Q&A with Springfield Central coach Valdamar Brower
Once again, as the Division 3 West playoffs start, top-seeded Springfield Central enters as the favorite to represent the section in the state semifinals.
The Golden Eagles are 7-1, with the lone defeat coming on opening night to Lincoln-Sudbury. Since then, Central has been basically unstoppable, with a 61-34 win over St. John's of Shrewsbury the second week highlighting the run.
As Central prepares to face Chicopee Comp this weekend in a rematch of a game the Golden Eagles won, 67-7, earlier this season, we caught up with their coach, Valdamar Brower, on his season to date, his players, and what lies ahead.
Here is an edited version of that conversation.
MassVarsity: So the last time I talked to you was after the Lincoln-Sudbury game. That was obviously a tough night for you guys, but the next week you turned around and beat a very good St. John's team. What was that like in terms of boosting your team's confidence the rest of the season?
VB: That was a great night. We watched the film and saw a lot of things we wanted to improve on. I think for our team and our coaching staff, we knew the work we had to do and put in to improve. I think that was a real inspirational thing for the city of Springfield. That energy has been very positive to our football program. We've got to approach every day as a new day and new opponent as a challenge, and don't forget those Lincoln-Sudbury night feelings we felt after the game. But the energy and the love from the city of Springfield and our staff at Central has been great in support. And the kids have focused on approaching it day-by-day, and we're focused on Chicopee Comp right now.
MV: Did that experience validate what you do as a program, because you "schedule up" so much?
VB: I'm not sure, to be honest with you. My head's a little different now. I'm so caught up in Chicopee Comp. That's some program stuff, things I think about in the offseason. Right now, I'm just thinking about Chicopee Comp's offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff, meetings that we've got, adjusting our lifting schedule. So validating schedule making, the bottom line is we want to play anybody. We want to have a complete schedule. We don't want to have any bye weeks. We want to play the best opponent we can have. If we have no option of scheduling an opponent, we'll play whatever we can play. I don't know if that answers your question . . .
MV: It does.
VB: That's kind of my mindset right now.
MV: It seems like you guys have so many weapons on both sides of the ball. Offensively, who have been the guys that have stepped up the most this season for you?
VB: The offensive line as a unit has gotten a lot better. Coach (Rich) Williams with the O-line, they've been improving every day. Quarterback, Mahari Miller and Isaac Boston, they're talented and competing every single day, which is a good thing for our team just because we want the spirit of competition throughout the team every single day. It doesn't matter the month. So that's been great for our team, and the way those guys have worked together and supported each other has been awesome. The same thing with the running back position with Jordan Lowery, Kwame Kyles, Leon Danh, and Marcus Crawford. Those guys are all competing every single day in practice and in the weight room. And then wide receiver, Myles Bradley is one of our captains. He's led by example in the past. He's become more of a vocal leader. Rock-star student. He's just a man-child. And the other guys at wide receiver have been competing. Cqari Bacote has made big plays on special teams, and he just runs with a certain kind of hunger. He was ineligible his sophomore year, so I think he's making up for lost time, which is something only certain individuals who are out of the game for a year can come up with and experience. He's doing it, and he's made up for lost time, and he's running like an animal. You've got to appreciate that.
MV: Defensively, I know in that Lincoln-Sudbury game you gave up a lot of third-and-longs. What have you guys been doing right since then?
VB: Lincoln-Sudbury's a great team, so the experience of coaching against them made our defensive staff better. We've just been consistently working, and the kids have been consistently working. When you're playing a team like Lincoln-Sudbury as a first week opponent, it's a great test of where you're at, where you're currently at, and where you want to get to. That's why you have to pay attention to details and find a way to get better every single day.
MV: Who are some of the guys on defense who have been particularly good for you? I know you haven't given up a lot of points at all lately since those first two weeks.
