New mentality taking root for Brashear after winless campaign

By: Nathan Breisinger
Friday, August 25, 2023 | 1:10 AM

A winless season was not on the menu last year for the Brashear Bulls, especially with a roster that boasted several key seniors. However, the Bulls came up empty in the victory column for just the second time in program history.

Even with a young group this time around, Bulls’ coach Andrew Moore knows his squad will not be in the same position it was in at the end of last season in large part due to a shifted mentality the coaching staff has noticed throughout the offseason.

“We have improved with our mentality,” Moore said. “There have been days where we participated in 7-on-7 leagues where we go 3-0 on the day, but our guys weren’t satisfied because they weren’t happy with the way that they played. Just get by isn’t enough. These guys are aware of their potential, and they don’t want to meet that, but exceed that.”

Not only was the fresh attitude apparent during game play, but Moore also saw a new sense of motivation from his group throughout camp.

“We don’t look forward to the end of practice,” Moore said. “Guys show up early every day. Even throughout camp, I found myself waking up earlier and earlier to make sure I was the first one there. We tell the kids not to arrive until 7:30, and it’s 6:50 and there’s four or five of them sitting out there waiting on me.”

Building off its summer workouts and with a new team psyche, the expectations are renewed for Brashear to play at a high level in the City League. More importantly, Moore has emphasized the need to be competitive in every game, something that rarely happened a year ago.

“Last season, there were only two games we participated in that the mercy rule was not enacted,” Moore said. “The expectation is I don’t care who we play, that’s not going to happen this year.”

For Brashear to be competitive this season, the Bulls will lean on returning senior quarterback Donovan Meadows.

Meadows transitioned as the Bulls’ signal caller last year and looks to improve his play this season.

“It was a new experience, and I was a little nervous,” Meadows said. “I have definitely improved on my awareness and going through my reads.”

Throughout the season, Meadows will dial it up to senior wide receivers Justin Washington and Dovea Drewery, who will be cemented as the No. 1 option in the Bulls’ passing game.

“Our receiving corps is really good, so expect big things from us this year,” Meadows said.

Defensively, senior Sean Peterson will anchor the linebacker unit, and on the defensive line, senior Eric Garcia is tabbed as the leader for a position group that will have a learning curve.

“We have a couple of young linemen who are inexperienced and may struggle early on, but these are guys that last season when they joined the team, we were worried about getting them coming back the next day,” Moore said. “Seeing those guys put the work in over the offseason and really earn the opportunity to be starters for us is exciting.”

Brashear will look to end its losing streak that has spanned back to October of 2021 as the Bulls open the season with the “Battle of 51” against Baldwin on Friday.

Brashear

Coach: Andrew Moore

2022 record: 0-8, 0-4

All-time record: 262-198-8

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.25, at Baldwin, 7

9.1, Wheeling Park, 7

9.8, Butler, 7

9.15, Carrick, 7:30

9.22, at Perry*, 7:30

9.28, at Allderdice*, 7

10.6, at University Prep*, 7

10.12, Westinghouse*, 7

*Conference game

FAST FACTS

• Brashear finished 0-8 overall and 0-4 in the City League to post its first winless campaign since 1995.

• Since Brashear’s inception, the Bulls have the second most City League championships in that time frame with 11.

• Donovan Meadows is the nephew of former NFL lineman and Brashear alum John Wetzel.

Tags: Brashear