The Bulldogs have worked relentlessly throughout the summer so that they can have a better season than last year. During the summer, the team has been focusing on conditioning and working on communication throughout the team. The team has been meeting at the high school gym to work out to improve their strength on the offensive and defensive lines. The team has been ecstatic after both wins and believes this year they can make it far.
As team conditioning came to an end, the Bulldogs got to play their first game against Quaker Valley on Aug. 22. They lost that game 38-20, although the Bulldogs would come out on top against Rochester. Only a week later on Aug. 29, the Bulldogs would beat the Rams with a score of 18-0. Their third game was against Summit Academy, the team would beat the Knights, scoring 43-16.
The Bulldogs have lost nine seniors from last year, which opened up a lot of positions, one of them being quarterback. This position was held by Isaiah Leasha, and after he graduated, the backup quarterback, Karter Brown (10), took his position. This year, some of the freshmen have gotten to step up and take on the challenge of being on the varsity team. Other freshmen have been facing a struggle because there have not been a lot of junior varsity games scheduled for them to be able to get some hands-on experience with the game.
“My one goal for the season is just for this team to win, and I have no concerns for the team, but I believe that the team is doing really well,” Bryson Delon (9) said.
Players need to take care of their bodies while playing football so they do not get injured as easily, which is why conditioning is very helpful. Before their first game, they usually watch film to see what the other teams have been doing and to figure out what they could improve on in the next game.
“We are mainly focusing on teamwork, making sure everyone is together. Also, we are working physically with conditions, taking care of our bodies. My main goal for this last year of playing high school football is to try to end it with a good year and to make sure everyone on the team has fun,” Charles Brenckle (12) said. “I believe this year will be a great year with the team, and I believe that we will go five and five this year.”
Brown, the new quarterback for the team, has stepped up to help out the varsity team. Brown and a few other sophomores have had to step up and fill some positions that were empty due to the loss of nine seniors.
“We are making a lot of improvements since we have won, week one tough loss at Quaker, we didn’t have our best game, but I know we can do better,” Brown said. “Against Rochester and Summit, we performed well, and we would come out with the win at the end. I hope that throughout the season, everyone manages to stay healthy and no season-ending injuries occur during our season.”