Bozeman 4-0 for the first time ever, working on win number 5

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -The Bozeman football team is 4-0 and hoping to start the season with a 5th win in as many games. That game comes against Freeport Friday as part of the week six high school football schedule, that game at Freeport.

Bozeman head coach Jason Griffin and his Bucks getting that fourth win on the home win a few nights ago over Wewahitchka. The Bucks getting a blocked punt for the safety to help get the ball rolling early, then Chance Jenkins and the offense delivering a lot more points. Jenkins in fact ending up with one receiving touchdown and three more on the ground, all part of a 49-12 win. Thus taking Bozeman to four and oh for the first time in program history. And I spoke with coach Griffin about what that means to him, his players and Bucks students, boosters and fans.

“To do some thing that hasn’t been done at a place is always nice.” Griffin told me. “You’re always looking for ways to make history and do things. We’ve been fortunate over the years to do some things here that haven’t been done before. And it sort of gives you that a little bit extra. I know you and I have talked before about we get into the grind of the middle of the season, it kind of gives you that little bit extra to play for, there’s something going on, there’s some thing that matters every week. And you know being four and out for the first time it gives you the opportunity to be five and oh. So it gives us something this week, another short-term goal as we work through the meat of the season here.”

The coach says this is one of the most experienced group he’s had in his tenure at Bozeman, and it’s a talented group at that he says. But along with those factors, perhaps a big key to the hot start so far is the fact he changed how much hitting the team does, starting in fall camp and into the season. An idea Griffin says, was fostered by Cottondale Chris Obert a few months ago.

“We’ve really limited the number of full pads practices this year.” coach Griffin said.” In fact we’ve almost eliminated them. We’ve gone in shells for the most part. I was concerned about that, you know you do things differently than you’ve done for a lot of years. And you worry about the negative effects. But it’s been nothing but positive. Our kids have responded, so we’ve really limited a lot of the grind and the beating and the banging and the heavy contact. We pretty much eliminated that from the beginning.”

The Bozeman-Freeport game on the latter’s field Friday set for 7 and is one of several we’ll feature on Friday Night Overtime.

Copyright 2023 WJHG. All rights reserved.