VB: Keshaun Dancy. He's one of our captains, defensive backfield, leads by example. He's more vocal with the guys on an individual basis defensively. Great leader, great, rock-star student. Trey Cavaan, Elijah Ayers, Jacquez Johnson in the secondary, those guys are all putting the work in and working on their communication as a defensive backfield unit. Middle linebacker-wise, Cori Jackson, he was our defensive scout player of the year as a sophomore. Now he's a junior. He's playing fast and playing tough. Outside linebacker, Dante Bolden has just come to work every single day and been very, very productive. He's just been a solid player every single day, no matter the weather, no matter the opponent. He's probably been the most consistent. Defensive line-wise, we've got a rotation of guys. Tyson Thornton has been playing some defensive line, he's been playing some outside linebacker. Terry Lockette has been wise beyond his years as a sophomore on the field with his football IQ and his work ethic. Then, some other seniors that have been pouring their heart out every single day and enjoy playing.
MV: When I went out to Holyoke towards the end of the summer to watch the 7-on-7, it seemed like there was a really good sense of camaraderie with this team. Do you feel that's the case, and do you feel that has built over the course of the season?
VB: Ah, 7-on-7. Seven-on-seven is a great time for the kids to get together in the summer, in the late spring, and run around. So, yeah, there were some relationships built there, some communication things built there. Obviously, with not being able to coach them and being restricted to MIAA rules and that stuff, they develop habits on their own. Obviously, the positive of it is the camaraderie of it. So, 7-on-7 and me, it is what it is, you know? It's good for the kids. They're staying out of trouble and being together. It has a lot of value, but 7-on-7 is 7-on-7, you know? It should be its own sport.
MV: Obviously, you guys want to take that next step and make it to the state title game. Is it something that gets talked about during the week, or do you just have to make sure the kids stay focused on the smaller things?
VB: We are just focused all on Chicopee Comp: offense, defense, special teams, their coaching staff, their personnel. Tomorrow, every day starts at zero. We want to make sure our guys get to school on time. We want them to do their homework, be good school citizens. And then practice time after school, want guys to be dressed, ready to go out there, execute the practice plan as coaches, and fly around, and be ready. So everything starts at zero. So the focus is only on Chicopee Comp. And with Wednesday, being done with our team, I know some guys need to watch some Hudl. We've got a meeting in the morning before school, and we want to get to as close to 100 as possible tomorrow. Every day starts at zero, so tomorrow, let's focus on tomorrow. Let's focus on Chicopee Comp.
The Golden Eagles are 7-1, with the lone defeat coming on opening night to Lincoln-Sudbury. Since then, Central has been basically unstoppable, with a 61-34 win over St. John's of Shrewsbury the second week highlighting the run.
As Central prepares to face Chicopee Comp this weekend in a rematch of a game the Golden Eagles won, 67-7, earlier this season, we caught up with their coach, Valdamar Brower, on his season to date, his players, and what lies ahead.
Here is an edited version of that conversation.
MassVarsity: So the last time I talked to you was after the Lincoln-Sudbury game. That was obviously a tough night for you guys, but the next week you turned around and beat a very good St. John's team. What was that like in terms of boosting your team's confidence the rest of the season?
VB: That was a great night. We watched the film and saw a lot of things we wanted to improve on. I think for our team and our coaching staff, we knew the work we had to do and put in to improve. I think that was a real inspirational thing for the city of Springfield. That energy has been very positive to our football program. We've got to approach every day as a new day and new opponent as a challenge, and don't forget those Lincoln-Sudbury night feelings we felt after the game. But the energy and the love from the city of Springfield and our staff at Central has been great in support. And the kids have focused on approaching it day-by-day, and we're focused on Chicopee Comp right now.
MV: Did that experience validate what you do as a program, because you "schedule up" so much?
VB: I'm not sure, to be honest with you. My head's a little different now. I'm so caught up in Chicopee Comp. That's some program stuff, things I think about in the offseason. Right now, I'm just thinking about Chicopee Comp's offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff, meetings that we've got, adjusting our lifting schedule. So validating schedule making, the bottom line is we want to play anybody. We want to have a complete schedule. We don't want to have any bye weeks. We want to play the best opponent we can have. If we have no option of scheduling an opponent, we'll play whatever we can play. I don't know if that answers your question . . .
MV: It does.
VB: That's kind of my mindset right now.
MV: It seems like you guys have so many weapons on both sides of the ball. Offensively, who have been the guys that have stepped up the most this season for you?
