As he prepares for his final high school football season, Belle Plaine senior Mattix Bruner is focused on helping change the direction of the Dragons’ program while continuing to develop his game for the next level.
Bruner said the opportunity to play one final season with his teammates is what excites him most as the start of the season approaches.
“I’m most excited to get to play my last high school season with the team,” Bruner said. “Everyone is very eager to get on the field this year and to make a change from the past few seasons.”
Bruner has spent the offseason working to improve his athleticism and prepare for a bigger senior campaign. Much of his training has centered on agility drills and strength development.
“Here in the offseason, I’ve been doing mostly cone work to get my agility better,” Bruner said. “Along with that, I have been in the gym.”
He also attended the Revive Performance Football Showcase at Wichita Trinity Academy earlier this summer to compete and continue his development.
While Bruner has established himself as one of Belle Plaine’s top playmakers, he believes there is still room for improvement before the season begins.
“For my upcoming season, areas I am focusing on are my coverages on defense,” he said. “I haven’t worked on that as much as I had liked to, but I definitely will focus on that when the season comes around.”
Bruner enters his senior year after producing on both sides of the ball during the 2025 season. He rushed for 278 yards and four touchdowns, added 486 receiving yards and two touchdowns, compiled 1,378 all-purpose yards and recorded 41 solo tackles.
His performance earned first-team All-District honors on offense and defense, first-team All-League recognition on offense, second-team All-League honors on defense and honorable mention All-State recognition as a returner.
Individually, Bruner has set ambitious goals for his final high school season while keeping the team’s success at the forefront.
“Personally, my goals for this season are to reach 2,000 yards, improve my leadership on and off the field, and show college coaches that I am ready for the next level,” Bruner said. “For the team, my goals are to all work together on the field and to show what we are all capable of.”
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