By John Raffel
Correspondent
CLARE — Clare is off to a 2-0 start in varsity football and Brendan Burton is confident the Pioneers can keep it going.
This is his second year of varsity football. Last year he played left tackle and nose guard. This year he is playing left guard and linebacker.
Burton started both ways last year. Going from offensive tackle to offensive guard, he said the biggest challenge is “getting used to the different stuff we do with the guards vs. tackles. I’d say they’re both equally the same (as a challenge).”
Burton stands 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 205 pounds.
“My main strength is my speed off the line,” he said.
Now that he’s a linebacker, the main challenge for Burton will be “being able to have read the play vs. hitting the gap.”
Burton said he did all the football offerings at his disposal during the offseason with the team and also had a personal trainer.
This year’s team “is more connected and more energetic,” he said, “and more believing this year.”
Burton was expecting Ogemaw Heights and Petoskey to be among the most formidable teams Clare would say. Against teams like that, “we have to play smart and make sure we’re on point with everything.”
He also does basketball and track but said football is his best sport. He’s been playing it for many years.
