Spring football practice opens in Bureau County

Mat Pistole wasn’t responding very quickly in a group chat with friends Tuesday night and one of them joked that he must be running around in shoulder pads in anticipation of the first day of practice for the 2021 spring season.

The Bureau Valley head coach finally responded and told his friend he was wrong, he was wearing this, texting a photo wearing a football helmet.

Pistole, a 2003 BVHS graduate, is ready for football any time, especially Storm football, and couldn’t wait to start practice Wednesday, starting his second-year as the Storm skipper.

“After the difficult season we had in 2019 (0-9), then COVID, it has been super tough for us as a program,” Pistole said. “We are really excited to put into action all the positive changes we are making within our program and work toward getting us back where we belong...in the playoffs year in and year out.”

The Storm were one of several area teams to huddle up on the inside to kick off spring practice, so as not to tear up their practice fields that are still feeling the spring thaw of recent snow. The Storm will make camp at the Bureau Valley North gym in Walnut this week before moving to the BVHS gym on Saturday and may utilize the school parking lot, Pistole said.

Princeton also set up camp indoors for its first practices this week. Didn’t matter to senior all-conference quarterback Tyler Gibson, he was ready to go.

“Yes, I am (ready),” he said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been together. So I’m not gonna lie, it’s going to be a bit of knockin’ the rust off. We’ve put all this time in preparing ourselves so everyone is going to be super excited.”

Teammate Grant Foes, a senior lineman, added, “We are happy and ready to get started.”