Today I picked up a copy of Bob Springer's Texas Basketball Magazine and was very honored and excited to find that I had been selected as a pre-season First Team All State Player.
In addition to that, as if there could be more, I was also picked as one of Region I Class 4A Best Players. This is just more inspiration for me to work harder to live up to the expectations that I have set for myself.
I want more than anything to go to a great college with an outstanding basketball program on a full scholarship. I know I've got a long road ahead of me, but I also know that if I keep my head and my heart in the game I will succeed. I'm very grateful for all that I've been given and will never take that for granted.
A copy of the two articles can be found in the photo section of my profile. If you're looking for a player that will give you 150% every time he's on the floor or in the class room, please consider me for your team. You won't regret your choice.
It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Bryan Werner. I have known Bryan since his freshmen year and have coached him the past three summers in Select Basketball. While traveling with him across the country, I’ve enjoyed watching this young man grow, literally. I have coached basketball and football for twelve years, I have seen only a few that have shown the love for the sport and that prepares himself to compete in this sport more than Bryan. Bryan is a very versatile player and an exciting one to watch. I recall the night I witnessed him score 44 points, he had 32 points in the first half and did not even play in the 4th quarter! It was just my luck that I choose to attend that particular game because very rarely do you witness a player single handedly dominate a game inside and outside the paint. Bryan’s dedication and determination to the game is shown by his stats yes, but check the film, it does not lie. Bryan has great character, he is very respectful complimenting his GPA. By no means does this mean he is a push over on the court. Bryan is a player who knows that while he rests, someone else is working. If I can be of any assistance regarding Bryan, please do not hesitate to contact me.
It is my privilege to write this recommendation for Bryan Werner.I have been fortunate to coach Bryan on the Birdville High School basketball team for three years and to be his Algebra II teacher.In all of my dealings with Bryan he has shown to be a young man of character, intelligence, and talent.He is now a senior at Birdville and is displaying the leadership and work ethic that every coach hopes for from his top players.
Bryan is one of the hardest working student athletes that I have worked with in my 26 years of coaching basketball.He never takes a day off.He leads by example.Bryan is relentless as a player.He wants to be on the court at all times.He has worked hard since last season on his strength and quickness.He will graduate from Birdville as the most honored player in the history of the school.As a sophomore he was district newcomer of the year.As a junior he was picked by the coaches as the most outstanding offensive player in the district.He was also a class 4a all region selection.Texas Basketball Magazine has selected Bryan as a preseason all state player.He averaged 20 points and over 10 rebounds a game as a junior.He shot over 66% from the floor.Bryan has taken his natural talent to the next level through hard work and a tremendous desire to excel.
As fine a basketball player as Bryan is, he is even a finer young man.He displays a great attitude in the classroom.The same work ethic that has made him such a good basketball player has made him a strong student.It was just as enjoyable to have him in my Algebra class as it is to coach him in basketball.Bryan is polite, and humble.He is active in our fellowship of Christian Athletes group and is a positive role model for all at Birdville High School.
I strongly believe that Bryan Werner will be an asset to any program.He will figure out what he has to do to be successful and then he will go about getting it done.No one will outwork him.He will combine his God given talent with a great desire to excel and a work ethic that is second to none. I encourage you to give Bryan strong consideration.He will make you proud just as he has made all of Birdville High School proud.
It seems as though the summer just started and now it's over. School started this week and I go back knowing that this is my final year of High School. How time has flown. As I start my senior year I'm looking forward to playing basketball this season with a greater sense of intensity than I've ever had before.
Last year as with my sophomore year, I played on the varsity squad and made the All District team. First as Newcomer of the Year my sophomore year and then as Offensive Player of the Year my junior year. In addition to the district honors, I was selected to the All Region team last season. This year I intend to achieve those honors again, but I am really going to work hard for an All State nomination. I know I can do it.
We had a good season last year having reached the play offs for the first time in 4 seasons. I scored almost 600 points and combined with my sophomore season I have a total of 897 points. The all time school scoring record is just over 1100 points and if all goes well I will surpass that mark and set the new school record. I set the school record for the most points in a game last year against Guyer High School with 44 and when we play them again this year I want to do even better.
As I think about all of the fun things that are ahead of me during my final year at Birdville High School, I'm also thinking about the new opportunities ahead in college. I'm hopeful that I can join a squad where I can be a contributing member of a winning team and that I will be given the opportunity to achieve a quality college education on a scholarship.
So...for all you coaches out there looking for a hard working, "never say die" player, take a look at my videos, check out my schedule and come see for your selves that I can make a difference in your program.
I found out today from my coach that I was chosen for the Region 1 Class 4A All Region Basketball Team. This honor makes me only the second player in Birdville boy's basketball history to have been selected to the All Region Team. I've worked so hard this season to help my team go further than any Birdville team before. We had a winning season and came in 2nd in our district. We made it to the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons, but unfortunately didn't get past the first round.
There are only going to be 3 of us returning next year. I played with a great group of guys this year and I'm very appreciative to all of them for helping me achieve this recognition. If any of you guys read this, I wish all of you the very best next year in college and beyond.
