Wilson football preview: Players committed to program

There arent many numbers recently in Wilsons football teams favor.

It has been outscored 1,264 to 254 during the 31-game losing streak the Warriors will take into the 2025 season.

But there is one number that begins to tell the story of the Jim Brady tenure: 2.

This is Bradys second year as head coach.

The other key aspects cant be quantified with numbers: effort, commitment, desire.

The Warriors are better now in those areas than they were at any time last season.

That speaks to the continuity of the coaching staff and the players who are sweating each day to get better as a team.

We have to come together as a family, sophomore Ryan Bonham said.

Last year, there definitely were a lot of cliques and groups on the field.

This year, we are all focused on coming together.

Were changing our attitude and behavior on and off the field, senior lineman Taki Ballard said.

That adjustment started at the top.

Brady had not coached high school football in eight years.

He realized that some of his coaching style had to change.

That started in the offseason.

I had to grow, Brady said.

We all make mistakes.

Its my job to limit mistakes and make sure the program is running a lot more smoothly than just Xs and Os.

Its about building those relationships with the kids.

Its how can I encourage, not discourage? You want to encourage a player to do it right the next time rather than lambaste him for making mistakes or not paying attention.

Were focused on the now, whats right in front of us, he said.

1.

Strength from within : Brady knew the Warriors had to get better in every aspect of the game.

It started in the weight room.

He turned to a former Warrior to head up the program: Alec Snyder, a three-sport standout and Wilson graduate.

Brady said the players improvement is significant.

[Snyder] really got them stronger, he said.

We worked on getting bigger and just getting better as a team.

We had a lot of kids coming back and looking forward to getting more playing time.

That was the first step.

Its a great group of kids who want to win together.

We worked on being more cohesive, on doing more team bonding things, he said.

That helped changed a culture that shocked Brady in 2024.

The biggest surprise was how much they would argue with each other, he said.

Or, if somebody would drop the ball, they would laugh at him instead of talking to him about getting the next one.

The most challenging part was I figured out that they didnt know how to handle winning.

We won a couple games in JVs, he said.

The first one, you would have thought we won the Super Bowl.

We went two straight years without a JV team, so they got to see some success.

When we played Palmerton [varsity], it was a close game.

They tightened up.

Its about confidence.

We should be competitive in those games.

2.

Plenty of experience : Wilson started the 2024 season with three offensive linemen taking their first varsity snaps.

One of the other two was a sophomore who started the year before as a 130-pound freshman.

I watched film the other night of us against Bangor last year, Brady said, I almost threw up looking at what we looked like compared to now.

That continuity came from the work all summer.

The Warriors will be experienced but lack depth on the lines.

They will be young but have depth in the skill positions.

Junior Jaxson Tadayesky and sophomore Connor Patterson are competing for the quarterback job.

Bonham and junior Json Johnson are the running backs.

Junior Jayden Rapoli is among many who will see time at receiver.

Juniors Wes Slingland and Christian Samayoa plus seniors Leonard Davis and Nickenson Louis Jeune are others.

Senior Pedro Hernandez is at tight end.

Were not throwing too much at [our quarterbacks], Brady said.

There still is a lot of teaching, how to read the box, when to run or throw.

Four of the five offensive linemen are returnees.

Ballard is stepping in at right tackle.

Junior Naji Pendola will be anywhere from H-back, tight end and guard because of early-season injuries.

Senior Gerardo Rivera at left tackle is 6-foot-3, 310 pounds.

Hes getting healthy from a minor injury.

Sophomore Cayden Lozada at 5-6, 250 pounds is the teams strongest player.

Hes a typical guard, Brady said.

He wants to pull and hit people.

Senior Nick Bracken returns at center.

A few linemen did not come out for the team after playing last season, but there are 16 linemen on the junior high team (eight in eighth grade), so reinforcements are on the way.

Many of the same names will contribute on defense.

Rivera will be at nose guard.

Ballard and Hernandez are at defensive end.

Johnson and Bonham are the inside linebackers.

Pendola and junior Marvin Cordon are outside linebackers.

Deon Willis, a transfer from New Jersey, along with junior Christian Torres-Ochoa are the cornerbacks.

Patterson and Samayoa will play safety.

There are definitely bonds that build when you dont have another new coach, Pendola said.

We dont have to learn new stuff over and over again.

We love that coach Brady came back and is helping us get better as a program, Johnson added.

Hopefully, well win some games this year.

3.

Wilsons schedule Saturday : Northwestern Lehigh, noon Friday, Aug.

29 : at Catasauqua, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept.

6 : Salisbury, noon Saturday, Sept.

13 : at Pen Argyl, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept.

20 : Saucon Valley, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept.

26 : Palmerton, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct.

4 : Northern Lehigh, noon Saturday, Oct.

11 : Pottsville, noon Friday, Oct.

17 : at Palisades, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct.

24 : Notre Dame-GP (at Lafayette College), 7 p.m.

Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at [email protected].

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