Lawdawgs Welcomed With Open Arms In Neligh

The Neligh community added a new resident to its town this summer with the Nebraska Lawdawgs football team playing their home games at Warrior Field.

“Neligh has been super supportive,” said Lawdawg coach Jordan Taylor. “It started when we were supposed to host a preseason game and we hadn’t found a place. We were looking and Neligh said yes. The local guys said we should just play all of our games here and then something that started out as a joke, turned into reality. It has worked out really well and the guys love it.”

“It was unexpected to play in Neligh,” said Lawdawg linebacker and Neligh resident Logan Lawson. “We had so many people from this area and we decided to see if Neligh wanted to accept us to play here. The community has been great. We’ve had great community support from businesses and there are a ton of people in the stands. People are talking to us every week and telling us good luck and congratulations. It’s been great.”

The Lawdawgs disbanded after the 2013 season. After deciding to resurrect the program this year, several new players had to step up and join the squad.

“I came out and tried out for the team,” said Lawdawg linebacker Alex Orozco, a Neligh-Oakdale graduate. “When I saw Seth (Snodgrass) was on the team, I knew it must be a real thing. Seth helped me out and now I’m playing linebacker.”

Despite being its first season in five years, Nebraska has gotten off to a solid start with a 4-2 record. Last Saturday’s 39-0 victory over the Northern Iowa Knights was the Dawgs first shutout of the season and their third consecutive win.

Lawdawg players have to balance their busy personal lives, along with practices and working out, in order to be successful on the gridiron.

“We practice three days a week and normally half the team shows up because of work and everything,” said Lawdawg DB and running back Spencer Volden, a Clearwater-Orchard graduate. “It’s great for the guys that get in there because they can work and make us better as a team.”

Even for a gym owner and avid workout enthusiast, trying to play football again was a struggle to start.

“It was kind of a switch from what I was used to doing,” said Lawdawg linebacker Seth Snodgrass, a Neligh-Oakdale graduate and owner of 719 Fitness. “I was used to lifting heavy weight every single day. Now I transferred into explosive power. It has been fun and new to me for learn. It has helped out a tremendous amount. You can tell from day one when I first started, Logan (Lawson) drug me to the try-outs and I was out of shape and my hips were so tight. Now we do agilities twice-a-week and football practices have helped with how I play and perform.”

The Dawgs also like to give back to the community by offering more than just a form of entertainment.

“We like to always give back to the community when they support us,” Taylor said. “We want to give them more than a football game. We are hosting a goodwill camp for kids to come out for a few hours and practice the thing they love. Because they have been so supportive, that’s warranted us to want to put a camp together as a thank you.”

The Lawdawgs will be hosting a “Fun and Fundamentals” youth football camp July 23-27 from 9 a.m. to noon at Warrior Field. The camp is for students entering the second grade to eighth grade. The second through sixth graders practice from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., while the seventh and eighth graders practice 10:30 a.m. to noon.The cost for the camp is a goodwill donation to help support the Lawdawgs football program.

With a successful first season and continued support from the community, the future looks bright for the Lawdawgs and Neligh will get to come along for the ride.

“The best part about where we play is how supportive Neligh has been,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t matter how big your town is, what matters is how much people want you to be there and be supportive. The field is beautiful and it is well taken care of. It has been a good experience.”