Faced with rebuilding a program that didn’t exist a year ago, new Northland Community and Technical College head football coach Travis Martin heads into the 2015 opener confident that the hard work put into the recruiting process will translate into a winning product on the field.
The optimism carried by Martin and the Pioneers will get its first test Saturday when Northland makes its debut with a Minnesota College Athletic Conference match-up against Vermilion at Lowell T. Swenson Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Northland fielded its first football team in 1976. The school suspended the program after the 2013 season, but under pressure, announced plans to bring it back this fall.
The then-Northmen beat Fergus Falls 7-2 in their original opener under coach Chet Engelman. Martin would like to make the same kind of entrance.
“Last year, Vermilion was a playoff team, so we expect them to be solid,” said Martin. “But I believe we have found a solid group of guys as well. I believe if we play to our potential this year, we have a good chance to be a playoff team.”
Number-wise, Martin said the Pioneers are okay with a 60-man roster. “We were hoping for 80,” he admitted, “but we lost quite a few during the last few days before camp started. However, we still have a pretty good roster size in our conference.”
Two weeks of preseason work helped fuel Martin’s feel-good attitude about his first Northland squad. “I would say we will be competitive in all our games, which as a coach, is really all you can ask,” he said.
Martin said the Pioneers will be ground-orientated on offense. “We look to be a run-first team with multiple backs getting carries to keep fresh and hopefully develop a solid run attack,” he explained. “We have the talent to throw the ball as well, but playing in this part of the country, I believe a successful team is one that prepares for the elements, and that means understanding a solid run game is necessary.”
The coach thinks his offensive line can do the job. “Like all teams, up front is what will dictate our success,” noted Martin, “and we look for a few local guys to play a big role. Anthony Sanchez (Mahnomen), Zach Ackerman (Thompson, N.D.) Conner Roggenbuck (Lac Qui Parle Valley) and Doug Peterson (Middle River) are all looking to get quite a bit of playing time up front. We have some talent, but need to develop some consistency, and that will be our goal starting with the first game.”
“Up front, we look at Brandon Carbajal (Citra, Fla.) as one of our keys on defense,” mentioned Martin. “In the middle of the field we have Alex Williams (Citra, Fla.), Albert Cannon (Tallahassee, Fla.), Jake Magnell (Oklee), Trevor Smith (Blackduck) and Jacob Bradford (Fredricksburg, Va.).”
Martin’s confidence in his team extends to the secondary as well. “We have seen some great things from Quadarious Gordon (Ocala, Fla.), Rontavious Williams (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Duane Barnes (Mount Dora, Fla.),” he explained.
MCAC football has been revamped since Northland last played. The Pioneers are now grouped in the West Division, along with Minnesota West, North Dakota State College of Science, Dakota College at Bottineau, Minnesota State-Fergus Falls and Ridgewater. The East Division includes Mesabi Range, Vermilion, Itasca, Fond du Lac, Rochester and Central Lakes.
Week 2 will have Northland heading to Virginia for a Saturday, Sept. 5, game against Mesabi Range that has a 1:30 p.m. start time.
The starting quarterback job was still up for grabs heading into early-week drills. The ball carriers, according to Martin, will be Kevin Evans (Groveland, Fla.), Troy Benjamin (Port Arthur, Texas), Wesley Rigdon (Savannah, Ga.) and Camario Bing (Orlando, Fla.) “They are all very talented, but are different – which will give us a nice look on offense,” he noted. “They will be following Kaleb Torgerson (Thief River Falls), who is quite the fullback.”
Martin likes the other part of the Pioneers’ game, too. “On the defensive side of the ball we are very talented,” he offered. “Up front, we will look to rotate a number of guys who will get after the quarterback. Our linebackers and defensive backs are very fast and have shown they are great at closing on the ball.”