TIPTON, Mo. - Despite the low numbers of only 22 players on the team this season, Tipton coach Tony Braby - who enters his 33rd season with the Cardinals - believes his team can surprise plenty of people this year.
"I think we can really surprise some people," Braby said. "They really work hard, so I am excited about the season and I think we've got potential to win a few more ballgames than we did last year."
Tipton wants to improve from its 3-7 season last year. Braby thinks the team can build off the offensive performance against Appleton City during district play last season, which he said was their best game of the year.
"Offensively we really looked good, so I am hoping to build off that momentum for this upcoming season," Braby said. "We have some really good skill players this year."
Braby noted the team has only a few offensive linemen and it could be an issue for the team if one of them is injured. The coaching staff has been teaching other position players, such as a few of their running backs, to play some offensive line as well.
Even with this problem, Braby said the team performed better than expected at the Versailles Jamboree last Friday night.
"We had a really good showing, I was really pleased," Braby said. "We moved the ball well passing and running, so we were excited about how we performed. In fact, we did better than we did last year in the Jamboree."
Braby believes if his team can stay healthy, the Cardinals can win six or seven games this year. He noted the young offensive line is going to play a big role in how well the team does and the more experience the line gets, the better it will be.
"The longer my offensive line plays together and the more playing time they get, the better I think we will be," Braby said. "I think the line will be better in the second half of the season. We're going to be as good as our offensive line can makes us."
The offensive is also going to play a big role because Braby said the team's offensive strength is their running game. He feels like the team has good power to run up the middle and good speed to run to the outside.
"I like the fact that we can hit teams up the middle with our power run and then get to the outside with our speed," Braby said.
Due to their low roster numbers, Braby said several players are going to have to play both sides of the ball the whole game.
"Our kids are just going to have to play the whole game," Braby said. "The only breaks they are going to get is half time and time outs. That's what we call ironman football."
Braby feels a win in the team's first game tonight against St. Paul Lutheran: Concordia will be important for the team's season.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Tipton.
"It's so important in that first game to start out with a win," Braby said. "It sets a positive attitude, it gets people at the school excited and there is nothing better than opening the season with a win."