It's Status Quo for Bruins
Tuesday, December 1 , 2009
By SHAWN RINE- The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register
If there's one thing Brooke coach Tom Bruney has learned this season, it's don't mess with success. So while most coaches would be tempted to change things up in unusual circumstances, it's status quo for No. 1-ranked Brooke (13-0) as it prepares for the noon Saturday state championship game at Wheeling Island Stadium against No. 2, and defending state champion, South Charleston (12-1).
''I think the most important thing is, we do everything as close to the vest as we can,'' Bruney said Monday. ''What we're going to do is, we're going to approach this like Game 14.
''To be honest with you, we haven't even mentioned the words playoff, quarterfinal, semifinal or finals.
''I think the big mistake would be to change anything.''
It Happened Early
It's pretty uncommon for a football coach to know what he has after two scrimmages. But Bruney points to the Bruins' matchup with Oak Glen at the Wheeling Hospital Football and Band Jamboree, when they fell behind by two touchdowns, yet didn't blink.
''In that scrimmage we faced adversity right off the bat,'' he said. ''We came back with 21 unanswered and kids made plays.
''A year ago, because I have seen the film and I've been told, down 14 with the same bunch of kids? They were done. Pack in it, get the 48 minutes over with and let's go home.''
Instead, running back Ryan Lazear broke off a couple big runs, defensive lineman Jake Lilly returned an interception 50-plus yards for a touchdown, and Kennedy Award hopeful quarterback Cotey Wallace began to emerge as a big-play threat.
''Our first scrimmage was down at Buckhannon-Upshur, and we went down there and performed really well. But when I left there I felt like we did a good job and I was pleased with our progress, but Buckhannon wasn't very good so I need to evaluate again,'' Bruney said. ''That Oak Glen scrimmage, for me, really identified the fact that we had a group of kids that had the ability to maintain their poise, play with character and class, shove the distractions out of the way and continue to focus on the task at hand.''
From Hunter to Hunted
It's not very often that one team plays both roles during the same season. But that's the situation for the Bruins, who entered the season with little to no expectations statewide.
But then came the first week of the WVSSAC ratings and the Bruins were ranked fifth. But it wasn't long until they ascended to the top, and they haven't been back down, save for one week when they 'fell' to No. 2.
Brooke has handled it beautifully, in part Bruney says, because of motivational tools.
''What we had the kids do, they had a photo in front of them and we wanted them to picture taking a 10-speed bike and riding uphill - riding up that Wheeling hill on the backside where the indian supposedly jumped off,'' Bruney said. ''Even though you've got that 10-speed, you're going to have to crank it to get up there.
''All of a sudden we tell them 'boys, we're at the top of the hill; we're getting to the crest.' Now here's where most teams make their mistake. They've worked their butt off to get to the top and now they are finally the people that are at the top of the mountain and have the bullseye on their back and they go the other way coasting.'
''We do not want to coast - we want to pedal downhill.''
