PB&J: The after-school snack of champions

The long days high school students go through can make a kid hungry.  When the final bell rings and class lets out, students become athletes and report straight to their respected sports, hungry.
Head coach Ray Kumpula has a solution: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  He realized 17 years ago, when he first started, that in order for his team to be able to focus through the gruelling practices to be a successful football team, they can’t be hungry.
“That’s too long to go without a meal, especially with the kids working as hard as they do,” Kumpula said.
At first, he brought the supplies himself, then the booster club took over, and now the parents of the players supply the peanut butter, jelly and bread needed to sustain the body to perform at optimal output.
And it appears to be working. Averaging over 40 points per game, the team’s offense is a proven powerhouse.
The Burns Broncs found this out firsthand when they visited the Glenrock Herders for the final home game of the regular season. The Broncs fell to the Herders 50-8.
The regular season is over with the Herders secured in the top seed in the playoffs.  Being in this position allows the Herders to have home field advantage and will host the Lovell Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 for the playoffs.
“It’ll be a lot more interesting now, all the good teams are still in, so we just have to stay focused,” Kumpula said.
Junior starting quarterback Zane Moore knows that the intensity goes up a level in postseason play.
“Everyone is here 0-0, Keep the pedal down, don’t give up and keep the double wing going,” Moore said.
The double wing is the formation this offense has mastered.  The formation is focused on rushing yards and utilizing a large offensive line to make holes in the enemy’s defense.
“I’m fine with it,” Moore said. “I’ll let my line and my backs do what they do, and I’ll just help the team in anyway I can. If that means pitching the ball to one of my backs so they can run the ball for 160 yards per game, I’ll do it.”