VB: The offensive line as a unit has gotten a lot better. Coach (Rich) Williams with the O-line, they've been improving every day. Quarterback, Mahari Miller and Isaac Boston, they're talented and competing every single day, which is a good thing for our team just because we want the spirit of competition throughout the team every single day. It doesn't matter the month. So that's been great for our team, and the way those guys have worked together and supported each other has been awesome. The same thing with the running back position with Jordan Lowery, Kwame Kyles, Leon Danh, and Marcus Crawford. Those guys are all competing every single day in practice and in the weight room. And then wide receiver, Myles Bradley is one of our captains. He's led by example in the past. He's become more of a vocal leader. Rock-star student. He's just a man-child. And the other guys at wide receiver have been competing. Cqari Bacote has made big plays on special teams, and he just runs with a certain kind of hunger. He was ineligible his sophomore year, so I think he's making up for lost time, which is something only certain individuals who are out of the game for a year can come up with and experience. He's doing it, and he's made up for lost time, and he's running like an animal. You've got to appreciate that.
MV: Defensively, I know in that Lincoln-Sudbury game you gave up a lot of third-and-longs. What have you guys been doing right since then?
VB: Lincoln-Sudbury's a great team, so the experience of coaching against them made our defensive staff better. We've just been consistently working, and the kids have been consistently working. When you're playing a team like Lincoln-Sudbury as a first week opponent, it's a great test of where you're at, where you're currently at, and where you want to get to. That's why you have to pay attention to details and find a way to get better every single day.
MV: Who are some of the guys on defense who have been particularly good for you? I know you haven't given up a lot of points at all lately since those first two weeks.
VB: Keshaun Dancy. He's one of our captains, defensive backfield, leads by example. He's more vocal with the guys on an individual basis defensively. Great leader, great, rock-star student. Trey Cavaan, Elijah Ayers, Jacquez Johnson in the secondary, those guys are all putting the work in and working on their communication as a defensive backfield unit. Middle linebacker-wise, Cori Jackson, he was our defensive scout player of the year as a sophomore. Now he's a junior. He's playing fast and playing tough. Outside linebacker, Dante Bolden has just come to work every single day and been very, very productive. He's just been a solid player every single day, no matter the weather, no matter the opponent. He's probably been the most consistent. Defensive line-wise, we've got a rotation of guys. Tyson Thornton has been playing some defensive line, he's been playing some outside linebacker. Terry Lockette has been wise beyond his years as a sophomore on the field with his football IQ and his work ethic. Then, some other seniors that have been pouring their heart out every single day and enjoy playing.
MV: When I went out to Holyoke towards the end of the summer to watch the 7-on-7, it seemed like there was a really good sense of camaraderie with this team. Do you feel that's the case, and do you feel that has built over the course of the season?
VB: Ah, 7-on-7. Seven-on-seven is a great time for the kids to get together in the summer, in the late spring, and run around. So, yeah, there were some relationships built there, some communication things built there. Obviously, with not being able to coach them and being restricted to MIAA rules and that stuff, they develop habits on their own. Obviously, the positive of it is the camaraderie of it. So, 7-on-7 and me, it is what it is, you know? It's good for the kids. They're staying out of trouble and being together. It has a lot of value, but 7-on-7 is 7-on-7, you know? It should be its own sport.
MV: Obviously, you guys want to take that next step and make it to the state title game. Is it something that gets talked about during the week, or do you just have to make sure the kids stay focused on the smaller things?
VB: We are just focused all on Chicopee Comp: offense, defense, special teams, their coaching staff, their personnel. Tomorrow, every day starts at zero. We want to make sure our guys get to school on time. We want them to do their homework, be good school citizens. And then practice time after school, want guys to be dressed, ready to go out there, execute the practice plan as coaches, and fly around, and be ready. So everything starts at zero. So the focus is only on Chicopee Comp. And with Wednesday, being done with our team, I know some guys need to watch some Hudl. We've got a meeting in the morning before school, and we want to get to as close to 100 as possible tomorrow. Every day starts at zero, so tomorrow, let's focus on tomorrow. Let's focus on Chicopee Comp.
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