spent his entire summer, quite literally, at Fort Benning, Georgia, leaving June 18 and landing in Maine only four hours before the start of school Aug. 26.

Flanders missed nearly two weeks of practice and Oxford Hills' entire exhibition season. When the Vikings opened the Pine Tree Conference schedule at home against Lewiston last Friday night, however, Flanders rarely left the defensive huddle.

He'll be there tonight, too, when the Vikings travel to Farmington for a 7 p.m. kickoff with Mt. Blue.

“It was hard the first week, because I hadn't had too much practice,” Flanders said. “I played more than guys who went through all the practice because I could deal with the heat.”

Weight of the world

Ask Flanders about one of his typical summer days and it's easy to understand why.

Boot camp began with a daily 3:30 a.m. wake-up call, immediately followed by a four-mile run.

Midday runs grew in intensity from two to eight miles during training.

Oh, and then there were the marches.

“It was 85 pounds on our back with a 15-pound Kevlar vest and a vest over that,” he said. “You had your water, your grenades, your magazines, M4 (firearm) and helmet. We were pretty loaded down.”

Flanders found an alternate way to stay in football shape that both provided a pastime and benefited his workday duties. He made a weight lifting buddy.

“Eventually we put the 85-pound packs on our backs and we could just carry them,” said Flanders. “We saw other people letting them rest on their shoulders after a while. We were just looking around and walking with them.”

Oxford Hills coach Nate Danforth heard about Flanders' progress by phone throughout the summer.

He is surprised by neither his player's loyalty and service nor his arrival in peak condition.

“He's a good boy. He's a talented, tough kid. Athletic and strong,” Danforth said.

It's all relative

Football and the military are Flanders family traditions.

Jon followed his older brother, Dustin, a 19-year old medic, into the army. Before leaving for Georgia, he recruited his cousin, Josh, who left for basic training Aug. 11.

Dustin and Jon Flanders and no fewer than four cousins are current or former Oxford Hills football players. Both Jon's father and grandfather are veterans.

“It's just something I decided to do. One, it's going to pay for my college. I thought that would be pretty sweet to get the college money and get to travel,” Flanders said. “I don't like to stay in one place for very long. I've been in Maine since I was born, and I love going everywhere else.”

Flanders will undergo 11 weeks of advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

A three-week airborne immersion also is on his agenda.

“I've jumped off some high stuff before, but not from 30,000 (feet) above,” Flanders said. “It's going to be different, but it's going to be exciting.”

Flanders is an asset to the military with his mind, as well.

His initial area of expertise is defined as nuclear biological chemical specialist. Once his initial six-year commitment is elapsed, Flanders intends to re-enlist and pursue the field of military intelligence.

“All I do is mix chemicals. Chemicals that would blow half the world up, but still,” Flanders said. “My recruiter told me I scored so high on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) that I shouldn't be doing the job I'm doing.

“People ask how was my summer. I'm like, 'what summer?' I went from school to a physical and mental school. The physical part didn't get me. I play three sports a year.”

Defense is his game

Wrestling and track and field are diversions for Flanders. He plans to go out for basketball this winter. But foremost is football.

Flanders worked his way into the defensive starting lineup late in his junior year. His highlight film included several quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

He has been a two-way player throughout his career, starting at quarterback since seventh grade.

Between Flanders' absence from summer and preseason football and Danforth's desire not to have his quarterback be a two-way player, he has moved to second-string tailback behind Chris Priest.

His thoughts on the assignment are altogether fitting on two fronts: "I'm all about defense."

“Once we get him acclimated to the offense he'll help us,” Danforth said. “He did a lot of power stuff as the JV quarterback, running sweeps. We switched to the 'I' this year, so there's a lot he has to learn. He runs hard and picks things up quickly, but when you get under the lights there's a little more pressure.”

Flanders knows about pressure and healthy fear. His unit, the 251st Engineer Company, expects to be stationed in Afghanistan in October 2011, coinciding with the end of his second round of training.

Those thoughts remain far off, in part because Flanders doesn't have time to entertain them.

“The first day I got back 3:30 in the morning, went to bed when I got home, woke up at 6, came to school, then went to football practice after school,” Flanders said. “I've just been on screech between football and family stuff the whole time I've been back.”

Busy and devoted by anyone's standards. But for Flanders, no sweat.

koakes@sunjournal.com