Dogies Build Toughness and Unity During First Week of Fall Camp

Newcastle High School’s Dogies wrapped up its first week of football practice with tired legs, stronger bonds and plenty of memories from Fall Camp. All 29 players spent the first two days at Mallo Camp, hosted by Jimmy and Kristy Lewis, where they shared a cabin and took part in multiple daily practices, team-building sessions and classroom work. With few distractions, the Dogies installed their base offense, defense and special teams while beginning the conditioning work needed for the season. Woody’s Food Center catered the meals and kept the players well fed throughout the demanding schedule.

Day 1 began with a Wyoming National Guard skills challenge led by Staff Sergeants Phipps and Davies. A grueling obstacle course tested conditioning and mental toughness while requiring players to pay close attention to detail. The team followed that challenge with a run of more than a mile up the big Mallo hill. Newcastle then held its first football practice of the season, emphasizing technique, before using the small Mallo hill for sprint and speed work. Another practice and “County Fair Conditioning” closed the football portion of the day, but camp wasn’t finished. At midnight, the players tackled the Midnight Madness mile run.

There was no sleeping in on Day 2. The Dogies rose early and hiked Lookout Hill together, then returned for breakfast and another practice. Team sessions featured extensive work between the first and second units, giving players valuable repetitions within the newly installed schemes. Following lunch and another practice, the team announced its player-elected squad leaders: Dane Crabtree, Mason Rawhouser, Lukas Benshoof and Dustin McCarthy. The squads celebrated by jumping into the pond to cool off and, as the team joked, scare the trout. Between sessions, the creek also served as a natural ice bath for sore legs.

Leadership became one of the week’s clearest takeaways. Seniors Dane at quarterback and strong safety, Mason at guard and defensive end, Adam Butler at tight end and cornerback, Landon Hatheway at tailback and linebacker, Isiah Anderson at offensive tackle and defensive end, and Alec Williams at offensive tackle and defensive tackle helped set the tone. Juniors Dustin McCarthy, Lukas Benshoof, Colten Hatheway, Carter Farella and Cayson Phillips also provided a strong presence across the lineup. Five sophomores and a ninth-grade class of 12 players completed the group. Frequent “Senior Shoutouts” encouraged younger players to persevere when camp became difficult, helping Newcastle grow closer as a unit.

After packing and cleaning the camp facilities, the Dogies returned home but kept working. Evening two-a-days followed Wednesday and Thursday, with one practice Friday and a team offense and defense session Saturday morning. The opening week gave Newcastle a foundation in technique, conditioning, schemes and accountability, along with the kind of shared experience that can bring a team together. The Dogies will open their schedule at Rapid City Stevens on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, at 7 p.m. MDT.