Bureau Valley coach welcomes in new season, baby boy

Life is good for Matt Pistole.

He’s on the eve on another football season as head coach at Bureau Valley, his alma mater, and he has a new little football fan at home.

He and his wife, Lindsey, are the proud parents of a baby boy, Tate, now four months old.

“Tate Pistole. Had to be a quarterback name,” said the proud father and former Storm quarterback turned coach. “It’s certainly changed things, but having a wife like I do that handles most things, I’m very fortunate and he’s the best. Can’t wait to get him around the football field and team.”

When asked who the MVP is at home, he says there’s question about it, it’s his wife.

“She’s amazing and does an incredible job and I just try not to mess up when I’m around,” Pistole said.

Pistole’s Storm gathered for the Princeton 7 on 7 and Linemen’s Challenge on Saturday. It’s more about winning the day than the wins and losses in those events, the Storm coach said.

“We were tired today. We came off a week of camp. You could tell. We had tired legs, especially early,” Pistole said. “The best thing for us today was to see the progress from the first game to this last game (against Princeton). I couldn’t be happier of how we ended and hang in there and continue to improve as the day went on.

“This group of kids, I’m just so impressed and so excited how far some of these kids have come. We’ve really elevated our program. They’ve done it the hard way, by working their tails off in the offseason. And the kids we needed to have big offseasons have done it and the kids we already counted on who are good players have gotten better. And that’s got me really excited about this group.”

The Storm got some good work in on their passing game behind senior Bryce Helms, who returns for his third season behind center for BV, squaring off against Durand-Pecatonica, Marquette, Rockridge, Mercer County and Princeton on the 7 on 7 fields Saturday.

Pistole said it’s always a double-edged sword playing in 7 on 7 because the Storm are a running team first.

“Even though we’re a spread offense, we like to run the ball. Most of our pass game is off of our run game,” he said. “You never want to lose. We’re competitors. You want to gain that confidence, but at the same time what’s really important on days like these are the little details of playing the technique, understanding where to line up, the communication.

“To see that stuff improve is what it’s all about. Whether we win or lose. ... We always want to win, but if you don’t, it’s not as big of deal right now. We’re worry about Aug. 30, not July 20.”

Bureau Valley continues its high school camp this week and will open the season at Monmouth United High School on Friday, Aug. 30 as it transitions into the Lincoln Trail/Prairieland Conference in the large-school division.