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PREVIEW: Arlington Grace Prep braces for solid season
Sitting at the fourth spot in the VYPE DFW Private School Preseason Football Rankings, Arlington Grace Prep has been preparing for a stellar season. Remembering their season last year, the Lions are prepared to put their best foot forward this fall.
REWIND
Finishing third in their district standings last season, the Lions posted a 6-6 overall record (3-2 in district play). The team faced off against tough opponents like Oakridge, Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth Christian School, Flower Mound's Coram Deo Academy, and more in non-district play. The team posted big victories over Pantego Chrisitan (39-34), Willow Park's Trinity Christian (forfeit), and Covenant Christian (46-20) before heading into playoffs.
Once in playoffs, Grace Prep sent The Covenant School (34-24) home before falling to Lubbock's Trinity Christian. Learning from moments on the field last season, the Lions look toward a new year.
LOOKING AHEAD
This fall, Grace Prep opens its schedule against a tough Oakridge squad on Friday, August 25th. The team will look to start the season strong. With athletes like Talon Patridge, Bryce Prince, Kaden Lehew, Dominiq Vann, Mark Neely, Jake Turner, Jack Benton, Jacob Smith, Griffin Norris, Braelyn Floyd, and more, the team will use their power to fight through their non-district schedule.
Fans can expect this squad to come into the season hungry. They are no strangers to being successful on the field and in practice, so they're going to want to channel their energy into posting more victories this season. With a squad preparing to topple teams that don't see it coming, the Lions can be expected to have a strong push toward the playoffs.
VYPE DFW 411 with Arlington Grace Prep's Bryce Prince
Practice has begun and athletes have been given the green light to start working out in pads marking the official start of the Texas high school football season. As teams continue preparing for their preseason schedule, many fans are taking to the VYPE DFW fan polls to vote for players they believe deserve preseason honors. Arlington Grace Prep inside linebacker and running back, Bryce Prince, recently won the VYPE DFW Preseason Private School Football Defensive Player of the Year Fan Poll. Following Prince's win, VYPE DFW caught up with the incoming sophomore in an exclusive interview.
To read the full interview, become a VYPE Insider today!
Offseason Focus leads to Success
For an athlete to be truly great at what they do, they must reman focused and sharpened throughout their offseason. For Prince, this includes working hard to get to where he wants to be. "I stay focused during the off season by training with a personal trainer and specialized coach to improve my skills," Prince told VYPE.
By working with people who help him become the best that he can be, Prince has been successful so far with Arlington Grace Prep. "The secret to my personal success [last season] was personal experience and teamwork," Prince opened up about his first year with Grace Prep. I have been playing football since the age of four, however, having a great team and great coaches helped me succeed last year."
Speaking of the team, Grace Prep put up an incredible season last fall. With a 10-1 overall record and a 91% win percentage, the Lions went undefeated in regular season play (7-0) as they plowed their way into playoffs. "In my opinion, the secret to the team's success was accountability and talent," Prince said. "We had a great, talented team- from the freshmen to the seniors."
Mindset and Goals
As the season gets rolling, there are many things to look forward to. For Prince it all boils down to getting to play. "I am most looking forward to starting on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. In the past I've played defense, but this year I will play on both sides of the ball-- running back and linebacker-- which is exciting to me," Prince started.
"My mind is set on winning a state championships," he continued. "My individual goals going into the season are to make 70+ tackles and surpass my total from last season. I want to perform better than I did last year and lead the team in tackles."
With the ability to keep a great mindset as he has played football, Prince has been extremely accomplished in his career so far. "My biggest accomplishment so far," Prince opened up, "was being the second leader on the team in tackles and third in rushing yards as only a freshman." During his success last season, Prince had one of his favorite memories with the Lions: "Making two significant plays during the game-- a sack and a rushing touchdown."
A Bright Future
Although there is still plenty of time to decide what the future has in store for him when he closes the chapter on his high school career, Prince has already started thinking about college and the potential for playing football in a college program. "I am looking for a program that provides a good education, environment, and a great football program," Prince said.
Prince is hoping to major in meteorology. "I've always been interested in the weather and I love science."
Fun Questions
Who is your favorite pro football team?
"Carolina Panthers."
As an athlete, who do you most look up to?
"I look up to Saquan Barkley because he is a versatile player-- which is what I aspire to be."
If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you hope to talk about?
"I would love to go to dinner with Saquan Barkley and talk about his plays and workout regime."