SONORA, TX-- Anticipation for the 2018 football season is high in Sonora, extremely high.
The Broncos return 17 total starters from their 12-1 season in 2017. With those numbers, it’s easy to see why fans believe this is their year to win their first state championship since 2000 when current Refugio head coach Jason Herring held the post.
“If our start...has been any indication of our season, it’s going to be exciting,” said second year head coach Jeff Cordell. “We actually feel, as a staff, that we are better and further along than we were last year. It helps having a full year of a new offense and a full year of a new defense under your belt.”
That experience, in Cordell’s eyes, is invaluable to the Bronco’s push in 2018.
Arguably the biggest loss from graduation was quarterback Kaden Cordell. However, the Bronco staff feel that senior Brian Van Winkle will fill the starting role well this year.
“He’s done an amazing job,” Cordell said. “It also helps when you have people around him that are very talented. Brian saw some action last year in several ballgames. So, it’s not like he never stepped on the field.”
Adding to Van Winkle’s experience from the 2017 was a summer of 7-on-7 with his teammates that ended in the State Tournament in College Station.
“People think 7-on-7 isn’t good and some people think it is good,” Cordell said. “What he did in 7-on-7 and the chemistry he built with his receiver...them knowing he can play the position is huge for us.”
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While Van Winkle will direct the offense on the field, a quarterback in a spread offense can only go as far as his receiving corps. With the likes of Wesley Dutton, Willie B. Munoz and most of the 2017 receivers back, it appears the Broncos can go pretty far.
“Obviously, if you don’t have a receiving corps to operate a spread offense, you have to change what you’re doing,” Cordell said. “We’re very fortunate here in Sonora to have some kids who can go. Not only can they go, they can catch the ball. They understand reading defenses and finding green grass and we’re fast. We have some guys who made it to the state track meet last year. They’re suited up in pads and that helps spread the field a little bit.”
Cordell feels the Broncos are “complete across the board,” that includes the sizeable and more experienced offensive line.
“Last year, there was a lot of learning curve because we were putting in a new system,” Cordell said. “These guys said ‘Hey, I remember this stuff from last year.’ So, now, we can fine tune the fundamental aspect of it and there’s not a whole lot of teaching. In the four years I’ve been here, this may be one of the best lines we’ve had.”
Cordell says his line is “long, tall and strong,” which is cause for excitement among the coaching staff.
When comparing preseason schedules, it’s noticeable the Broncos are looking to build on their experience with quality opponents. They’ll face Ozona, Lamesa, no. 3 Mason, no. 14 Wall and Burnet before district play. Ozona, Mason and Wall were playoff teams last year, while Lamesa and Burnet are Class 4A teams.
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“You know, the expectation here in Sonora is to win a state championship,” Cordell said. “I think in the non-district schedule you’ve got to prepare yourself for that deep playoff run...That’s a gauntlet for a schedule, but I think, in the long run, it’s going to prepare us for a tough district race, but, more importantly, a long run hopefully to that state title game.”
Much like Houston Guy, his counterpart at Wall, Cordell is happy to renew the Sonora-Wall rivalry after nearly three years.
“It’s great for both communities,” Cordell said. “Coach Guy does a great job with that staff over there. I know they’re losing a lot of guys and don’t have a whole lot of returning starters back, but when you do that from the system they run from middle school up to high school, all they do is replace somebody. It’s sort of like here in Sonora; we don’t rebuild, we reload. It’s the same thing with the Wall Hawks. It’s great not just for both football programs, but both communities.”
Cordell added he believed Sonora hadn’t beat Wall since 2000, the last time Sonora won a state championship.
The Broncos open up the 2018 campaign on the road against Ozona on Aug. 31.
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