With nearly 50 players out for football again this season, you can look for the Barnum Bombers to be very competitive again in Section 7A and in the Polar League.
"We have a strong group of upperclassmen and 25 sophomores and freshman on the team this year," said Bomber coach Kevin Haley.
The Bombers will rely on some tried and true players to lead them again this season. Seniors Kris Adams, Dylan Eggen, Josh Earlywine, Kyle Grimm, Donny Lund, Alex Laurent and Alex Johnson lead a strong group of upperclassmen on the team. The junior class is also strong with Kyle Duesler, Adam Henninger, Korey Papke, Frankie Barrios, Ray Jobe and Erik Johnson all expecting to play lead roles.
"Our keys to success will be staying healthy and building an offensive and defensive line," mentioned Haley. "With some upcoming juniors and seniors filling those positions, we have some talented and athletic players."
The Bombers were 9-3 last season and won the Polar League A Division. The conference title was their third in a row and then Barnum defeated Cook County in the Section 7A title game before losing to Wabasso in the state quarterfinals.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We also have to be very consistent this year," explained Haley. "We have to focus on keeping the ball, reducing turnovers and penalties, and running a solid defense."
The defense has been very solid the past couple of years since the arrival of defensive coordinator Kevin Szczyrbak.
Haley is not happy with the status quo, however, and is instituting some new offensive sets that will make the team a little more balanced on that side of the ball.
"These first couple of weeks we are working on conditioning and getting the kids in football shape," commented Haley. "We will also review our base offense and defense and build those new offensive sets."
