Cam Stancil cherishing final season with the Bruins, father as his football coach

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - This week’s ABC7 Athlete of the Week is Camdon “Cam Stancil. He’s a senior and two way star for the Bruins football team.

The Bruins are looking to begin a new streak of playoff appearances after ending a lengthy drought last year. Cam knows they have what it takes.

“I feel like it’s great. We’re more confident. We’ve already been to that level. We’ve already been to the second round of the playoffs. I feel like we have more confidence now. I feel like we can do this.”

They are heading into week two of their 2026 season. They fell short in their season opener against the Sarasota Sailors. They’re back out on the road this week at Sunlake High School for their week two matchup.

Cam says he loves that they’ve had to start out the with back-to-back away contests. He welcomes the challenge of playing in front of opposing fan bases in their own stadium.

“I’m feeling great that we play away,” Cam said. “The stadium’s going to be a little more packed. I feel like we play more intense, and better with a big crowd and something that’s on our back.”

Cam says he has been playing the game since he was a toddler at 3 years old. The one person who’s always been in his and corner coaching him on some level is his dad, Butch.

“Growing up, always playing with my dad as a coach always felt more comfortable,” Cam said. “It always felt easier to go talk to him about things that are more important as a coach.”

Butch tells ABC7 Sports that the years he’s been able to coach Cam and his older brother have been some of his most joyous moments of being their father.

“It’s a delight,” Butch said. “It’s something that obviously I’m going to cherish. I hope that he does too. Being on the sidelines and experiencing all the emotions and everything that goes into it, it’s fun.”

Cam says he will cherish the moments, especially this season. He aspires to play college football, and he knows his dad more than likely won’t be on the sidelines coaching him on the next level. “We really have a good connection,” Cam said. “This last year is the last ride, man.”

Although he hasn’t received any offers yet, Cam is playing the long game and is optimistic things will come together for him. As he waits for the calls to come in, Cam has a message to share with all colleges in what they would be getting from him, on and off the field.

“I’m always going to uplift somebody and try to keep their confidence high,” Cam said. “Me in the locker room is a very good decision.”

We’ll keep you updated on Cam as he continues to progress throughout his senior season.