Story by Jacob Holmes:
Benton Harbor High School is looking to rebuild its football program from the ground up under a new coaching staff. As the first move of newly hired athletic director Fred Smith, veteran coach Elliot Uzelac was hired earlier in the summer with the hopes of turning around the football program.
Uzelac said that the team still has a long way to go before they’re where he hopes to see them. “We’re definitely starting with a blank screen,” he said. “Their habits off the field, their habits on the field, their ability to learn how to practice, all of those things we have to change.”
Uzelac said that it’s still too early to determine what the team’s strengths are, and that Thursday’s scrimmage will be a big factor in that. “Right now, we’re looking at things and then based on what we can do physically and mentally, that’s what we’ll do,” Uzelac said.
For the scrimmage, Uzelac hopes that the team will “make less mistakes mentally and be very aggressive.” As for expectations for the season, Uzelac said that the team needs to improve themselves before looking at other teams. “The team we worry about right now is us,” he said.
“This is a process, we’re going to start here and hopefully be better at the end,” Uzelac said. He added that it’s still an open competition for the starting quarterback spot and other skill positions.
Benton Harbor went 0-9 last season, and will begin the season against Gull Lake on Aug. 28.
