Braden River looks for fresh start

BRADENTON — Dakota Wilson has seen more than his fair share of tragedy — arguably too much for a person who just turned 18 last month.

He is one of two seniors along with Ben Peacock who has been on the Braden River varsity football team the past four years.

It hasn’t been an easy ride, and their ability to handle adversity has been tested. It would be hard to find many football programs in America that have gone through what transpired there the past couple years.

Wilson lost one of his assistant coaches, who was killed in a tragic car accident. After a much publicized trial, his former head coach, Josh Hunter, was convicted of DUI manslaughter in the accident and is now incarcerated.

He also lost his new coach, who took over in 2009 and then left shortly after the season for another school.

Wilson and his teammates are now preparing to play under Don Purvis, their third head coach in three years. If they feel abandonment and mistrust, it should not surprise anyone.

Purvis has seen some of the emotional scars and has taken on the dual role of healer and coach. He wants to win, but seeing his players mend is equally important.

Wilson is his perfect role model and the coach believes he can help, which is why he holds Wilson in such high regard.

If any player had a right to come into his final season with a chip on his shoulder, it would be Wilson because he was so close to the catastrophe that overwhelmed this team. But he is not that way.

He has listened to Purvis, got a chance to evaluate what he says and likes what he hears. To Wilson, the coach brings a breath of fresh air and has given the players a reason to smile.

“Coach Purvis is fun to be around. He is always upbeat, makes everyone happy and helps them feel good about themselves,” Wilson said. “He said he was here for us, and we believe him. He gave up a stable job (in Memphis) to come, and I don’t think he would’ve done that if he wasn’t going to stay.”

This is a mutual admiration relationship. What happened at Braden River defies the norm, and Purvis is grateful to have Wilson on his roster.

“He is a special player and a special person, especially for a new coach to come into a new situation like this,” Purvis said. “It means a lot to have a guy like Dakota, who is the first person at practice and the last one to leave. He is our hardest worker, excels in the classroom and is the ultimate team player.

“I know it sounds like a bunch of cliché things to say, but it’s absolutely true. He is a leader.”

Wilson holds no anger toward former head coach Ed Volz, who left after one year to take the same job at Sarasota High. He also hasn’t stopped believing in his first head coach.

“What happened with Coach Hunter was hard. I loved the guy. He was like a father to me,” Wilson said. “I would love to talk with him. I would tell him to stay strong and never lose hope. He affected my life in a positive way, and I would like to do that for him.

“We all know that drinking and driving is horrible, and it shows something like that can happen to anyone. It doesn’t have to happen to a bad person. It was disappointing what Coach Volz did, leaving after one year. We definitely want to beat Sarasota.”

Wilson can be expected to play a big role in whomever Braden River defeats this season. He will continue to be a big force on the offensive line, probably at guard, but will also play linebacker.

Wilson doesn’t care where he plays. However, he admits it’s nice to get a chance to hit people as a defensive player. He started his career as a linebacker and switched to the offensive line as a sophomore.

Purvis expects him to be a factor on both sides of the ball and believes he is in good enough shape and intelligent enough to be out on the field nearly all the time.

“Dakota can play on both sides of the ball and has tons of experience on the game field, so he won’t be intimidated,” Purvis said. “He has been working very hard in the weight room and will help us plug some holes at linebacker because he is such a smart, physical player.”