Practice makes perfect.

Even through a global pandemic, the Bullitt East football team still makes sure to work as hard as ever.

The coronavirus took a lot away from the team, but they’re still able to grow. Players, and coaches, still believe that this season will go well, if they play their cards right. The team is still looking forward to a lot of things, rather than missing what they don’t have.

Head Coach Ethan Atchley believes that the football team will only get better as they go along. “I think we will get better as the season goes along, because, as evident before, we knew what the future was going to hold Friday night, with a young team, or an inexperienced team, even in a couple spots that are old like Daniel Davis, and Alex Wheeler, and Jessie Mount, you know, one junior, and two seniors. You have no varsity experience really,” said Atchley. Atchley very much dislikes how much COVID-19, has done to their team. 

Receivers Coach Tyler Faucett believes that the football team is doing a great job adapting to the COVID-19 regulations. “I think our players have done a great job of accepting constant change, and adapting. They’ve been willing to go through a whole lot of different procedures that we have been asked to place. We have a lot of different things to try and keep our kids, and community, safe, but still give the kids an opportunity to play football,” said Faucett. Faucett does not like how much COVID-19, has done to their team, but he does believe that they’re going to be able to power through it. 

Senior Quarterback Aeron Adams believes that they will continue to do more adapting, if that means they can play. “The use of masks, and social distancing, at practice, like I said, is the new normal for us. We will continue to adapt to COVID-19, if that means playing football. All coaches, and players, are brought in to continue playing the sport we love,” said Adams. Adams understands the effect that the coronavirus has had on himself, and his teammates, but he believes it will all work out in the end. Also, Adams has been playing football since he was age four, because it had always been a passion of his.

Senior Receiver Daniel Gilbert understands the reasons behind what they’re going to have to do. “We all have adapted, by taking precautions, like wearing our masks, and sanitizing equipment,” said Gilbert. Gilbert doesn’t like COVID-19, and doesn’t enjoy how much it has affected the team. Also, Gilbert has been playing football since he was age five, with his dad signing him up.

Senior Receiver Bryce Clements doesn’t like how much COVID-19, has done to their team. “I think COVID has hit football very hard. It’s made getting everything together extremely hard, because football is not a game of six feet. It has presented many issues, including the biggest one of maybe not even getting to play my senior year,” said Clements. Clements started playing football, because he just simply grew up with it.

In comparison to previous years, Atchley believes that this team is a little bit less than previous teams, but her understands that how different this season is plays a major factor in that. “Compared to last year’s team, we were physically bigger, and we had a larger senior group last year. We had double the seniors last year. So, that hurts you, and our next smallest group is juniors. So, we have a very, very bottom-heavy team, but the great thing about sometimes coaching a youthful team, is that they’re willing to hang on every word, and they’re willing to get coached, and they don’t know. So, the kids, as time goes on, I know, will get better, but then ultimately, as they get to be older,” said Atchley.

Hefner believes that the season will go pretty good, because he has seen how much the players have been working, and how hard they have been trying. “Being the strength and conditioning coach, my view really comes from the off-season, and into the season. I think from an off-season standpoint, we have seen our kids bust their butts, and work extremely hard through this trying time. A lot of our kids were still doing workouts everyday during COVID, while they were home, and once we were able to come back together into the weight room, they were pumped about being able to get back under some weight. We were even able to see some numbers increase from a strength standpoint in the short time that we had in the weight room, before we got in our pre-season lifting. One of my mottos is: ‘Be bigger, faster, and stronger,’ and we’ve definitely done that this off-season. We’ve got a good potential of being very prepared, from a physicality standpoint,” said Hefner. In comparison to previous years, Hefner believes that this team is in a great position, when it comes to physicality.

Adams believes that the season will go well, for him, and the other players. “It will progress well. The getting used to social distancing, and protocols, took some getting used too, but now since it is the new normal that we unfortunately face, the progress has been well,” said Adams, “We stand in a great spot. The coaches, and players, are bought in, and we will figure out any situation thrown our way. That’s part of the game, and proves the great teams, from the good teams.” In comparison to previous years, Adams believes that this team is in a great spot, because of the coaches, and the players. 

