GRANITE CITY - Ryan Brokaw is a senior running back and defensive back for the football team of Granite City High School, and feels very confident that the Warriors will have a successful season in 2025.
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Last year, for a team that finished 0-9, Brokaw was the team's leading rusher, running for 179 yards and two touchdowns, also catching nine passes for 63 additional yards. He had his most success returning kickoffs, taking 12 back for 313 yards, also running back one punt for 25 yards.
He expressed confidence and enthusiasm over how things have gone for Granite in the opening week of workouts.
Brokaw is a Stillwater Senior Living Male Athlete of the Month for Granite City.
"It's been going pretty well," Brokaw said, "We've had very intense practices, a lot of energy. It's looking good, we're excited, ready to play Alton next week (in a week zero scrimmage Aug. 22), we're ready to go get them."
The Warriors open up the 2025 season at home Aug. 29, 2025, against Peotone, and Brokaw and his teammates are ready to play, and play well.
"We're really excited about it," Brokaw said, referring to the opener against Peotone. "We're waiting. We've been thinking about it all summer long, and we're ready to go out there, we're ready to go hit something, ready to play ball."
Although the Warriors went winless last season, the team never gave up or gave in, and kept fighting throughout the entire 48 minutes of the game. It's something that has been built on during the off-season and preseason practice.
"It was rough," Brokaw said, "but we've bounced back from it, we've changed the culture in the program, and we're off to a great start so far. I'm very excited to see how the season is going to go, and play out."
It's still a pretty young club, with a roster that's full of sophomores and juniors, Brokaw being one of a handful of seniors on the team and he's hopeful of accomplishing big things in his final season for Granite.
"It's always been a dream of mine to want to make the playoffs," Brokaw said. "I think this is the crew we can do it with. This is the most talented football program I've been with in my four years of high school. So, like I said, just going into it, we've got high hopes for the season. I think it's going to go very well."
It's still a trademark Granite City team, full of good kids and athletes who work hard every day in practice, and one that's capable of doing good things as well. Brokaw is very confident of a big season ahead for the Warriors.
"We've all been working hard," Brokaw said, "day in and day out, all night here. It's been intense, they've been real good practices, quality practices, and that's what we need to have a successful football program. I think that's what well we're on our way to doing."
Besides making the IHSA playoffs, Brokaw has some goals and aspirations that he hopes to achieve this coming season. And in 2026, the Warriors will be rejoining the Southwestern Conference after nine years, and he feels confident that the players who are still with the team next year will do well in a very tough league.
"That's why I also hope we have a good year this year," Brokaw said, "so we can lead into even more confidence going into next year. Obviously, a tougher conference and a tougher schedule we're going to play. But, I think these guys have got it. We're still a very young team, we have an average grade of 10.5. So some of these guys are still sophomores, and they've got time. I do feel like they're going to perform well in the Southwestern Conference next year."
