If you were to press him as to why, it wouldn’t take long for Drew Knickerbocker’s name to come up.
Knickerbocker, a 6-foot, 220-pound senior, was a two-way all-district lineman for the Bearcats a year ago — and one of the biggest catalysts for a Ballinger squad that improved from 0-10 in 2023 to 5-6 last year, snapping a two-year playoff drought in the process. And this year, he’ll be leaned on as heavily as anyone to help BHS take the next step as a program and build on last season’s success.