Football Preview: Bear River is fast, focused and ready to compete

Sometimes all a team needs to make a deep run is a spark and despite graduating 20 seniors from a season ago, Bear River is ready to ignite. The Bruins will have a new look this fall as alum Jeremy Kerr takes over the program in hopes of returning the team to its glory days. Kerr says that he likes what he has seen from his young team so far this season and he believes that if they can keep the momentum, they can compete in a deep Pioneer Valley League this season. "These coaches on the staff have completely bought in and because they went 100% in, now the kids are 100% in and it's awesome to see," said Kerr. "When the coaches lead forward, the kids just follow behind and we still have a long way to go but they have been great so far." Kerr is familiar with the program, having served as an assistant coach and JV coach previously with the Bruins. He brings a traditional Bear River brand of football to the program but also a unique offense that blends the minds of some of his coaching mentors in Joey Montoya at Placer and Chris Bean at Twelve Bridges. Kerr emphasizes pace of play and hopes to wear teams down by pushing the tempo offensively. He believes that this year's team is ready to take the league by storm and notes that although the Bruins lost some talent from last season, that this group can pick up where they left off. "We're excited to build on the success of last year and continue the proud tradition that's been part of this program for decades," said Kerr. "Our team is eager to put its own unique mark on Bear River football this season." One of the returning players on this year's team is junior quarterback Jayden Brock, who is ready to lead this team in a new way this season. Brock threw for nine touchdowns and ran for two last season as a sophomore, and he believes he is poised to break out in a big way with a year of varsity experience at his disposal. "I'm actually a lot more confident this year. Last year, I was kind of the younger kid with all the seniors and I really didn't have too much of the say. I felt like I was the quarterback but everybody else kind of controlled the team," said Brock. "This season, so far, I've kind of turned it into my team and I've found my voice. I run my offense and I speak up with the team." Brock said that he took it upon himself to work on his confidence and step into a leadership role, noting that as a starting quarterback he has to be an example both on the field and in the community. Kerr has high hopes for Brock, especially after coaching him as a freshman on the junior varsity team two years ago. "He could run the ball and he could pass the ball and he really stood out to me right away," Kerr said of Brock. "Last year when he became a varsity player as a sophomore, he didn't look like a JV player playing varsity. He's learning and he's trying to get better every single day. He's one of our better leaders this year for sure." Kerr also has high expectations for junior lineman Jason Kinney, who will start both ways this season. As a sophomore Kinney had 48 tackles and four sacks, and Kerr expects him to break out even more as the anchor of the defensive line. Kerr added that with so many new starters on this year's team, he feels there are several players that can have a breakout season and he says that there are many spots still up for grabs ahead of the season opener against Truckee. Said Kerr, "We expect several new names to emerge, but we won't truly know who those impact players are until the games begin. We're excited about the potential across the board. That said, I want to recognize the guys who rarely get their names in the paper. Our offensive and defensive linemen and our scout team players. They're the foundation of everything we do. We can't be a great team without them, even if they don't always get the recognition."