It’s about that time.
Can you smell the freshly cut grass in Noble? Or the tiny pieces of rubber inundating the artificial surface at Moore Stadium. Or maybe you’re already feeling the rumblings of students hopping on the metal homestand at Norman’s Harve Collins Field.
It’s time for prep football.
Practices start for all the area schools today. Most coaches will have their squads up bright and early to beat the heat. Some still employ old-fashioned two-a-days.
Washington’s Dennis McCray will have his Warriors on the field before the sun’s up, dark and early at 6:30 a.m., then back for an afternoon session at 3:30.
Norman High and Norman North begin at 8 this morning.
For the Tigers, this season is about improving. They’ve had a year to work in coach Greg Nation’s system and look forward to improving on last year’s 2-8 mark.
For the Timberwolves, it’s a rebuilding campaign. North graduated a bunch of starters, including starting quarterback Tyler Tettleton and starting running back Beau Blankenship. Coach Lance Manning believes lowered expectations could be good for his players.
“They have high expectations now, regardless, because of the success we’ve had,” Manning said. “Everybody’s exhilarated that we’re starting from scratch. It’s been a really good summer. Kids have worked hard and have a winning attitude.”
Community Christian’s new coach, Josh Norman, and Westmoore’s new head man, Chad Davis, will both have their squads on the field at 7 a.m., with return trips at 6 p.m.
And everyone’s excited.
“Shoot yeah,” Moore coach Scott Myers said.
His team takes the field at 3 p.m. “It’s what we do. We’ve been working for nine months now to get to this point. It’s exciting to get out there.”
For Norman and Davis, it’s an especially anxious time.
Norman, a receiver on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship team who played tight end for the San Diego Chargers, is taking over the reins at CCS after a tough season. They finished 4-7 and lost in the OCSAA championship game. They also lost their coach, Brooks Mosier, to cancer.
Davis, a one-time prize quarterback recruit from the Gary Gibbs Sooner era, is a late addition to the Jaguars, who were left without a coach when Mike Whaley took a job with the OSSAA during the summer..
“I’m extremely excited,” Davis said. “There’s been great coaches here before me who have done a great job. I can’t say enough about Mike Whaley. This program is in excellent shape, and there’s a lot of support.”
Year-round job
It’s been some time since players actually had some time off.
As soon as the season ends, their work starts again.
Even if players don’t play another sport, there’s winter weight lifting, spring practices, summer conditioning and then, before they know it, fall practices.
“We look at it kind of in intensity levels,” Myers said. “January through April, it’s low key stuff. Going into spring, the intensity steps up a bit. Summer Pride gets here, and we know we’re six weeks out. Now we’re four weeks out from some real competition.”
It’s tough on the coaches, too.
They’re working with the players or at camps almost year round.
“We go to camps, host our own camp, have off-season weight lifting,” McCray said. “We give our players probably two weeks off in June.”
Jenks to
forfeit nine games
The Tulsa World reported last week that east-side powerhouse Jenks will be forced to forfeit nine games from last season due to the ineligibility of wide receiver Jarrett Lake, who had some residency issues.
No one on this side of the state is likely to show much sympathy for the Trojans, who fell to rival Tulsa Union in the Class 6A state title game.
Lake also ran track for the Trojans, and both programs are also under a one-year warning from the OSSAA.
Jeff Johncox
366-3535
jjohncox@normantranscript.com
