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Beavers gearing up for spring game

There are 138 days until Minot State football opens its 2016 campaign against Minnesota State-Mankato.

Saturday’s 6 p.m. spring game marks the closest thing to an actual game MSU will play until that Sept. 1 opener.

And the Beavers are eager to put on the pads.

“They’re excited,” MSU coach Tyler Hughes said. “We’ve had a really good spring on a number of different levels. … We’ve practiced well. They’ve taken a lot of ownership of what they’re doing, and that being said, we have the spring game and they are excited for that. We have a chance to play full speed, play fast, and compete and we are excited about it.”

Senior Zac Cunha – who was penciled in to be the everyday quarterback last year before an injury in the opener, which sidelined him for the entire season – is back and his presence alone has lifted the Beavers.

“He’s had a terrific spring,” Hughes said. “He has great command of what we want to get done offensively. The guys have really responded to him in the huddle. He’s really aware of what’s going on around him. I think he was going to, honestly, have a great year last year and people are going to see a great player this fall.”

MSU is coming off a one-win season – in Hughes’ second year at the helm – and this spring has been dedicated to building a foundation for winning football in Minot.

“We had four things we wanted to focus on this spring,” Hughes said. “We wanted to be better finishers in everything we do. Last year we didn’t finish games well. Team discipline. We want to be more disciplined on and off the field. … And then chemistry and teamwork. Always being thoughtful of what I do effects the team. There’s no independent contractors. We are all on the same crew. This spring we’ve emphasized that, and the guys have bought into that. The guys are getting strong belief in what we are doing and a belief in one another, which is very important.”

Notes

The players take the field at 5:30 p.m. for warm-ups…The game will have 10 possessions from various points on the field. … Special teams will play in between possessions…The offense can score points, logging first downs, plays of 15 yards or more and touchdowns. … Defense can score points at the end of of a series and via sacks and turnovers.

John Denega covers Minot High athletics, Minot State softball and general assignments. Follow him on Twitter @JohnDenega_MDN.

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