Brainerd Football Looks to Build Success with Younger Team

High school football is officially back, especially for the Brainerd Warriors, who get to kick their season off a little earlier this year as they have been scheduled to play a Week 0 game. They put the pads on for the first time this season on Wednesday.

The Warriors, who opened their season last year with a win, ultimately finished with a losing record and a first-round playoff exit. With a younger team coming up through the ranks this year, the Warriors are looking to get back to basics.

Football is the ultimate team sport, which means that confidence comes from good communication, trust, and teamwork. It’s something the Warriors are looking to drill into the culture this year, as trust is something you can’t just have – it’s something that has to be earned. And for the few starters that are returning this year, it falls on them to step up and carry the biggest shields.

When you lose a lot of pieces to the puzzle, it can make things difficult to build the big picture. But with so many guys leaving the Brainerd team, it opens up the door for new guys to step up and for coach Jason Freed to see what new pieces are available and how they can be used to build a new picture.

The Warriors finished 2-2 in the division last year and 4-5 overall. The Warriors have not had a winning season since 2018, which means the table is set and the fire has been lit to turn things around come the fall season.