Football is back.
Ethel opened the 2019 preseason with the first official day of practice on Monday.
The Tigers are coming off a 2-8 campaign in 2018 and are aiming to make a push for the playoffs this season.
Monday was a transition day from the summer workouts to an actual practice as the team was in just shirts, shorts and helmets.
“Did a lot of moving around today so we can get some conditioning in and get used to the heat before we get the gear on,” said second year Ethel head coach Dave McCrory. “Just moving from one place to another. Had to end practice earlier than I wanted due to open house, so we didn’t do as much today as far as conditioning we will do tomorrow (Tuesday). I made the kids stay to get their class schedules and meet their teachers, so it was a productive day.”
Tuesday was set to be the same as Monday will be a lot of moving around with linemen doing drills on the sled, while the skill guys were to work on plays and 7-on-7 drills.
Thursday will be the first day in pads. Once the pads are on there is a rule as far as how long a team can do contact drills. Right now until game week teams can do contact drills for 120 minutes a week. During the season it is 90 minutes of contact drills a week.
“We will do our tackling circuit that includes turnovers. Indy drills is individual drills and work on technique type stuff,” McCrory said. “Group work is when the team is lined up against bags. Then we will actually line up and run inside runs and work on run plays and throw in a few pass plays where everyone has to block someone. Then after that we work on defense doing the same type stuff. Work on blitzes and different packages and looks.”
During the season the team will lift weights everyday but Thursday (walk through day) and of course game day on Friday.
“We will lift weights for about an hour and then go out and practice,” McCrory said. “We will do contact drills for about 30 minutes a day this week. We practice from two to about two and half hours. We start school tomorrow (Tuesday) so we got to get the routine going.”
Ethel is set to host Winona Christian in a jamboree on Aug 18 and open the regular season at home against west Lowndes on Aug. 23.
