Panthers ready for new season
Bullard Brag
Bobby Woodruff

Bullard High School football season is just around the corner.

This year's team will be under the direction of new Head Coach Jim Taylor. Coach Taylor had the opportunity to work with members of the team during the Spring and he and his Staff are ready for workouts to continue and the season to begin.

At this point in the season, Taylor feels that the team is moving in the right direction as they continue to work each day to get a little bit better.

"We know that there will be ups and downs," Taylor said. "Some times things don't go the way you want them to, but our main goal to try each day to get a little bit better.

"We feel that we have enough tools to be able to compete. We need to be able to get the ball in the hands of our best players and spread the field a little bit and make the defense respect several avenues instead of just one.

"On defense we are really working hard to keep everything in front of us and not have any breakdowns on gap control.

"Right now, we are progressing both as a team and individual players, and we hope that we will continue to get better.

"We have five pre-season games and our goal is to progress each week," Taylor said. "As of right now I feel like our players are starting to learn a little bit more each day.

"We certainly have our ups and downs from day to day. There are days when the weather is 110 degrees and we may struggle a little bit, and then the next day, the kids find a way to push through it, and our progress picks up a little bit more."

Taylor feels that the team is heading in the right direction and the coaches continue to work with-in the plan to look at team members and try to determine where they can best help the overall team.

At this time Taylor is working to put the team members in a game situation where the coaches can determine who the best players are.

There are several players at different positions who are being given the opportunity to show that they deserve to line up Friday night and be the starters for the Bullard Panther football team.

Coaches want to know that when the game starts and it's fourth and one, who do we want to give the ball to.

If we have got to have a 'must catch', who will that player be for the Panthers.

The more players that step forward and accept the challenges that the coaches are providing for them, then the better the overall team will become.

This years team will welcome back several starters, both on offense and defense from last years 4 and 6 season.

Among those student athletes who are expected to contribute to the success of this years are Willie Gordon. Willie, who is a defensive end in the 4-3 defense that Taylor has installed and offensive guard feels that this years team has a chance to be good enough to make the Playoffs.

Willie has a great deal of respect for Coach Taylor, who Willie said "is a strict coach, but also a awesome man who will lead them into the playoffs for the first time in a long while." Overall there is good speed on the team and the entire offensive

line returns from last year.

Charlie Moore, who is never at a loss for words, had some of the following to add.

"This summer we have been working real hard on our passing game through competition in the 7 on 7 program, this has given our offensive backs and receivers and defensive backs to work on both catching the ball and defending against the pass."

The team and the coaches have bonded during the spring and the players have a great deal of respect for the new coaches who bring a great deal of experience with them to pass on to the Bullard players.

The team expects to put the ball in the air a lot more this year because of the speed of the receivers.

The offensive coordinator this year will be Coach Brannen and the Defensive Coordinator this year will be Coach Nobles.

Lance Anding, one of the out standing athletes on this years team is excited about the coming season.

The confidence the players have in Taylor, because of his background coaching at the 5A level at very successful programs, including Temple High School, lead them to want to buy into the program.

Lance knows that each member of the team must be willing to work hard for success to follow.