ND knocking on 3-0 start;  team faces former coach

By Will Dickins
It is game day in Batesville.
Tonight North Delta (2-0) looks to continue their winning ways against Lee Academy (1-1) under first year coach Mac Aldison.
The game is at homeand set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
“This is our first district game and second home game,” Aldison said. “The more people that are in the stands, the more excited the players are. So come and support the Green Wave with a rain jacket or umbrella in hand.“
With two victories in a row against Rossville and Montgomery County, it is still hard to see where the team is in regard to expectations.
“You never are where you want to be,” Aldison said. “The biggest thing I see is that the kids have great attitude and effort. As long as that is good, we can work on everything else.”
The trajectory is upward as the season gets off to a fast start.
It is district game week to add more importance to the game. Aldison realizes that and continues to preach, “Good attitude and effort. Good attitude and effort. Good attitude and effort. That’s what it is all about.”
In the end all games are the same. Some are more special than others, but all focus is on going 1-0 this week no matter who is on the other side.
Speaking of the other side, this is the lowdown on the Lee Academy Colts:
They are coached by Rick Johnston, former North Delta head football coach.
Coach Aldison had high praise for the Colts’ coach.
“He is a great coach; a great motivator,” he said. “He’s won and been a part of state championships. They are going to be prepared and play hard.”
Offensively, they come with a variety of different looks out of the “I” formation, whether it be bootlegs, misdirections, or deep balls.
“They want to throw it around,” Aldison said.
The Colts like to take the snaps under center and be very balanced. North Delta will have to stay “disciplined” on defense to stymie the Colts’ attack.
On defense they have “lined up in the split 4-4,” according to Aldison. The Green Wave will have to be balanced. So far this has been true and fans can expect much of the same from North Delta.
Aldison highlighted a few players who have stood out in the early season: Kaleb Joyner, Cole Devazier, Dalton Cook, Lige Simmerman, Gavin Thetford, Braxton Bailey, and Reid Rushing.
A player to watch this week is Luke Noah. He plays safety on defense, but look for things to happen with him at running back tonight.
Coach Aldison says to bring your umbrella and support the Green Wave. They look to start things off on the right note in district play with a win over Lee Academy.