Adams believes that the most difficult part about this sport is mental. “The hardest part about football, believe it or not, is mental. Just due to the fact of knowing what to do in situations,” said Adams, “We don’t have a tradition necessarily, but we do bond as brothers, before each game, and have a moment, where we bounce off of each other’s energy, to get ready for the game.” Adams acknowledges that before games, him and his teammates just bond as brothers.

Gilbert believes that the season will go good, and they will do everything they hope to do. “I feel like this will go good, and we will play all of our games,” said Gilbert, “I think we will be winning games, like last year, and take another step in the right direction, to get the program back on track.” In comparison to previous years, Gilbert believes that this team will continue to win games, and get the game back on track.

Gilbert believes that the most difficult part about this sport is the practices during the summer. “The (hardest part about football is) long, hot summer practices,” said Gilbert, “I know we do a prayer.” Gilbert acknowledges that a tradition they do before the games is say a prayer.  

Clements believes that the season will go pretty good. “How I feel this season will progress is good, because I think this team is overcoming a huge hurdle with Corona, and we’ve all worked so hard. So, overall, I think it’ll progress well,” said Clements, “I think this team stands in a good position. Yeah. We may have lost a lot last year, but the thing about our group is we constantly stay working hard, and just want to win.” In comparison to previous years, Clements believes that this team is in a good position, because of how much he, and his teammates, practice. 

Atchley is looking forward to getting to coach the new players, the most. “I would say the growth of our young team, and taking the next step with the rebuild of a once-proud program to get back to winning traditions, winning ways, and large rosters where kids are on the football team, take pride on the football team, and can be seen as, like, leaders in the school, if we can ever get back to school. If your fall starts out well, generally, with all sports, you can really start the year off well,” said Atchley.

Hefner is looking forward to just seeing the players, and himself, and other coaches, improve. “I’m most excited to see how we will progress. One of my biggest things as a strength coach is progression. If we don’t continually progress throughout the season, then either I’m not doing my job right, or the kids aren’t putting in the work that they need to. With everyone being on their phones and laptops more, we are a lot tighter and need to spend more time on flexibility, and movement,” said Hefner, “For me, it is definitely the off-season. As a strength and conditioning coach, the off-season is a huge time for us to get here, and spend a lot of time together to really develop these kids from functional movement, to strength building.” Although Hefner is looking forward to progression, he is still going to miss the off-season. 

Faucett is looking forward to getting to coach the “next generation of leaders.” “I’ve got a great group of kids coming back this season, and they have done some really great things. Daniel Gilbert, and Bryce Clements, are two senior leaders of that group who played every game, and almost every play last year, for us. They have really bought into doing what we ask, and dedicate themselves to getting stronger, and bigger, in the off season. It is really exciting to see them get a chance to finish off their football career. I have joked with them about adopting the younger players, and teaching them how to get into what we ask of them, and become the next generation of leaders,” said Faucett. Although Faucett is looking forward to a lot, he is still going to miss the Red Zone, and the kind of company that they brought. 

Gilbert is looking forward to coming closer with his friends, and football brothers. “Becoming closer to my football brothers, and teammates, and having a good season to go out on,” said Gilbert, “(He’ll miss) All the fans coming to the games, and all the hype around the games.” Although Gilbert is looking forward to becoming closer to his football brothers, and friends, he is still going to miss the fans.  

Clements is looking forward to just winning games, overall. “What I’m looking forward to this year, is nothing less than winning games. I have a competitive personality, and always will. So that’s the first thing that I want more than anything,” said Clements, “What I’ll miss the most is the little practices where you’re all there with the guys, and simply playing the sport you love. You learn a lot in football, which helps carry on in the future.” Although Clements is looking forward to a lot, he is still going to miss the past bonding experiences.. 

When it comes to watching the football games, this is what will be happening, as of right now. “Crowds are going to be really small. We will have about 300 fans here with home games, and I believe tomorrow night is already sold out. My hope is that we can put the ball down on Friday night, kick it off, and have life seem kind of normal for the players. I know there are a lot of fans that are upset that there are some players that don’t get to dress, because we are limited in roster size, for the first time. We can only dress 60 players for each game, so we will have kids that practice everyday, that won’t get to dress for our Friday night game. I’m hoping that when we start the game, for at least a couple hours, things seem normal,” said Faucett.