Start of preseason feels a little different this year for Bedford football

It's the first day of a new high school football preseason and the first chapter of this year is being written.

Change is always prevalent in high school sports and there's a lot of it taking place across the state, including at Bedford High School, where the defending Division I champs are taking steps toward defending their title.

Like every program, the Bulldogs saw some seniors graduate, but the core of the team is returning. They don't have a new coach, and on the field, they're not going to be much different.

The biggest change for Bedford is how it's going to be perceived, both internally and externally.

"Last year, we had a different journey because we were the underdogs," Bedford senior co-captain Spencer Henrichon said. "This year, we are known and people are expecting us to win a lot of games. It’s a lot of pressure.

"Everyone likes the attention and likes to be known. It’s nice being the top dogs, but there are two sides of the token."

Bedford, and every other program in the state, is starting the journey to see how that coin will land, as Friday is the first day for official preseason practices in New Hampshire.

A year ago, the Bulldogs went into that first day thinking they might have a team that could make some noise by the end of the season. They hit a couple of bumps during the regular season, including a loss to Merrimack in the finale that dropped them down to the 10th seed in the newly-expanded Division I playoffs.

And from there, things changed. For three playoff rounds, Bedford went on the road, and not only pulled off upsets, but shut out all three of its opponents.

Then, in the title game against Londonderry, the Bulldogs were down 14-0 at halftime before rallying in the second half for a 15-14 win to get the program its third football title.

"It was a very resilient group and they responded," Bedford coach Zach Matthews said. "They were a very coachable group, so when we had those bumps in the road, we came in, we looked at the film, we addressed those things in practice and we moved on. The kids had a short memory. We had some adversity.

"This year, what they’re going to have to realize is they have higher expectations for themselves now, as do the coaches, as does everybody else. For them, it’s going to be holding each other accountable."

That accountability started early for the Bulldogs, as all four captains liked what they saw in terms of participation in the offseason.

"We had a lot of people get in there and train in the offseason," senior co-captain Kevin Sheridan said. "I’ve seen a lot of improvement in the team and I’m happy to see how they’re doing."

And it didn't matter what kind of offseason activity it was, guys showed up for Bedford.

"In 7-on-7s, we did well," senior co-captain Danny Black said. "Even in the winter and the spring, we had good team lifts. The upperclassmen have been bringing in underclassmen to go lift."

With that kind of participation, and with so many players returning, it's given Matthews and the coaching staff a better idea of what to expect on the field going into this season.

"This year, I think we have more of the answers as far as personnel is concerned," he said. "Last year, there were a lot of question marks. This year, we know most of the guys who are going to be out there to get first team reps played a lot of football for us last year. There’s not a lot of second-guessing who is going to be out there."

The preseason may just be getting underway, but Matthews has already discussed with his players that it's a new year and what Bedford did in the past has no barring on the 2023 season.

"The man on top of the mountain doesn’t just fall there," the coach said. "We’re starting the journey again, at the bottom. It’s uncharted territory for this group. It was fun last year to chase other people. No body expected us to pull those things off. It was a great opportunity for the kids. Now we’ve got to learn how to perform when there are higher expectations. That’s something that is new for our kids."

Both Matthews and the captains agreed that what helped the Bulldogs a year ago was the bond that existed amongst the players and coaches. Despite some of last year's key pieces moving on, they believe that connection will still be there this year.

"One of our big strengths last year was how close we were," Henrichon said. "We were all best friends. I can already see that starting to happen again this year. It’s really important for the seniors to be friends with the juniors and with the sophomores.

"We really have that this year. We’re all really tight. That’s one of the biggest things going into this year. We have that chemistry, we have that bond, now it’s just about playing football."

And if the season doesn't end the same way for the Bulldogs, that bond should help them be able to look back on the year and still come away feeling good.

"It’s about making memories at the end," senior co-captain Jake Benn said. "Winning or losing, down the road in life, it’s not going to matter that much. But you can make memories with the brothers you play with, on and off the field, that’s what really matters."