Hollis Brookline football's new coach is a familiar face to players

When Milt Robinson decided to step down as the head coach of the Hollis Brookline High School football team, the administration didn't have to look far to replace the only coach in the program's history.

Robinson's replacement was already there, and Rich Bergskaug, who will be in his first year as a head coach in 2013, believes its a great opportunity for both himself and the Cavaliers.

"We've got a great bunch of kids," said Bergskaug, who has been coach at HB for seven years. "It was different because (as a head coach) you’re responsible for a lot more things, whether its organizing the kids, setting stuff up for the weight room. But we have a great group and they really respond."

The 2013 season will be one of change for the Cavs, as not only will they have a new coach, but a new division with new opponents. And while HB is two years removed from back-to-back playoff appearance, many of those players have graduated.

"There’s a lot of new beginnings, whether its me, the new division, the new system," Bergskaug said. "There’s going to be an adjustment period, but its a matter of how quickly we’re able to get into the groove."

The NHIAA's realignment has the Cavs in the new Division II, playing in the West Conference with Monadnock, Con-Val, Kearsarge and Sanborn. HB and Con-Val were in Division III last year, while other three were in Division V, including division-champion Monadnock.

Bergskaug entered the start of the preseason with numbers comparable to years past, but more importantly, there's a good number of young players back who were forced onto the field in 2012 thanks to the number of injuries the Cavs had a year ago.

"We’ve got some very good returning players that contributed last year and will contribute more this year," the coach said. "There are some who didn’t get varsity time last year who I know are going to contribute. This group worked really hard to get in the weight room, get the conditioning in, to put in the work in the offseason, to hit the ground running."