Nashua North football hoping changes lead to continued growth

NASHUA - Jason Robie did the unthinkable during the 2013 football season.

After one week of the regular season, the Nashua High School North coach made the decision to change the team's offense, going from the spread to the T formation. The move made a difference for the Titans, as they put points up in some games and had a three-game win streak that included a victory over Bishop Guertin.

But there were inconsistencies, and with the experience of last season under their collective belt, Robie hopes the offense can take another step.

"I think we've added to that a little bit," he said. "We have the ability to go in to the shotgun and run the same stuff, and we have the ability to get under center. We have the ability to bring people in the box and we have the ability to bring people outside the box."

North went through a tough preseason schedule a year ago and then opened there with a shutout loss to Keene. That's when the coaching staff came to the conclusion that something needed to change.

It wasn't an easy change to make, given how much time Robie and his coaches had put into the spread offense over the years, but it was ultimately a move the coach felt had to be made.

"We didn't feel great about what we were running based on the kids that we had," Robie said. "We had to give them a chance to succeed so we changed gears a little bit. It's kind of an unheared of thing, to change gears like that going into Week 2 of your season. Really, it's Week 6, because of the preseason.

"But it gave us a fighting chance and it worked, to a point. We had some games where we scored a lot of points, and we had some games where we struggled to score points, but we moved the football effectively."

The Titans were effective during the offseason at getting players to participate in the workout program. Attendance increased, and that combined with a new program, helped improve a  lot of testing results before training camp began.

"Maybe one of the best offseasons we've had in the 11 years I've been here," Robie said. "We averaged about 70 kids a day in the weight room, which is a great number. When we tested at the end of the summer, our numbers were unbelievable.

"Obviously, what you do in the weight room doesn't mean you’re a good football player, but it certainly helps you get to where you're going. There was a lot of camaraderie built, there was cheering on in the weight room and when we did running and circuits. I think the kids showed up in shape to camp. We got a lot of work done and now this is the next phase."

North will get a better idea of how that phase is going Tuesday when it hosts South Burlington, Vt., for a scrimmage at Stellos Stadium.