Jordan Hamm
The Lumberjacks invaded the Valley.
The NAU football team held a scrimmage at Chandler High School on Saturday, giving the fanbase and potential recruits a chance to see the program up-close.
“I was pleased with the effort and energy,” NAU head football coach Chris Ball said. “I wanted to come down here and create some adversity. I think we did that and I think the kids responded fairly well.”
Making the trip down the I-17 that morning created an opportunity for the Lumberjacks to experience gameday travel and other aspects that may be factors for away games.
While it is currently a non-contact period for colleges and recruits, meaning the two sides couldn’t talk, the scrimmage was an opportunity for Phoenix recruits to watch how the new coaching staff operated with the current team.
The Lumberjacks were able to come on strong at the end of the last recruiting cycle and add local playmakers like Boulder Creek’s Hendrix Johnson, Central’s Eloi Kwete and Cienega’s Terrell Hayward. Now, with a stabilized coaching staff, Coach Ball is looking to hit the ground running with the team’s recruiting efforts, particularly in-state for the 2020 class.
“We have a lot of players from down here and a lot of fans to come and watch,” Ball said. “We have a lot of alumni. We have a lot of great recruits down here and a lot of kids we’re looking at and a lot of ex-players We thought coming down here would benefit a lot of things. Instead of them having to come up to Flagstaff all the time, we thought we’d come down here and entertain them a little bit.”
NAU will wrap up their spring ball schedule with a showcase in Flagstaff on April 26th.
