Brinkmeyer, Bulldogs staying in moment as summer scrimmages progress

As summer scrimmages continue across the region, the Notre Dame Bulldogs are taking advantage of every opportunity they can get.

With coach Jeremy Brinkmeyer returning home to coach the Bulldogs, they are using this time to all get familiar with each other.

“With this being my first year I’m just trying to learn the kids and see what they can and can’t do,” Brinkmeyer said. “I’m not doing a whole lot of coaching and drawing up plays because that stuff will come. Coaching is all about putting kids in a position to be successful and you can’t do that if you don’t know what they can and can’t do.”

Brinkmeyer said the team will eventually lay out expectations, but for now they are taking it one day at a time.

“I’m a big live-in-the-moment guy,” Brinkmeyer said. “Our moment right now is to focus on playing harder. We’re ok when we play with 100 percent effort the whole time we just have to realize what it takes to get there. I don’t really believe in expectations or anything like that because as soon as you’re focusing on the mountain top, you’ll trip on the molehill.”

As the Bulldogs opened play in the Heartland Shootout on Tuesday at the Cape Girardeau Sportsplex against the Goreville Blackcats, it was clear there was an emphasis on moving the ball around quickly.

“We’ve been hammering them all summer saying ‘We’re a lot better team when we pass the ball and move it’,” Brinkmeyer said. “When we passed the ball we got good looks and now we just have to knock them down.”

Perhaps the most promising thing for Brinkmeyer and the Bulldogs is the potential the team has shown.

“We’re young and we’re hungry,” Brinkmeyer said. “Our summer has been really good with the turnout and a lot of kids showing up and working hard. If we continue to buy into everyone doing their role, coming into the weight room and doing all the little things then I think we have the potential to be alright. But, again it’s only summer and we have a long way before we think about anything like that.”

A pair of returners that will be crucial for the Bulldogs’ offense will be Kolton Johnson and Will Henry Steward.

“I’ve been pleased with their effort and I’ve been pleased with everything they’re doing,” Brinkmeyer said. “The main thing is I’m trying to learn them and they’re trying to learn me. They’ve been great leaders.”

Notre Dame will begin the 2023-24 season on Dec. 1 when the Bulldogs host the Charleston Blue Jays at Notre Dame Regional High School.