School has started once again for Battle’s staff and students, but the day they all looked forward to was the first Friday night. Football season was underway, playing against Park Hill. Battle ended up losing that game score, but there are still many games to go. 

This season for the football team looks like a difficult challenge for the fighting team. The season this year includes games against Helias, Hickman, Rockbridge, Jefferson City, and Hannibal. Through the new season along with its challenging upcoming games, there might also be another struggle as a new head coach and new assistant coaches come to build up the Spartans once again, which could end up changing the whole program.  

The starting running back for the Spartans brings a bright light to the situation. Rickie Dunn said, “All the coaches work to make us better people on and off the field, it’s not just about the game, it’s how we grow as people.” 

Atiyyiah Ellison, the former Battle head coach of the 2 seasons prior, went to work as Mizzou’s Director of Player Development in late summer 2021. As each year before, the Spartans made their way to the districts and beyond in the past years.

Battle brought on Jonah Dubinski as the new head coach for the Battle Spartans. As a former Offensive Lineman (OL) player for Mizzou, Coach Dubzinski was first brought to Rock Bridge as an OL coach. After a few years at Rock Bridge, Dubinski was then brought to Battle as the head coach to lead the 2022 team to a title. 

“I am totally confident with our ability to reach the district championship and go beyond from there, it is a necessity for us,” Rickie Dunn, senior, said. Dunn expresses confidence in the team’s ability that they would need to get to districts in order for the season to be right. 

Before the season even started, coaches and players took their time in the summer to work hard and prepare for the upcoming season. They started morning lifting and conditioning as well as midday practices. 

“The team showed up and put in the work for the morning lifts and practices,” Dunn stated. “There was always a lot of competition between players for the starting spot as 14 players of the 22 that play on the field are freshmen and sophomores.”

 The graduation of the 2021 seniors left the team with some spots to fill between the new incoming freshmen and sophomores. Dunn expresses confidence  for his team to take the battle head on, as he and a few of the other seniors that lead the team go on to compete in the challenge of the Battle 2022 football season.