North Farmington Football On An Upswing?

Head coach Todd Schultz knows the highs and lows of high school football. 

The graduate has been on the school’s coaching staff for over two decades. Recently, the Raiders have been through one of those low periods. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2005 or managed to win more than three games in a season.

That could change this year. 

“We can be competitive in every game,” Schultz said. “We’ve got the numbers. We are close to 50 guys and with that depth, you get competition (at the positions). That really drives players.”

Lower numbers in recent years meant more kids playing on both offense and defense. North Farmington had eight two-way starters last year.

With the highest numbers at the varsity level in four years, Schultz will only have four two-way players when the 2011 season starts on Thursday. 

A bigger squad will also protect the team from injuries. In a game against Hazel Park last season, six players were injured, and coaches had to fill gaps at 10 positions.

“What really hurt us last year was injuries,” Schultz said. “We had two-way players and when they go down, you don’t just lose one guy. You lose two positions. We played Hazel Park and all those injuries decimated the team.”

Another reason that Schultz is encouraged about North Farmington’s chances is the installation of a “new,” or rather old, offensive system. Senior quarterback Kevin Penny is running the offense out of the I-formation. 

“It’s traditional North Farmington football,” Schultz said. “I went to school here back when I was a kid, and it’s pretty neat coming back to the tradition to running that. It’s old school. I think we have the kids to run it this year.”

The Raiders were a spread offense team for the past three seasons. Their quarterback Zach Washington was only 5'9" and 180 pounds. He was more comfortable in the wildcat formation and quickly getting rid of the ball.

North Farmington’s offensive personnel aren't suited to a spread system this year, with a bigger offensive line and more accurate quarterback.

“We’ll be doing a lot more play action passing,” Schultz said. “We have a stable of running backs that I think are going to help, so we can rotate guys and keep them fresh. It’s also key to have a big line and this is the biggest line we’ve had in three years.”

Penny already has a good feel for the offense. He worked with Schultz during the off-season to learn the system. The coach gave Penny’s performance in the Raiders' four-way scrimmage against Woodhaven, Dearborn Divine Child and Dearborn Edsel Ford positive reviews.

The core group of talented backs – Kevin Miller, Chauncey Bridges and Jacquis Woods – should help his transition from backup to starter.

Schutlz admits the favorites in the Oakland Activities Association are probably Hazel Park and Avondale, but he’s confident that North Farmington will impact the standings more than in previous years.