St. Bede is looking to raise the bar in 2024

The past three seasons have seen the St. Bede football team reach the playoffs.

While that is obviously the goal for this year’s team, they want to take another step forward.

“Football is a team game, but we all know we individually have to work together to make things work the way they are supposed to,” St. Bede senior right tackle and defensive tackle Jake Migliorini said. “I think we all feel that while the goal is to make the playoffs again, we also don’t want to just sneak in. We made the playoffs a few years in a row now, but we want to start the trend where St. Bede is a program that is one that goes deep into the playoffs.

“This year we want to set the bar higher.”

Migliorini feels that the combination of time in the weight room and closeness between teammates will be a big factor as the Bruins look to improve on last season’s 5-5 record.

The journey to a better season officially begins Monday with the start of practices around the state.

“I feel like we have collectively as a team really put a ton of work in the weight room,” Migliorini. said. “I also feel we have a group of guys who all want to get better every day. There is a lot of talk in the locker room after practice or down time in school where we talk about what we can do to improve. You’re not always going to have a great practice or great game, but the guys on this team are all about picking each other up and having each other’s back.”

Senior Mason Moreno, a returning starting left tackle and nose guard is in agreement with his classmate.

“I feel like this senior class has good leaders in it,” Moreno said. “We’ve put the time in the weight room, gotten stronger, and I feel are ready to prove what we can do. The weight room is an important part of being a great football team. We want to not only outwork our opponents but just be stronger than they are.

“There has been a great vibe with this group in the offseason, and we want this season to be a special one. I’m excited to see what we can do.”

St. Bede coach Jim Eustice, whose squad opens the season Aug. 30 at Tri-Valley and then hosts Eureka in Week 2, also likes the fact that many of his players will be returning from last season.

“We only had eight seniors on the roster last year, so we have quite a bit of experience and leadership back this year,” Eustice said. “We lost [standout quarterback] Max [Bray to graduation], but we have a great competition between juniors Gino Ferrari and AJ Hermes right now for that QB spot. They are both great athletes, both pitchers in baseball, both play basketball, both great athletes in general. We also have most of the offense, including our line back, so I expect that side of the ball to be as good as we’ve been.”

Senior tight end and linebacker Grady Gillan entered last fall as the Bruins top returning tackler as a sophomore, but an early season injury cost him the rest of his junior campaign. He says he’s back and ready to get on the field to help his team.

“My offseason was proving that I could come back after an injury,” Gillan said. “I injured my spine in a game last season and pretty much missed the entire year. I feel like I’m a leader on this team. I didn’t want to miss my senior year of football, and I didn’t want to let my teammates or myself down. I worked hard to get back, and now here I am.

“I’m ready to go and all of my teammates are ready, too.”