Midnight Madness: Edmond North

The Huskies took advantage of their first chance at a full pads practice, hitting the field at midnight Friday morning.

Thursday, July 28th 2011, 5:41 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Aug 13, 2010 7:42 AM CDT

More high school football coverage on Oklahoma Sports.
- Midnight Madness: Edmond North | Yukon
- First Look: Putnam City | Putnam City North
- Oklahoma Sports Top 30
- For more team previews, visit our Countdown to Kickoff event.

Dave Carty
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

EDMOND, Oklahoma -- Chances are their parents wouldn’t normally permit this kind of late night roughhousing during the school year, but this is different.

Friday morning Edmond North football players hit the field for their first full pads practice -- at midnight, the earliest time allowed by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.

Edmond North head coach Jeremy Dombeck has a lot to look forward to with a club that managed an 8-3 record before getting bumped out of the playoffs in the first round last season.

On offense, senior quarterback Travis Townsend brings plenty of experience back to an offense returning five starters.

“He had a great summer,” said Dombeck. “[The] offense is always a little bit behind. The offensive line is trying to come together. I think he got a little gun shy a time or two tonight. But he’ll settle in. He’s going to be fine. Anytime you have an experienced quarterback it’s a plus for your program.”

Defensively, it will be a learning process, with nine players inheriting starting roles. But, Dombeck believes it’s about the mindset, not the mind games.

“If you play with passion and aggressiveness, I don’t think you have to be very complex on the defensive side of the ball,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to gear those guys to. We try to coach it in them.”

There will be plenty of time for the season to play itself out but, with one full pads practice in the books, Dombeck saw the kind of intensity and desire he hoped he would.

“I thought it went well,” he said. “I think we got what we wanted out of it.”