#HSFT21 Stop #28 – Aberdeen Bulldogs

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – After a rough 2020, this season has the chance to be a good one for the Aberdeen Bulldogs. Last season, the Bulldogs had a 1-8 record losing two games by single digits. The goal now is to turn those close losses into wins.

“We just have to have some things go our way,” head coach Alex Williams said. “I thought we had a few close games last season. We just couldn’t finish them off, so I think we’ll be able to overcome that this year.”

“We have to be big this year,” senior wide receiver and safety T.J. Fields said. “We have a lot of underclassmen that are playing a lot but a couple of seniors that can do big things.”

The majority of the offensive and defensive starters are back! However, Aberdeen’s senior class will have to step up to lead this team. With years of experience, they are confident they can do so.

“A lot of us have been playing since freshmen,” Fields said. “We have a lot of experience. We have a lot of upperclassmen playing this year. They’ve been starting since freshmen, so it’s helping us build.”

“Everybody knows when another person is tired,” senior defensive end and tight end Jenari Bell said. “With our receivers and quarterback, they know exactly when to throw the ball. The quarterback knows when they will break off on the routes. So I think it’ll work out good.”

“We’re going to lean on their experience,” Williams said. “A lot of our juniors have gotten game experience as well. You don’t play the game for moral victories, but you have to learn from the losses, and that’s what we plan on doing.”

The seniors on the team believe the chemistry they have developed together will prove crucial in their success.

“We’ve been playing together since seventh grade,” Bell said. “We have a lot of chemistry. We work hard and lead.”

“We already know how to play with each other,” Fields said. “This year we have to push forward and win a lot more games.”

Change within a program starts with the older guys setting the tone for the rest of the team to follow. Coach Williams believes the upperclassmen are doing just that.

“They definitely have been leading by example,” Williams said. “First ones at workouts and last ones to leave. They have been trying to pull everything together.”