By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State football team has not needed an atmosphere to help it create intensity during the first week-plus of fall camp.
The Demons will have both Saturday morning inside Turpin Stadium as they embark on their largest scale scrimmage of fall camp, starting at 8:30 a.m.
“The guys had really good energy (Friday),” second-year coach Blaine McCorkle said. “They gave me what we needed. I’m really excited for (Saturday), to put full pads on again, to have officials out here. There will be an environment with Fan Fest. We’re excited about that. Hope everyone can come out and enjoy that. It should be a good day.”
The Demons held their first scrimmage Wednesday, but Saturday’s will expand the playbook to include more dedicated situational work.
McCorkle said there will be a kicking-game element in the scrimmage, which will feature officials, adding to the game-like atmosphere.
“The best way to get ready for the game is to practice the game,” McCorkle said. “(Saturday) helps put us in that environment one more time. Any time you have things that are more game like – like officials showing up, spotting the ball where the gain was made – it puts a different feeling in your guy.”
Those feelings have permeated the Demon locker room through the first week-plus of fall camp even as the schedule has shifted.
Inclement weather late in the previous week forced Northwestern to adjust its camp schedule, but McCorkle said he was pleased with how the Demons handled the early camp adversity.
McCorkle also has praised the Demons’ maturity as a whole throughout camp. With more than 70 underclassmen on the roster, Northwestern’s second camp under McCorkle has allowed to watch his young roster grow cohesively.
“There’s been a big difference,” said sophomore tight end Joseph Moreland, who caught eight passes in his first season as a Demon. “I’m more comfortable at the position. I’m going into my third year playing tight end, so it’s been good to be able to raise my game to a whole new level.”
That includes lifting the intensity level, which should come easily Saturday morning.
“In the locker room, we’re great friends,” Moreland said. “When we come on the field, we’re still friends, but we’re going as hard as we can. A scrimmage is another level of intensity. Having the great community of Natchitoches here amps it up even more.”
The Demons do not have a stated number of plays they expect to run Saturday. Instead, it will be a bit of an individualized approach that will allow McCorkle and his staff to continue to see where Northwestern has made strides.
“We’re looking for a play count per player,” McCorkle said. “You get to see guys in a different environment step up and perform. There are a lot of guys who have a good week of drills and things like that, and you get excited. Come a Saturday scrimmage, they’re nowhere to be found. There also are guys you’re pulling for and want them to make a move, and they do.
“A lot of things get revealed good and bad, as a team and as individuals, on days like (Saturday).”