By Rob Everingham
Headed into just its second season of spring football practices, MSU-Northern Lights head coach Walt Currie said he is very optimistic.
Currie said now is the time they will need to start getting ready for the fall season.
"We'll get them ready to go now and just refine things in the fall," Currie said.
The recruiting efforts of the Lights have been going well. At the end of the last season, Currie said, now that they have the numbers, they would be able recruit specific positions.
Northern has recruited nine players so far this year, and Currie is unsure of how many more they will get.
"It's been going good but we just don't have the money," Currie said.
Currie said they are not done recruiting.
Even though the Lights will now have to be guided by NAIA rules in spring training, Currie said, not much will change.
The only exception will be that they will have some players with two years of experience.
Spring training will also give players and coaches the opportunity to see how off-season training has helped the team.
Currie said they will be looking at increases in both strength and speed after the team has been running and lifting weights all winter.
Currie said they have been working the football players very hard this off-season, and players and coaches alike are ready to get out and do some practicing.
"They're ready to get out their and hit each other," Currie said.
The summer will be the real test though, Currie said. He said it is easy to make them train while they are here at Northern and "under our thumb."
Currie said he hopes they will continue to work this summer and at least stay where they are now physically and not lose anything, but, ideally, he would like them to progress during the summer months.
The Lights will have scrimmages every Saturday morning this spring, Currie said. Northern will take one weekend out for a car wash fund-raiser.
Currie said they are looking at setting up a scrimmage possibly in Chinook. He said they have a lot of players from across the Hi-Line and hopes they scrimmage elsewhere on the Hi-Line.
With some players back for their third year in the program, Currie said, they will know what to expect. He said those older and veteran players will be able to start helping the younger players.
"It will be easier for those kids to come in and get some guidance from those already here," Currie said.
Players and coaches are happy to get out and field and start preparing for the Lights second Frontier Conference regular season.
"We're all very excited about next fall," Currie said.
