Bronson Football looks avoid injuries, dictate tempo in 2023
BRONSON – The Bronson Vikings football program could not have started off their 2022 season any better, winning their first two games over Prairie Heights and Springport. That is when the proverbial wheels fell off as the Vikings battled through injury, illness, and off the field issues to drop their final seven games of the season to finish the year at 2-7 overall.
Bronson will continue on to the field under the helm of third year head coach Jake Miller who continues to rebuild the Viking program heading into 2023. Despite their struggles to end the season last year the Vikings showed no quit on the field and fought to the whistle each and every night.
This season Miller and his coaching staff will look to build on that and return a wealth of talent to the field. With the same coaching staff, along with some key upperclassmen leadership and with a few key underclassmen added to the mix, well 2023 could be a bounce back year for the purple and gold.
With that in mind, let us take an in depth look at what the Bronson Vikings bring to the gridiron in 2023.
Key Returners
Bronson returns a few key members from last year’s squad but are forced to replace several very important positions, including at the starting quarterback spot. Stepping into the starting signal caller role will be senior Carson Norton who will also serve as an outside linebacker in a very athletic defensive backfield. Norton’s senior leadership, calm and poise will be counted on behind center as the Vikings look to employ a very physical run game on the offensive side of the ball. That same demeanor will be just as important on the defensive side of the ball as Norton will serve as one of several versatile and athletic linebackers for the Viking defense.
Also returning for the Vikings is last year's Most Valuable Offensive Player and the player voted Best Running Back in senior Seth Withington. Withington is truly a jack-of-all-trades, playing any and every position the coaching staff needs him to in order to make the team better. Last year Withington served as the team running back, linebacker, and even the teams quarterback at times and ultimately led the Vikings in touchdowns for the season. Withington returns for his senior campaign with more focus and drive then last year, which is saying a lot considering what this young man did for the team in 2023. Withington not only injects a much needed dose of heart and toughness into the Viking squad, he also brings a wealth of leadership that will serve Bronson well in 2023.
Joining Norton and Withington in what should be a very physical linebacker group is perhaps last year’s MVP (Most Valuable Player) in junior inside linebacker Collin York. York is as tough as they come and brings strength, speed, and a lot of heart to the Bronson defense. York will also be counted upon this year for some carries in the backfield as he looks to help lead the revamped Viking offense.
Joining York in the Bronson backfield will be sophomore Aiden Whitaker who showed flashes of extreme talent during his rookie campaign last year, a year that was derailed due to injuries. Whitaker returns healthy this year and should be an impactful player for the Bronson offense as the second year man has speed to burn and showed his ability in gaining yards last season.
Bronson will also be tasked with replacing several starting members of both the offensive and defensive lines. Holding down the offensive and defensive line in 2023 will be senior big man Miles Losinski. Losinski played major minutes last season and will be counted on to do the same again in 2023 as the Viking look to control the tempo with their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
New Faces
Two fresh faces stand out as potential X-factors for the Vikings entering 2023 as sophomore Spencer Losinski and sophomore Jace Hoard have shown flashes in early camp.
Losinski will look to make his mark at the wideout spot on offense and as a part of that aforementioned linebacker group on defense. Losinski injects some much appreciated athleticism on both sides of the ball and will be a major contributor for the purple and gold this season.
Hoard will be a key player down in the trenches for coach Miller and just may be a diamond in the rough for the Vikings as he looks to hold down key spots along the offensive line and in the front seven on the defensive side of the ball.
“We need to stay healthy,” exclaimed Miller. “We have a really good group, but we are not very deep. Our problems started last year with some key injuries, and it snowballed.”
Coaching Philosophy
Miller returns at the helm in 2023 and looks to take that next step in the development of his team on the field.
“We have tweaked things offensively and will lean on a strong running attack,” said Miller. “Defensively we will be totally different, and we will look to dictate the tempo with different looks.”
Despite replacing some key spots from last year’s roster the Vikings have the benefit of returning virtually the same coaching staff from last season, which should help speed up the learning process in the early going of the new season.
Season Outlook
The Big 8 conference is currently down to six total teams with an 11-man football program, meaning all five conference games are huge and hold that much more importance. The Vikings open their season with two straight non-conference clashes, starting the season with a home game versus Prairie Heights followed by a trip to Petersburg Summerfield. Bronson kicks off their Big 8 schedule with a huge one, as they face Quincy in week three rivalry game to kick off their conference slate.
“The favorite in the Big 8 is last year’s champs in Union City, but Reading is strong every year and they are well coached,” said Miller. “I believe in our guys, and we need to fight to get near the top. For us, every season, the big game that we circle is Quincy!”
For Miller and his coaching staff, the season does not necessarily ride on just wins and losses, but the growth of the team throughout the season, although wins would be a huge bonus.
“We need to make the playoffs but more importantly we need no drama off the field,” added Miller. “I think we have responsible guys on this team, and they know what’s right.”
The Bronson Vikings open their season this Friday, Aug. 25, with a visit from Prairie Heights who already sits at 0-1 on the season as the state of Indiana has already begun their season. The season will kick off Friday night at Bronson High School beginning at 7 p.m.
Team Information
Team: Bronson Vikings
Colors: Purple and Gold
Conference: Big 8 Conference
Last Season: 2-7 overall, 1-5 in Big 8 play
Coaching Staff: Jake Miller-Head Coach
Dave Hughes-Offensive/Defensive Line
Tony Myers-Running Backs/Defensive Backs
Justin Blankenship- Linebackers/Running Backs
Jon Milliman-Junior High Football
Damian Loveless-Junior High Football
2023 Schedule
Aug. 25- PRAIRIE HEIGHTS, 7 p.m.
Aug. 31- at Petersburg Summerfield, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8- at Quincy, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15- at Reading, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22- UNION CITY, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29- SPRINGPORT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 6- BUCHANAN, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13- SAND CREEK, 7 p.m.
OCT. 20- at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 7 p.m.
For up to minute scoring updates, stats, news and more regarding Bronson football every Friday night, not to mention all sports throughout the week, follow Sports Editor Troy Tennyson on Twitter (X) at @tennysonTDR or follow The Daily Reporter on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Bronson Viking Football Preview
