Rock Bridge races into 2024 season, sets sights on deep playoff run
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Rock Bridge is preparing to kick off year three of the Matt Perkins era.
Since Perkins took over as the football program's head coach two seasons ago, the Bruins have consistently raised their bar of success. In his first season at the helm of Rock Bridge football, Perkins led the Bruins to a CMAC title. Then, one year later, Rock Bridge won its first district championship in a decade. After a pair of 9-3 seasons, the Bruins are ready to take another step forward in 2024, starting with beginning and ending the regular season on a high note.
"For our first and last games of the season, we're 0-4. That's not good. We haven't won a Kansas City game. We haven't won a St. Louis game and trying to find a way to get that done is big," Perkins said. "We're a play or two away from winning every game last year, so figuring out a way to come away with those wins is really the goal. In order to do that, we've got to be a more disciplined unit all the way around."
Rock Bridge reached a district championship game in each of Perkins' first two seasons as head coach. However, both of his first two postseason runs in Columbia were cut short by De Smet Jesuit from St. Louis. That playoff heartbreak has sparked some extra motivation for the Bruins to work hard at practice and continue to find ways to improve.
"It really gets us going every day. It really helps me wake up to understand what we're trying to do and what we're trying to accomplish," Rock Bridge quarterback Brady Davidson said. "Adding that fuel to the fire is important to us. Ending our last two years, especially to the same team, has been hard on us, but that's what gets us going every day."
The Bruins are entering the 2024 season with state championship aspirations, a feat their program has not accomplished since the 1970s. Achieving that goal starts at practice, working as a team to eventually play their best football when the playoffs arrive.
"We've got to be good at everything we do. There can't be a flaw. We can't have 10 guys doing the right thing and one guy doing the wrong thing. It's got to be perfect all game long, and we've got to pick each other up when we do something wrong," Davidson said.
"The will is there. Is the focus? Time will tell. It's such a long year. In order to be that team, you've got to be clicking, you've got to have a little bit of luck with some health. Right now we're healthy, and we've got the leadership I think at the top to make things work, but at the end of the day, this is all talking, and so, we've got to go out and get it done," Perkins said. "We've got a really good mix of guys that are super intense, practice really hard, maybe even a little bit extra."
Rock Bridge is returning several key leaders and playmakers this season, including starting quarterback Brady Davidson. The Bruins' senior signal-caller has got a talented supporting cast around him, a fast group with the ability to be explosive on offense, defense and special teams.
"Drevyn, Devin, Derrick, Donivan, Riley. That is a lot of team speed right there. We've got a really fast group, maybe one of the fastest teams, if not the fastest team in the state, track speed everywhere," Perkins said. "Seeing that on display is really exciting. We've got a lot of big play potential on both sides of the ball because of that, and from a special teams standpoint, as well. Hopefully, we're able to put all of that to good use."
The 2024 season kicks off for Rock Bridge on Aug. 30 with a non-conference battle at Park Hill.
