[tps_title]Central Bucks West Bucks [/tps_title]
Promising offseason has Bucks looking up
Central Bucks West is coming off a tremendous offseason and is looking forward to Week One.
“We’re just trying to get better every day,” coach Rob Rowan said. “It’s important that we’re trying to stay healthy as well so we’re right where we need to be heading into (the first game).”
The Bucks have new turf practice fields, which should come in awfully handy in the dog days of November when rain and snow can force some teams indoors, and they also have a healthy attitude heading towards the regular season.
The offense should feature some pretty good balance.
“We like what we’ve got,” Rowan said. “We have a couple playmakers. We wanna spread the ball around a little bit and try to be balanced in our approach. We’re always trying to maintain that nice balance between the running game and the passing game.
“We feel good about the guys that we have and we just gotta keep getting better.”
The defense is getting there.
“Defense is a work in progress,” Rowan said. “To me, that kinda comes a little behind the offensive nature, due to the speed of the game and adjusting to that. So we’re a work in progress right now and just trying to focus on the fundamentals.
“Special teams, especially in camp, is a major focus,” he said. “It’s a huge part of the game and you can win or lose ballgames on special teams. So it’s a major focus, something that we work on every single day. And again, it just comes down to fundamentals.”
The Bucks made strides last season and are ready to take a few more steps forward.
“I can’t wait. You’re always excited for a new year of football but I’m excited with the guys we have and excited to go to war with them,” said quarterback Jack Neri.
Neri is part of a solid group of seniors that the Bucks have heading into the season. They like the direction the team is heading in.
“Our coaches have done a great job preparing us for the season,” he said. “They have put us in all the right spots and we just gotta execute to succeed.”
The Bucks open up on the road at Hatboro-Horsham, then head to Council Rock South before coming back home to face Quakertown in what has developed into a nice rivalry game the last few seasons.
West then hosts Central Bucks South, going full tilt into the Suburban One League Continental Conference portion of its schedule.
Preparation and overall team unity could be big for West this year.
“It’s football. You just gotta have fun. You gotta put in the work if you wanna be successful,” Neri said. “But I think we’re definitely ready. We’re gonna give everything we got. Games are won on the field but they’re also won in the offseason as well.”
OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH
Jack Fallon, Fullback >> The 6-foot-1 senior gives the Bucks some power in the running game and should be tough to bring down. He also provides versatility as a pass catcher and blocker and should be a key component as West tries to keep opposing defenses honest against the run and pass.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH
Tristan Hulme, Linebacker >> The 210-pound senior helps anchor the defense and gives it stability as some younger guys begin to settle in. Hulme can cover a lot of ground and brings a high level of intensity to every play.
By Ed Morlock; emorlock@21st-centurymedia.com
