The Brentsville Varsity Tigers may be small, but they have a mighty ability to work together as a team.
The pride of Nokesville (2-0) will take on Warren County Wildcats (1-1) on Friday at home. The team will not only look to their fans to cheer them on but to their coaches, who they credit for bringing focus to a team that finished 2-8 last year.
The majority of the players on Brentsville’s varsity squad are new and smaller than average. Players on the team’s offensive line average 225 pounds.
“Athletically, we are inferior to most opponents we play,” said Brentsville Assistant Coach Mike Crosby, who is spending his second year with the team. “As a team, they are a better team than the opponents we play.”
Players hit the workout room hard during the offseason. Coaches installed a new offense that Crosby calls a good mix of running and passing.
“[Head Coach Ryan Smith has] taken a team with a losing record for a really long time and is turning a corner,” added Crosby.
Harry Bertrand is a 17-year-old senior, a team captain who plays both defensive and right tackle. This is the second of two year’s he’s been a starter.
“The attitude has completely changed this year. Hopefully we go 3-0 and not just 2-8,” he said. “Every team we play is bigger than us, so we know we have to play low and work hard inside the paint.”
This marks the third year on the varsity team for 16-year-old junior Zack Yates. He’s looking forward to running out of the tunnel Friday night onto his home field. He said players on this team are now working together better than ever before.
“The coaches have come in and changed everything around… they’re killing us out here,” he quipped.
Yates added the team racked up several penalties last week when they played Skyline High School, from Front Royal.
“We need to stop worrying about what’s going on the other side of the field…” said Yates.
The Brentsville Tigers will take the field at 7 p.m. in Nokesville. Look for live Tacketts Mill #FootballFriday coverage begins on Twitter (@PotomacLocal) and Potomac Local on Facebook.
