Just about everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for the Windham Bombers’ football team last season. With a new season on the horizon, the Bombers will try and right the ship in search of their first winning season since 2018.
“We are excited about the season,” Coach Jake Eye told The Weekly Villager on Aug. 6. “We have a big senior class. It is the biggest senior class we have had since 2018, and all of those seniors have football experience and are all capable of giving us quality time on Friday nights.”
In 2018, the Bombers’ senior class propelled them to an 8-2 record en route to hosting a home playoff game. With another big senior class in tow, the fifth-year coach is optimistic that history can repeat itself.
“One of the goals this year is to have a winning season and also make a playoff berth or win a playoff game,” Eye noted. “Having a home playoff game would be nice, but again, a lot of that depends on our health.”
Last year, Windham’s season was derailed before week one after six starters were injured across two scrimmages, leaving the team short-handed throughout most of the season. According to Eye, it was not the first time Windham’s roster had been ravaged by injuries with the same thing happening in 2022, but unlike the 2022 campaign, the Bombers could not overcome their injuries.
“Regardless of the injuries we sustained last year, we felt like we underachieved so that has not sat well with a lot of our seniors,” Eye added. “Any time you have a 2-8 season, you always reflect back and try and figure out what it is you could have done better and I feel like the kids are using that as fuel.”
Windham’s big senior class gives it plenty of depth at the offensive skill positions, beginning with senior Dylan McCune returning as the team’s starting quarterback. According to Eye, McCune’s football I.Q is what gives him an advantage on the field.
“He is not going to throw the ball 50 or 60 yards down the field but what he does do is that he does very well in his reads,” he said of the 5-foot-11 senior. “He is very savvy and is great at running the offense, managing the offense and putting guys where he needs to be. He is a field general and his biggest asset is that he is able to manage and general the game when he is on the field.”
McCune will lead an offense that will thrive on running counters to whatever defensive look their opposition gives them. The Bombers’ offense will go as far as senior tailbacks Jack Eye and Carlos Bruton take them.
“Jack is big, strong kid and is 6-foot-2 and 220 and that is a big boy coming at you. Those guys we are excited about,” Eye said. “I feel like Carlos and Jack are going to have a fantastic season.”
Windham’s power run game will be dictated by the offensive line, which will try and return to full health by welcoming back senior right tackle Omar Duran, senior left tackle Kaishawn Scales and senior left guard Brandon Petrich, who all missed most of last season with significant injuries.
As the Bombers are still in the process of finding their new center and right guard, Eye acknowledged that the lack of depth on their offensive line will be a huge hurdle to overcome.
“We also have some young kids that are freshmen that will actually help us and will see quite a bit of time,” he noted. “I know they are freshmen but they are going to get plenty of action on Friday night with our depth and they are going to have no choice.”
Eye said that the Bombers are also set at wide receiver, with seniors Nick Hopper, Cameron Hardwick and freshman Bryan Smithberger.
On defense, Eye said that the linebackers will be Windham’s key to success with Jack playing middle linebacker and Petrich serving as the outside linebacker.
“Brandon did not play last year because of injury but also similar to Jack – he has a nose for the football and we are looking for him to have a lot of tackles this year so our linebacking corps is going to be our strength for sure,” Eye noted.
Although the Bombers’ depth will be tested by having almost every player playing the entire contest, Eye said that the players are relishing the opportunity to always having a chance to impact the game whether they play on offense or defense.
Windham’s first game will be on August 23 at 7 p.m. when it travels to face Lisbon at Memorial Stadium.
