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Northwest Football Wraps Up Spring Schedule With Joint Practice Against Augustana
WESLEY MILLER | Managing Editor | @wesleymiller360
April 13, 2024
Northwest football coach Rich Wright smiles while talking with players during the Bearcats' spring joint practice against Augustana April 13. Wright is set to enter his eighth season as the helm of the program.
As the teams gathered at midfield, a warm afternoon filled with camaraderie, the crashing of pads and roars of cheers from the sideline was about to come to an end.
Northwest football and Augustana replaced the typical spring game at the conclusion of the spring schedule with a joint practice April 13 at Bearcat Stadium. But, the teams still had one more activity left before going their separate ways — a hands challenge between the offensive and defensive linemen from both squads.
A football would shoot straight into the air from a ball cannon near the 15-yard line and a lineman would stand near midfield and attempt to catch it. While, like the scrimmages within the joint practice, no official score was tallied, the Vikings came away with the win, but Bearcat senior defensive end Jake Fisher is still proud of how he and his fellow defensive lineman did.
“We were bragging to the (offensive) line, we were 4-for-4,” Fisher said with a grin. “So, we one upped them on that one. But yeah, it’s fun to see the big guys run around.”
And for coach Rich Wright, who’s become very familiar with lineman in his years as a coach, serving as the program’s defensive line coach from 2004-11 and then as the defensive coordinator from 2011-16 before eventually taking over the helm of the program prior to the 2017 season, it was the perfect way to wrap up the spring.
“I don’t know how it ends any better than that,” Wright said.
The spring season provides teams a chance to begin preparing for the new campaign in the fall. While the spring game is typically two teams of Bearcats playing against each other, Northwest’s joint practice with Augustana provided the team a chance to see how their work has paid off against an opponent.
Coaches, players and fans were able to catch a glimpse of what the Bearcats may look like come time for the 2024 season opener against Minnesota State Aug. 29.
Senior linebacker Andrew Dumas said it was great to go against a different team rather than hitting his same teammates over and over. While his main focus may be on defense, he said he made sure to check out the whole team during its competition with the Vikings.
“I was looking at the offense, and I saw them working,” Dumas said. “After going against them for the whole spring ball and finally seeing what it's like when they go against other people, I'm really excited to see how this team meshes together and works off of each other.”
With the practice setting, rather than the typical full scrimmage, the afternoon started with the lineman groups doing drills on the sidelines, while the first-team offense of Northwest and first-team defense of Augustana played each other on one end of the field, while the Bearcats’ first-team defense and the Vikings’ first-team offense played on the other.
With so many changes to Northwest this offseason, including a pair of new additions to the coaching staff, a slew of transfers including AP first-team All-American running back, Jay Harris, and 15 graduating seniors from the 2023 season, Wright said spring was also an audition for some of the younger athletes on the team.
“I've been happy with the progress made by those guys,” Wright said. “Yeah, we lost a couple more than what we thought we were gonna lose, but the kids that have stepped in, have done a really good job. It's been a great spring — everybody's pulling the rope in the right direction.”
“It's been a lot of growth and a lot of competition,” Dumas said about the spring season. “There's been more people up in the film room than I have seen in many years. Like, we've got people that really want to make a change to this program, and that's the biggest thing I've seen.”
Before the linemen’s competition to finish up the afternoon, Northwest and Augustana wrapped up play with a full scrimmage — with both team’s offenses starting on the 20 and attempting to drive the length of the field for a touchdown.
Both squads went back-and-forth through the scrimmage, with each side making big plays, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Henry Martin to senior wideout Jamar Simpson.
“I think the defense did great,” Fisher said. “We always harp on the big plays — to limit that — so there was one of those in the first play with (the first-team defense). Other than that, I thought we got after the quarterback up front, and I think our defensive line did pretty well.”
