BDT Article with Coach Hart and Bland CountyOCT 27

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Young Bears on top in Mountain Empire

 

By JED LOCKETT

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

 

BLAND, Va.  “Other than the fact that we’ve had some right chilly weather...we’ve had a good week of practice,†Bland County head football coach Harris Hart admitted.

 

Hart’s 6-1 Bland County Bears have persevered through the cold weather, flu, and other injuries to prepare for a trip to Galax Friday night and a Mountain Empire District clash with the Maroon Tide.

 

Entering the season, the Bears were thought to be too inexperienced to contend in the district.

 

“We have good athletes, good young men, but we’re so young,†Hart admitted. “We’re starting three and four sophomores or more sometimes on both sides of the football. So when you’re that young, you always expect to make some mistakes and to have some growing pains.â€Â

 

The Bears have been able to surprise because of senior leadership. Thomas Willis came into the season expected to provide that leadership for the Bears. He has more than fulfilled that role.

 

“Thomas Willis is a tremendous athlete and we’ve used him at various positions just to try to give him the ball,†Hart explained. “He started out at receiver. We’ve moved him to running back at times and even the slot at times. He’s been a great contributor.â€Â

 

Another Bland County senior that has gone above and beyond the call of duty is Tyler Pennington. Pennington made the transition from halfback last season to quarterback this year, a difficult transition for anybody.

 

“He’s done a tremendous job,†Hart stated. “He had a great game last Friday against Narrows. He’s really stepped up as a senior and I think that’s tough for somebody that’s been used to playing halfback to step in at quarterback. That’s a difficult position to learn in one year.â€Â

 

All of the Bears’ seniors will have to step up again to defeat the Maroon Tide.

 

“Galax’s record certainly doesn’t reflect the quality of their team,†Hart admitted. “They’ve played a very difficult schedule and in pretty much every game, they’ve played it a tight game, just have made some mistakes and haven’t gotten some breaks that could’ve put them on the winning side.â€Â

 

Hart is concerned about how his team will react to an offensive style the Bears have not seen this season.

 

“They run out of the Pro-I and we really haven’t faced that at all this year,†Hart explained. “That’s going to be something new for our defense to adjust to.

 

“We’ve tried to simulate the best we can in practice this week, but that’s pretty tough when you’re not used to running it either to simulate somebody else’s offense.â€Â

 

But Hart believes his defense can rise to that challenge.

 

“Our defense has played well. We just hope they’ll come up and be physical and tackle well and we’ll do the best we can,†Hart stated.

 

Hart is confident that his offense will be able to move the ball on Galax.

 

“They run a version of a 50,†Hart explained. “We faced that last week and several times this year. So I don’t see any adjustments and it’s just going to come down to if our offensive line can block their defensive line and linebackers.â€Â

 

If Bland County’s offensive line gets the job done, it will improve their record in the district to 3-0 and two wins away from a district championship that was not part of the expectations at the beginning of the season.

 

Fundamentally, those expectations have not changed.

 

“I think every time you go out to play a game on Friday night regardless, you kind of expect to win,†Hart noted. “But as we’ve had more success, I think week in and week out we’ve expected a little bit more focus, a little bit more concentration with our athletes.

 

“I think that has changed a little bit. But still I think every Friday night after you practice for a week,

 

“I think whether you’ve got a winning record or a losing record...you kind of go out there expecting to play well and expecting to win.â€Â