Former Warrior McDevitt at S.D. school school

Now plays FB for Black Hills State University

Former Del Norte Warrior Mitch McDevitt, a 2008 graduate, runs off the field while playing for Shasta College of Redding last season. Submitted Photo

After all, as a high school senior he was a backup at the position where he has a chance to start this fall.

The 2008 Del Norte High School graduate will battle in fall camp for a starting linebacker spot at Black Hills State University in South Dakota.

Now a junior, McDevitt spent the previous two seasons playing on the gridiron at Shasta College in Redding. While the five-foot 7-inch, 160-pound linebacker was not the biggest player on the field, he displayed good speed and instincts at Shasta.

Last season he finished tied for first on the team in solo tackles with 39 and was third on the Knights with 56 total tackles. He also had one sack.

“It’s going good,” McDevitt said during a phone interview from South Dakota. “Spring ball went pretty smoothly.”

While McDevitt was a starting offensive lineman at Del Norte, he was a backup linebacker his senior year.

To have been a backup in high school, then earn a starting position at Shasta and now being a potential starter at Black Hills is not lost on McDevitt.

“It’s really cool I’m still playing,” he said. “I never really expected to play in college out of high school. I never thought it would happen for me.”

The Yellow Jackets recently moved from NAIA to NCAA Division II. The school is located in Spearfish, about an hour west of Rapid City, the state’s second largest city, and has a student population of a little under 5,000. Last year, the team went 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the Dakota Athletic Conference.

When he first went to Shasta, McDevitt had no plans to play, but changed his mind once he began attending football games.

“I wanted to be on the field,” he said. “I couldn’t stand being on the sidelines.”

So he started to get himself in football shape and the next season made the team. While he was a backup linebacker and did not see a lot of playing time, McDevitt worked hard again in the off-season and became a starter last fall.

He performed well enough that four-year schools started to show interest, including a few in Kansas and Black Hills State. After looking at his options, McDevitt decided the Yellow Jackets would be the best choice for him and accepted an offer to join the team.

He transfered to the school in January and took part in spring practice, which he said was invaluable and gave the coaches a good idea of what he could do on the field.

He said that the Yellow Jacket coaches “liked how I played fast,” and said that they like to use quick linebackers like McDevitt in their defensive scheme.

Spring practice gave McDevitt  a chance to learn the system and get used to preparing for a higher level of competition, he said.

“I was able to get reps in” with the first team, he said. McDevitt said he was told he will have a chance to earn a starting spot in fall camp.

“They (the coaches) seemed very happy.”

McDevitt said that at Shasta he became more of a student of the game and learned the importance of studying game tape and making other preparations before a contest.

“I grew so much as a player at Shasta,” McDevitt said. “The more I studied the better I played on the field.”

“By being more of a student of the game you know why you’re doing something on the field and it gives you a better perspective,” he added.

The Yellow Jackets open the season Aug. 27 at home against Grand View of Iowa.

McDevitt moved to Del Norte County when he was 5 and his father still lives here.

He thanked his coaches at Shasta for helping him grow as a player and his coaches at Del Norte for all their help during his time as a Warrior.