KWBG Senior Spotlight: Emerson Bridgewater, Madrid

Joining us on our senior spotlight, KWBG, gonna head to Madrid and talk to Madrid senior Emerson Bridgewater and talk some sports and school and everything else. Right now though, Emerson, we gotta get you over a little bit of sickness this week, huh? The bug kind of got you? Yes, sir, it's been holding me up. I missed the first three days of school, but I'm doing a little better now and we got a game tonight, so I'm here. Yeah, yes you are, yes you are. So tell me about football season a little bit. Emerson, you've had a chance to do something. A couple of things a little bit different this year. Tell me about being in the Wildcat formation. Yeah, a lot of fun. I mean, so when I grew up, I always played quarterback and just waiting for my opportunity, but we had a couple really good quarterbacks playing, so I was just getting on the field wherever I could and helping the team win. Feels pretty good to catch a touchdown, Emerson. How does it feel to throw one though? Oh, it's awesome. I missed it, I missed it. That's great. So tell me about football season for you, Emerson. I know, obviously senior year, it always goes by so darn quick. How do you feel like the season's gone so far? It's been awesome. I mean, we've had a pretty tough schedule, but we handle business every week and it's just, it's like a family, everybody has the same goal and we're all pushing for that one goal. What's it like running out on the field on a football Friday night at home? Oh, it's awesome. And in the jungle, it's awesome. Everybody, all the crowds always there, fans are always there, teams always ready to go, really juiced up. Donnie always gets his hyped up for the game and they're ready to go. I always know that kids love running out on the field at home, but it also kind of feels good to be on the road to Emerson. What do you like more, running out on the field at home or being the adversary on the road? I mean, honestly, I like it at home a lot, but the road's just, it's fun. It's both awesome, I love them both. Well, you've had a heck of a Madrid career, Emerson, when you look at football and obviously basketball and baseball as well. If I made you pick a favorite among those three, what do you think you'd pick? Sport, I would probably pick, probably football or baseball, for sure. All right, I won't tell Brian, okay? I'll keep that quiet about the basketball. Well, tell me about senior year so far. I know when we get into our senior year, not as much class wise, but still it feels like a ton of responsibility. How's the year been going for you? It's been fun, it's been awesome. Kind of just taking it all in. I only have a couple classes here and there, so I'm really just trying to lead the people around me and getting all the younger kids and be an example. What's that like, Emerson? I know my seniors are always like, I can remember when I was a freshman and I walked into school and I was all nervous and this and that. What's it like being the senior now and seeing these youngsters? It's different, it's hard to see like, from just three years ago, you were that, like, I don't know how to explain it, you were that young, it doesn't feel like that. You were that wide-eyed guy that was walking around the halls trying to get, not to get lost, right? Yeah, yeah. I got you. I got you. So future plans, you and I were just kind of visiting off there and maybe one of the best answers I've ever heard, Emerson, I asked you, I said, so when do you want to make a decision about what you do for college? And you said, I don't have a decision so I don't have anything to make yet. So what are we thinking for a timetable for that, Emerson? Do we have any ideas? Well, I would assume I would, I'm probably going to commit somewhere in the next couple of months here. It'll be more than likely, you go for football or baseball, I would assume. Okay, now have we done visits yet? Do we have any favorites when it comes to campuses that we've seen? Yeah, I have a visit I'm really looking forward to actually tomorrow in Iowa Western for football. That's a big, big spot I'm thinking about going for football. Okay, now do you want to stay closest to home? I mean, Council Bluffs isn't too far away from Madrid, but what would be like a good spot for you when it comes to distance from being home? I don't, you see, it's a little different. If I'm going to a bigger school, I guess I wouldn't really mind, but if I'm going to a Juco school, or even if I go to N-A-I-A, I wouldn't want to go more than like four hours away. That seems fair, that's close enough that people can come watch, but not too close that they can just stop in and surprise you, right? Yeah, yeah. Well, tell me about, obviously we know we're right in the middle of football season. I know basketball will be here before we know it. Emerson, what are some other things you're looking forward to senior year?

Basketball season is going to be fun, a lot of fun this year. Last year we were, we were 20 and five, and we didn't graduate a single person on our team, so it should be, should be, we have big goals and big aspirations, and we just, we just got to focus and make sure we get them done. I gotcha. Now you were kind of busy with some baseball, fall ball too, huh? This is what kind of, I don't want to say a first, but something that's a little different this year for Maddery baseball. Yeah, for Maddery, we really haven't really ever done much of a fall ball. We played maybe a game or two here, but this year we have a true fall league. It's not a Maddery fall league. We're playing on one of our assistant coaches teams. But it's, it's a good opportunity, and I think the best opportunity he's given us is a throwing program to just keep the baseball on your hands throughout the off season and make your arms stronger ready for next season. Well, you guys had such a nice summer, I thought this last year, Emerson, this is, this could be a big one coming up a senior year. Yeah, cause we, I don't know, we didn't graduate anyone last year either. I don't think we had one senior, but he went to, he went to college early for football, so we didn't really have him. No, you got everybody back. Yeah, you're a hundred percent right on that. Coach and I have talked about that a few times. Everybody comes back, Emerson, on a pretty good team last year. Yes, sir. We thought, if we won that first round of the playoffs, we thought we could have made a run, but you know, happened the way it happened, and we can't change that. You had a heck of a game that night, that much I can tell you, that was a lot of fun to watch. Hey, Emerson, I'm gonna let you get on the road. I got one last question before I always ask a tough one at the end, this isn't really that tough, but remember back when you were a freshman, if a senior could have given you some advice, Emerson, you would have probably taken it, so let's give some freshmen advice. If some freshman came up to you and said, Emerson, I wanna have a great four years at Madrid, what do you think you might tell them to do? Just be kind to everyone, make as many friends as you can, and the biggest thing that I messed up on is take your freshman year serious. I messed up my 4.0 GPA because of my freshman year. I got one A minus, and just take your stuff serious, and you never know where you can go. It's really good advice. Emerson, thank you so much for some time, have a great rest of your senior year. Thank you. Emerson Bridgewater again joining us, senior at Madrid on her senior spotlight.