Considering his family’s history with Bridgeport High School football, no one needs to give current Indian football Coach Josh Nicewarner a lesson in tradition. He understands and appreciates it, but he also won’t let him dictate any changes – no matter to what – he wants for the program he now directs.

 

No one needs to look further than when Nicewarner instituted the pistol offense two years ago much to the chagrin of many who felt it was trampling on sacred ground. Two years and two state championships later, it’s much harder to find those who thought the move was without merit.

 

That said, on Tuesday afternoon Nicewarner made another change to the program. This one, however, has less to do with what happens on the field and more to do with what is worn on it.

 

Prior to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. summer workout practice, Nicewarner’s team was fitted for helmets. And unlike the standard helmet with the white arrowhead, the helmets Bridgeport will utilize in the 2015 season are different from what’s been in place for decades.

 

“Basically, the helmets are a solid red, but we got away from that glossy shine we’ve had and went with a matte finish,” said Nicewarner. “The other thing that’s different, and the thing probably most noticeable to those looking up close, will be the arrowhead. It’s going to no longer have a white body, but instead will have I guess what you would call a chrome look.”

 

It’s not as if Nicewarner is asking his players to wear leather helmets. As he pointed out, the design and style is not only utilized by nearly every college in the country, but several high schools utilize a similar color scheme on their helmets.

 

“I think they’re nice and it’s fresh. You may not be able to even tell if you’re way up in the bleachers, but there’s a difference,” said Nicewarner.

 

And for those who may be upset with the modification, Nicewarner’s response was to be expected by those that have known the coach during his – in comparison to his predecessors – relatively short stint as coach.

 

“I don’t really care one way or the other if it upsets people. If it does, it does. Quite frankly, coming off of two state titles that’s the last thing I worry about. Honestly, it would be the last thing I worried about if I was coming off back-to-back losing seasons,” said Nicewarner.

 

Along with wanting something fresh, Nicewarner was blatantly honest when asked if he thought the new helmets would serve as a positive, albeit minor, distraction for the team and those following the Indians. And the answer was yes.

 

“With everyone talking about a three-peat, I kind of wanted to get them away from all of that and focus on other things. Don’t get me wrong; I’m pleased if they’re thinking about doing everything they have to do to work toward the goal we have every year of a state title, but a little distraction from every topic  being another title may do this group  good,” he said.

 

So is that the only change for the coming season? Nicewarner just smiled and said he “can’t say for sure.” What he did say is that much like putting in the pistol offense, where he insisted it was the same offense with modification but only from a shotgun setting, he said the helmets or any other style changes don’t change a whole lot of substance.

 

“We’re the same football team,” said Nicewarner. “The only thing different now is that we have a new modern look with the helmet.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is what the new matte finish helmets look like with the chrome arrowhead. Bottom photo, by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com, is of Coach Josh Nicewarner during the 2014 season.