Brooklyn Hall is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Brophy College Preparatory for AZPreps365.com

With an interesting and unpredictable season approaching; players, coaches, and fans everywhere are gearing up to see how the Brophy Broncos’ upcoming season will look. 

Last season the Broncos started strong, proving many people wrong and opening the season with seven-straight wins. They went into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed but were upset by the 15 seed in the first round. The Broncos’ 2019 season didn’t end quite the way they had hoped, including several key player injuries. However, in the end, the team was still able to improve their overall record from the 2018 season of 7-4 to 8-3.

“It was tough how we finished it, that being said no one expected us to be 8 and 3 last year,” Head Coach Jason Jewell said. “Ultimately it never ends how anybody wants except for the one team that wins the state championship right, so that's what we need to look and work for.” 

Training for a 2020 state championship was a little harder for the Broncos this preseason because of the precautions that had to be made following COVID-19. The team is accustomed to starting up summer training, lifting and morning practices in June. The fact that they were just recently allowed fully back into the weight room has completely changed their conditioning period. 

The players were challenged to build their team virtually. Jewell held team building activities over Zoom in order to keep the players connected in an entertaining way. He also assigned small groups of players to senior leaders who were responsible for getting those teammates together for various activities.   

“When you play a team sport you have to build together,” Jewell said. “Not being able to be around each other and build that team camaraderie has been very difficult.”

The unusual preseason isn’t the only test the team will be facing this season. Last year, the Broncos graduated 30 seniors. Losing that many players would be a struggle for any team. Looking ahead, the Broncos’ lineup will feature some strong underclassmen and a smaller group of seniors that will still provide the team with leadership and a secure competitive nature.

Among that small pool of seniors, one name to remember is defensive end William Bastman. Bastman has been on the varsity football team at Brophy since his sophomore year and says he is more than ready to get back on the field and help lead his team to the playoffs. The Broncos are eager to win their first-round playoff match, something that the team has struggled with both years Bastman has played. 

“As a senior who began playing varsity in his sophomore year, I can say that our last two first-round losses in the playoffs have been very disheartening for all of the players that have been on our roster,” Bastman said. “Now that the responsibility to lead has been placed on all of our shoulders, I think that a change in mindset is gonna be necessary for our team this year. This year, we want to make it to the playoffs and win that first-round game.”

Sharing the field with Bastman are other big-name players like starting quarterback, Elijah Warner. Last season, Warner rotated field time with then-senior Matthew Winter, but was still able to produce impressive numbers. He threw for 647 yards and five touchdowns. Now that Winter has graduated, Warner will be taking the majority of the quarterback reps. Also on the starting roster is defensive lineman, Zac Swanson, and defensive leader Damercus Ellis-Dennard.

It's going to take the efforts of Bastman and every other player on the Brophy field to face their competition this season. The school moved into the 6A region which Jewell says is “one of the hardest regions in the state.” Within this region, the team will see some new and returning faces, but the natural rivalries will still exist. 

“I like how [the rivalries] bring out the enthusiasm in the fans because they change the environment with the energy they give,” Ellis-Dennard said. 

That energetic rivalry starts early this season with the Broncos’ first game against Notre Dame Prep, on Oct. 2. This matchup has been long-awaited because it is the first time in school history that these two teams will go head to head.

“Brophy players have been wanting this matchup for a while as a sort of a ‘Prep Bowl,'” Bastman said. “Of course, they've got a pretty skilled collection of players that we think are gonna provide a challenge as well. We're all ready to get back under those Friday night lights, and the fact that our first game back is so special makes it an even more enticing game.”