One of the areas of focus this offseason for Northwest has been at the quarterback position after Mike Hohensee, who’s been a consistent starter for the past three seasons, wrapped up his collegiate career at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
Martin and junior Chris Ruhnke both received playing time last season while Hohensee was sidelined with an injury from Week 2 to Week 5. While both are still fighting for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart come August, junior wide receiver Andrew Bradley — who made the transition to offense after playing cornerback for the previous three seasons — said he’s confident in both.
“What I've seen is they're both great competitors, they both know their stuff and they both have a lot of talent,” Bradley said. “So, it can really go either way, you know, obviously that's not up to me, that’s up to the coaches. But, I mean, I'd be comfortable whoever our quarterback is, by the time season starts.”
Something Wright emphasized after the end of the 2023 season was that the spring was going to be one of the most physical spring seasons the program has had in a while — even for the quarterbacks.
While he didn’t have much control on the physicality with the joint practice against Augustana, Wright said his goal has been achieved throughout the spring.
“We went for four weeks, and we scrimmaged live every Saturday for four weeks,” Wright said. “So, we don't typically do that ,and we're gonna find out who's gonna bite and who wasn’t and who was going to do well when the bullets flew and who wasn’t. I think Mike Tyson’s the one with the quote, ‘Everyone Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth,’ and I wanted to see what happened when they got punched in the mouth. And, to this point, they've responded.”
While spring gives the team a chance to see how it can perform on the field before the start of the season, it also gives the athletes a chance to reconnect and form chemistry. Even with the changes to the roster over the course of the offseason, Wright said he’s been impressed with how the team has come together so far.
The camaraderie at Northwest even spills over to those no longer in the program — with some trying to make it to the NFL — as a line of seniors from the 2023 season could be seen along the back of the Bearcats’ sideline.
“That's always special, you know, because the moment you leave school, it's really easy to get caught up in your life,” Wright said. “You know, you're trying to get your first job, you’re moving, maybe making plans to get married — you have lots of other things on your plate. To have these guys come back to campus, it’s just special. It speaks volumes to that we're doing things the right way."
WESLEY MILLER | Managing Editor | @wesleymiller360
April 13, 2024
Northwest football coach Rich Wright smiles while talking with players during the Bearcats' spring joint practice against Augustana April 13. Wright is set to enter his eighth season as the helm of the program.
As the teams gathered at midfield, a warm afternoon filled with camaraderie, the crashing of pads and roars of cheers from the sideline was about to come to an end.
Northwest football and Augustana replaced the typical spring game at the conclusion of the spring schedule with a joint practice April 13 at Bearcat Stadium. But, the teams still had one more activity left before going their separate ways — a hands challenge between the offensive and defensive linemen from both squads.
A football would shoot straight into the air from a ball cannon near the 15-yard line and a lineman would stand near midfield and attempt to catch it. While, like the scrimmages within the joint practice, no official score was tallied, the Vikings came away with the win, but Bearcat senior defensive end Jake Fisher is still proud of how he and his fellow defensive lineman did.
“We were bragging to the (offensive) line, we were 4-for-4,” Fisher said with a grin. “So, we one upped them on that one. But yeah, it’s fun to see the big guys run around.”
And for coach Rich Wright, who’s become very familiar with lineman in his years as a coach, serving as the program’s defensive line coach from 2004-11 and then as the defensive coordinator from 2011-16 before eventually taking over the helm of the program prior to the 2017 season, it was the perfect way to wrap up the spring.
“I don’t know how it ends any better than that,” Wright said.
The spring season provides teams a chance to begin preparing for the new campaign in the fall. While the spring game is typically two teams of Bearcats playing against each other, Northwest’s joint practice with Augustana provided the team a chance to see how their work has paid off against an opponent.
Coaches, players and fans were able to catch a glimpse of what the Bearcats may look like come time for the 2024 season opener against Minnesota State Aug. 29.
