Junior outside linebacker and wide receiver Jordan Bunch can feel adrenaline increasing in his body, as his teammate starts his team’s ritual chant. He can see the stadium lights dripping in through the front of the tunnel. The cheers of the crowd come together as a muffled roar while his team sprints out of the tunnel, breaking the spirited poster that was in front of them. That was Bunch’s first varsity game. Now a seasoned player heading into playoffs, Bunch said he has always known that his team had this type of potential.
The Broncos clinched a playoff spot with their current first-time win against the Summit Jaguars. The first round playoff game was determined by the recent Burleson Centennial vs Everman game. Burleson Centennial’s victory against Everman means the Broncos will play Cleburne at 7 p.m on Nov. 10in Midlothian.
“Just being able to be out on the field in front of our fans was a blessing,” Bunch said. “I knew that we would go far because I could see the passion being put into every game while everyone worked like dogs to prepare for [this] season.”
Senior center Malik Babaa believes that the Broncos have the potential to do really well in playoffs, partly because of how close they have grown as a team.
“This season has brought us so much closer. These are my brothers there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them,” Babaa said. “We will get as far as we want to; the only team that can stop us is ourselves.”
Cleburne currently has seven wins and three losses – one loss being to Crowley who the Broncos defeated early this season. SportsDay HS staff writer, Matt Wixon, predicted the Broncos to be one of the teams to go the deepest into playoffs. Bunch said that he feels confident of his team and their ability to make things happen.
The Broncos defeated both MISD rivals that join them in the first round of playoffs this season. Timberview will face Burleson Centennial on Nov. 11. Lake Ridge will play Crowley on Nov. 11.
If the Broncos win the first round of playoffs, their new opponent will either be Adams or Spruce, depending on the winner of their game that it is taking place this the same time the Broncos play Cleburne. Considering that every game from here on out is only a possibility, Bunch said that if the season were to end this week, he would take away the experience of learning how to face adversity.
“The biggest lesson I would take away from this season would be that if you can meet triumph and disaster and treat them the same, you will be successful,” Bunch said. “It’s not a surprise to be where we are, but we are not done yet.”
