BANGS – After posting a 2-8 record in his first season at Bangs, with three of those losses coming by two touchdowns or less, Colton Buzzard is eager to get his second season in charge of Dragons football underway.

“There ‘s a lot more trust between me and the kids, they trust me, I trust them,” Buzzard said in regard to the biggest difference going into his second as a head coach opposed to his first in 2024. “They’ve been working hard and we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we last year at this time. I’ve been here for a year so they know all the terminology and what we’re trying to get done offensively and defensively scheme-wise.”

Bangs preseason football practice, for the second straight year, will kick off at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

“We had a really good turnout last year,” Buzzard said. “The kids loved it, the parents loved it, we’re going to have a pancake breakfast this year so it’s going to be really cool.”

The Dragons are bringing back eight offensive and five defensive starters from last year’s squad, and players to watch include running back/linebacker Cason Tidwell, receiver/defensive back Conner Bible, quarterback/linebacker Hunter Withers, running back/linebacker Brayden Gatlin, offensive lineman/linebacker Kason Klutts, running back/linebacker Eliseo Rivas, receiver/defensive back Braxton Wommack, running back/linebacker Michael Parrott, running back/defensive back Rex Guerrero, and linemen Kian Kelly, Roy Duran, Bryce Schoen, Damian Hudspeth, and Kristopher Kelly.

Goals for the first week of practice, according to Buzzard, are “just being sharp and being focused. We have our install plan and we’ll keep moving forward with that. The kids already know what we want to get done. Our summer numbers were really good, we were getting our football skills in everyday. We’ll start back on point A but we’ll be able to get to point Z a lot faster.”

New additions to the coaching staff this year include linebackers coach Walter Brock, a veteran with nine years of experience previously as an athletic director, and secondary coach Ty Bachtel, who most recently served as a graduate assistant at Howard Payne.

After practice at midnight Monday, workouts will begin at 6 a.m. the rest of the week.

Bangs will host Valley Mills Friday, Aug. 15 in its first scrimmage, then venture to Goldthwaite Thursday, Aug. 21 for the final scrimmage. The Dragons open the regular season Friday, Aug. 29 at Early.