New Braunfels Christian Academy is having a breakout start to its football season. The Wildcats, who are only in the third season of an 11-man football reboot, are a perfect 4-0 to begin the year. With the hot start, the Wildcats are set to begin district play Friday, and they will do it at a different home as the school will host a grand opening of a brand new stadium.
The project was part of NBCA’s Take Action Capital Campaign, which broke ground on a new athletic complex in October of 2023. The stadium currently includes a synthetic turf field, a video jumbotron, stands and a press box. For head coach John Bronkhorst, the new facilities are a sign of how far the program has come since he started at the school in 2021.
NBCA originally ran a six-man football team before transitioning to a full 11-man squad in 2022. Although the school was committed to the change, it was not easy. The team’s coaching staff was limited, with only two assistants that season, and they had to bring in new players who had never played football at any level before.
In turn, the Wildcats went 1-8 in year one and 2-8 in year two. However, the group has expanded to nine assistant coaches, accounting for all positions, and brought back 17 starters from last season. Kicker Gabe Waddell casts a shadow as he gears up to kick the ball during football practice on Sept.
26, 2024. Bronkhorst says the experience is showing. “Everybody’s focus as a player was just learning the game,” he said.
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