The Revolution had a tough two-win year in 2021, but it was the first under her coach Justin Bernard. Now in year two, there was a clear uptick in energy, emotion, and particularly coaching during Tuesday afternoon’s practice. There was a serious emphasis on accountability from the staff in every period, but teammates were also getting on guys with “finish the rep!” yells right from early running straight through individual work and team work.

Coach: Justin Bernard (2nd Year)

Key Players: Hamad Ali, Sr. (QB); Tyler Clayton, Sr. (RB/S); Colton Lestorti, Sr. (Wr/DB); Ahmed Kamara, Sr. (OL/DL)

Three Observations: – The accountability stood out the most. No jogging, no lackluster efforts. if a rep was done incorrectly it was immediately repeated. There’s 25 freshman in the program this year, but the senior leadership is very strong and that alone can win you some games if everyone is buying into the same message with the same effort.

-The size up front on defense – starting first and foremost with Kamara making life miserable for O-linemen in the middle – and the size and speed of the linebackers is glaring. A/B has athletes all over the field, but the linebacking core and the guys up front have all clearly taken offseason workouts seriously.

-When you’ve got a quarterback and skill guys with the demeanor and athletic ability of Ali, Clayton and Lestorti as seniors, you’re in good shape. All three talked about leadership roles and expectations for the season (you can see those interviews on our Twitter feed) and they sounded like you want veteran leaders to sound, all eager to turn things around. As long as plays are executed correctly and there isn’t a lapse in focus, this should be an improved football team. Defensively, A/B held eight opponents to 23 points or less last year, so that defensive foundation is already built in and proven successful as well. The Revolution might surprise some teams this season.

Coach’s Comment: “We had a full offseason. We’re not completely out of the pandemic, but a lot more removed. I think last year, guys started to get together in late July, so it was only a few weeks of lifting. This year we got our lifting program started in December, a lot of guys bought in and we got to build with that. Then, you also get to know your players personally. You can adjust your system based on your players’ body types, how they play and fit the needs of what they want, so definitely a lot further along than last year.

“I want the seniors and juniors to decide their expectations and where they want to go with it. I think the goal is just 1-0 every single week. I think last year, we looked ahead to much and that was on me and I kind of set that tone, I did it the wrong way. I think we just need to take it 1-0 at a time.”