#HSFT21 Stop #14 Bruce Trojans

BRUCE, Miss. (WCBI) – “We’re coming back!” head coach Jamaal Jackson said. “It’s been null in the void over the years. Slowly but surely, we’re coming back.”

The Bruce Trojans are in pursuit of the success the program once had over the years. Unfortunately, the Trojans haven’t had a winning season since 2013, but head coach Jamaal Jackson hopes to change that. In 2020, Bruce finished with a 2-8 record.

“We didn’t get a chance to put everything in we wanted to last year,” Jackson said. “We were on the fly because we didn’t have much time. This year we can make adjustments. That mental aspect of the game is the biggest part. If we can lock that down, we’ll be good.”

“Gotta have work,” junior linebacker and halfback Easton Cain said. “Gotta have toughness. Wide receivers are getting faster and learning. It’s come a long way, especially this past year. We didn’t get to get a lot of work in because of COVID. It’s helped having this off-season and summer to learn.”

The offensive line has been working hard over the summer to get stronger. The Trojans return one of the bigger linemen groups they’ve had in years. They look to set the tone on the line of scrimmage.

“That’s where the games are won,” Jackson said. “The games are won and lost up front. I have a bunch of young linemen. They’ve been working. I think we’ll be pretty good. If they can hold up for a little while and keep my quarterback up and make some holes for my running back, we’ll be OK.”

“It starts with the offensive line,” Cain explained. “Most people don’t really acknowledge that, especially the fans. They don’t really notice that. All around that’s where it starts. I think they have grown mentally and physically. They are smarter. That’s what it really comes down to.”

Bruce is replacing six seniors who started last season. However, the Trojans return a junior class with playing experience. Now, the goal is to turn that experience into confidence on the field.

“You can’t make up a solution for the game-time experience,” Jackson said. “You got to have that game-time experience. They already know the nerves will be there. They are still there for me and I’m not even playing. At the same time, they know what to expect. They know what’s coming. Once the contact hit, how do you respond? It’s always how you respond.”

“We have juniors coming up with the seniors,” Cain said. “So the young guys are learning from the seniors. I think learning from everybody else is where we need to be and what needs to happen.”