Conway football obtained a new coach this year, Buck James, from rival school Bryant. James is coming off 5 state championships in a row and is trying to seek a 6th one, but this year something is new for him. James was at Bryant for 7 years, but now he is starting a new story at Conway High School. James said, ” My first impression of the team is we need to get stronger.” On his first day, he got straight to work to do just that for the hard season ahead of them. James’ focus for the team in the summer was to become better at their craft, practice discipline and put full effort into every single play.
James’s transition to Conway was easy, but also different. Not only did the coach have to adapt to the new team, the players also had to adapt. What James wanted and what the players were used to were different at first, but that has not stopped them from growing together. One thing that hasn’t changed is each town’s love for football. Conway has welcomed James with open arms. When news got out of him being the new head coach there were posts everywhere and even businesses put up signs outside their building. The community has been supportive in hopes of him bringing a state title home to Conway.
This season James expects this team to get pushed to their full potential. James wants them to have a chance to win any game they are in and against any opponent. There is no doubt that the strongest aspect of this team is the senior class. The seniors are willing to provide what the coaches want and trust the process that goes into that. James’ biggest goal for this season is to play hard and play well. The wins and losses will fall into place, but as a coach, his job is to better the players. The true question is, can Buck do the trick and get six rings?
