Spring ball is officially underway for the football team, which means we can say “Football is Back.” For the Timberwolves, that means that preparations are underway for the season opener Aug. 30 at. Vandegrift.

Every battle on the field starts up front at the line of scrimmage. It’s where all the work in the weight-room pays off. Junior DL Benjamin Bell, who has already received a handful of scholarships and offers from Division 1 schools, is the anchor of the Black Rain defense and said his personal goal for the 2019 season is to break the Cedar Park sack record, which is five sacks in one game held by his brother, Levi Russo-Bell.

“I’m just going to try to keep getting better everyday,” Bell said. “[I’m] working hard in practice every day and hitting the weight room. Hopefully I’ll see more scholarships come my way.”

Bell has already received four offers from West Point, Dartmouth, Florida International University and a full-ride from Louisiana Tech.

Sophomore QB Ryder Hernandez said the team has high expectations, starting by winning district and then making a run at state.

“We just need to keep grinding,” Hernandez said. “We have the players to do it, it’s just a matter of us coming together and working.”

Sophomore Javion Mays transitioned from WR to safety over the offseason. He said junior Tammer Alzer, who currently starts at safety, has taken Mays under his wing so that Mays can learn from him.

“The defense revolves around [Alzer],” Mays said. “I’m excited about our defense because we’ve been working really hard and I can’t wait to see the process [unfold] and see how much we’ve grown.”

Alzer said the whole team can’t wait for next year and that they have a lot of players coming back with varsity experience.

“Personally, I want my senior season to be a show,” Alzer said. “I want to be more of a playmaker and be first team all state DB. As a team, we already know we want to be state champs, but we’ve made goals to reach our goal. Go 4-0 in non-district games, go 6-0 in district and show out in the playoffs. Spring ball will expose what we, as a team, need to work on and we can’t wait to see what happens.”

Alzer also said the team can’t wait to get back in the pads during Spring Ball.

Though the season doesn’t kickoff until August, players must begin preparations now. They must learn the playbook, build team chemistry and hit the weight-room to get back into shape for the new season. The onfield product is what matters in the end, but to be great, you must put in the work.

Spring practices run until the end of the school year, Monday-Thursday 6:20 A.M – 8:20 A.M. The culmination of Spring Ball will take place on May 24 at the CP Football Field: The 2019 Spring Football Game.

“[The Spring Game] gives us an early start to see what we are weak in and strong in,” Alzer said. “It also helps our team to develop more chemistry on the field.”

You can find the entire Cedar Park 2019 Football Schedule here.