Cameron Head Football Coach Wes Bell Expecting A Strong 2024 Season

The Dragons will have 63 players on this year’s roster, considerably more than in recent years. There are a number of returning players from last year’s squad bringing experience to many key positions including several Midland Empire All Conference players from the 2023 team.

Again this year the team will be run-oriented, hoping to improve on last year’s average of 3.2 yards per carry. However, Bell expects the team to throw the ball a bit more than last year.

The 2024 team has been spending a lot of time in the weight room. Bell feels the players will be stronger than in recent years and overall player size has increased. The team boasts some outstanding players at several key positions.

The Dragons recently competed in a 4-team scrimmage with Lawson, Richmond, and Excelsior Springs. Bell said that overall he was very pleased with the team’s performance.

Coach Bell has been very impressed at how hard the players have been working as they prepare for the season opener at home against Oak Grove. This will be followed by an away game against Class 4 Warrensburg. He feels that these teams will be a good test for the Dragons as they prepare for conference play.

Coach Bell feels that the Midland Empire Conference is, perhaps, the strongest conference in the state of Missouri. Competition in the conference is intense with several teams contending for the championship each year. He feels that scheduling tough non-conference opponents will better prepare the team for conference play.

Bell has been working hard teaching players to believe in themselves and that they can win. He teaches them to “expect success”. They are going to play tough, physical football and he feels they will line up favorably against conference teams.

As with most teams, there will be an emphasis on avoiding turnovers and keeping players healthy. He feels the weight room training will help in this respect.

This will be an improved football team. He has a strong team of assistant coaches who believe in the program and in the players. These include Slade Kenady, Ryan Bulka, Brian Gilmore, Jake Horn, and Tanner Galliart. These coaches specialize on position players, both on offense and defense.

Look for an exciting year of Dragon football!