Published: August 29, 2007 02:07 pm            

Buchanan heading into familiar territory

ALEDO — Aledo Bearcats head football coach Tim Buchanan understands the pressure that will be on both him and the Bearcats entering the 2007 season.

After advancing all the way to the Class 4A, Division I state semifinals and returning a majority of the Bearcats’ offensive weapons, many feel they have the potential to make another deep run through the playoffs, possibly even making it back to the state championship game for the first time since winning it in 1998.

“There is more pressure on you,” Buchanan said. “You know you have a pretty good team coming back. There is more pressure on you to develop a winning team.

“But, as far as challenges, the only challenge is keeping the kids hungry and making sure they realize they have to improve day by day; that we are not as good of a football team as we were in last December when we were in the playoffs. We have to work to that spot. [Opponents] are not going to gives us anything.”

Buchanan knows his team has to improve. Buchanan has already noticed one area on the team has to improve, its mental execution. He took fault for that in the Grapevine scrimmage, commenting after the scrimmage that his main concern leading up to the scrimmage was reps, not so much refining the mental edge necessary to be successful throughout the season.

With this year’s team, several players have been on the varsity squad for two or three years, giving Buchanan a wealth of experience to utilize.

Buchanan and the Bearcats program also has some experience with the type of situation the Bearcats are in this year. Since arriving to Aledo in 1993, Buchanan and the Bearcats have advanced to the state semifinals four times, including last year. If past history is any indication, there will not be any falloff from last year’s success this season.

“In 1997, we went to the state semifinals and came back and won a state championship in 1998,” Buchanan said. “In 2004, we came back and made it to the quarterfinals. This time, we feel like, if we put it all together, we have a chance to go one game further this year than what we did last year.

“But the key is you have to continue to get better week after week.”

        

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