Football workouts to get underway Monday

By Donnie A. Lucas

Another football season will kick off on Monday with the start of the traditional summer workouts.

Albany’s coaching staff is expecting about 50 players to show up for the first day of practice, which will be an increase over last year’s numbers.

The first session is slated for 8:00 a.m. on Monday, with students needing to hand in the paperwork signed by parents that is required by the school and UIL. 

Equipment will be issued, followed by the first practice of the season for high school players.

Junior high players will not meet or practice until the first day of classes on Aug. 15.

Practices will switch to afternoons on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, starting at 3:30 p.m. due to teacher in-service meetings.

The Lions are picking up a few more players this season, mainly due to an unusally small class that graduated last school year.

“We had a small senior class with only five guys playing football last year,” head football coach Denney Faith said. “The classes have evened back out now, with from 12-14 in each group.”

The coach said that he knows of at least two students who are new to the Albany program this season.

The Lions advanced to the state semifinal game last season, just one step short of the state championship game.

Faith urged any player who did not receive the necessary forms in the mail to come by the field house this week to pick them up. Players can not even take part in practice sessions until all the required forms are signed and returned.

All students are also required to have a physical exam prior to working out. Most students took advantage of free physicals offered at the school during the the final week of classes in May.

Anyone still needing a physical exam will need to obtain the correct form that must be completed and obtain a physical at their own expense.

With temperatures forecast to continue to rise to normal or slightly above normal limits next week, the coach stressed that students should be prepared.

“We need the guys to come hydrated to practices and prepared for the heat,” he said. “We will have plenty of water breaks during practices, but the kids should do their part ahead of time as well.”

The Lions will again compete in District 7-2A this season along with Roscoe, Cross Plains, Haskell, and Hamlin. Baird and Roby were originally assigned to the district, but both have dropped to six-man football.

The JV and varsity teams will have group and individual pictures taken on Friday, Aug. 9 at 1:00 p.m. at Robert Nail Stadium.

The first scrimmage of the season is set for Friday, Aug. 16 in Coleman followed by a second scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 22 against Anson in Albany.

The season opener will be in Colorado City on Friday, Aug. 30.