JEFFERSON CITY – As it prepares for the upcoming season the North Greene football team spent time at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Team Camp at Carson-Newman University this week.
The Huskies practiced, competed in 7-on-7 scrimmages and worked on coming together as a group while in Jefferson City, and coach Eric Tilson is hopeful they are making the strides necessary to earn their third straight winning season, something that has never happened in program history.
“There were a lot of bright spots and a lot of spots that need improvement,” Tilson said. “It’s good to see what the makeup of this group is starting to look like. It’s a maturation process, especially for some these guys who are going into leadership roles.”
Some of the biggest things North Greene feels like it gains from the FCA camp are off the field. The time together allows the group to bond as a team and become stronger as a group. They also get a chance to experience a college campus and learn life lessons that will last beyond the high school football season.
“You learn a lot about each other in this environment, and this is one of the best camps you can go to,” Tilson said. “This is an opportunity for them to experience a college campus. They get fed scripture and get a chance to grow in their faith. They get to learn how to become young men. And this gives you a chance to know each other a lot better than in our normal professional setting. This is where we really become family.”
The Huskies have spent most of the offseason trying to fill holes left by last year’s senior class. They will rely on a new group of leaders, and a lot of guys will have to play bigger roles. How quickly those new faces adjust to being relied on during Friday nights will go a long way in determining whether North Greene improves on last year’s 6-5 record.
“We’re starting to see improvement week to week, now I’d like to see more consistency day to day,” Tilson said. “But overall the trend line is going up. If we can stack those good days on top of each other we can have the type of success we want to have.”
A few of those new faces in the starting lineup will be along the line of scrimmage. That group has not been tested as much over the summer, but next week the pads go on and Tilson is excited to see what his lineman can do when the scrimmages become full contact. The Huskies expect the offensive line to lead the team this season as they pave the way for veteran running back Leon Johnson and new starting quarterback Jared Swatzell.
“We start adding our front to it next week, and that has been a really impressive part of our offense,” Tilson said. “Those guys have really stepped up and owned their roles. I’m looking forward to seeing what those guys can do against other competition. They are physical and they compete with each other, which I love to see.”
North Greene will kick off the regular season on August 21 by hosting Chuckey-Doak.
