Bracken Christian will be starting their 10th season in a week and this year will have a lot of newness to it.
First off, this might be one of the youngest teams the Warriors have ever fielded, so there is newness in that situation.
Then with a new head coach, there is certainly newness in that as you have a different system to go along with understanding and figuring out a new coach.
Head Coach Hosea Stredic will be taking the reigns for a team that has made the playoffs for the last 8 years and has amassed 80 wins which averages right at 9 wins per season.
Take into account that first year had just one win and you get the idea that Bracken is used to winning.
The second and final scrimmage was played on Friday with Austin Hill Country and San Marcos Hill Country teams as each school played a round robin affair with offense and defense.
Bracken’s scrimmage with Austin Hill Country turned out better than the scrimmage with San Marcos on this night.
“We are playing about the same,” Coach Stredic started when asked his overall assessment of the scrimmage. “We did not play with confidence in the game with San Macos like they did with Austin Hill Country.”
Coach Stredic was commenting on how much more sure the team was when they took the field with Austin HC compared to not playing to the same standard when coupled with San Marcos.
“Against Holy Trinity we will be at the right place with the young kids that we have,” Stredic commented on how the Warriors will take the field as the season starts in a week. “Maturity will need to come as they are still trying to get a new offense and play with confidence…we will have to be more offensive and fight, playing with more than just straight up hard nose.”
BCS will certainly have many more new faces on the field this season as one Sophomore, Cade Middleton, will play his first full fledge 6-man football game this week after transferring from Smithson Valley.
Cade Middleton will in his first 6-man game this Friday
“It has been going a little different,” Middleton stated. “I have to learn to trust everyone and you never know where the ball is going to go, so I need to stay on my feet.”
Middleton will have some nuances to his game as 6-man can be a much faster game as you have fewer players to cover if a mistake is made.
“I am going to play my hardest and try to know how everyone works out on the field,” Middleton closed.
Senior Daniel Forgione will be back for his Senior year after taking off a season.
“I want to play in the State Championship,” Forgione said unabashedly when commenting on what some of his goals for this season would be.
When commenting on what will need to transpire to accomplish that lofty goal, Forgione said, “Play as hard as you can and trust each other.”
Daniel Forgione will want to go out in style for his Senior campaign
Forgione will have a busy game plan as he could be playing on both sides of the ball.
“I will need to improve as much as I can as a running back,” Forgione commented. “We started out of shape, but we are in shape now after Coach (Stredic) has worked us…we have started a brand new system and I am just concentrating on getting it down.”
Another player, Junior Brady Beene will be calling the signals for his third year and his confidence and stature will attest to his readiness for the season to get started.
Beene’s stature was a funny start in talking with this confident young player.
Junior Quarterback Brady Beene is happy he is taller than his Sister now
The ReSporter: How tall are you now?
Brady Beene: “I hit 5’10 this year!!”
The ReSporter: Did you pass your older sister (Bailey)?
Brady Beene: “Yep, I am taller by 2 inches than she is now!”
Take note that Beene took a lot of tough hits through his first two years as he has been a rock on both sides of the ball.
“We are head over hills better than where we started the first of August,” Beene said in talking about where the team was since the first practice. “We started out of shape and now we know it (offense and being in shape).”
Beene will be one of the few upper classman that will need to lead this young group of players this season.
“The best way to lead is by example,” Beene said. “If you can’t do it on the field by yourself.”
“I hope to be better than last year as a team, and I will need to be a better leader, but I do want to go deeper in the playoffs,” a beaming Beene gleamed.
On what this team will need to do to reach these goals, Beene was quick with an answer, “As long as we get better every week then that would be our way for improving.”
Bracken has more players than last year’s team and that will go a long way in helping as the contests commence in less than a week.
Last year’s team was certainly talented, but having so many player playing both ways and injuries hurt for a chance of advancing.
Bracken Warriors are a playoff team and this will be another year for continuing that trend at BCS will start that quest against Holy Trinity at home.
Go Warriors!!
