Broncs reload with young squad

PARKER – Broncs head coach Jeff Spiwak doesn’t hesitate to say that his varsity football team is young. Very young. And they’ve had to learn not one but two new systems in just three weeks of work.

“But I couldn’t be happier with the kids’ learning curve,” Spiwak said. “I think we’re going to be competitive.”

The Parker High School varsity football team will find out tonight, when they travel to Eloy to open the season against the Santa Cruz Valley Union Dust Devils.

“We’re not where we need to be, not so soon into a new system, but we feel we can compete every game,” Spiwak said.

The Broncs are returning just seven seniors, putting juniors and sophomores into leadership positions. Like junior quarterback Sean Golding.

“There’s no pressure right now,” Golding said. “I’m just going to go out and do the best that I can.”

Spiwak said his QB is showing the work ethic the coaching staff is impressing on the rest of the team – to go out and leave it all on the field.

“That’s our struggle right now, to teach the intensity and work ethic, to be mentally focused,” Spiwak said. “And with some of the young guys, who played as a freshman or a sophomore last year, we’re asking them to step up and be leaders.”

Those leaders are also being asked to do double – and sometimes triple – duty. Like Gabriel Salazar who is starting at running back, free safety on defense and returning kicks and punts.

Spiwak said defensive line is the team’s strength coming out of training camp, with the bulk of the returnees – and size – lining up over the ball. Team speed, normally a hallmark of a Parker Broncs team, is a bit down this year. So the coaching staff is preaching execution as the way to get around speedier teams.

‘What we’re preaching to the guys, what they see from the leaders on the team, is that you take personal responsibility and the result is a team effort,” Spiwak said.

The Broncs will know early how the team responds to adversity. Parker opens the season with four road games in a row, in Eloy tonight followed by Palo Verde High School in Blythe next week, Yuma Catholic and South Pointe High School in Phoenix.

The Broncs first home game of the season will be Sept. 26 against Chino Valley.

You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.

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