Coming off one of the most memorable seasons in program history, a season in which they won nine games and reached the 5A Regional Semifinals for the first time since 2004, the Jesuit football program looks to emerge once again as a powerhouse in the North Texas area. Preparation for this hopeful resurgence begins in spring ball.
April 23rd marked the beginning of spring practice for Jesuit Football, with the players gearing up and returning to the turf to work towards the ultimate goal for next season: a championship. “Our goal every year is to win every game and try to make a nice run in the playoffs, to try to get to that championship game,” says Coach Brandon Hickman, who over the past three seasons has led his team to victory a total of 26 times and has seen noticeable improvement every year.
Spring practice is essential to Jesuit’s success in regular season and postseason play this upcoming season. During these workouts, players are faced with the important tasks of developing team chemistry and working on their fundamentals so that by the time the season rolls around, the team will be at full strength. The main focus of the spring training, according to Hickman, is to improve on a weekly basis so that “we will be peaking at the level we want to be at” during next season’s playoffs.
Similarly, an emphasis is placed on technique and physicality in order to simulate game time situations so that each player will be ready to make plays during the fall. The practices and scrimmages during this period allow the players to acknowledge and correct any weaknesses and fine-tune their strengths, which, according to Hickman, are the offensive line and receiver positions as well as the team’s work ethic. Rising junior wide receiver Mack Wageman ’16 described the importance of spring practice, “Having the chance to get a preview of what the team will be like before the season starts in the fall is what makes spring ball so vital. It is a chance for everyone to improve their individual game and for the team to get better as a whole.”
Not only does spring ball provide the opportunity for players to show off their talents and establish themselves as key components on the squad, but it also gives players a chance to step up and take on leadership roles on the field. Through their examples of immense dedication and hard work, some players become great motivators and facilitators of team chemistry during the spring. Signal caller Bo Schneider ’15, who was recently named All-District Offensive MVP, and wide receiver Garrett Amy ’15 have solidified these roles on the offensive side of the ball with good spring showings so far. Similarly, when asked which players were emerging as defensive leaders, Hickman responded by naming rising senior defensive tackle Taylor Stine’15 and secondary pacesetter Josh Cummings’15, both of whom return to head the defense after stellar seasons. The blossoming leadership of the senior class hasn’t gone unnoticed: “I’m really excited about this senior class we have. I think they’re going to be great leaders.”
However, the team is still met with discomfort when reflecting on the way last year’s season ended. Despite making an unprecedented run in the state playoffs, this year’s squad is hungry for much more, as evidenced by their motto for this year, “Unfinished Business.” Chosen by the seniors, this motto, which Coach Hickman calls “very fitting,” will remind the team of how unpleasant it felt to lose to Lake Travis in that playoff game and will hopefully serve as a source of inspiration and motivation to achieve the undefeated season on everyone’s mind.
Despite losing some key players from last year’s squad, including Orion Salters’14 (Iowa St.) and Trey Elliot’14 (TCU), whose play-making abilities and leadership will be thoroughly missed, 36 players will return to varsity for the 2014 season in addition to some talented sophomores looking to contribute more this upcoming year. All in all, the atmosphere at these spring practices has been very optimistic, with flashes of brilliance occurring in drills such as one-on-ones, team scrimmages, and the famous “Ranger Drill.” Wageman comments, “We believe we can be a very good football team,” a sentiment shared by the head coach. However, Coach Hickman, rather than glorifying the skill of his players, instead chose to hone in on the heart of the team, praising their willpower and tenacity when asked what the most important quality of his team was, leaving us with this memorable quote: “The heart of the team is going to be something that is going to carry us through… I think people that will see this team this fall will hopefully say, ‘Hey, they play with a lot of heart.’”