Senior linebacker Andrew Dumas said it was great to go against a different team rather than hitting his same teammates over and over. While his main focus may be on defense, he said he made sure to check out the whole team during its competition with the Vikings.
“I was looking at the offense, and I saw them working,” Dumas said. “After going against them for the whole spring ball and finally seeing what it's like when they go against other people, I'm really excited to see how this team meshes together and works off of each other.”
With the practice setting, rather than the typical full scrimmage, the afternoon started with the lineman groups doing drills on the sidelines, while the first-team offense of Northwest and first-team defense of Augustana played each other on one end of the field, while the Bearcats’ first-team defense and the Vikings’ first-team offense played on the other.
With so many changes to Northwest this offseason, including a pair of new additions to the coaching staff, a slew of transfers including AP first-team All-American running back, Jay Harris, and 15 graduating seniors from the 2023 season, Wright said spring was also an audition for some of the younger athletes on the team.
“I've been happy with the progress made by those guys,” Wright said. “Yeah, we lost a couple more than what we thought we were gonna lose, but the kids that have stepped in, have done a really good job. It's been a great spring — everybody's pulling the rope in the right direction.”
“It's been a lot of growth and a lot of competition,” Dumas said about the spring season. “There's been more people up in the film room than I have seen in many years. Like, we've got people that really want to make a change to this program, and that's the biggest thing I've seen.”
Before the linemen’s competition to finish up the afternoon, Northwest and Augustana wrapped up play with a full scrimmage — with both team’s offenses starting on the 20 and attempting to drive the length of the field for a touchdown.
Both squads went back-and-forth through the scrimmage, with each side making big plays, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Henry Martin to senior wideout Jamar Simpson.
“I think the defense did great,” Fisher said. “We always harp on the big plays — to limit that — so there was one of those in the first play with (the first-team defense). Other than that, I thought we got after the quarterback up front, and I think our defensive line did pretty well.”
One of the areas of focus this offseason for Northwest has been at the quarterback position after Mike Hohensee, who’s been a consistent starter for the past three seasons, wrapped up his collegiate career at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
Martin and junior Chris Ruhnke both received playing time last season while Hohensee was sidelined with an injury from Week 2 to Week 5. While both are still fighting for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart come August, junior wide receiver Andrew Bradley — who made the transition to offense after playing cornerback for the previous three seasons — said he’s confident in both.
“What I've seen is they're both great competitors, they both know their stuff and they both have a lot of talent,” Bradley said. “So, it can really go either way, you know, obviously that's not up to me, that’s up to the coaches. But, I mean, I'd be comfortable whoever our quarterback is, by the time season starts.”
Something Wright emphasized after the end of the 2023 season was that the spring was going to be one of the most physical spring seasons the program has had in a while — even for the quarterbacks.
While he didn’t have much control on the physicality with the joint practice against Augustana, Wright said his goal has been achieved throughout the spring.
“We went for four weeks, and we scrimmaged live every Saturday for four weeks,” Wright said. “So, we don't typically do that ,and we're gonna find out who's gonna bite and who wasn’t and who was going to do well when the bullets flew and who wasn’t. I think Mike Tyson’s the one with the quote, ‘Everyone Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth,’ and I wanted to see what happened when they got punched in the mouth. And, to this point, they've responded.”
While spring gives the team a chance to see how it can perform on the field before the start of the season, it also gives the athletes a chance to reconnect and form chemistry. Even with the changes to the roster over the course of the offseason, Wright said he’s been impressed with how the team has come together so far.
The camaraderie at Northwest even spills over to those no longer in the program — with some trying to make it to the NFL — as a line of seniors from the 2023 season could be seen along the back of the Bearcats’ sideline.
“That's always special, you know, because the moment you leave school, it's really easy to get caught up in your life,” Wright said. “You know, you're trying to get your first job, you’re moving, maybe making plans to get married — you have lots of other things on your plate. To have these guys come back to campus, it’s just special. It speaks volumes to that we're doing things the right way."
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