DE PERE (NBC 26) — High school football season is almost here, and the De Pere Redbirds are already getting to work.
Head Coach Ben Strickland said every year brings new challenges, but he’s excited to be putting the pieces together.
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Strickland said the Redbirds have offensive playmakers along with rising juniors making an impact on defense. But his emphasis is on putting the team before individual accolades.
“We just got a good culture of kids that work together, and I think just teaching our guys that at the high school level, especially, togetherness and culture can overcome any slight talent gap,” Strickland said.
Senior receiver Sam Robb agreed, saying that even with a new-look roster, the bonds between teammates will set this year’s squad apart.
“Losing a lot of guys is going to be a lot different. And we're a lot smaller this year. So just the heart that we play with is going to be huge. And the team connection. I think the connection we have as a team is pretty special. I think we're getting a lot closer, and we just trust each other a ton,” Robb said.
Last season, De Pere went 7-4, falling in Level 2 of the playoffs. While the outcome wasn’t what they wanted, Strickland said many games came down to a few key moments — including a two-point loss to eventual state champion Bay Port — and that’s why he’s stressing mental sharpness this year.
“A couple of the games last year were close games against really quality opponents. And I think just getting our kids to believe that one, two plays away, sometimes that makes a difference. And trying to build that mindset — you know, of consistency and discipline throughout the offseason into this year,” he said.
With joint practices against Kaukauna and Kimberly and scrimmages with Appleton North and Stevens Point, Strickland said the team is preparing for the high level of competition they will face.
“You know, our guys being able to get what we could on tape, you know, really taking that, learning from it, you know, building from the things that maybe we didn't feel did so well and growing. And then from the things that we did do well, right, building momentum off of that,” Strickland said.
The Redbirds open the season on the road at Notre Dame.
