WITH THE POSTSEASON GETTING UNDERWAY I WAS ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH A GROUP OF CODY BRONCS PLAYERS THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS THE “GOLD COUNCIL” AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT WHAT WIN IN THE DARK MEANS, WHAT IS CODY BRONC FOOTBALL AND MORE. HERE IS THAT STORY.
“WIN WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING. YOU KNOW IT’S EASY TO WIN WHEN YOU’RE OUT ON THE STADIUM UNDER THE LIGHTS. IT’S HARDER TO WIN WHEN YOU’RE IN THE WEIGHT ROOM AND NO ONE’S WATCHING. THAT JUST MEANS TO US, EVERYTHING THAT WE LIVE BY. YOU KNOW THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO DO AT ALL TIMES. SO THAT’S HOW WE LIVE.”
HUNTER HAY’S ON THE CODY BRONCS MOTTO WIN IN THE DARK. THAT HAS BEEN THE SLOGAN FOR THE TEAM ALL SEASON LONG. FROM BEING THE FIRST ONE’S ON THE FIELD IN CLASS 3A, BACK IN AUGUST, TO WANTING TO BE THE LAST ONE’S OFF THE FIELD NOVMEBER 15TH IN LARAMIE.
THE BRONCS ARE TWO YEARS REMOVED FROM THEIR LAST APPEARANCE AND HAVE ALL THE TOOLS TO MAKE IT BACK. THIS IS A VETERAN LADEN GROUP WHICH IS LED BY THEIR “GOLD COUNCIL.” MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL ARE SELECTED BY THEIR TEAMMATES TO LEAD THIS UNIT. JEFF WILLIAMS ON THE RESPECT THAT IS EARNED BEING A PART OF THAT GROUP.
“IT’S EXTREMELY HUMBLING AND JUST REALLY IS AN HONOR. I MEAN TO HAVE ALL OF YOUR TEAMMATES, ALL YOUR GUYS THAT YOU PLAY WITH FOREVER, YOUR BROTHERS, YOUR FAMILY BE LIKE ‘YEA I’D FOLLOW YOU INTO WAR, I’D DIE FOR YOU, I’D DIE FOR YOU, I’D DO THIS FOR YOU.’ IT’S REALLY HUMBLING. IT MEANS A LOT.”
ONE OF THE WAYS THIS SENIOR GROUP FOR THE BRONCS IS INSTRUCTED TO LEAD THIS TEAM GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SUMMER WHEN HEAD COACH OF THE BRONCS MATT MCFADDEN TOLD THE SENIORS TO WRITE DOWN A LEADERSHIP GOAL. EACH SENIOR WROTE DOWN A STATEMENT THAT IS POSTED IN THE BRONCS LOCKER ROOM AND HAYDEN BRONNENBERG SHARES HOW THAT CAME ABOUT.
“IT WAS ALL THE SENIORS. WE WENT ON A CAMP TRIP AND WE CAME UP WITH THESE STATEMENTS AFTER WE READ WHAT GOOD LEADERS SHOULD DO. I THINK IT REALLY HELPS. WE READ THEM TO THE UNDERCLASSMEN TO SHOW WHAT WE’RE WILLING TO GIVE TO THIS TEAM.” AND WHAT WAS HAYDEN’S STATEMENT? “IT WAS JUST ABOUT SUPPORTING THEM, THEN COME TO ME. EVERYTHING. I’M THERE FOR THEM.”
NIC TALICH TALKS ABOUT WHAT THAT STYLE OF LEADERSHIP MEANS TO HIM, SEEING THOSE SENIORS MAKE THOSE STATEMENTS AND HOW THAT MOTIVATES HIM AS AN UNDERCLASSMEN TO NOT ONLY PLAY FOR THOSE SENIORS BUT WITH THEM.
“IT JUST MAKES YOU TRUST THEM A LOT MORE. YOU CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THEY SAID. SO LIKE IF THEY DID SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT RIGHT, YOU CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. OR IF THEIR DOING SOMETHING WRONG JUST KEEP THEM WELL.”
THESE BRONCS ARE A GROUP THAT WILL BE ETCHED IN HISTORY TOGETHER AND DREW TROTTER TALKS ABOUT WHAT IS CODY BRONC FOOTBALL.
“IT’S A FAMILY, LIKE, IT’S BROTHERHOOD. IT’S EVEN TREATING COACHES LIKE OUR OWN FATHERS. JUST HAVING A DAD AS A COACH. I GREW UP WITH THIS TEAM. I SERIOUSLY LOOK AT THESE COACHES AS MY DADS. LIKE IT’S JUST A, IT’S A FAMILY. WE WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A GOAL. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US.”
THE BRONCS FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON GOING 7-1, THEIR LONE LOSS VS. STAR VALLEY. OVERALL A GREAT YEAR FOR CODY AND DUNCAN RADAKOVICH ADDS HIS THOUGHTS AND LOOKS AHEAD TO WHAT’S NEXT.
“WE NEED TO TRAVEL BETTER, OF COURSE, CAUSE OUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AT HOME. WE NEED TO BRING MORE AND MORE FOCUS TO THE PLAYOFFS, CAUSE AGAIN, IT’S DO OR DIE LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER. SO YOU GOTTA WIN THE ROUND AND MOVE FORWARD.”
IT IS DO OR DIE TIME, EVERYTHING IS AMPLIFIED AND THESE BRONCS ARE READY TO RIDE. JOHNNY WILLIAM TALKS ABOUT IF THE TEAMS MENTALITY AND MINDSET CHANGES GOING FORWARD OR IF IT’S JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL.
“I THINK IT’S MOSTLY THE SAME THING BUT IT HAS TO BE MUCH MORE INTENSE. THE PLAYOFFS IS THE TIME YOU CAN’T REALLY MAKE AS MANY MISTAKES. IT’S MORE DETERMINED AND YOU HAVE TO BE MORE FOCUSED.”
TRISTAN BLATT THE 8TH MEMBER OF THE BRONCS “GOLD COUNCIL” ADDS WHAT THE BRONCS MUST DO TO COME AWAY STATE CHAMPIONS.
“I THINK IT’S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF FILM, WATCHING A LOT OF FILM, BEING DISCIPLINED, DOING YOUR JOB. JUST WORKING AS A TEAM.”
THE 2019 CODY BRONCS FOOTBALL TEAM BEGINS THE 1ST ROUND OF POSTSEASON PLAY FRIDAY WHEN THEY HOST THE WORLAND WARRIORS. YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE BRONCS THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS ON KODI AM 1400 AND 96.7FM. PRE-GAME AT 5:30 PM WITH KICK-OFF AT 6PM.
TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION OF THIS STORY GO TO THE KODI DAYBREAK FACEBOOK PAGE.
