NORMAN — The Crosstown Clash is always special for the players.
Norman North split off from Norman High in 1997, the two schools played their first game in 1998 and ever since the players on both sides have been fighting for city bragging rights.
The Tigers and Timberwolves have grown up playing with or against each other from the time they took up the sport. Now that the game, and the new season, are one day away, both teams are fired up.
“Everyone’s more hyper in practice, more rowdy,” North running back and linebacker Ray Demby said. “Everyone’s ready for this game.”
Intensity has been the big word thrown around both campuses since practices began three weeks ago. The Tigers have shown a regrettable lack of intensity in the past two meetings at Owen Field.
In 2008, NHS came out and turned the ball over three times the first 7 minutes. North jumped out to a big lead and won 58-0. Last year, the Tigers couldn’t get much going, though they kept it close for a while, ultimately falling 30-9.
Thursday, the Tigers want to come out ready to play.
“It’s important to come out on the first play with the intensity level high,” NHS running back Donovan Roberts said. “We want to make the first play a big one. If you come out flat, that’s going to set the tone for the rest of the game. We have to come out hard on the first play and build momentum.”
NHS has had trouble with its defensive intensity in preseason scrimmages. Teams have taken advantage of the Tigers for big plays, though the defense settled down both at Choctaw and at last Thursday’s Top of the World Classic at Harve Collins Field.
The Tigers can’t afford to come out on their heels against the T-Wolves.
“We want to start the game off right this time,” NHS linebacker Greg Offenburger said. “It’s that sense of intensity, of going out there and knocking people’s heads off the same way we do in practice. We’ve always come out a little lackadaisical. We want to come out this year with a bang.”
“The most important play is the next play,” Roberts added. “We have to come together and capitalize on every opportunity.”
The T-Wolves have had intensity issues this preseason, too.
North had a hard time getting motivated against Edmond North at Moore Stadium, then again last week at Mustang’s Pepsi Shootout in a simulated half against Altus. But the T-Wolves think that will all be behind them when they take the field against the Tigers.
“It’s pretty easy to get motivated for this game,” North defensive end Dan Davis said. “Right now, we’re doing like seven hours of football and six hours of school. A lot of guys are really concentrating on the game.”
And no matter how a team has looked in the preseason, things will be totally different when 10,000-plus fans are watching at Owen Field.
“I’ve been around this game for six years, and I don’t think we’ve ever had a group that wasn’t intense and ready to go there,” North coach Lance Manning said. “We’ve had our tail kicked there, but it wasn’t because we weren’t ready to play, it was because they were better than us. We’ll be ready to play Thursday, and so will they. Everybody involved has a lot of reason to play hard and come out ready.”
It should be intense.
Jeff Johncox 366-3535 jjohncox@normantranscript.com
