Braun Stone believes the foundation for a successful season has already been built.
After spending the offseason alongside a veteran group of teammates, the Columbus linebacker is eager to see the Titans’ defense take center stage this fall. With several experienced players returning in the secondary, Stone expects the unit to be one of the team’s strengths.
“I am most excited about what our defense will do this year,” Stone said. “I’m hoping our secondary will look amazing because we have a lot of older guys that have been with us since freshman year and have been working their tails off all summer.”
Stone has done his part to prepare for his senior campaign. His offseason included three football camps, morning weightlifting sessions with teammates and daily position work focused on improving technique.
“We have weights in the morning with my teammates,” Stone said. “Then, after that, we work drills like passing routes, shedding blocks and footwork.”
One of Stone’s biggest priorities has been becoming more effective at fighting through traffic and disengaging from blockers in the run game. Columbus coaches designed drills to simulate game situations, helping linebackers improve their instincts and technique.
“I’ve been wanting to work on shedding blocks and getting through traffic in the box,” Stone said. “We have done drills with people holding bags in the box, making you flow through traffic. Another drill we have had is keeping our head on a swivel, making sure there are no opponents behind us open for a pass.”
The work comes after an outstanding junior season in which Stone established himself as one of the area’s top defensive players. He finished with 123 tackles, including 78 solo stops and 45 assists, earning All-CNC honors at linebacker and honorable mention all-state recognition.
Despite those accomplishments, Stone has set even higher expectations for himself this fall.
His individual goal is to finish among the top five tacklers in Kansas while continuing to serve as a mentor for younger teammates.
“One goal of mine is to be top five in tackles this season in Kansas and to be a leader and example for the younger kids of what a good teammate looks like, to push yourself to be the best,” Stone said.
Team success remains the top priority. Stone believes the Titans have the experience and chemistry to compete for conference and district championships while making a deep postseason run.
“As a team, I have a goal of being CNC champs, hosting playoff games and winning district champs,” Stone said.
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