FB team takes the field

Squad opens year on Sept. 2 at home

Senior quarterback Julian Markussen runs with the ball during the Blue and Gold game on Friday. For more photos, go to triplicate.com/photos. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

The scrimmage at Mike Whalen Field had both the varsity and junior varsity teams competing in a game-like atmosphere that gave the fans a first look at the Warriors.

“I’ve been waiting all summer for it,” sophomore Dylan Pease said about starting football once again.

“Considering this was our first week of practices things went as good as I could expect,” Warrior varsity head coach Ray Rook said. “It’s great for the kids to play in front of the fans in a game-like atmosphere.”

The varsity squad came out fired up as  they yelled and chanted and semeed more than ready to take the field. The varsity and JV teams rotated on each series and near the end of the scrimmage the varsity and JV squads faced one anther for a few series.

The Warriors started fall camp on Monday and have been hard at work during two-a-days at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Rook said the kinks are still being worked out and mistakes always occur.

Sophomore Dylan Pease, above, of the Del Norte High junior varsity football team, runs down the field during the Blue and Gold game on Friday. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“We can only go from down here,” Rook told his team after the scrimmage, his hands low to his body, “to up here,” as his hands went near to his head. “We’re going to keep going and working. We have a long way to go.”

Rook said he was impressed with the defense and the way they executed, considering most of the practice time during the first week was spent mainly with the offense.

He was pleased with some aspects of the offense, such as parts of the running game, but said that they need to be more consistent and continue to gel better as a unit.

“It was good to go out and play at full speed,” senior running back Colin Taylor said.

Taylor can’t wait to start his senior season and, with his teammates, “make an impact.”

 Next Friday, the Warriors will take part in the Humboldt-Del Norte Conference Jamboree at Fortuna. The annual scrimmage will give the Warriors a chance to run   plays against other  Big 5 Conference teams. Last year, Del Norte hosted the event.

Below is the schedule for the 2011 season.

• Sept 2: Hidden Valley at home

• Sept. 10: at Ferndale

• Sept. 16: Brookings-Harbor at home

• Sept. 23: McKinleyville at home

• Sept. 30: at Arcata

• Oct. 7: Fortuna at home

• Oct. 14: Bye

• Oct. 21: Eureka at home

• Oct. 28: at Fortuna

• Nov. 4: Arcata at home

• Nov. 11: at McKinleyville