Perhaps Glenn Frey of the Eagles (the musical group) said it best when speaking of great expectations: “everybody’s watching you.” The Norcross Blue Devils have a 22-3 record over the last two seasons and head coach Keith Maloof’s 2008 team has the players back to make a long run in the state playoffs. Last season’s leading rusher D.J. Adams returned and standout wide receiver/defensive back Prince Kent looked to shine, leaving the shadows of last season’s highly coveted wide receivers.
In the team’s opening game in the Kell Powerade Classic, however, the Blue Devils could not find the end zone against Camden County.
“The game proved we’ve got inexperience in some places, but [the team] did a reasonable job,” Maloof said about his team’s performance in their opener at the Dome.
His offense reached the red zone several times in the game, but never hit paydirt, a fact Maloof called, “disappointing.” The team and players worked hard, however, and the next week the Blue Devils were 4-for-4 once reaching the red zone. The team still struggled a bit with an overmatched South Gwinnett team though, and the Blue Devils worked during the off-week after the close win over the Comets.
“We spent [the bye week] fixing what needed to be fixed, then we started working on Mill Creek,” Maloof said.
Assistant coach Corey Richardson added that the coaches worked on bringing the team together. “We had breakdowns, but this off-week we were able to regroup,” Richardson said.
Specifically, Richardson said he focused on technique with the defensive line and limiting overall mistakes. The work clearly paid off, as Norcross cruised to a 19-0 win.
UP NEXT
This season, the Blue Devils have much on the line. The team was tabbed by many to be in the hunt for a state title and is expected to put past playoff trouble behind them.
“The kids have worked hard and the community has really come on behind us,” Maloof said. “The kids realize more is at stake and there is more to be had.”
Last season, Grayson knocked the Blue Devils out of the playoffs in the second round, which may have been the best thing for this year’s team.
“We have something to build off of and these seniors have unfinished business,” Maloof stated.
And when asked about Kent and Adams, Maloof speaks of nothing but leadership: “The scholarships, that’s gravy what they’re doing, but their primary goal is to get the team into the playoffs. The young kids look up to them and to, really, all of the seniors.”
Richardson noted that he is excited about the potential of this team and Maloof didn’t temper those thoughts. “Expectations are high and we expect to be there at the end,” he said.
Norcross’ season started in the Georgia Dome, and if the team hopes to end it there, the early-season kinks will have to be worked out. With senior leadership and effective conditioning, however, there is no reason to think Norcross won’t exceed such lofty expectations.
Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.
Loading ...
