Though the NFL season and high school football games have been over for a few months, sports fans in Tomball can head to Northland Christian School and catch a football game each weekend this spring. Chris Fields and Eddie Buitron met while playing for a small semiprofessional football team in Cleveland, Texas, for two years. After traveling more than an hour to play in each home game, both Fields and Buitron said they wanted to bring the sport closer to the Tomball community. "Both Chris and I [have kids that are] involved in youth sports, so we started thinking, 'If we're going to be finished playing in a couple of years, what a great opportunity to give back,'" Buitron said. "We wanted to start something that had a strong purpose and foundation." In late 2012 the two founded the Tomball Bobcats, a semipro football team open to players age 18 and older. Fields and Buitron wanted the team to be a way for athletes who competed in high school or college to continue playing the game into adulthood. "The official [school] stuff is over with, but the love [of football] is still there," Fields said. "We wanted to supply the area with that opportunity [to play]. It gives you a sense of community and a sense of presence." To avoid scheduling conflicts with local high school football teams, the semipro season spans from February to May with 10 games. The Bobcats are in their second season as part of the Texas United Football Association, which is one of the largest semipro football leagues in the state. For the 2015 season there are 18 teams in the league, a number that is increasing each year, Buitron said. "Every year it gets a little bit bigger and a little bit better," Buitron said. "We have been, in the past year, the fastest-growing semipro football team in Texas." In the offseason early each fall, the team donates time and energy to help local high school teams. The Bobcats are a nonprofit organization and a member of the Tomball Athletic Booster Club. "The purpose behind the Bobcats, and why we do what we do, is to give back," Buitron said. "Anything and everything we can do with the community in sports—we're out there doing it. We're trying to represent Tomball in the best way we can." For more information on the Tomball Bobcats and online team registration, visit www.tomballbobcats.com.