BERTHA, Minn.– Bertha-Hewitt football is ready to roll this fall.
“It’s awesome,” said senior Rowan Hauer. “It’s going to be awesome.”
The Bears are being led by a group of eight seniors. Continuing to build momentum, winning more games year after year since going 0-9 during their freshman season.
“They have experienced some wins now. Some big wins. Having that experience is just so huge for us right now and we have to rely on those eight seniors this year,” said Bears head coach Jared Hoemberg.
5th year head coach and 2011 Bertha-Hewitt alumni Hoemberg is excited about what this group of seniors can accomplish.
“The sky is the limit right now. It’s hard to put a finger on a direct outcome. But like I said, when you have the seniors we do to have high expectations. Anything is possible,” said Hoemberg.
Bertha-Hewitt will again pride themselves on running the football, limiting mistakes, and getting a big play or two.
A senior ready to make big plays is Rowan Hauer. A tight end on offense and a defensive end, Hauer says his biggest thrill comes from the defensive side of the football.
“I love defense. I just love it,” said Hauer. “People can underestimate my size but I can get in there and make some plays.”
Coach Hoemberg says this is a player led team, leaning on his seniors to help guide them along the way. Trenton Becker is one bear ready to meet that challenge in his final football season.
“It’s the last year, it really kicks in that, ‘Hey, we really got to push it this year and give it our all,’ because it’s one last hurrah,” said Becker.
Becker is listed as a guard and free safety on the program. Still, he knows he can make his presence felt in a number of ways on the gridiron.
“I’m just here for the team. I can go out there and I can play any position that you need me to. I really pay attention when it comes to the film room. When I am paying attention to film I can pick out a lot of things. I’ll be out there and I’ll be giving my best,” said Becker. “I’ll hit somebody if I have to. Whatever I have to do to win, that’s what I’m here for.”
The Bears season kicks off August 28 in Blackduck. Each opponent will bring their own challenges this season. But it’s the games against local rivals Verndale and Sebeka that excite the bears the most.
“They are close. They are our rivals. They get up for those games and so do we,” said Hoemberg. “They are fun, they’re friendly, but they are a rivalry and we want to win those ones.”
Postseason wins are always a goal for any team. While that’s the same for Bertha-Hewitt, they love the opportunity to play in front of the hometown fans the most.
“It’s so exciting to have them cheering again. We’ve had just record crowds and so many new fans too,” said Hoemberg. “It’s so awesome to have everybody lined up along the field every week.”
“Not a lot of people get to feel that Friday night light, small town. You get to feel that energy. You get all that excitement. It’s just a different game,” said Becker.
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