| BataviasBest.org
Monday, August 25, 2014
As they dive into their second week of practice, the Blue Devils seem excited as they keep one eye on the Livonia Bulldogs, who they will face the first week of the season. Batavia will showcase a revamped offensive attack during 2014, and hope that the work they have endured throughout the offseason will pay off.
Here is the Blue Devils’ full schedule for the 2014 season:
Friday, September 5 > Batavia at Livonia (2013 Livingston County Division 1 Champions)
Key Player Returning:
John Stockslader – 6’1″ 205 lbs OL/LB – Plays both ways at a high level. A season ago, Stockslader produced 69 tackles for the Bulldogs, which was good enough for second on the team.
Friday, September 12 > Wellsville at Batavia
Key Player Returning:
Rich Ewell – 6’4″ 196 lbs Senior WR/FS. Big two-way player with blazing speed. Ewell runs a 4.60 40-Yard Dash.
Friday, September 19 > Batavia at Hornell
Hornell won the Class C Regional Championship in 2012 and is always very good.
Friday, September 26 > Batavia at Dansville
Key Players Returning:
Evan Dieter – 6’1″ 200 lbs Senior RB. Dieter carried the ball a total of 78 times during 2013, and was able to accumulate 436 yards as well as 4 TD’s. He also played a huge part in Dansville’s success on defense, totaling 38 tackles.
Friday, October 3 > Geneva at Batavia
Sectional Champions in Class B a season ago. Geneva is always loaded with talent according to Batavia coach Brennan Briggs.
Friday, October 10 > Wayland-Cohocton (2013 Class C Sectional Champions) at Batavia
Way-Co lost plenty of firepower from a season ago while also losing a fantastic talent as Devon Harris transferred to Spencerport.
Friday, October 17 > Bath-Haverling at Batavia
Key Players Returning:
Michael Rice – 6’0″ 185 lbs Junior QB/DB. Rice went 34/80 during last season, accumulated 552 passing yards, and also threw for a total of eight touchdowns against just three interceptions. He also carried the ball 96 times for 509 yards and seven touchdowns.
Bruce Rinker – 5’8″ 195 lbs Senior RB/DB. Rinker carried the ball 111 times for 783 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns a season ago.
As you can see, Batavia’s schedule this year is far from the Monroe County league schedule of years past, but remains tough. As far as their Week 1 matchup with Livonia is concerned, Senior lineman Gunner Rapone said his team is particularly siked.
“We are beyond excited,” Rapone said last night. “I feel like having a tough, smash mouth opponent like Livonia as our first game is a great test for us. I also feel it will be sort of a barometer of how the season may go. We can only get better from that game.”
Aside from Livonia, Geneva also presents a tough challenge for the growing Batavia squad. The Panthers, who were Sectional Champions in 2013, have always put forth a talented squad in past years and will provide Batavia with a late-season test that will likely prepare them for Sectionals.
In the short term, the Blue Devils will be making the transition to a new offense that will likely present a few issues for the quarterback and offensive line. However, Batavia’s starting QB Greg Mruczek believes his time spent with HC Brennan Briggs has prepared him for this season.
“Coach Briggs has been very important to my development as a a quarterback,” Mruczek said. “He has put forth a lot of time and effort this past offseason working with me and has taught me everything I know about the game. Reading coverages, mechanics, how to be a positive leader for my team; everything I’ve ever learned about playing the position has come from him.”
Briggs, the former BHS quarterback during my days as the Varisty team’s water boy, has been under center on Friday nights and knows what it takes to succeed at the position. Mruczek is seemingly in good hands and time will tell how much success he will find this season.
“I think we have a solid core of players with deceiving experience at the varsity level,” Briggs said a few weeks ago. “We have the ability to turn some heads if we stay the course and stick to what we should be good at.”
Along with Mruczek’s transition into a new offense, the Batavia offensive line will also be called upon to piece it together as they go during the regular season. Despite their diligent work reviewing the offense countless amounts of times during the offseason, nothing can prepare a football team for an in-game situation, which they will experience versus Livonia on September 5th. However, the Blue Devils’ offensive front doesn’t seem to be shying away from the opportunity.
“This season we definitely have a much quicker offensive line,” Junior Center Noah Dobbertin said to BB on Sunday. “Everyone knows what they’re doing because we have been working on the plays the whole offseason with the coaches. We are still working out the kinks, and putting the whole thing together with the entire offense, but we are getting better everyday.”
The confidence of the BHS front five is a good sign for things to come, and the success of the OL will directly relate to not only the success of the quarterback, but the offense as a whole. Briggs seems confident in his unit’s ability to overcome the transition, though, as Rapone and Dobbertin join 2013 second-team all Monroe County Team selection Devon Koepp in the trenches.
Although individual play will be of high importance during Batavia’s 2014 season, it is the development of the team that will be the Devils’ top priority.
“If we are to succeed this year, I feel as if we need to play as one unit,” said Rapone. “We need to be one team working together for a common goal, and I believe that with the team that we have this year, we have the capability to get over the hump.”
The “hump” has been over 20 years of mediocre football on part of the Batavia High football program, and getting over that hump will surely be difficult, but it seems as if the 2014 Blue Devils are just the team to do it. Stay tuned all season long as Batavia’s Best will provide extended coverage of the Batavia High football program as they ‘Grind and Fight’ for greatness in 2014!
Other articles you may be interested in:
Batavia Football off and running with first practice of 2014 (Photos included)
Batavia Blue Devils Football Complete 2014 Schedule
Batavia Football Team Holds Annual 100 Days until Kickoff Party