BW
Please go to: http://tabchoops.org/allregionboys.html
It's been four years since our basketball team has gone to the playoffs and attaining that goal has been all we've worked for this whole season. We've struggled a little this year at the opponent's courts so we knew that we'd have to play as close to mistake free as possible. Brewer played hard and the game was close the entire time. They knew that a loss for them would put them out of the playoff picture for good. A win would keep them in the running. We out scored them in the first quarter by 3, but over the next two quarters they out scored us by 4. Going into the fourth quarter we were down by 1. We played hard and with about 30 seconds left we went ahead by one. Brewer was bringing the ball down the court for the last shot. Fortunately, Jonathan stole the ball and headed up court, but was fouled on the way to the bucket. He made the first free throw but missed the second. We were up by two and Brewer raced up the court with just a couple of seconds left and went for a three pointer but came up short. We were going crazy out on the floor and I saw that there were a couple of their guys just sitting on the floor in disbelief. That win clinched our place as one of the top four teams in our district going to the playoffs. We had one more game to play against Aledo at home and we won that one too. We actually tied Bosell for 2nd place in the district, but with the flip of a coin we took sole possession of 2nd place. Playoffs start Tuesday night 2/24/09 and we will be playing The Colony in the first round.
Birdville boys nab first basketball playoff berth in four years
By DREW DAVISON
Special to the Star-Telegram
After watching his team hang on for a dramatic 45-43 victory over White Settlement Brewer, Birdville coach Jeff Fitch breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t simply a sigh after an emotional game, either. It was a sigh of waiting three long years to get back to the Promised Land.Yes, the Hawks clinched their first playoff berth since 2005 on Friday night at Brewer High School, while eliminating the Bears from the playoff picture in District 6-4A.
"We had just enough tonight," Fitch said. "It’s great. Not just for me, but for the 11 seniors that have worked so hard and put so much time into this program." Birdville (18-10, 9-4) started the fourth quarter trailing Brewer by a point, 32-31. The Hawks, though, opened the final quarter on a 12-4 run, which included six points from junior post Bryan Werner, who finished with a team-high 14.
Brewer (13-16, 7-6) didn’t go away easy, however, as it responded with its own 7-1 run and pulled to within one-point, 43-44, with 32 seconds left. After a missed Birdville free throw, Brewer had a chance to take the lead with 25 seconds left. The Bears, who have only eight players on its roster, had a critical turnover, though.
Birdville junior guard Jonathan Dents then made one of two free throws, leaving the door open for Brewer again. But the Bears missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, and the Birdville faithful erupted into cheers.
"We have struggled on the road this year, so it’s huge to come in here and get a win," Fitch said. "Basketball is a game of runs and we were able to get on the last one and just gritted our teeth until the end."
The entire game was a back-and-forth affair. Brewer grabbed a 6-0 to start the game, but Birdville responded with a 12-3 run to take an early three-point lead. In the second quarter, the Bears again started hot, grabbing a 16-14 lead when post Jake Glover drilled a 3-pointer. The Hawks answered that, however, by scoring the final five points of the first half to take a 19-18 advantage into the locker rooms.
Brewer was led by senior post Bryant Bagent, who had a team-high 14 points.
We knew we needed to have a really good game to hang onto our share of first place. We were all really fired up and we were going to try to keep mistakes to a minimum. We played hard, we created turnovers and we won by 13. We're still in first place. This article came out today in the local newspaper.
Birdville
post dominates early in boys basketball win against Boswell
By RICKY TREON
Special to the
Star-Telegram
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS – At
6-foot-5, Birdville post Bryan Werner is two inches taller than anybody on the
Saginaw Boswell roster.
The
junior took full advantage of this disparity Friday, putting up 21 points in a
65-52 District 6-4A win over the Pioneers at BirdvilleHigh School.
Werner
did most of his damage in the first half, netting 16 points – including 10 of
the Hawks’ first 15 – en route to a 32-23 halftime lead for Birdville (14-7,
4-1).
"I
was bigger than their guys, so I just took it to the hole," said Werner,
who has averaged more than 17 points this season.
He
added that he came into the game knowing he could use his height to dominate
the low post. Needless to say, he was happy with the performance.
After
building the halftime lead, Werner let some of his teammates work the offense
while Boswell (15-5, 3-2) tried unsuccessfully to play catch-up.
Drew
Barker scored 10 points in the second half to end the game with 17. Birdville’s
second-highest scorer helped make sure the Hawks came away with a win, scoring
four points and drawing a foul with less than a minute left.
Boswell
did try a comeback late in the fourth quarter. With less than three minutes
left, the Pioneers went on a 7-4 run to get within seven – the closest the game
got down the stretch. Most of the second-half scoring from Boswell came from
senior guard Tony Walker, who put up 14 in the final two frames and ended the
game with a team-high 19.
But
it was far from enough as Birdville finished the game on a 9-3 run, pulling
away and securing one of the top spots in 6-4A.
"This
puts us up high in the district," Werner said. "We just got to keep
rolling."
