Expectations Remain the Same as Bemidji Football's McMartin Era Begins | Lakeland News

Duration: 2:26 477 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The 2026 season for Bemidji High School football officially kicked off with the first practice under new head coach Cam Martin, marking a significant transition in leadership while maintaining the program's core identity. Martin emphasized that despite the change in coaching staff, the essence of Lumberjack football remains unchanged, with a continued focus on intensity, organization, and maintaining tempo throughout practices. The team aims to provide players with numerous repetitions to build skills, leveraging a strong senior class that includes bright talents who have already shown promise during recent camps at Bemidji State University. Significant adjustments are expected on the offensive side of the ball, where new offensive coordinator Mitch Hendricks will take over play-calling duties, bringing a fresh strategic approach to the team's game plan. Quarterback Owen Vandermeer returns for his senior year, offering consistency and two years of starting experience to lead the offense. The coaching staff plans to shift from a run-heavy strategy to a more versatile 50/50 mix of running and passing plays, a change that players have welcomed as it allows them to utilize their full range of abilities. On defense, while there are new faces on the field, senior linebacker and safety Jude Nysmoon expresses confidence that the team will fill any gaps left by departing players through hard work and strong will. The defensive unit is expected to remain intense, featuring a group of determined hitters ready to grind out every play as part of a tight-knit brotherhood. Although there are new leaders emerging within the program, the coaching staff on the defensive side will largely stay the same, ensuring continuity in their approach and philosophy. Martin's message to the team is clear: while they possess significant potential to become very good, realizing that success depends on executing the little details correctly and playing cohesively as a unified group. This balance between embracing new opportunities and sticking to traditional values sets the tone for the upcoming season. Looking ahead, Bemidji High School will begin their 2026 season away from home, with their first two games scheduled on the road before returning to play their initial home match on Friday, September 18th against Buffalo. The team's schedule and roster changes reflect a blend of tradition and innovation as they prepare to face new challenges. As the Lumberjacks gear up for this new chapter, the community is encouraged to support local news efforts through donations to Lakeland PBS, ensuring that coverage of such pivotal moments in high school sports continues to thrive.

Read the full video transcript

Today was the first practice of the 2026 season for Bemidji football. It was also the first practice as a head coach for Cam Martin, the Lumberjacks newest head man. Martin explained that there was plenty to learn from the first practice amid the change in leadership today, but that and the expectations and the essence of football at Bemidji remains the same as always. >> We're still trying to be intense. I mean, none of that stuff goes away from Lumberjack football. We want to be organized. We want to stay on tempo. We want to get kids a lot of reps. We have a strong senior class. There's some bright shining spots and I've talked to the guys even after BSU team camp that, you know, we have a what I call a dreaded word, potential. We could be very good. That doesn't mean that we're going to be if we don't do the little things right and we don't come together as a group and play well. So, that's been our message. >> There will be some change on the offensive side of the ball with OC Mitch Hendricks taking over play calling duties, but the Jacks return Owen Vandermeer at quarterback. The senior brings consistency offensively having two years of starting experience under his belt. >> It's great to get back out here. It's still Lumberjack football, but we're all making the switch over and it's been a good change so far. We opened a lot of things up. We were run heavy team and now we're going to be probably 50/50, so yeah, it's just a good feeling to be more versatile in that way. >> Defensively, there were some changes to the faces on the field, but senior linebacker and safety Jude Nysmoon is confident the boys will fill the gaps. >> We got a couple new leaders coming in, which I mean, everyone's stepping up obviously, but for defense, we're all the coaches is coaching staff's kind of staying the same. So, I don't think much will change really, but I think we're just rolling it. I mean, defensively, we're going to be intense. There's a lot of strong willed kids, a lot of hard hitters and kids that are ready to grind out here with us, so it's a brotherhood, you know. >> Well, here is a look at Bemidji football's schedule. They actually start the season on the road for their first two games. Their first home game will be Friday, September 18th versus Buffalo. >> Sports on Lakeland News is sponsored in part by Paul Bunyan Communications, powered by the GigaZone, one of the largest all-fiber optic gigabit networks in the country with internet speeds up to 10 gig. Lakeland News is a non-profit news organization. Donate to Lakeland PBS today to support your local news team.