They say it confidently, believing that they, indeed, can win. And just realizing that fact might be the reason the Bulldogs are on the verge of going from worst in District 27-A last year to first in 26-A this season.
Bartlett (5-3 overall, 3-0 in 26-A) can clinch at least a share of the district championship Friday with a home win over Thrall on Senior Night. If the Bulldogs follow that up with a Week 10 win next Friday at rival Granger, they will finish undefeated in district for the first time since 1998.
Quite a turnaround for a program that had a 7-23 record in the three previous seasons, including last year’s winless mark.
“Winning or losing is a habit and we’re trying to get into the habit of winning around here,” said veteran coach Joe Mullins, in his first year at Bartlett. “That’s what the people expect. That’s what the school expects.
“I think they expect it now.”
Getting to this point certainly wasn’t easy.
Finding a way to erase memories of last year’s 0-10 debacle was the first step toward rebuilding a program that won three Class A state titles in the 1990s. And players were more than willing to forget.
“I was ready for that season to move on and do better this year,” senior linebacker and center Kevin Garcia said.
When Mullins, Bartlett’s third head coach in three seasons, took over, he admitted that instilling the sky-high confidence the Bulldogs have now found was the first step - a tough task considering there likely wasn’t much belief left.
“We had to convince them that they could win,” Mullins said. “That was the first hurdle we had to cross. Once we convinced them of that, it’s been a good year.”
After an opening-week loss, the Bulldogs rebounded by snapping a losing streak that had ballooned to 13 games with a 29-8 win over Iola.
Mullins chuckles when recalling the postgame scene.
“The kids acted like they’d won state,” he said, “but that was a big weight off their shoulders to get that first win.”
More than anything, it reminded the Bulldogs what it felt like to win.
“We just wanted to keep winning,” said sophomore running back Eric Walker, the team’s leading rusher. “We didn’t want to lose anymore.”
In many ways, that win set the tone for the rest of the season. Bartlett has won four of its last six games, including three in a row for the first time since 2004.
Under Mullins, the Bulldogs have established themselves as a smash-mouth, hard-nosed team - especially on defense.
Bartlett’s defensive unit ranks as the area’s best, allowing only 180 yards and 14 points per game. The Bulldogs have given up just six points in district play.
“I’ve been doing this for a pretty good while and as far as a group getting after it on defense, I’ve never had a better group,” Mullins said. “We’ve got 11 hitters and that’s real unusual. We do get after it on defense.”
Garcia (team-high 135 tackles) along with Walker and senior Eric Benavides, who have 80 tackles each, are the Bulldogs’ leaders on a much-improved defense. Last year, Bartlett allowed more than 33 points and nearly 350 yards per game.
The difference, several players said, is attitude. Now that they believe they can win, the team’s seniors made sure everyone else bought into the team concept.
“Everybody’s working hard,” senior quarterback Pierre Smith said. “We work as one.”
Bartlett has controlled the line of scrimmage on offense, as well, anchored by potential NCAA Division I recruit Ted Crews, who’s listed at 6-7, 350 pounds.
Crews helps clear the way for Walker and Benavides, who have been one of the area’s top running back duos. They have a combined 1,157 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. In district, they’ve rushed for 589 yards and five touchdowns.
“They’ve done a good job,” Mullins said. “Both of them run hard. They’ve done an outstanding job running the ball.”
Another key playmaker on offense is Smith, who has thrown for 579 yards and 10 touchdowns. His top targets are receiver Gabriel Gadison, who has 14 catches for 192 yards and five touchdowns, and Michael Smith, who has seven catches for a team-high 241 yards and five scores.
These Bulldogs haven’t before been in the position of controlling their playoff destiny. But Mullins isn’t about to let this opportunity pass his players by.
Before Bartlett concluded practice, Mullins reminded his players, “The hay’s in the barn.” But they know the only way that hard work will pay off is by continuing to do things, namely winning, that have made them successful so far.
“To me, we’ve got the most talent in the district,” Pierre Smith said. “I knew we had a good chance of being 3-0 at this point in district. We just have to work hard and keep winning.”
