Football season is in full swing, the team is on its A game, and the school spirit is through the roof, but despite the challenges the team has faced so far, the Battlin’ Bears are more focused than ever. 

Despite a rain delay in the first quarter on Thursday night, the Bears had a big season opener with a 35-0 win over the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks last week. A touchdown within three minutes of the first quarter by senior quarterback Dean Reynolds instantly put the Bears on top. 

The Bears are looking to gain another victory when they play West Orange-Stark at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Larry Ward Stadium in Bridge City. 

According to offensive line coach Chris Coats, despite losing the class of 2022, the team is staying strong and facing every obstacle one day at a time. 

“In order to make up the difference from losing last year’s seniors, this year the boys are taking ownership of the team,” Coats said. “It started after the last game of the ’21-’22 season when off-season officially began. Each phase of the off-season challenged them, and they came together and met those challenges as a team.” 

Coats said keeping a routine and being consistent is the key to achieving the goals the team has set for this year. 

“We plan to reach our team goals by being consistent with the goals we have set and in how we achieve them,” Coats said. “This process started last December and has continued throughout the spring and summer. The players understand and have embraced the idea of being consistent. As coaches we have to do our job of keeping the players focused every day.”