Football workouts to get underway Monday
Albany football coaches are expecting almost 50 players to show up Monday for summer workouts – or two-a-days – representing an increase by several players over last year.
The Lions will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 6 for the opening workout. Equipment will be handed out, followed by the first practice of the season for the high school players.
Practice will continue in the mornings through Aug. 10, with practices shifting the following week to the afternoons on days the coaching staff has teachers meetings.
Classes are starting Thursday, Aug. 16 this year, which will push practices to the afternoons for the remainder of the season.
After dealing with lower numbers for a couple of years, head coach Denney Faith says he is expecting numbers to be back up near the 50-player mark this season.
“Even though we graduated a big group and only have six or seven seniors this year, we have bigger numbers in the lower grades,” he said.
Faith said that it is important that all players complete and return the forms that were sent out in a letter a couple of weeks ago. The forms must be signed by a parent. Anyone who does not have the required paperwork can contact Faith or one of the other coaches at the field house before Monday.
The Lions are picked once again to win their district in 2018 and continue deep into the playoffs.
Albany advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs last season and have been tapped as the top team in Region I in Class 2A Div. II.
The varsity lost 12 seniors from last year’s team, with six or seven incoming seniors stepping into their shoes.
“The last few years we have had a large group of players with playoff experience, and this year our number of seniors is down with a small class,” Faith said. “But we have a good core group to provide leadership and some very talented younger players that we think have the potential to help us a lot.”
UIL rule changes for this season will allow players to put on shoulder pads starting Wednesday, Aug. 8, but there can not be full contact on the practice field until Monday, Aug. 13.
“I think it is a good change,” Faith said. “It will give the guys a few more days to get used to wearing pads before they have full contact. They can hit the sled or practice dummies, but there can’t be contact between players until the sixth day of workouts now.”
The coach also noted changes tightening the rules on downfield blocks below the waist, along with increasing the time an ejected player must sit out to include the first half of the following game.
“UIL made a few changes to follow what the NCAA is doing at the college level,” Faith said.
The first scrimmage is set for Friday, Aug. 17 with the Coleman Bluecats coming to visit at 7:00 p.m.
Albany will travel to Anson for a second scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 23.
The regular season opener will be Friday, Aug. 31 with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
The Lions are competing in District 7-2A this season, which includes Cross Plains, Haskell, Roscoe, Baird, Hamlin, and Roby.
Roby coaches have announced that they will not be able to field a varsity team this year, pulling out of the schedule in early June.
The district members reshuffled league games, with each having another non-district date to fill.
The Lions will travel to Bullard near Tyler on Saturday, Sept. 29 for the last pre-district game against The Brook Hill School. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
Homecoming and the opening of district action is set for Oct. 12 against Baird.
Other pre-district games include Dublin (Sept. 7), Eastland (Sept. 14), and Hawley (Sept. 21).
Both the varsity and JV Lions will have pictures taken on Friday, Aug. 10 at 2:00 p.m. The photos will be used in the newspaper and football programs, and players or their parents can purchase picture packages. Information slips will be provided to players to take home and must be returned on picture day.
