25 Teams in 25 Days: Long Beach Bearcats

Friday Night Lights came a little early to Lumpkin-McGee stadium this year as a part of a Ryan Ross tradition, previously seen at Ocean Springs, now at Long Beach for the very first time.

- friday night lights came a- little early to lumpkin-mcgee - stadium, this year... as a part- of a ryan ross tradition, - previously seen at ocean- springs... now at long beach, - for - the very first time.- the sixth day of official - practice is always reserved for- full pads... and the bearcats - didn't waste a second... taking- the field, at the stroke of - midnight.

- they call it midnight madness..- and what better way - to kick off what could be a - cinderella season, for long - beach... following last year's- 1-10 showing.

- here's news 25's grace boyles..- at stop number 17... on news- 25's- 25 teams in 25 days... to see - what the bearcats turn- into... when the clock strikes- 12.

- - 25 teams in 25 days... brought- to you by gulf coast business - furniture and supply... your- source for covid-19 supplies an- all of your sanitation needs.

- <nats>- ryan ross, long beach head- football coach: "my favorite part is finding out - who's gonna hit.

Finding out- who's physical.

Finding out - who's tough.

So we're - going to bang on each other as- much as we can just to see who'- - - - going to bow down from it and - who invites it."

There was no lack of physicalit- friday night as - the bearcats spent a better - portion of their midnight - practice running the oklahoma - - - - drill while their new head- football coach ryan ross shoute- "if there's no popping.

.

."

<nats: "it ain't football"> after nine seasons as head- football coach at ocean springs- and leading the greyhounds to - six playoff appearances,- ross found himselfjust 21 miles- west along the coast in long- beach, ready to start building- from the ground up.

- ryan ross, long beach head- football coach: "i like buildin things.

I like going and- fixing stuff up and getting - people believing.

I just have - always liked that."

Ross took over a long beach - program that hasn't been to - the playoffs in nine years the- program also set a record - just last year for most points- allowed in a season... with - the bearcats eleven opponents i- 2019 scoring a- combined 522 points total.- junior long beach quarterback - charlie sta-rita- took notice of the change his - new coach brought to the- team his first day on the job.- charlie starita, long beach - quarterback: "ever since the first day he walked in, you - know, he was just like a mood - changer.

And like he just reall- made us want to buy - into what he does and i think - we're starting to do that and - hopefully it'll show up."

One of the prominent off- - the-field changes ross- has made at long beach is the - promotion of synergy amongst- his team.

- ryan ross, long beach head- football coach: "to summarize i up, we have to come - together.

We need all the help- we can get.

And everybody doing- - - - their best role and using their- energy to create as much energy- as a whole as we can, so.

But, - mean, we don't just go around - yelling it.

We just kinda make- sure they know what it- means."

Senior linebacker and running - back d'alan king- knows what synergy means and he- preaches the importance - of it.- d'alan king, long beach middle- linebacker/running back: "we al got to- work together, that's a big one- we got to want it too.

I mean,- if one player wants it- and somebody else don't, i mean- that's the weak link of the - group so we all gotta - be in it together if we want to- go somewhere."

Although the 20-20 season bring- a lot of new things to long - beach including a new head coac- and new team culture, some- veteran bearcats still remember- the old, like their - records from the last two - seasons when long beach went- 3 and 8 in 2018 and 1 and 10- just last year.

- charlie starita, long beach - quarterback: "just our record and and just, you know, - like all the losses we've taken- years after year.

We're just- trying to change that - - - - with coach ross coming in and - trying to build a brand new tea- and coming all- together."

D'alan king, long beach middle- linebacker/running back: "we're going-- - we're going farther than we did- before.

I mean, i believe, deep- down.

I mean, i'm a - senior.

We're trying to go all- the way.

Tired of losing."

Long beach opens its season - against west harrison, their- lone win from last season, on - spetember 4th.

Before then, - however, ross has message for - his team.

- ryan ross, long beach head- football coach: "basically, wha i'm about to tell - these guys after probably next- week is it's up to them now.

Al- the talk and all that's - - - - not going to get it done.

How - hard are we working every day t- accomplish the goal - that you're talking about and - telling everybody about and all- that."

In long beach, grace boyles,- news 25.- - in long beach, grace boyles,- news 25.- - - - - with the season being bumped- back two weeks... long- beach will now scrimmage pass - christian... instead opening- the season against the pirates.- the bearcats also filled their- open week, with a home game - against