The football team installed their new air raid offense during camp week from Aug. 1-3. Linebacker Bill Coleman ’24 said the football team’s summer schedule is always filled with lifts and practices, but camp week is different from the rest.
For three days and two nights, the team sleeps at school to practice throughout the day. The players wake up at 6:45 a.m. and eat in the cafeteria before going into meetings and their first practice. After, they lift, eat lunch, practice again, eat dinner, participate in team bonding activities and eat their final meal of the day. While the team had not held their usual camp week in two years due to COVID-19, Coleman said the practices ran smoothly this year.
“There was one field workout where we had a full practice and then after that, we were out on the field doing a conditioning circuit,” Coleman said. “We did sled pushes and med ball circuit workouts. All of that was to toughen us up.”
Coleman said the larger purpose of camp week was to come together and bond as a team. In their free time, Coleman said the team watched movies, played dodgeball and enjoyed each others’ company. Coleman said these moments will translate to success on the field.
“The most important part [of the week] is [the] team bonding element that we get out of sleeping at the school together and spending all that time together,” Coleman said. “It’s something that [strengthens our team] and allows us to play better.”
Head Coach Aaron Huerta said the Wolverines utilized the time they had during camp week to institute their new air-raid offense. Popularized by Mississippi State Head Coach Mike Leach, the Air Raid offense relies on four-receiver sets and quickly paced passing.
One of the largest benefits of the strategy is the team’s ability to score quicker and never be out of the game. However, the rapid pace is also the biggest downside of the gameplan, as it makes controlling the clock much harder. Huerta said the new offense should be explosive and entertaining to watch.
“[Spectators should expect] an exciting offense that is going to throw the ball all over the field,” Huerta said. “We are going to spread the ball around and get [it to] our playmakers.”
Like Coleman, linebacker Mateo Arroyo ’25 said camp week brought the team together in a way normal practices do not.
“Spending all that time with everyone together was a good way to build chemistry,” Arroyo said. “You could really see a leadership role from [the upperclassmen].”
Huerta said the team’s offseason training will make a large difference when the season starts.
“We are going to be ready for the grind that the season comes with and [to] battle adversity team,” Huerta said.