By: Sam McGaw, Brentwood Home Page
For the first time in a few years, the Brentwood Bruins enter a season with some momentum.
After earning five wins and zero playoff appearances over the previous two seasons, the Bruins turned their program around in 2015.
Not only did they earn a 5-2 record against Region 7-Class 5A opponents last season, but they also battled their way to the second round of the playoffs to finish with a 6-6 record.
Their resurrection started with the return of head coach Ron Crawford.
Crawford, who coached BHS from 2002-11, rejoined the program last season after spending three years at Cleveland High School in East Tennessee.
While the Bruins re-established their foundation last season, they still have a lot more work ahead of them after graduating many starters.
Despite having several members of his team lack significant varsity playing experience, Crawford maintains more of a glass half-full mentality.
“Our strength I think for us is we have competition at almost every spot,” he said. “If there’s competition, that means there’s similar players at that spot. Now, we have to see if we are athletic and determined enough to take that ability and be successful with it.”
Bruins’ Offense
If the Bruins’ spread attack can find a rapport this season, it has the potential to be very difficult to stop.
For them, everything starts with the speed and size they possess in the receiving corps with Will Leone (Sr.), Christian LaBreche (Sr.) and Parker Bullion (Jr.).
Leone (5-10, 175 pounds) is the deep threat of the group. He averaged a team-high 21.86 yards per catch last season after he caught 14 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns.
As for LaBreche and Bullion, they create mismatches with their height.
LaBreche, who recorded 19 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown last year, stands at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds.
As for Bullion (5 rec., 100 yds, 2 TDs), he’s measured at 6-4, 187 lbs.
“We are really excited about our wide receivers,” Crawford stated.”I don’t think it’s necessarily because all of the speed out there, but just the consistency. We also have some length there.”
Grant Yocam is also expected to make an impact at receiver.
Battling to replace Carson Croy (Samford) at quarterback are juniors Kaden Dreier and Carson Shacklett.
Both players saw little playing time behind center last fall. Shacklett completed 3 of 4 passes for 65 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Dreier didn’t connect on his two pass attempts.
“Shacklett has done some great things in 7-on-7, as well as in our first scrimmage,” Crawford said. “We feel good about both of those young men.”
Returning to tote the rock for the Bruins is senior Collin Rudolph.
He was second on the team in rushing last season with 502 yards and two touchdowns on 107 carries.
Junior Matt Phillips will also see action at running back, as he adds another dimension to the offense.
“[Phillips] can do multiple things for us,” Crawford said. “He has to be a guy that we get the ball in his hands, whether it’s at running back or slot receiver.”
Center Chris Moore (Jr.) and tackles Braxton McGill (6-3, 285 lbs) and Cole Mabry (6-5, 250 lbs) are returning starters on the offensive line.
Mabry recently earned a football scholarship offer from Memphis.
For the occasions Brentwood can’t convert on third down, Crawford has the comfort of knowing he has one of the best punters in the country in senior Tucker Day.
Day, who was recently selected to compete in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, is rated as the No. 1 punter in the nation for the Class of 2017 by ChrisSailerKicking.com.
He averaged 40.94 yards per punt last season, with 12 of his 35 punts landing inside the 20-yard line.
He was also 14 of 21 on field goals, with a long of 51 yards.
Bruins’ Defense
Brentwood’s defense is undergoing a major rebuilding effort after losing nine starters to graduation.
Senior inside linebacker Will Stanworth and junior defensive back Bryce Merrell are the lone returning starters to a unit that allowed an average of 18 points and 164.5 yards per game last season.
“We’re a huge work in progress,” Crawford said. “Our idea is we want to get better every day.”
Stanworth played in all 12 games last season, recording 64 tackles, three sacks and one fumble recovery.
He and fellow inside backer C.J. Grissim (27 tkls, 1 sack) will be leaned on heavily in the team’s 3-4 scheme.
“We feel great about those two guys,” Crawford stated. “We also feel good about our juniors behind them.”
Senior Luke Reidy, who was a part-time starter last year, will contribute at outside linebacker.
While the front-seven is depleted, Crawford cited inexperience in the secondary as his team’s biggest weakness.
Cornerback Jackson Hill and safeties Spencer Schwartz and Garrett McChristian are gone after earning all-region honors last year, and Merrell (36 tkls, 2 ints, 1 FR) is coming off a knee injury that ended his season in Week 8.
“We lost two safeties, and they got a majority of the snaps last year,” he said. “So, three of the four players back there that got a majority of the snaps are gone. We have two kids back in the defensive backfield that have any experience and that’s Matt Phillips and Bryce Merrell.”
Merrell will transition from cornerback to safety this season, while Phillips will play corner. Seniors Xavier Howard, Zach Thompson and Zach Barnitt will also see time at defensive back.
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