Can Bosse football improve in coach Stephan Mullen's third year? 'It’s time for a leap'
EVANSVILLE — The Bosse High School football team prepped for its second preseason scrimmage date of the summer, waiting for North Posey to arrive. The teams both wore near-identical uniforms: Red jerseys with most players in black shorts. The Bulldogs’ silver helmets differentiated their boys from those of the Vikings.
Those two dates served as the unofficial start to coach Stephan Mullen’s third year at Bosse.
“I’ve kinda figured out that we need to look at things kids can do instead of what we want to do,” Mullen said. There are still questions about the offensive and defensive lines but the skill positions are largely accounted for. The Bulldogs have a large senior class, including four-year starters in Amari Hope and David Hildreth. “When we’re drawing stuff up, we want to see what we can do.”
Quarterback Elijah Wagner provides a dual-threat under center. He impressed in the scrimmage with his throwing prowess, tossing touchdowns against a good North Posey defense and finding smart passes. He’s making reads faster and is reading defenses better. Wagner’s success will be key to the Bulldogs’ season.
High school football: 75 players to watch across SW Indiana in 2023
“I feel like learning from the scrimmage, we need to play faster, be more physical,” Wagner said. “Once we get that out of the way, I feel like we’ll be straight.”
The stop-and-start flow and controlled environment of a scrimmage don’t lend themselves to the same excitement and anticipation of a fall Friday night. The big hits and explosive plays aren’t there. Coaches bark at their players in an educational sense, looking to iron out the details before the season begins.
That Wednesday at Enlow Field, the heat enhanced by the turf, all but nine of the spaced-out spectators decided to sit in the shade. The cheerleaders practiced on the south side of the stadium, opposite of the scrimmage, hidden from the sun.
Scores weren’t kept, and both teams looked at areas of strength and weakness before beginning the season. In Year 3, Mullen has seen improvements. Those were on display.
“We’re trying to move quicker like it would be in a game, kind of where guys are at, kinda feel like they’re gonna feel in a game,” Mullen said. “The biggest thing is to keep them working together. Keep memorizing the playbook, run the plays correctly.”
Hildreth and Hope both said they’ve seen the program grow over the past three years and gives them hope for the next steps — “I think the future’s gonna be good with Mullen here,” Hope said. Both feel there is less room for error as they head into their final year of high school.
“We’ve definitely developed nicely,” Hildreth said. “Now I feel like it’s time for a leap. Coach Mullen’s doing a great job of keeping stuff simple and making sure we just know what’s expected.
“We clearly haven’t beared the fruits of that yet, but now we’re all mature enough. A lot of seniors. It should go how it’s supposed to.”
Bosse has 20 seniors listed on its roster this season, experience that could help Mullen in his year at the helm. Whenever the Bulldogs have seen success in the past, it’s been with large senior classes. With Wagner, Hope, Hildreth, along with Royal Elliott taking on the responsibility of the leadership roles for Bosse this season, the Bulldogs have the experience in places that matter. That can go a long way in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference.
“You’ve had guys playing for multiple years, some guys four years,” Mullen said. “They’re able to mentor those younger guys and get them ready for Friday Night Lights because it’s going to be a tall task this year in the conference.”
Bosse Bulldogs
Last year: 1-9 (1-8 Southern Indiana Athletic Conference)
Head coach: Stephan Mullen (4-17 in third season at school)
Key players to watch
Elijah Wagner (QB, Sr.), Amari Hope (WR, KR, Sr.), David Hildreth (SS, RB, Sr.), Royal Elliott (OLB, FS, Sr.)
The Bulldogs’ three biggest games
Aug. 18 @ Vincennes Lincoln: Bosse lost its opening game 40-0 to the Alices last season at Enlow Field. Making the trip to Vincennes is no simple task, but this could provide the Bulldogs with a good measurement of where they stand in comparison to last season.
Sept. 29 vs. Mater Dei: Bosse’s second-closest loss last season came against the eventual state champion Wildcats. This, like the Vincennes game, could show how much the Bulldogs have improved.
Oct. 13 vs. Harrison: Always one to watch because of the rivalry between the two schools. The Warriors have beaten the Bulldogs three years in a row, which makes this one at Enlow Field more intriguing.
Previously: North | Tecumseh | Jasper | Harrison | Boonville | Mater Dei | Heritage Hills
Next: North Posey
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville Bosse football: Stephan Mullen wants improvement for 2023
