Wildcats scratch off to-do list during fall practices

At this stage of the high school football calendar, time is of the essence.

Week 0 is right around the corner and the three weeks of practice that build up to that season opener don't allow much time for leeway.

It's a mindset that Plano Senior has embraced and the foundation during which the Wildcats have operated during two-a-days.

"Two-a-days are looking good and I feel like we've been practicing well," said Sam Morell, senior utility player. "We've still got some stuff we need to work on as always, but I feel like we're not far away from getting to a good spot."

In recognizing the urgency of two-a-days, the Wildcats have wasted little time in taking the field. Start times during the inaugural practice week ran at 7 a.m. with the team taking its first break at 8:30-8:45 a.m. A 30-minute stretch to recooperate, breaks were devoted to the norms of eating and hydrating while also absorbing information from coaches via film, powerpoint or even the throwback teachings from a chalk board.

Putting that muscle memory to action, the Wildcats were back on the field by 9:15 a.m. and done by 11 a.m. with an ample number of water breaks and added means for staving off the heat mixed in along the way.

"We're going to push our kids and challenge our kids, but at the same time we're going to protect them," said Jaydon McCullough, Plano head coach. "You've got to acknowledge that Texas heat and it's something we don't take lightly."

There's also the procedural conditioning and weightlifting time, as the Wildcats attempt to parlay the lessons learned during the summer into a promising fall campaign.

Among those for McCullough was watching his players during the 7-on-7 State Tournament; a run that saw the Wildcats go 2-1 run in pool play before bowing out to Klein Forest, 24-20, in their first Championship bracket matchup.

"It's all about focus," McCullough said. "That's my big thing and I saw it at 7-on-7. When it came down to some of those big games we did well, but when it came to those crucial, nervous situations, I feel like we lost our focus at times. I've told these kids they can't flinch in moments like that and I think that was a good learning experience that we went through at state."

While the application of that focus won't be fully tested until Plano's season opener, the vibes from two-a-days have the coaching staff hopeful.

"These guys came to camp prepared," said Linn Dickey, Plano offensive coordinator. "You can tell they've been working hard all summer and offensively, I feel like we've got some experience back in the interior, which should play to our benefit."

"I think we're playing very fast right now," added Chris Fisher, Plano defensive coordinator. "For a defense that doesn't have a lot of varsity experience, that experience we do have is starting to rub off on the kids and they know the tempo we expect to play at."

There has also been the matter of establishing and filling leadership roles.

While Plano possessed a pair of strong, vocal cores in alumni Connor Michelsen and Collin Brence last season, those reins have been passed on to the trio of Morell plus seniors Bobby Geibler and Lance Lanier.

"I've always tried to lead by example," Morell said. "But now that I'm a captain with Lance and Bobby, it's just about being a vocal leader as well as leading by example, so we can try and get this team as far as we can."

The first step in that trek came Friday in a scrimmage against Mesquite, which gave the team a chance to answer any remaining questions surrounding the team's makeup before hitting the road Aug. 26 for a date at Williams Stadium with Garland Lakeview Centennial.

"The thing I love about Week 0 is that it's so close," McCullough said. "It's not difficult to get kids to practice because they understand the urgency of the situation we're in.

"The time is very limited and they understand how crucial this time is."

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

 Plano Apartments
 Plano Attorneys
 Plano Auto Dealers
 Plano Auto Parts
 Plano Auto Repair
 Plano Beauty Salons
 Plano Car Rental
 Plano Dentists
 Plano Doctors
 Plano Flowers
 Plano Hotels
 Plano Insurance
 Plano Loans
 Plano Mortgages
 Plano Movers
 Plano Pizza
 Plano Realtors
 Plano Restaurants
 Plano Storage
 Plano Tax Preparation
 Plano Travel
 Featured
 More...