Bulldogs ready to grind for wins

The snap ended in a fumble.

As did the next one.

The one after that was flagged as a penalty.

Under a scorching late-summer sun at Belfair's Phil Pugh Stadium, the Bulldogs kept grinding.

"Our first thing is hold yourselves accountable," North Mason High School football coach Rob Thomas said last week after his squad's sixth day of practice. "Mistakes are going to happen. Mistakes are part of football. Part of growing is what do you do after you make that mistake? That's going to dictate how the rest of the game is going to go. You can hang your heads. You can get upset at your teammates. And then after that, you kind of, just, the wheels fall off and you're gonna have a rough rest of your game. Or, you can flush it right out and get back after it."

A first down.

Then came the breakthrough: a 50-yard rushing touchdown.

"That's what we're instilling in our players because that's life - those things that are going to happen," Thomas said. "Life is gonna throw random things at you where you're gonna fail, but how do you overcome that failure? Can you overcome it? Are you going to lay down and be 'woe is me?' We're not a woe is me team. We're going to get after it. We're going fix what was wrong and we're going to keep grinding every single day and every single play until the whistle blows at the end of the fourth quarter. Once that game is over, then it's over. That's the mentality and the mindset that these guys have."

Over the past two seasons, no team in the region has been more affected by COVID than North Mason. During the truncated spring 2021 season, the Bulldogs lost two of six scheduled games due to outbreaks. Last fall, North Mason missed its first three weeks before finally taking the field on Sept. 25 - Week 4 for everyone else - for a 27-13 home win over Kingston.

Another outbreak following that game knocked the Bulldogs out of Week 5 and the team didn't win again, despite a pair of close losses.

"It definitely builds character having those hard times (due to COVID)," North Mason quarterback Micah McIntyre said. "It's all about overcoming adversity. We all have to overcome something everywhere we go. For our team, that was what we had to overcome. We've definitely had our ups and downs, but we're all here for each other. We're a team. I rely on my front five to get the job done as much as I rely on Trevon (Simons), my back, and my receivers to get it done as well. We're all in it for each other. We got to keep pushing every week and every day and push each other harder, push our teammates harder. We're all brothers out here and just got to fight."

Keaton Crank, a senior lineman, said that being able to keep the season going uninterrupted has built a "brotherhood and a trust between everbody."

"When we had to stop (last year), it was tough to get back in the rhythm of it," Crank said. "Having that routine and consistent schedule really helps us get our minds right, especially when it comes to game week."

While avoiding it as an excuse, both Crank and Thomas said the COVID pauses hurt the team's conditioning and fitness levels as the season wore on.

"We were exhausted," Crank said. "I think that having that physical ... side is more when it comes down to the fourth quarter because you're going to have to play all four quarters, no matter what. Every role is important, no matter who you are on the team, and I think what those games came down to was we were tired."

Looking at this season, Thomas said he expects to be a run-first team that's close to a 60-40 rush-to-pass ratio.

"I have the athletes, the players to go be run first," Thomas said. "We have a pretty good line up front that is going to create some big holes for us. I have some backs that are fast. I have a fullback that loves to hit, and we're going to follow that guy to the promised land.

"We're going to set up our quarterback for some success with some intermediate passes, some shorter routes. I do want to pass the ball. I don't want to be one-dimensional. We're going to be quick. We want to get up there and run the ball, 'go, go, go' and we just want to keep going and keep the defense on their heels. While we're marching the ball down the field, we want to make them have to adjust to what we're doing as ... quick as they can."

McIntyre says the key offensively is that everyone gets their job done.

"It starts from the center, goes to the quarterback and my front five, gotta get it done," McIntyre said. "Whoever is getting the ball there and then has to get their job done. What if we all get our jobs done? The play looks great. Everything looks great."

After running a 4-4 defense for the past five years, Thomas said the Bulldogs are moving to more of a 3-4 look.

"It's a completely different defense, different coverage packages that we'll be bringing this season," Thomas said. "Once again, we're fast and strong up front. Our linebacker corps is fascinating and they love to hit. Our corners and our safety, same thing. They want to punish you. All teams will stress trying to rally to the ball defensively. Half of them don't ever get to that point. You might get four guys to the ball. We want everybody to be getting to ball this season."

North Mason faces Mason County Cup rival Shelton at 7 p.m. Friday at Jack Stark Field at Highclimber Stadium in Shelton. It's the 10th annual meeting of the two Mason County rivals, with the Highclimbers holding a 5-4 lead in the series.

In Week 2, the Bulldogs host 2A power Steilacoom and in Week 4 host 2A semifinalist North Kitsap.

"This team is a grinder," Thomas said. "A lot of people are questioning why we put Steilacoom on our schedule. First of all, if you want to be one of the best, you better go play some of the best programs. Why not? Go out there. Let's see what you're really made of. We're going to be competitive. Not saying we're going to go out there and win every football game, but we will be competitive in football games. These guys are buying in and they're hungry. They're sick of frickin' losing football games. They're sick of losing close football games that we should win. And you know, it's going to start Sept. 2 when we go to Shelton. They want to bring that axe back because it belongs at North Mason, not at Shelton. They're hungry and they want redemption from a couple of years ago. (Shelton won 45-6 in the team's last meeting in March 2021, breaking a three-year winning streak in the series by the Bulldogs.) We're looking forward to a great season and bringing North Mason football back once again and getting our community excited for Bulldog football."

Crank said the team can't set a goal for the number of games it wins and loses, but wants his teammates to have a good time, no matter what.

"The game is fun. It's fun to win, but I think that if you have a good time and learn something, that's what is important."

Author Bio

Justin Johnson, Editor

Shelton-Mason County Journal & Belfair Herald
Email: [email protected]