The Bellville Herd

 

NEWSROOM

 

A Brahma Video Productions Student Newsroom

Grady Rowe
Head Football Coach
Room:  Boys Gym
Email: growe@bellvillebrahmas.org

The Bellville Brahmas Football program represents Bellville High School in non-district, district, and postseason competition. Follow the team throughout the season for game results, player accomplishments, and stories about the preparation, strategy, leadership, and teamwork behind each performance. Contact Head Football Coach Grady Rowe for schedules, official results, team information, and coverage opportunities.

  • Upcoming games and schedule changes

  • Game results and season records

  • District standings and playoff advancement

  • Offensive, defensive, and special-teams performances

  • Close games, comebacks, and turning points

  • Player statistics and milestone achievements

  • Practices, preparation, and game strategy

  • Injuries and their effects on the team

  • New varsity players and emerging leaders

  • Senior recognition and final home games

  • Awards, honors, and postseason selections

  • Team traditions and community activities

Covering the Football Beat

Start Here

  1. Introduce yourself to Coach Rowe and explain that you are covering Bellville Football for the BVP Newsroom.
  2. Ask how he prefers to be contacted and how far in advance interviews, photography, or video coverage should be arranged.
  3. Request the current varsity and subvarsity schedules, including scrimmages, non-district games, district games, and important team events.
  4. Ask which practices reporters may attend and where they may safely photograph or record during practices and games.
  5. Find out how rosters, scores, statistics, injuries, and schedule changes will be communicated.
  6. Ask when coaches and players will be available for interviews.
  7. Identify returning starters, new varsity players, captains, and other student leaders.
  8. Ask about major opponents, rivalry games, team traditions, and dates requiring additional coverage.
  9. Check regularly with Coach Rowe for updates, developing stories, and coverage opportunities.
  10. Submit possible stories as pitches before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.

Your Responsibilities

  • Check for Football updates at least once each news cycle.
  • Track games, district standings, playoff possibilities, schedule changes, and important team events.
  • Watch for close games, comebacks, winning streaks, important matchups, and season turning points.
  • Look for standout performances, emerging players, leadership, improvement, and individual milestones.
  • Follow the work behind the games, including practices, preparation, adjustments, film study, and teamwork.
  • Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
  • Arrange interviews, photography, video, and game coverage in advance.
  • Confirm scores, statistics, player names, records, standings, awards, and playoff information before publication.
  • Follow up after games for official results, photographs, reactions, and information about the next opponent.
  • Look beyond the final score to explain the key plays, decisions, challenges, and adjustments that shaped the result.

Important

Football statistics may be recorded differently by different sources. Confirm scores, player statistics, team records, district standings, and playoff information with Coach Rowe or another official team source before publication.

Stay outside the field, sidelines, locker room, athletic offices, and team meetings unless you have permission to enter. Remain alert during practices and games because players, equipment, and footballs may move beyond the expected area.

A player being absent from a game does not automatically confirm an injury, disciplinary action, or removal from the team. Do not speculate about a player’s condition or disclose private medical or disciplinary information. Confirm what may be reported with Coach Rowe.

A final score is only the beginning of the story. Explain how the game was decided—the key possession, defensive stand, turnover, scoring drive, special-teams play, coaching adjustment, or momentum change that produced the result.

Reporting Your Football Stories

Possible Story Ideas

  • Season preview and team expectations

  • Rivalry games and major district matchups

  • Close games, comebacks, and overtime finishes

  • Playoff qualification and postseason advancement

  • Breakout players and first-time varsity starters

  • Senior players completing their final season

  • Individual records and career milestones

  • Players returning from injuries or other setbacks

  • Leadership from captains and experienced players

  • Preparation for a difficult opponent

  • Offensive, defensive, or special-teams improvements

  • Team traditions and community-support activities

Signs There May Be A Story

Pay attention when:

  • A game is decided during the final possession

  • An unexpected player delivers a major performance

  • The team changes its strategy during a game

  • A player reaches an important statistical milestone

  • A losing or winning streak comes to an end

  • A younger player earns a significant varsity role

  • An injury forces players into unfamiliar positions

  • The team qualifies for or advances in the playoffs

  • A rivalry game carries unusual importance

  • Players overcome a major deficit or difficult start

  • A unit shows substantial improvement during the season

  • A senior participates in an important final game

Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H

You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.

Who

  • Who made the plays that most affected the outcome?

  • Who stepped into a larger role during the game?

  • Who provided leadership when the team faced adversity?

What

  • What was the game’s most important turning point?

  • What strategy worked particularly well?

  • What must the team improve before its next game?

When

  • When did the momentum begin to change?

  • When did the coaches make an important adjustment?

  • When will the team play its next opponent?

Where

  • Where did the team gain or lose its greatest advantage?

  • Where did the decisive play begin?

  • Where does this result place Bellville in the district standings?

Why

  • Why was this opponent or game especially important?

  • Why did a particular play, formation, or adjustment succeed?

  • Why does this result matter for the remainder of the season?

How

  • How did Bellville prepare for this opponent?

  • How was the game ultimately decided?

  • How will the team respond or adjust moving forward?

People You May Need to Interview

  • Head Coach Grady Rowe

  • Offensive and defensive coordinators

  • Position coaches

  • Team captains and other student leaders

  • Players involved in decisive plays

  • Quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and offensive linemen

  • Defensive players responsible for major stops or turnovers

  • Kickers, punters, returners, and other special-teams players

  • First-time varsity starters and emerging players

  • Senior players and their families

  • Athletic trainers when appropriate and authorized

  • Opposing coaches or players when access is available

What You Need to Collect

Before writing or producing the story, collect:

  • Final score and scoring by quarter

  • Correct names, grades, positions, and jersey numbers

  • Official individual and team statistics

  • District records and current standings

  • The sequence of the game’s decisive plays

  • Quotes from Coach Rowe and multiple players

  • Details about important strategies or adjustments

  • Photos of action, reactions, sidelines, and the crowd

  • Video of significant plays when available

  • Information about the next opponent

  • Confirmed awards, records, and milestones

  • Proper identification for everyone shown or quoted

Before You Leave

Ask yourself:

  • Confirm the final score and official statistics

  • Verify the spelling of every person’s name

  • Confirm each player’s grade, position, and jersey number

  • Interview Coach Rowe and at least two relevant players

  • Ask what decided the game and what comes next

  • Record the correct opponent, location, and date

  • Confirm Bellville’s district record and standing

  • Capture both action and reaction photographs

  • Make sure your audio is clear and your files were saved

  • Do not report unconfirmed injuries or private medical information

  • Ask whether any information must be verified before publication

  • Submit or back up your notes, photographs, and video promptly