Hilldale’s trip to the Northeastern A&M football camp last week was, like most camps — predictable in the ups and downs of preseason routines and yet positive in terms of player progress.

“I thought we made a lot of improvement in a week,” Hornets coach Don Hendrix said. “Kids that didn’t have a lot of experience stepped up and looked good at times. Some of our really young kids got their eyes opened as to what the game’s about.”

Hendrix had 31 players — about half of what has signed up for football — to attend the camp which also included a solid Class 4A team in Miami, Class 3A Victory Christian, Class 2A Wyandotte and Commerce, a team that drops from 2A to A this fall.

“We were right there with them,” Hendrix said. “All of those teams are very competitive in their classes. We’d look pretty good sometimes and sometimes we didn’t. It depended mostly on how we mixed our young kids in.”

One of those who didn’t make the trip was Taylor Brantley. Projected as a starter at defensive end for the Hornets, he had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and may be out for the season. Josh Crissler hurt his knee and didn’t see any action after the first session of the camp.

Quarterback Taylor Chalk “looked very good,” Hendrix said, adding that he ‘made a few mistakes throwing but corrected his reads as the camp went on and did a good job.” Chalk, Hendrix said, also looked good at outside linebacker.

Dalton Pantle moved from linebacker to cornerback on defense and at running back, “made good decisions when he made cuts,” Hendrix said. “He’s not as big and physical as the guys we’ve had but every now and then he handled the hard shots he took well.”

Kyle Smallwood, a returnee at tight end and linebacker, played some at fullback and looked good, Hendrix said.

Morgan Nicodin, who started at defensive back and flanker, will give the Hornets some speed.

“We saw that up there,” Hendrix said. “Really, the things that made a lot of progress everywhere that much clearer was the fact that it helped us to go against other people, where you’re not afraid to let it go. When it’s us against us, and you know you’re better than the younger kid that may be across from you and we’re urging everyone to take it easy, well, there’s a difference.”

Nate Lawson at offensive tackle and center Chandler Foltz solidified their spots with their camp work as did Austin Bradshaw, a two-way starter at tackle. Dakota West impressed at guard. He was a fullback last year. Tanner Mullens, a defensive end and tight end, “looked good at times,” he said.

Hendrix and the Hornets will now take a break until preseason drills start in August. He’ll get a football fix on June 21 when he travels to Wichita Falls to watch Tulsa signee Zach Wallace compete in the Oil Bowl.

Wallace may need some mojo from his coach. Hendrix was the coach the last time Oklahoma won this game in 2005. The 38-7 outcome was the biggest margin of victory ever for an Oklahoma team against Texas.

“I guess they’re still pretty mad over that game,” Hendrix said, noting the 17-0 and 31-6 Texas wins the past two seasons.