#WeFightTogether
It’s a motto the Granger High School football team embraces every time they take the football field.
However, that slogan took on a whole new meaning on March 21, 2022.
That day an EF-2 tornado with wind speeds of up to 135 miles per hour barreled down on Granger as several tornadoes touched down across the Austin area.
A Tornado tore through Granger tonight. Our AD calls & says we have 2 of our students trapped under their house, I’m heading to get them. This night we won’t likely forget. All are physically ok. So much hurt yet so much resilience & teamwork from our staff. Leaders. All of them pic.twitter.com/wNPXJWJ4W3
— Jeni Neatherlin (@JeniNeatherlin) March 22, 2022
It left some homes completely destroyed but thankfully no one seriously injured in the Granger area. In the storm’s aftermath, Granger head coach Stephen Brosch and his players quickly jumped into action.
“The true miracle behind everything, what I think makes Granger such a special place, is we were taking daily field trips out into the community just to pick up the scraps and help in any way we possibly could,” Brosch said. “The town so often supports us and helps us throughout our seasons. For us to be able to give back and help in any small way that we could, we tried to do that and I felt like we got a lot of that accomplished.”
Ever since Brosch, a Granger Class of 2008 graduate, took over the football program back in 2020, he has tried to keep his team active in the wider Granger community. This past season, his team donated Granger flags and flag poles to local businesses as a sign of gratitude for their support.
#WeFightTogether #GHSPride pic.twitter.com/Agni7QYboJ
— Stephen Brosch, M. Ed. (@StephenBrosch) October 14, 2021
And as the support from the community has grown in recent years, so has the success of the football program. Last season, Granger completed its first undefeated regular season since 1985 (its lone loss was wiped out after Burton was forced to forfeit seven games for using an ineligible player) and secured its first outright district title since 2018.
And although Brosch and his team were slightly disappointed when Burton ended their season in the third round of playoffs, Brosch said an 11-1 season was still a great accomplishment and nothing for his players to hang their heads over.
With Granger now having seven-straight playoff appearances and 19 wins in its two seasons under Brosch, he believes the foundation to something special has been built in Granger.
“Especially when you talk about small schools, [success] comes normally with the dips and tides of your talent pool as class size and different things happen,” Brosch said. “But we’ve been pretty consistent over the past several years maintaining that success, and that has a whole lot to do with the culture that we’ve established.”
This year, Granger will have six starters back on each side of the ball as it aims to continue its wave of success.
Last year’s starting quarterback Johnny Ryder (1,551 passing yards and 19 touchdowns) graduated, meaning the Lions have to replace a key piece of leadership on their offense.
Brosch said the quarterback battle is already heating up between senior Nate Tucker and junior Isaac Lizardo. Tucker played receiver and corner last year, while Brosch lauded Lizardo for his “bright mind”, at the position. He said it’s a battle he expects to continue throughout the offseason after both quarterbacks did well in 7-on-7.
And while the Lions may be settling in a new quarterback, running back DJ McClelland (809 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns) is back to provide some experience in the backfield.
Brosch said he believes the Granger offense may rely on the run game a little bit more this year due to its personnel. Regardless, he feels confident about that side of the ball.
“The depth I feel like that we will have at different positions is something that we haven’t had in the past,” Brosch said. “And we have a strong freshman class that’s coming in where there are going to be some pieces that I think could help contribute.”
On the other side of the ball, Brosch believes his defensive unit will be just as competitive as it was last year despite losing five starters.
McClelland will be a leader for that side of the ball from his inside linebacker position. Alongside him, Tripp Wilkie returns at outside backer after earning 1st team all-district honors last season.
Up front, sack leader Michael Selucky returns at defensive end, while Brosch believes junior defensive tackle Jay Faulkner is primed for a breakout season after a “phenomenal” offseason.
With these returning players, Brosch is excited about the prospects of his team’s defense.
“I’m really confident,” Brosch said. “I feel like what we’re going to do defensively is going to put us in a good position to be able to compete in some games because of how well we swarm to the football and how aggressive we are.”
Granger will have some new foes in its district this year as playoff teams Burton, Snook, and Somerville depart and are replaced by 2A “powerhouses” Bremond and Chilton. And with Granger facing three 2A Division I programs in its non-conference slate, Brosch expects the Lions’ schedule to challenge them from start to finish.
But after nineteen wins in the past two seasons, Brosch said his Lions are building toward their ultimate goal of bringing a state title back to Granger for the first time since 1997. And after a record turnout on the first day of summer workouts, he is hopeful about the season ahead.
“Now it’s just, what can we do to take it a step further,” Brosch said. “Ultimately, the dream is, you’d like to bring a state title back to Granger. We’re putting those foundational pieces of success in order to where, as we get some special groups that are coming through, I think that is going to be a reality in Granger’s future.”
Today was a great start to our Summer, Strength, Conditioning, and Skill Development Camp! 63 JH/HS Boys and Girls showed up to put in work this evening. Come one and come all, the G Train is rolling! #GHSAthletics #SummerWorkIsWhereChampionshipsAreWon pic.twitter.com/poRLEw6TkN
— Stephen Brosch, M. Ed. (@StephenBrosch) June 7, 2022
2022 Granger Lions Football Schedule
(Bold Designates District 13-2A Division II Matchup)
8/26 at Hubbard
9/2 vs. Thorndale
9/9 vs. Holland
9/16 at Goldthwaite
9/23 vs. Bruni (In Kenedy)
10/7 at Iola
10/14 vs. Bremond
10/21 at Chilton
10/28 at Milano
11/4 vs. Bartlett
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