For the second straight year NAU Athletics participated in the Flagstaff Armed Forces Day Parade with new Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lisa Campos and Head Football Coach Jerome Souers participating in the ceremonies and parade. The event had it’s highest turnout yet with over 100 floats and hundreds of people lining the streets in downtown Flagstaff. Below are some photos from the ceremonies and parade…Enjoy!
We would like to say Thank You again to all of those who have served, are serving, and will serve to defend our country in the Armed Forces. Thank You for everything you have done and sacrificed!
On Saturday, April 28th, NAU Football held their Blue-White Spring Game on the upper practice fields. It was a chance for both the offense and defense to demonstrate what they hey had been working on all spring and how much they have improved since the fall. The game remained close and went back and forth until the end when the offense began to pull away. The offense was led on the day by none other than running back Zach Bauman. However, interceptions by freshman corner Marcus Alford and freshman safety Robert Watson kept the defense in the game. The offense mounted a few late scoring drives to pull away and win the game, 62-53. For more information on the game, please click here.
A special thanks to everyone who made the Spring Game such a great event and thanks to everyone who came out!
Tomorrow is NAU Football’s Blue & White Spring Football Game. The game will take on a new feel this year as it will feature more a game-like atmosphere with many fan-friendly events. For more information click here or read below.
To prepare you for tomorrow’s NAU Blue & White Spring Football Game here is an inside look at how NAU Football prepares for a game. Enjoy!
2012 NAU BLUE & WHITE SPRING FOOTBALL GAME
TIME & LOCATION:
The 2012 NAU Football Blue-White Spring Game will start at 11:00 AM on the upper west practice field (across the street from the dome). The football team will hit the field at roughly 10:15 AM for stretches, warm-ups, and various drills in preparation of the game. The game will conclude at roughly 12:30 PM.
TAILGATING:
The parking lots outside of the dome will be open to tailgating beginning at 9:00 AM. Tailgating will be restricted to the dome parking lots as no vehicles will be allowed on the pathways around the practice fields. Tailgating for the Spring Game is absolutely FREE and unrestricted so feel free to come early and stay late afterwards!
FAN FESTIVAL:
The NAU Football Fan Festival will open at 10:00 am on the lower practice field and will feature inflatable rides, face paintings, live music, and various football activities for all fans, and various sponsor tables. There will be programs available which will feature the team roster, a scoring page, and an autograph page. The game itself will also feature various promotions and giveaways throughout. Finally, following the game there will be 15 Football Lumberjacks available for post game autographs, absolutely FREE of charge.
CONCESSIONS & NAU BOOKSTORE:
There will be a concessions booth on site that will offer a $5 meal special including a hot dog, chips, and a soda. The concessions stand will also offer popcorn and various candies. Be sure to bring money because the stand will only accept cash, and no credit or debit cards or checks. Since there will be a full functioning concession stand at the game this year, there will be no catered meal following the game. The NAU Bookstore will have a booth as well on sight and various Lumberjack gear and memorabilia will be available for purchase.
HONORARY COACHES:
The 2012 game will feature six honorary coaches with two each coming from the areas of academics, media, and football alumni. The academic honorary coaches are Dr. James Reed from the department of Sociology and Social Work and Dr. James Bowie from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The media honorary coaches are Bill Harris who is the NAU Football beat writer for the Arizona Daily Sun Newspaper in Flagstaff and Steven Gonzalez who is the sports director for NAZ Today Channel 4 News in Flagstaff. The Alumni honorary coaches are Bob Orrill who was a NAU Lumberjack offensive lineman from 1975-1979, was part of the 1978 Big Sky Championship team, and is currently the fire battalion chief in Flagstaff. The other alumni honorary coach is Steve Holmes who was a defensive lineman for the Lumberjacks from 1968-1970 and is the current owner of Steve Holmes Building Construction LLC in Flagstaff. The honorary coaches will roam the sidelines for their respective teams and might even call a play here or there!
SCORING FORMAT:
The 2012 Blue-White spring game will pit the Defense (Blue) against the Offense (White). In doing so, a unique but simple scoring format has been developed to create competition, ensure a winner, and increase the game day atmosphere feel. The scoring system is as follows:
- Offense
Touchdown – 6 Points
Field Goal – 3 Points
A Run of 15+ Yards – 2 Points
A Pass of 20+ Yards – 2 Points
A First down – 1 Point
A PAT or 2 Point Conversion – 1 or 2 Points
- Defense
Turnover – 7 Points
Three and out – 3 Points
Missed Field Goal – 3 Points
Stopped Drive – 2 Points
Sack – 2 Points
Tackle for a loss – 2 Points
There will be a live in-game announcer, statistician, and scoreboard to help keep fans informed and involved.
We are truly committed to making the Blue-White Spring Game a pleasing experience to the fans and we expect a great turnout.
On Saturday the Lumberjacks wrapped up their last tune up scrimmage before the Blue-White Spring Game on April 28th. The scrimmage featured over 65 plays and demonstrated the Lumberjacks balance on each side of the ball as both the offense and defense are hitting their stride this spring. The defense tallied three turnovers while the offense was able to score three touchdowns. The afternoon was highlighted by a long touchdown run by Zach Bauman off of a botched snap.
The Lumberjacks are back on the field Tuesday and Thursday for a couple of practices in preparation for the Blue-White Spring Game on Saturday, April 28th. For more information about the Spring Game, please click here.
Tuesday marked the Lumberjacks tenth practice of the spring season and featured some physical match ups along with some situational football including 2-minute situations. While the offense did control most of the tempo during the two minute drills, the rest of the team situations belonged to the defense as they registered sacks, turnovers, big hits, and swarming gang tackles.
#38 Taylor Malenfant wears the phrase “Get After It!” on his back-flap during practice as a tribute to his high school coach, the late Scot Bemis.
Three Lumberjacks, Taylor Malenfant, Andy Wilder, and Ryan Reardon, all share a special connection having played together at Notre Dame Prep High School in Scottsdale, AZ. Their paths have again crossed on the football field, but this time in Flagstaff, AZ and at NAU. All three are linked together off and on the field as Wilder is a kicker/punter who punts to Malenfant who returns punts and plays safety. Malenfant’s duties at safety place him in the defensive secondary right behind linebacker Ryan Reardon.
In the video below, Malenfant, Wilder, and Reardon discuss their relationship, what it is like playing together at NAU, their relationship with the late and very influential Coach Scot Bemis, and their new home in Flagstaff, AZ and NAU.
In recent months NAU Athletics has made some major upgrades within the video department including state of the art software used by many of the BCS football schools and NFL teams, new high definition cameras, and telescoping video poles. The telescoping video poles make filming practice safer for the video staff and eliminates the need and risk to send student-workers up in scissor lifts on windy afternoons. Check out the video below as Video Coordinator James Foran gives you an inside look at the NAU Athletics video department.
