When asked if his players and coaches will be too amped for the game, DeRuyter had this response at Monday's Bulldog press conference.
"I don't want to calm their intensity. Absolutely. I want their hair on fire. You've got to be smart, you can't so emotional that you can' think, but I want our guys right on that edge. So that it doesn't matter if someone in a different colored jersey is across from me I'm going after them. That's how I want our guys playing." said DeRuyter.
Senior Safety Phillip Thomas is returning from a serious leg injury that took him out for all of last season.
This year he's back and ready to lead a new look 3-4 defense.
He expressed what his emotions will be like once he steps on the football field once again.
"Joy. Excitment. Anxiety. It was hard for me to deal with last year, just being that close to the season and it being taken away in a non-contact drill. So I'll be very emotional and just be happy to be out there with my team again." said Thomas.
Action News is told the boys will go hard Monday and Tuesday and then scale things back a bit Wednesday and Thursday before resting for Saturday night's game.
And coach DeRutyer says there's no pressure for him to make his first game a statement game.
"I don't worry about statements to be honest with you Dave. We're going to play. We're going to play. We're going to play every single snap opportunity to have someone opposite of us. And play as hard as we possibly can. All we hope to do at the end of the game is have our guys having fun because we won that football game. We don't care if it's 2-0 or 70-69. We're just going to find a way to win football games is our plan." added DeRuyter.
