North Posey Football Camp gives coaches chance to see

By Dennis Marshall

Carter Schickel completed all but one of his passes — a ball batted at the line — and Camden Clowers burned Paoli’s secondary for multiple touchdowns during North Posey’s first live scrimmage of the summer at Paoli on Thursday, June 25.

Schickel’s efficiency stood out even more because he was working without Remi Johnson and Davin Sullivan, two of the receivers expected to lead the group this fall. Both were at baseball. Cade Mauck’s first live action at tailback since his injury also stood out, as did the offensive line’s protection that kept the quarterback clean all day.

“We were able to get a variety of guys touches offensively, which is our goal,” head coach Waylon Schenk said. “We’ve got a lot of athletes, and we did a good job spreading the wealth.”

The defensive film had value, too, especially for a unit only about five practices into its summer install. Bret Buecher jumped an out route for a pick-six on one of the first defensive snaps. Brody Fehn added an interception later. Lane Young forced a bad pitch on an option play that led to a fumble recovery. Matthew Will and Brendan Reich each recorded a sack.

Schenk liked how the defense handled real-time adjustments against a different scheme. The front and coverage had to identify new formations, fit a different run game, and handle option looks without a week of film study or preparation. The unit created negative plays, took the ball away and, by Schenk’s count, kept the Rams off the board.

“I’m not sure that Paoli scored at all on us,” he said.

On offense, the Vikings played at the tempo Schenk wants, snapping the ball every 15 to 20 seconds.

“It felt like we did a really good job of moving the football up and down the field offensively,” Schenk said. “For the first time out, I was pretty pleased.”

The scrimmage against Paoli gave North Posey the kind of work it couldn’t get in June practices. They had to adjust in real time to a different scheme with no film study, communicate against guys they’d never lined up against, and see if their practice habits survived live contact.

“It was good,” Schenk said. “Your first time out, you really don’t know what to expect. You’ve seen it in practice against each other, but seeing another opponent — a scheme that you really weren’t prepared for because we don’t have that film right now — was good.”

The scrimmage lasted about 90 minutes before the program moved into the retreat portion of the trip. After eating pizza, the group loaded up and headed to Sleeping Bear Retreat, a 60-acre wooded property in French Lick that North Posey rented out for the team.

The setup was intentionally basic: covered wagons, teepees and tents instead of hotels and meeting rooms. Sean Fisher, North Posey’s principal and one of the football coaches, cooked dinner for the group Thursday night.

Later that evening, players went indoor go-karting in French Lick. The track required helmets and neck braces, and the players ran heat races before eight qualified for a main event. Others played air hockey, pool and arcade games while teammates raced.

Back at camp, the team gathered under a large canopy. Some players went fishing. Others sat around and talked. Schenk wanted the trip to give players and coaches time together without every interaction being tied to a whistle, a correction or an install period.

“It was an opportunity for us to get to know the kids away from football, and for them to get to know the coaches away from football,” Schenk said.

Heavy rain hit Thursday night and continued into Friday morning, leaving water across parts of the campground. The group still made it to Paintball Planet for a couple of hours Friday, and Schenk said the muddy conditions made it better for the players.

North Posey originally planned to stay another night, but more rain and storms were in the forecast. Schenk and his staff decided to pack up and return home early Friday rather than keep the team at camp for a second night.

“We decided it was probably in our best interest to just pack it up and get home a little early,” Schenk said. “We had to worry about the kids’ safety over everything. After seeing how much it rained, I think we made the right call.”

The shortened retreat still gave Schenk the two pieces he wanted before the IHSAA moratorium: film from live work against another opponent and time with players away from the field.

“The kids were great,” Schenk said. “We got some football in, we got some team bonding in, we built some relationships. That’s what we were after.”