MIDDLEPORT — It’s going to be impossible to top last year’s amazing, incredible championship Barker/Royalton-Hartland varsity football run — but you can bet they’ll try.
Head coach Bill Bruning’s combined Barker/Roy-Hart grid line-up features a number of key returning starters from last year’s 7-2 Genesee Region League-championship team as they continue to prepare for Friday’s 7 p.m. opener at Alden.
Season number two of the merger between two of eastern Niagara County’s smaller high schools brings a whole new set of opponents for Bruning’s squad, which goes from Section V to an associate member of the B East Division in the Section VI Football Federation.
The team’s divisional opponents will include three very familiar Niagara-Orleans League foes — Newfane, Albion and Medina — along with Alden, Depew and East High of Buffalo.
“It’s going to be a huge adjustment,” Bruning said. “The competition is going to be tremendous for us, but the kids are really looking forward to the challenge. There is a lot of excitement about it. The kids want to show they can play with the best.”
Key losses to graduation at the skill postions are quarterback Connor Baker, running back Austin Blackley and running back Josh Haight, along with linemen Codi McKee, Tanner Ruhlen, Steve Harris, Justin Voekler and Levi Offhaus.
Blackley scored 20 touchdowns and rushed for more than 1,300 yards, while Baker threw for almost 1,000 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“We lost some real good kids but we still have a good stable of kids coming back,” Bruning said. “The transition of Jake Haight (from tight end last year) to quarterback is going pretty well. He’s a great athlete and understands our offense. Every day he’s working very hard. I think once he starts feeling more comfortable, our team will be more comfortable. It’s a work in progress, but I like his progress.”
Other key returners include senior running back Brad Bobbitt, senior linemen Lukas Hanssen, Brett Cole, Nick Bachman, Jon Bedford and Clayton Smith. Cole also plays linebacker on defense.
The returning contingent also includes seniors Tucker Ruhlen (TE/LB) , Brad Hayes (LB), Judd Jamieson (RB/LB) and Travis Kelkenberg (DB). Jamieson earned first team G-R All-League honors while Haight, Bobbitt, Bachman and Smith were all second team honorees.
Barker/Roy-Hart will only play three home games total in 2012, meaning one of the two schools will get just one regular-season home contest. This year, that’s Barker, which will host it’s only regular-season football game of the season at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 against visiting Buffalo East.
Roy-Hart, in Middleport, will host two night games this month. Barker/Roy-Hart plays Medina at 7 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Bruno Pacini Field. Barker-Roy-Hart hosts Depew at the same sight a week later. Bruning said when the team plays a post-season game in October, it will be at Barker.
“We looked pretty good in scrimmages this week. We faced some excellent defensive teams in Pembroke — our rival in the Genesee Region League, along with Franklin Marshall from Rochester. We’re excited about the new season.”
2012 BARKER/ROY-HART
VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
(M) designates home games played in Middleport, (B) designates home game played in Barker.
DATE OPPONENT TIME
Fri. @ Alden 7 p.m.
9/7 MEDINA (M) 7 p.m.
9/14 DEPEW (M) 7 p.m.
9/22 @ Newfane 2 p.m.
9/28 @ W. Seneca W., 7 p.m.
10/5 @ Albion 7 p.m.
10/12 BUFFALO E. (B) 1:30 p.m.
BARKER/ROY-HART ROSTER
NO. PLAYER GRADE
2 Brett Cole 12
3 Brad Bobbitt 12
5 Zachary Golding 10
6 Joshua Mead 10
8 Bradley Hayes 12
12 Jacob Haight 11
14 Chandler Ruffini 12
18 Amos Andrews 11
21 Daron Woods 11
22 Judd Jamieson 12
24 Nickolas Burdick 12
26 Blake Copella 12
34 Travis Kelkenberg 12
42 Derek Sears 10
44 Tucker Ruhlen 12
48 Tyler Childs 11
49 Teddy Groves 11
50 Kolbe Greenwald 11
52 Timothy Flint 1
55 Brent Thorman 12
61 Benjamin Kaiser 11
63 James Brady 11
65 Clayton Smith 12
66 Tyler Golding 12
71 Lukas Hanssen 12
72 Jonathon Bedford 12
75 Kyle Higgins 11
76 Nickolas Bachman 12
81 Joshua Bergman 12
88 Cort Schultz 12
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