Noxon gains experience

NOXON – With little experience on the field and 22 boys on the team, the Red Devils of Noxon have some learning to do on the field, something they had their first taste of on Friday, Sept. 5.

“We are very raw,” Head Coach Josh Patterson said. “A lot of them don’t have any experience.”

Senior Gary Wadsworth is the only returning starter and the most experienced athlete on the team.

Coach Patterson said it would be another tough year, but was excited with what he saw from his team before their first game.

“They work hard and they listen well. They are very coachable,” Coach Patterson said. “They take constructive criticism well and they are quick learners.”

Although the coach said it might take the team the entire season to learn, he said there was no better teacher than experience and that’s exactly what the Red Devils got their first dose of during their game against Charlo.

The team fell to their opponents 0-58, but was able to get time on the field – an invaluable learning tool.

“With one returning starter, the experience gained was the experience itself,” Coach Patterson said. “This was the first varsity game many of our boys have ever played in.”

Coach Patterson was surprised with some aspects of his team on the field.

“I was surprised that we had very few penalties and relatively few turnovers,” Coach Patterson said. “With our lack of experience, I expected we would look pretty sloppy in those regards.”

Luke Crowe was the team’s best offensive performer, rushing 44 yards, while Clay King performed the best on the defensive side. King had two sacks and one tackle for loss.

The coach admits they have a lot of work to do in order to be competitive in their conference, and will be hitting practice hard.

“We need more practice,” Coach Patterson said. “We need to be more fundamentally sound in our blocking and tackling. All the boys need more reps of offensive and defensive playbook.”

The team will go up against Flint Creek next on Friday, Sept. 12 at an away game. The team has proven to be strong and has many returning players, several coaches and two very supportive communities, Coach Patterson said. On top of that, Noxon will play them in an intimidating setting.

“We also have to play them at Drummond; a very hostile environment,” Coach Patterson said.

His focus will be for his team to play hard, while staying safe and healthy. He hopes the boys learn from their mistakes, gaining valuable experience in the meantime while having fun on the field.  

“It’s a baptism by fire kind of thing. We’ll see how quick they learn. It’s kind of sink and swim,” Coach Patterson said before season play.