TD football opens eyes at Wildcat Camp

A few of the focal points revolved around continuing to emphasize team development, whereas individual skills were worked on at the individual skills clinic, giving the players a multi-faceted aspect to everything in the sport.

“I think it is good for them to hear a different voice out there, telling them pretty much the same things our coaching staff does through a year of practices and games,” Sugg added. “Learning your position or your responsibilities on a certain play is all about repetitions and muscle memory. They leave here ahead of the game for sure.”

Along with The Dalles, Gaston, Clackamas, Stevenson, Evergreen, McMinnville, South Eugene, Washougal, Hudson Bay, Olympia, Peninsula, Jesuit, South Umpqua, Stadium, Jefferson, West Albany, and River Ridge, to name a few, were in attendance.

Sharing the field with more than 1,000 other athletes from across the 6A, 5A and 4A classification, Dalles Seufalemua (Offensive Line), Chris Charpentier (Defensive Line), Gabe Helseth (Quarterback) and Tyjean Green (Wide Receiver and Defensive Back) were given all-camp honors for their stellar play on offense and defense.

Last year, Mac Abbas (tight end), Seufalemua (linebacker/running back) and Ophath Silapath (defensive lineman) won awards, so to see an increase in camp winners was an encouraging sign for incoming junior Ben Nelson.

“To have guys winning all-camp awards is great,” Nelson said. “It really shows what kind of talent we have and potential for the future. I think it was awesome and well-deserved that Tyjean won awards on both offense and defense, because he truly has a lot of raw talent and skill.”

Daily, the teams got up for breakfast, listened to announcements and then broke off into groups for running back, linemen and quarterback individual drills.

After individual drills, the teams went at it in full pads for eight plays of offense and defense for multiple sessions against different teams.

Once those scrimmages were completed, the teams went to lunch, and then repeated the same schedule until dinner.

The teams had scrimmages again after dinner and engaged in a ‘Wildcat’ challenge.

In scrimmages, The Dalles played against Washougal, Hudson’s Bay, McMinnville, Stevenson, Evergreen and Stadium, and came out on top against every team, but Evergreen.

Offensively, coach Sugg was able to utilize his vast array of weapons, such as Ian Anderson and Silaphath at running back.

The group of Green, Yordi Sanchez, Denver Neill, Steven Preston, Baily Hajicek, Ben Schanno, Mac Abbas, JR Scott, Jesse Larson, Zach Anderson and Nelson were at tight end or receiver, so now coach Sugg can gauge those skill sets and implement new packages to bring out the best from a group that scored 161 points in nine independent contests.

“Offensively, there is a lot of speed and a lot of skill,” coach Sugg said. “Our quarterbacks are reading defenses, which co-relates into wide open guys and big plays and we are hitting those wide-open guys. We have the capabilities of putting together a really good offense and the kids are really taking into it.”

With limited time coaching this group during the offseason, defensive coordinator Rich Belanger kept the play-calling simple, but his blitzing and pressure components were on full display with linebackers and defensive backs coming from all angles.

In this complex 4-3 formation style, discipline, reads, anticipation and fundamentals are keys to success.

In 2017, the Hawks allowed 182 points in nine tilts, but held teams to two touchdowns or fewer five times with two shutouts.

Charpentier and Green added to two important positions; Belanger put Seufalemua at defensive tackle and shuffled in Sanchez; Skyler Leeson, Zach Anderson, Scott, Silaphath, Neill, Preston and others added new roles on the defensive line, as linebacker or in the secondary.

“Everybody has to do their part for it to work,” coach Sugg said. “The players have assignments and they have to stick to them. We never put our defense together before camp really. We implemented it at camp, they took it, and under Rich’s instructions, they listened to him and things went well for them. We went up against some big schools and we stuffed a lot of them.”

Now that camp is completed, The Dalles will concentrate on lifting, conditioning and learning more about defined roles on both sides of the ball at 7-on-7 passing camps for the remainder of summer until the start of the new varsity campaign.

“Camp was awesome,” Nelson said. “It really showed us all what kind of hard work it takes to get better and improve to the level we strive to be at. I hope that all of us can keep putting in the work in these next few months and I’m excited to see where we can take this.”

The independent status is now in the past, so the football landscape is changed with The Dalles in a new 4A Special District 2 Conference, joining Crook County, Estacada, Gladstone, North Marion and Woodburn.

Hood River Valley and Valley Catholic are also on the schedule in non-league matchups.

The Eagles and Riverhawks, long-time rivals in previous years, are slated to hit Sid White Field at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31 for their season-openers.

“Moving down to 4A next year will be good for us,” Nelson said. “I have high expectations for the program and I think that going to the playoffs would be just the start of it. It’s going to take a lot of hard work come August, but I think that we will be able to grow as a team if we use this bond we have created through spending so much time together.”