Burns eager to build on successes of 2022 season
Sep. 1—BURNS — When he first took over last year, Burns coach Travis Romsa said he wanted to establish a new identity and culture with the Broncs.
The message was received extremely well by the team. The Broncs went on to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 last season, and showed that they had turned a corner with Romsa at the helm, despite a first-round exit.
The trip to the Class 2A playoffs sparked a newfound hunger throughout the returners to the Burns squad this year. Romsa said it has lit a fire under those that have returned.
"That is one of those things that if you make the playoffs, you start to see kids come out," the coach said. "That's something that every kid strives for. I think us making the playoffs last year got us some kids out that want to play football and do well."
One of the biggest changes Romsa has seen from the start of last season to the start of this year's season is the commitment on the team, specifically in regards to the weight room.
"Our kids really seem to be bought in around here," Romsa said. "... They have fit in well. We still have (some of our leaders) from last year that really bought in. They are bringing these young guys up that either didn't see the field or weren't a part of the program."
While the commitment to getting stronger is something Romsa has been preaching, the biggest thing he has been trying to change is the mentality with the team. Burns had fallen off a bit when he took over, which had caused some of the players to think negatively about the program.
Changing the mentality and always encouraging everyone to stay positive is one of the biggest things Romsa has done since taking over last year, according to senior De'Drick Nichols.
"There's been a lot of negative aspects with Burns," Nichols said. "We (got to a point where we) don't think we're winners anymore, and he is really trying to build up the winning attitude toward everyone."
Burns entered last season with a strong core of leaders and seniors that were well experienced with the varsity game. This season, however, the Broncs have a far different look to their roster. Burns lost 11 seniors to graduation over the summer, and returns just five players that saw any varsity playing time last year.
When Burns opened the nonconference portion of its season, it was a big culture shock to some of the new players. The Broncs lost the opener at Rawlins 33-6 and despite some good plays in the second half, showed a lot of youth in the contest.
But the loss still served its purpose. Because Burns' first two games don't mean anything for playoff seeding, it allowed the young squad to get a taste of what the varsity game looks like.
"The good thing about these first two weeks is that no matter what happens, it doesn't matter," Romsa said. "It's just games to get better and improve on. We want to compete in them, of course. But if we struggle, or whatever it is, hopefully we can get that out early."
A lot can change in one year, and even though they are young, Burns is ready to build on the foundation that was laid last season. Making the playoffs was important, but Burns is not satisfied with its first-round exit last year.
This season, the team is determined to go even further.
"It's kind of a burn to just go in the first round," Nichols said. "It always seems like a trend here. We always make the first round, we are pretty known for that, and we get knocked out. We really want to change that this year."
Burns plays one more nonconference game tonight, as it hits the road to face off against Yuma, Colorado. The game will serve as the final tune-up before the Broncs open the conference season against Torrington on Sept. 8.
Matt Atencio covers Laramie County prep sports for WyoSports. He can be reached at matencio@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter at @MattAtencio5.
