Coach Jeremy Bosken's first Boyd Buchanan football team has been training together with other Buccaneers sports teams.After running 42 sprints to end Thursday's multisport workout at Boyd Buchanan School, the Buccaneers feel as if they are in a strong spot headed into a dead period.
"We want everyone to have a warrior mindset. No one takes anything from you. Everything is yours," senior football and basketball player Eli Evans said. "Our coaches have pushed us every day. They are not going to let us quit.
"Last year (in football) there were times we quit and gave up. Coach (Jeremy) Bosken is not going to let us do that. We are going to compete until the very end whether we are up 42 or down that many."
Coach Jeremy Bosken talks to his Boyd Buchanan football team after a workout. The football Buccaneers have been training with several other teams at their school.A football program that used to be a frequent state title contender had only two wins over the past two seasons but appears to be building a winning culture again - following what other programs at the school have been doing lately.
"Coaches from all sports are breathing fire on the kids and having a good time getting after it," said Bosken, who arrived in January after coaching at Knoxville Halls last season. "The soccer guys are challenging us in the conditioning aspect, and the football players challenge others with their strength."
As former Marines, Bosken and soccer coach Dustin Walker have implemented a tough weightroom program with rewards for each level an athlete climbs with his max lifts.
"You can feel the new life and see it, too, for our football team," Bosken said. "Our guys get different cool shirts for every time they reach a new level. We have had Marines come in, and (basketball) Coach (Josh) Templeton had a Navy SEAL buddy of his come in and talk. For our athletes from all different (boys) sports to train together has brought them extremely close and made them want to fight for one another."
Evans, who is expected to be a force at wide receiver along with in the paint on the basketball court, believes the overall camaraderie and tough workouts will pay great dividends.
From having to restart sprints if they miss a line or don't sprint through on the turf football field, players are building a sense of accountability and leadership.
"Every sport out here is getting better together, and we are pushing harder than ever," Evans said. "Last year we bought in with Coach Templeton in basketball. Now I truly believe our football team will compete and finish every night if we keep working like we have."
Still with a lot left to prove and tough competition ahead, the football Bucs intend to be fierce competitors.
"The sense of pride, effort and attitude we have seen so far has been special," Bosken said. "We want to have this same energy in the season. What we have seen as coaches so far makes us proud and has blown us away."
Added Templeton: "Everybody is pulling together. It's refreshing because some schools fight over the athletes and are not on the same page. We are all getting better together in the same place. These kids are going to inspire and give our school a lot to be proud of."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.