Challenging winning teams can be tough, but that hasn't been the case for Greenwood. Only nine starters from last year's state championship team are back and starting quarterback Jabe Burgess will not suit up for the first few weeks of the 2013 regular season. The Bulldogs used last year's move to the 6A as motivation and they are trying to use this season's challenges in the same way.
"We are going to act like warriors and battle through adversity," said Burgess. "What ever comes up we are going to face it and challenge it."
The challenge to win a fourth straight title is difficult. The odds became even greater when Burgess broke his left foot in the offseason.
"I think that every guy has to step up and go a little bit harder," said Head Coach Rick Jones. "Every guy has to play a little better hopefully to make up for the loss of Jabe."
"It's hard when you lose your starting quarterback especially when he is a division one guy like Jabe," said Quarterback Reid Wheeler. "We have had several seniors step up and lead the team."
Replacing a division one caliber quarterback is hard, but Jones believes Reid Wheeler will get the job done.
"He's worked hard at it," said Jones. "He's trained hard. He's prepared himself for this situation. We tell all of our guys that are back ups that you have to be ready to go and I think he is. I think he is ready to go."
Throughout the ups and downs in the offseason, the Bulldogs mentality has remained the same.
"We want to be the best team we can be," said Jones. "If that's as good as last year's team than so be it and if it isn't than its fine as well. As long as we are as good as we can be."
"We try not to focus on the streak," said Burgess. "We try and go 1-0. Its kind of a mentality we have. Every day is a new day and we are going to focus on that day and take it a game at a time."