was for the Jays — and Mizzou, then the Bengals and 49ers — Bixler is just a slightly smaller version of him.
Bixler has great hands for a tight end to go along with a 34-inch
vertical leap, and he's a devastating blocker, basically like an extra lineman. He'll play defensive end and outside linebacker on defense. "He can help stop the run or drop back in coverage." The 6-1, 185-pound Bracht is also a multi-sport athlete, as he
excelled in basketball as a sophomore. He's expected to contribute ary. Due to injuries, he saw meaningful snaps at cornerback in the terback. He played wide receiver last year, but has experience at There are a number of players in the mix at running back, while talented receivers include seniors Doss and Hunter Hagerman. The one — 5-11, 265-pound senior guard Chance Petree, who will also one junior and three sophomores, but they are big and talented. Broyles, Street and Bixler anchor the defense at linebacker, while Doss, an All-State kicker, returns to lead the troops in the secondary. That formidable group also includes Hagerman, Bestgen and Bracht. It's a team that has a blend of youth and experience, making both the present and future look bright. "It's a great blend," Duke said, "and they all get along and want to be coached. And they all show up or that reason. just scratching the surface on how good they can be. It's a reason- able expectation that we should get better every day ... if you're doing something over and over again, you should make progress. "How good they are and how successful they'll be is up to them,
very thankful for that," Duke said. "It takes really good kids and really good athletes to accomplish what we did last year. It was a group of young men that were incredibly close to each other for years and years and years. They were such a cohesive unit, and they were really, really smart (the GPA for the TEAM was 3.5). I think we had the top "Everybody, all our players and all our coaches, was pulling the rope in the same direction. When you can do that, good things are going to happen. Hopefully, it happens again this year." Bet on it.
16 /// September 2026
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