Pessimistic El Dorado football fans will note the loss of three-year starter Mario Ganter at cornerback. Optimistic fans will point out the return of senior Bryson Boulden.
Boulden believes the Wildcats’ glass is full in the secondary, especially at cornerback.
“I feel good. Last year I couldn’t really display all my talents because, of course we had Mario. He was a force. I was just over there holding my own,” said Boulden. “But now, it feels good to know I’m the top dog. I can really show people what I can do.”
One of the prerequisites to playing cornerback is confidence. Boulden has earned that through experience of playing opposite Ganter, who signed to play at Ouachita Baptist University.
“I think him being a three-year starter, that’s automatic confidence,” said El Dorado head coach Steven Jones. “He knows that he’s made big plays in big games. Carrying that through is a help. He knows how explosive a player he can be and he can impact a game by taking away one of their key receivers. He is playing with confidence. I expect that to continue.”
Boulden actually didn’t have a lot of passes thrown his way, either, last season. He finished with seven passes broken up and 14 tackles.
Defending college caliber receivers in practice has only added to his swagger. The Wildcats do one-on-one drills every day with Boulden matching up against DeAndra Burns, Jr., who has committed to Arkansas State.
From a skill standpoint, practice is almost like a game.
“I’ll say, intensity-wise, no, because we play a lot. I’m not going to lie. But when we go at each other, we go at each other,” said Boulden. “When I go against other receivers, that’s a cakewalk because that’s the best receiver in the state.”
Boulden, also a standout basketball player, boasts all the physical tools for cornerback. The most important tool?
“I’ll say speed because you can be physical all day but you have to be able to keep up with the receiver,” said Boulden, who would like to play a physical style.
“(I’m) not as physical as I would like to be. When I play man, I want to get hands on but a lot of times we play rough, they’re going to call petty calls so you can’t.”
Boulden’s speed and athletic ability help make him a shutdown cornerback. The intangibles, including the mental game, makes his glass full going into the season.
“The key to playing corner, especially man, is confidence. You don’t want to go out there and not be sure about your technique because you’ve already lost. That’s the hardest position on the field so you’ve got to be on 10 at all times. You’ve got to have confidence,” said Boulden, who explained from where his confidence was built.
“With the preparation and your technique and the work you’ve put in. If you know you put in enough work, there shouldn’t be any doubt about it. You should be feeling good about yourself.”