A week into fall practice, the Sobrato Bulldogs are already counting down the days until they open the season on Aug. 31 against Christopher High School.
“We are chomping at the bit,” head coach Nick Borello said on Wednesday.
And the Bulldogs have good reason to be excited.
Despite losing 17 of their 22 starters from last year’s 7-4 Santa Teresa Division championship team, the Bulldogs are hoping for bigger things this year as they move up into the Mount Hamilton Division – the top tier of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. A week into the fall season, Sobrato’s loose practices are setting a cohesive tone.
“We’ve had the boys together all summer,” Borello said. “They’ve had a good summer. They had a really good summer. They understand the value of the weight room. They understand the idea of working hard to get better.”
With that commitment, the team’s returning starters are laying the proper groundwork for the young incoming players, Borello said. The result should be a successful season for the Bulldogs.
“It’s been, you know, it’s been a long summer but it’s been a busy summer,” Borello said. “It’s been a good one. I see a pretty good season on the horizon in front of us. I don’t want to claim we will win as many games as we did last year because that was a phenomenal year in a different division, but we will have a good year.”
For now, though, the team is focusing on keeping the players in shape, while installing the offense and defense, Borello said.
“They are in good shape,” he said. “We spent the whole summer training. They are in good shape right now. We don’t have to get them into playing shape. What it really comes down to is getting them the repetitions and what they can be good at. It’s getting enough repetitions so they are good at what we need to do.”
He continued: “We look for them to improve on a daily basis. Small improvements. That’s what we are looking for.”
• San Benito High School transfer Michael Bocksnick continues to impress the Bulldog players and coaches during the offseason. Within six months, the senior has already become a leader on the field, Borello said.
“He is obviously going to be a big part of what we do here,” Borello said. “He is a tremendous student and a tremendous athlete. He is working very hard. He is putting in that extra time. He hasn’t been with this group of guys for more than six months and he is already a leader.”
• Next week look for an in-depth preview on Sobrato and Live Oak’s football teams entering the new season.
