Faulkner braves heat, shows improvement
Tuesday, Aug. 7 - The Faulkner football team braved the triple-digit heat Tuesday and showed improvement in its second day of work in shorts. Head coach Jim Nichols said much of the improvement was based on familiarity.
"It was better today, because the newer guys had a better understanding of the concept, and it just went much smoother,'' Nichols said. "That part of it we expect to improve every day.''
The extreme heat - with temperatures soaring to near 100 degrees - is a problem, Nichols admits. He added that his coaches are taking no chances when it comes to safety.
"The weather is certainly not cooperating,'' he said. "A lot of the new guys that weren't here last spring have been sitting at home all summer, and this heat is quite a shock to their system. We've needed to get as good a look as possible at these guys, but we're spending a lot of time just keeping them hydrated.''
Now that the two days alloted for shorts and T-Shirts are complete, things will start to get a bit more serious the remainder of the week. The 155 players will put on the helmets at Wednesday's practice, with shoulder pads set for Thursday. Friday's workout will be the first full-contact practice.
"These first two days have been evaluation days,'' Nichols said. "We now move into the installing part. We'll work more specifically on our offense, defense and special teams starting Wednesday.''
As for what stood out on Day Two, Nichols praised the big guys up front.
"The most surprising group for me has been our young offensive line,'' he said. "We've been very pleased, especially with the younger guys. That's where it all starts, and we're real happy with what we have to build on.''
Faulkner's practices are currently being held at Goodwyn Junior High School.