Conditioning key as WCHS begins preseason drills
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With less than four weeks until their opening-night game, coach Chris Madewell?s varsity squad, along with Andy Evans? freshman team, hit the practice gridiron at WCHS in shorts and helmets for the first of five days of light-gear drills on Monday.
Approximately 65 players were present for Monday?s session, including over 20 new freshmen, and coaches got a quick idea of the kind of physical shape their players stayed in over the summer with a heavy period of conditioning early in the first practice session.
?The numbers were good, but we?ve got to get some of them in shape,? Madewell said. ?We?re not anywhere near where we need to be, shape-wise. I think we?ve got a lot of talent out there, though.?
With a week of afternoon practices before the squad begins full-contact workouts, Pioneer coaches used Monday?s practice to see who had ? and who had not ? kept in shape over the off-season. With varsity players making complete laps around the practice field, while the freshmen concentrated on ?getting off the ball? as they ran wind sprints, it soon became evident to the coaching staff who was in game shape, and who had the most room for improvement.
?We?re probably a little bit behind where we were last year as far as conditioning goes, but I had an idea it would be like that,? Madewell said. ?But you can?t just go out there and work them into shape in one day, it?ll take a little time to get them where we want them to be. But the ones that have been coming all summer are in good shape, and the other ones are finding out what it?s like when you don?t work out all summer.?
Monday?s practice began with special teams work, concentrating on punt coverage, and moved on to tackling and blocking drills, as coaches made sure their players had a firm grip on the fundamental techniques they?ll use this season.
Work on offensive formations, as well as defensive position and alignments, was also included in Monday?s practice schedule, as well as periods of individual drills where players worked with others from their respective positions.
?This week we just want to get in all of our offensive formations, and try to get in all of our plays,? Madewell noted. ?Defensively we?re doing a lot of work on getting our alignments, stances and responsibilities correct. If we can get all that in, and get the thinking over this week, we can get the hitting started next week once we get into full pads.?
The Pioneers? fall camp begins Sunday night, and beginning Monday morning the team will spend their days on the practice field in full-gear drills and their nights on campus for a strenuous three days of workouts. After wrapping camp on Wednesday, they?ll travel to Siegel for a full day of practices and scrimmages with the Stars and Beech High School next Thursday.
The 2006 season begins Friday, Aug. 18, with a road game at Bradley Central.