The past few years, the football team has been lacking in success. Whether it’s constantly losing, not having a consistent coaching staff, or not having people wanting to play football, the team has struggled.
This offseason, the new head coach Coach Collin Coffer began his rebuild of the team, specifically within the coaching staff, bringing several other coaches with him.
The team also gained players who transferred from Cathedral and Warren Central, along with schools outside of Indianapolis. Last year’s underclassmen have also stepped into new roles with 40% of this year’s starters being returning players. That means that 60% of the starters either were not a part of the football team or they did not play a significant role last year.
For the seniors, the scrimmage was more than just a game, it was a reality check. This was their last scrimmage on the team.
Senior Jaden Wakefield shares this sentiment.
“This year I got a lot to prove, as a team, as a leader, and because I’m one of the only guys who has been here for four years,” Wakefield said.
This scrimmage was a very important game. Even though it is not on the record, the way they played set the precedent for the level they are going to play at all season.
Luckily, the Panthers played great, but there is always room for improvement.
In the first play of the game, sophomore Anton Ennis got a tackle in the backfield which was followed by a lot of high energy plays all over the field.
On the first offense drive, sophomore Chase Grove completed a pass to sophomore Javen Brooks to get a first down on two consecutive plays. On the goal line, senior Zion Murphy punched the ball in for the second touchdown of the game.
Back on defense, the Panthers forced multiple short gains and on offense Brooks scored twice, both on passes from Grove.
Noblesville scored on a run play after a long drive, but when they tried to pass, sophomore Zane Winings got an interception.
After the turnover, Grove aired it out to junior Demetrius “Stewie” Averitte for the 50 yard touchdown.
Overall, the Panthers dominated on both sides of the ball and fans have a lot to look forward to. The future for the team is bright considering the majority of the key contributors are underclassmen.
After the game, Coffer talked to his team about not being satisfied with what they have. He challenged them to dig deeper and continue to grow as players and people.
Junior offensive linemen Quinton Gross and Josiah Johnson spoke after the game reflecting on how they played.
“I thought we had a great performance. We had a lot of offensive success and a lot of defensive success as well,” Gross said.
Players were happy with how they played and they felt like this performance was a good starting point.
“Just to touch on what Coffer said, we could have dominated even more. We just really beat ourselves,” Johnson said.
This attitude of never being content with just winning is what will drive North Central Football in the right direction. Johnson’s mindset is just one part of a team effort to change the narrative.
As for the fans, Gross and Johnson are looking forward to seeing them pack the stands.
“[Fans can] most definitely [look forward to] wins,” Johnson said.
