Rook: Likes what he sees

Warriors football team scrimmages

Ray Rook likes where his team is at as the 2011 Del Norte Warrior football season gets under way this week.

Rook, in his second year as varsity head coach, had good things to say about his squad after it took part in the annual Humboldt-Del Norte Conference Jamboree at Fortuna High on Friday night.

“I would say that overall we did well,” he said. “The thing I was most pleased with was that we made plays on both sides of the ball, our tempo was good and we made very few mental errors.”

Del Norte scrimmaged against fellow Big 5 Conference members Eureka, Fortuna, Arcata and McKinleyville.

The Warriors ran the playbook well, which is encouraging, Rook said.

“They were very focused and were able to execute quite well,” Rook said. “Everyone was going at 150 percent ... It was fun to get a look at the things we did well and the things we have to do to get better.”

The season starts Friday at home against Hidden Valley, Ore. The junior varsity game is at 5 p.m., while the varsity gets under way at 7:30 p.m. At halftime, members of the 2011 Del Norte High Hall of Fame Class will be honored.

Rook said the jamboree is a great way to run plays against another team, give his squad a bit more experience and see what the entire team can do, since everyone got playing time.

On offense, Rook said the Warriors moved the ball confidently with the running game and he liked the way the team ran the option and was able to score on both running and passing plays.

A highlight for Rook and the defense came against rival Eureka. Last season Del Norte 1-1 was against Eureka, winning in a double-overtime battle at home last October.

With the Warriors on defense and time running out Friday, Eureka was near the goal, ready to score, but “they ran the gut and we stuffed them,” Rook said. “That was a good feeling for the boys to play well against Eureka.”

Rook said Del Norte fared well against all the Big 5 teams, and he was impressed with what he saw from all the teams, which means the conference season should be a competitive one.

Rook said that Arcata played well Friday night after not fielding a varsity team last season  It has a new coaching staff and looked physical and disciplined, Rook said.

As Del Norte practices this week for the season-opener, Rook said the key is to keep things fresh.

“We’re trying to keep every play fresh and not routine,” he said. “We know we need to keep getting better on each rep and work hard.”