By Jeff Johncox
When Norman High takes the field Saturday for its intrasquad scrimmage, it’s likely no real changes or improvements will jump out to anyone but the players and coaching staff. Next week’s scrimmage against Lawton should provide more answers.
One thing’s certain, however. NHS is a team ready to prove last year’s 2-8 record was a fluke, a casualty of the transition period as the Tigers digested coach Greg Nation’s arrival in the program.
“Everything’s going good,” quarterback Chad Anderson said. “We’ve got everything we need. We’re understanding everything.”
NHS lost the season-opening Crosstown Clash 58-0 to Norman North, the game over almost as soon as it began. They came back with victories over Moore and Putnam City West but that was that.
The Tigers are moving on.
“We’re a brand new team,” Anderson said. “We’re wiping away everything from last year and just coming in ready to focus on this season.”
The biggest change for NHS this year is Anderson. The junior quarterback took over the starting duties midway through last season after then-senior Trenton Wright struggled.
Anderson struggled, too.
He threw for just one touchdown and six interceptions. On the flip side, he completed 59 of 101 attempts.
Nation believes Anderson is much-improved. After impressing at team and individual camps, and putting in an offseason’s worth of hard work, he’ll be called upon to lead NHS’ offense in a new direction, namely one toward the opposing goal line.
The Tigers had some trouble going that way last year.
“Chad has really stepped up,” Nation said. “He’s embraced the role as leader of the team and his on-field decisions are a heck of a lot better. He grew up a lot over the summer throwing the ball. Our guys would get together every weekend and throw pass routes.”
Anderson won’t be alone shouldering the offensive load.
Donovan Roberts is back in the backfield, and the sophomore showed signs of brilliance in his freshman season. Roberts has size (6-1, 185), quickness and can bowl through defenders. Ronnie Pace is smaller with some quickness, and wide receivers Rashad Parker and Jaime Myers might also spend some time in the backfield.
Yet the biggest reason the Tigers think they’ll be better this season isn’t personnel or even experience. It’s comfort.
The players are more comfortable with their coaches, and the coaches are more comfortable with their players and each other.
“We’ve had a sigh of relief this summer as a coaching staff,” Nation said. “Our meetings were so much better. We’re in tune more as a staff. After a while, spending so much time together, you start to realize what the others are thinking.”
Perhaps it’s rubbing off on the players.
“We’re more together, coming together as a team,” Nation said. “We’re more of a family. We can read each other and what we’re doing. We know each other a lot better.”
This year’s Tigers are are a more confident and determined squad. Soon they’ll know what that’s worth when it counts.
Jeff Johncox
366-3535
jjohncox@normantranscript.com
