As the Cody Broncs prepare for their semi-final round match-up with Park County Rival, Powell, today we’ll take a look at a pair of Broncs that are helping lead the charge for Cody Football. Drew Trotter and Johnny Williams have been instrumental in Cody’s success this season and have both played major roles on both offense and defense. Both, in their junior season at CHS, have been voted to Cody’s Gold Council, a group of players that is voted on by their peers to lead this unit. Drew talks about the humbling experience of receiving that honor.
“Having grown up around this team, my dad being a coach, it’s always something that I’ve wanted to be a part of. Just being a leader on the team.” Kind of a humbling experience? “Yeah. I represent the team, not just to our coaches but also to the radio or anything. So I just need to keep my head straight and stay focused with that.”
As one of the many leaders on this team Drew goes on to talk about the emphasis at practice this week and what he’s looking for out of the group.
“The only thing that I’m worried about is that we have a focused practice. So we can’t have any distractions, like we have one focus and that’s playing good as a team. We can’t think about this, we can’t think about that. We just need to focus. Just focus is our focus, is staying focused.”
This Cody team is about as deep as anyone can be at the position groups. On any given night there’s eight or more players that could handle the rock. Drew touches on the teamwork, sacrifice and how this program continues to be successful year after year.
“It’s really just… got to feed the young ones. Gotta give them experience so that they’re better in their future years. So then it makes the future better as a franchise. I played a lot my sophomore year. I just got lucky with that. Guy goes down with an injury and then it’s next man up and so I feel like that made me better for this year. Then I go down with a small injury and then Remy Broussard’s getting a ton of reps and it’s just going to make us better as a team in the future and this year.”
For Johnny Williams, it’s been a long road back to the gridiron. He endured through an off-season weight lifting injury that required surgery and after missing the first two games of the season has either played in or started every game since. Johnny talks about what it’s been like being back on the field this season.
“It’s been really cool. Thinking back, it’s weird thinking how I didn’t play the first two games. That just seems unreal to me. It feels like yesterday, but it also feels like 10 years ago.”
Johnny is also a member of this year’s Gold Council, and says it’s humbling experience to receive such an honor.
“It can be weird at times but it’s nice to know that I’m helping lead my team in the right direction.”
As for the emphasis at practice this week, Johnny knows they cannot take Friday’s opponent lightly and says everyone must approach each day with the right mindset.
“Like there’s specific things for each group that they need to focus on. I’d say Drew’s right. Our worst weeks, our practices weren’t very locked in. So for our best week, Jackson I’d say, we were just right on it. So I feel like the biggest thing this week is staying locked in, staying focused and not getting to off task.”
Catch both Drew and Johnny on the gridiron for Cody Football this Friday. It’s the Broncs vs. the Panthers in the Big Horn Brawl Part II as Park County Rivals clash at Spike Vannoy Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 6pm and can be heard on the voice of Cody Sports, KODI.
To hear from other members of the Cody Gold Council, Jace Grant, Daniel Gorman, Caleb Pryor and Luke Talich, click here: https://kodiradio.com/broncs-host-warriors-in-first-round-of-the-playoffs/
Stay tuned to the Big Horn Radio Network Friday to hear from Nic Talich and Keaton Stone in preparation of Friday’s contest.
