Blue Devils Preparing For New Season

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  • Photos by Flora Walters | The Cordell Beacon
    Photos by Flora Walters | The Cordell Beacon
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The 2020 football season will hold plenty of challenges, ones for which the Blue Devil football boys have worked all summer to prepare. Changes in the district alignments will bring fresh opponents and new learning opportunities. This season will be unlike any other.

With the practice season only halfway through and a number of fresh faces, much is still to be decided in regards to field positions. Head coach Zane Trammell is waiting to further evaluate his new players and decide what assignments will be best for the team. Many players will keep their positions, but the younger and first-time players are still finding their places on the field.

According to Trammell, the senior boys have stepped up to the leadership plate, encouraging their teammates to be the best versions of themselves. Seniors have been assisting with morning workout sessions, and boosting the team’s morale. The motivation to succeed is at an all time high. Trammell is excited to see all of the hard work the boys have put in pay off.

Trammell told The Beacon while the entire team has become much stronger, one Blue Devil player who has seen substantial improvement is senior lineman Gavin Jasmer. He comes to workouts with his teammates and also frequents the weight room for independent practice. Jasmer has been putting in a lot of time and effort toward being an agile and strong player. This improvement will show on the field this season, as he is expected to carry a heavy load for the team.

The season is scheduled to start and run as it usually would. There have been no modifications to equipment or playing style as of yet, and none are expected. The COVID pandemic, however has created its own challenges, including inconsistent and shortened workout schedules.

The Beacon spoke with two seniors about their thoughts on this summer, those challenges and the upcoming season.

Kicker Cameron Cochran said the team has improved a lot over the summer. The seniors are trying their best to push everyone to be the best athlete they can be, in an attempt to ensure a winning season. The team’s devotion to the sport shines through when it comes to dealing with these challenges, players have been attending Code Blue Crossfit or working out at home to stay fit.

Cochran told The Beacon, “Everyone is working hard, this pandemic makes it tougher, but we are still doing what needs to be done.”

For the first game of the season, the Blue Devils will be playing on the road against the Sayre Eagles. Senior Raydon Kuehne is confident in his team’s ability to start the season off strong.

“Win or lose, we are gonna go out there and bust our tails, we refuse to go down without a fight,” he said.

The boys can hardly wait to get back on the field, and show everyone what they have worked so hard to achieve.

Trammel is looking for the season opener to be a learning experience, not just for his players, but also for his coaching staff.

“We will find out all of our strengths and weaknesses in that game,” he said. “It was a close game with Sayre last year, I expect this year to be a similar experience.”

Some new teams will appear on this season’s schedule due to a district change. This will present brand new challenges and opportunities for the Blue Devil football team. The boys are excited to clash with some new faces this season. This change will spice this season up and keep things unpredictable.