Max Palmer (Photo by Noah Clooten)
Last season was an undeniable step in the right direction for the Devils Lake Firebirds.
They had a winning record in the regular season for the first time in seven years. They made the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Through two games, this season has already brought its challenges — from moving conferences to graduating key players. But head football coach Todd Lambrecht is all about embracing the road blocks.
“You just have to be ready for the situation,” Lambrecht said preseason. “Sometimes it changes. It’s like life. You’ve just got to teach them that situations are gonna change, and we just have to adapt and do what you’re coached to do.”
The Firebirds are in the Division AA West for the first time since 2010. They’d previously been in the East. That means they’re now in the same conference as Minot North, the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last year and is ranked No. 1 in all of AA this year.
The West also includes Jamestown. The Blue Jays were one of the early-season favorites last year, but Devils Lake upset them on the road. The conference is rounded out by Dickinson, Watford City and Bismarck St. Mary’s.
“The West is tough,” Lambrecht said. “So all we can do is control what we can control and just play one game at a time.”
As usual, the season starts with a slate of games against the opposite conference. This year, those opponents are Kindred, Central Cass, Wahpeton and Fargo South — all members of the AA East.
Devils Lake has already battled with the first two from that list. Kindred and Central Cass were each promoted to Division AA after a string of success in Division A. And they’ve taken little time to prove they belong; the recent NDAPSSA polls had them ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively, in AA football.
Kindred routed Devils Lake 42-12 in the season opener. The Vikings were fueled by an explosive running back in Brock Johnson and two future Division-I players in Brooks Bakko and Luke Starcevic.
But the Firebirds bounced back with a 28-21 win over Central Cass. They were led by 227 passing yards from Mason Palmer and 95 yards of offense from Bryar Exner.
In the loss to Kindred, Lambrecht emphasized the need for better defensive play. The Firebirds are trying to maintain a defensive group that recently graduated all-conference linebacker Brody Forsberg.
They also had a small handful of linemen, on both sides of the ball, graduate last year. And while Lambrecht believes there’s a solid amount of depth, it’s taken some time for some guys to fully adapt to their new roles.
“We got some guys to step in. We’ve actually had some rotations in that,” Lambrecht said. “So if things go well, we could be seven or eight deep on the offensive side. And that’s nice to have, to have someone that’s versatile and can jump here and can jump there in case injuries come up. So they’re a solid group, and they’re starting to get better.”
One area that’s not a question mark, though, is the quarterback position. Palmer, now a senior, was an all-state selection last year despite missing three games. He’s passed for 383 yards so far through two games.
The Firebirds are also well-equipped at running back with senior Bryar Exner. He also missed three games last year, but was a reliable force when healthy. He had a plethora of marginal gains that led Devils Lake against Central Cass.
“You always expect a lot of big things from your seniors,” Lambrecht said. “Bryar is a good, solid running back. And as long as the line does their jobs, and create the holes for him and pass-protect for Mason … give each of them time for what they’re supposed to do, I think good things can happen.”
At wide receiver, Devils Lake has another big hole to fill in all-state selection Oliver Wirth. Guys like Max Palmer, Weston Nelson and Will Heilman have been forced to take more of the spotlight. Lambrecht also mentioned names like Finley Wirth, Rylan Samuelson and Domingo Engberg as depth options in the wide receiver group.
“We’ve got some guys that can step up and fill those roles, and just be able to play and work on getting open for Mason when the time comes,” Lambrecht said.
Heilman is a key player in particular because of his versatility. Going into the season, Lambrecht was non-committal about sticking Heilman in any particular spot. He was thrust into multiple positions last year, partly due to necessity with injuries. On the offensive side of the ball alone, he has varsity experience at wide receiver, running back and quarterback.
He contributed mostly as a receiver against Kindred, but did a lot of catching and running against Central Cass.
“He’s a versatile guy. He can be a running back; he can be a wide receiver. He’s that guy that knows and can do other things,” Lambrecht said. “And when you have someone that’s versatile like that, you put them in situations to help your team out. So yeah, as far as being a specific position, I’m gonna say no. He’s gonna be bouncing around some more.”
Overall, it’s a group that carries plenty of experience, but also has some guys in new or expanded roles. They’re finding a way to make the most out of their roster and bring another competitive group into the thick of the season.
“Make the playoffs again,” Mason Palmer said of the team’s goal, “and hopefully we can win our first round this time and see where things go.”
