By Pat Turner
Contributing Writer 

Brandeis football coach John Campbell knows his Broncos made strides during their first year of competing.

The Broncos didn't bring home a District 28-5A title or make the playoffs, but a 4-6 season record and 2-6 league showing was an encouraging sign. After all, most first-year teams struggle to gain one victory.

But the Broncos were able to do it more regularly, winning their non-district games over fellow first-year colleagues Johnson and Canyon Lake, before earning victories over Holmes and Marshall in league play.

“We were happy with the progress,” Campbell said. “You always want to do more, but we are definitely pleased with what we saw. I think we have a bright future. I was really pleased with the level of competitiveness are our kids showed. They really bought into our system and they want to compete.

“There were still growing pains when we opened district with Clark (a 49-7 loss). But we learned from it.” Campbell and his coaching staff hope to make even greater strides during the offseason.

The Broncos had an offseason this past year, but this time it will be under more normal circumstances.

Unlike last year when the coaches had to go to O'Connor and Clark to work with the players coming to Brandeis, they'll have those athletes on campus.

In addition, Brandeis has added depth. Because they did not have a senior class this season, the Broncos were lacking numbers. They'll have a senior class for 2009, plus there will be more players coming from the middle schools.

“We'll definitely have a better offseason,” Campbell said. “Having everyone together on the same campus will make a huge difference. Some times people don't realize, when you're opening a new school, you're not only doing it with fewer kids and no senior class. You're doing with a makeshift offseason program.

“We'll take what we did well and build upon that. We'll try to improve on our weaknesses. The kids are feeling more comfortable with our offense and defensive systems. That makes a difference.”

Spurts of that success cropped up throughout this season, which included offensive success from running back Noah Copeland, who ran for 769 yards and quarterbacks Michael Barrientos, who passed for 349 yards and six touchdowns, and Kyle Sewell, who threw for 526 yards and three touchdowns.

There are other reasons to be optimistic.

Campbell, who also serves as campus coordinator for Brandeis' athletics, is pleased with the overall direction of the program. Brandeis made the playoffs in volleyball and the girls' team qualified for the Region IV Cross Country following a third-place finish in the 28-5A Meet.

“Volleyball and cross country were very competitive,” Campbell said. “We're looking for the same thing in our other sports. We're happy with the ways things are going. We believe this is going to be an exciting place to be.”