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Bryn there, done that
The West Springfield football team had a season for the ages in 2007, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1993 and advancing to the Northern Region title game before falling to eventual Division 6 state champion Westfield. It would seem difficult for the Spartans to enjoy the same success as a year ago, but coach Bill Renner and Co. are planning on being even better in 2008.With 16 starters (eight offense, eight defense) returning from last year's squad, West Springfield has the experience and the confidence to battle for the region championship once again.
“I'm feeling really good,” said Renner's son Bryn, a senior who enters his second season as the Spartans' starting quarterback. “We've got a lot of players coming back. We're veterans now. We know what it's about.”
Added coach Renner, “The big thing is, they're experienced. We started out a lot farther ahead than we have in the past. The guys are bigger, stronger, they run better. They understand what to do. We're excited about having them back as a group.”
West Springfield was known for its offensive firepower last season, averaging 35.5 points per game and recording its 10 victories by an average of 16.2 points. The Spartans return senior running back Brandon Bailey and senior wideouts Andy Stallings and Tucker Tobin, and though they lost receiver Josh Vallejos and place kicker extraordinaire Tyler Bitancurt to graduation, the Spartans promise to be just as explosive thanks in large part to Bryn's right arm.
After catching passes from the University of Virginia's Peter Lalich as a sophomore, Bryn moved under center last season. All he did was pass for 2,749 yards and 32 touchdowns, while adding 10 scores with his legs.
“The game has slowed down tremendously,” said Bryn – a North Carolina recruit – of having a season of experience under his helmet. “Last year, I was just winging it. Now I know where the defenses are. I can read that more. When the play breaks down, I know where to go with the ball.”
Coach Renner has seen a marked improvement in his son, who attended the prestigious Elite-11 quarterback camp in July.
"As it went on last year, [Bryn] was able to get more creative and improvise and make plays if people had taken something away," he said. "I see that right from the beginning. He's got a real good knowledge of what the plays are, and he's very comfortable with that."
The key for West Springfield this season will surely be whether its defense can stop the opposition, and coach Renner has seen improvement on that side of the ball as well. The Spartans lost their entire secondary from a year ago but return the whole defensive line and linebacking corps. All-Region lineman John Lockwood leads the experienced group.
"I think they may be the story of the season for us," coach Renner said of his defense. "We have a lot of experience coming back. This will be their second full year in the system that we're running. We've seen them play really well and execute really well [in the preseason]."
To win a second straight Patriot District championship, West Springfield will have to get through some stiff competition. Senior quarterback Cason Kynes returns to Annandale, while the junior combination of QB Anton McCallum and receiver Nazrul Islam make Hayfield a dangerous team. Lake Braddock and West Potomac both reached the playoffs last season, as did South County, which returns running back Eric Dorsey and defensive back Karlos Morgan, and Lee, which will employ the triple option with quarterback Greg Lopez and running back Jazmier Williams.
"The one thing I know is there's good coaches in our district who like to coach football," coach Renner said. "That always makes it very competitive."
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