A mentality for Bradley Central this week could be “if you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.”
Of course, they can tweak the words some. They have been past the second round of the playoffs. They have beaten Oak Ridge before.
But they haven’t beaten the Wildcats since 1965 and have only three total wins against the program, compared to 26 losses (18 consecutive). And their last trip past the second round was in 2000.
To top that off, a win Friday night would be the team’s first 10-win season since 1980, when then-coach Louie Alford led the Bears to a 10-2 record that ended in … the second round of the playoffs.
If there was pressure to attain the double-digit win total, you couldn’t tell it from those talking.
“If we do get that win, it’s not something we’re going to celebrate until after the year,” Bradley coach Damon Floyd said. “This senior class wanted to be the class to turn around the program, but we’re not going to be satisfied by any individual accomplishment.”
Added Bradley senior fullback Dewaun Massengill: “It would mean a lot for us to reach 10 wins, with everything we’ve been through for four years. It’s a great opportunity to be a part of history.”
They will have a huge backing behind them Friday, though, including Alford, who won’t be at the game but said he will be somewhere listening to the game.
“We were blessed to have some awful good players back then,” Alford, who was 66-32 in two stints totaling nine years yet 0-2 against Oak Ridge, said. “Damon has worked extremely hard to get this program built.
“He’s got some good athletes now, and I think he has a good chance to get Bradley back to where they need to be.”
When asked where that was, he said. “to the point where they are a consistent winner.
“Not just every once in a while,” he said. “It all depends on the athletes in the program.”
Floyd noted that reaching the 10-win plateau against a team that has tormented the entire Bradley program would be big.
“But it’s big to win any second round game,” he noted.
Alford noted that the new-found success of the program can be nothing but beneficial to a school that has enjoyed tremendous success in recent years in wrestling and basketball, but not yet football.
“That team getting to 10 wins this year would be a great accomplishment,” he said. “Hopefully it’ll get the momentum back to Bradley.
“Kids want to go with a winner – winning is No. 1. If a school is winning, you can get good kids to come out because it’s tougher to get kids to play a sport when the program isn’t generally successful, so winning is big.”