Sobrato definitely has its work cut out for them in the 2007
football season, but coach Dan Brown isn’t worried.
Sobrato definitely has its work cut out for them in the 2007 football season, but coach Dan Brown isn’t worried.
The young team just inherited a group of talented underclassmen and he sees potential in them.
The Bulldogs junior varsity team, which went 9-1 last season, will have a boatload of sophomores coming up to the varsity level.
Along with that, Brown, who is starting his second season with Sobrato, is also putting his faith into both his offensive and defensive lines.
“Our lines will be the key to our success,” Brown said. “And we’ve been preaching that all spring. It will be up to our kids in the trenches. We’re putting pressure on those kids, but we will be only as good as they get.”
And as if getting their offensive and defensive lines on the same page is challenging enough, the Bulldogs will start their 2007 season with three non-league games against league champions.
The Bulldogs will open the season by hosting Santa Teresa, the champions of the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division, and will follow against Pacific Grove and Seaside. Pacific Grove won the Mission Trail Athletic League and Seaside won the Monterey Bay League and those teams met in the Central Coast Section Small School championship game, with Seaside winning 28-14.
Brown, who finished his first season as head coach with a 4-5-1 record, said he is looking forward to the challenge.
“Right off the bat, we will see how good we are when we match up against these teams,” Brown said. “We’re trying to instill the reputation that we are not afraid. We are sitting down in the C league but we are hungry.”
The Bulldogs are training hard to take on the teams in their tough schedule.
According to Brown, the participation at spring practice has been above average with a turnout of about 60 students.
“The kids are excited,” Brown said. “They’ve been licking their chops for spring to come around. They were in the weight room the entire off season. The spirit is definitely there.”
Brown is also getting his players into some summer passing leagues and two summer contact leagues.
He said he has spent the past year restoring the fundamentals of football into his team and is looking for his new seniors to step up and be leaders.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Brown said. “We’re looking for leaders, but we’re working hard and we’re excited. Potentially we are going to be a good team.”
