As high school football teams in Tennessee put on pads for the first time Monday, some wanted to get as early a start as possible while others waited until later in the day.
Either way they were trying to get as much done as possible before most team's first game on Aug. 17.
5 p.m.: Brentwood, Franklin
Brentwood Coach Mark Pemberton had no doubt about when his first fall practice in pads with his new team would be.
"I don't like the morning stuff," Pemberton said. "We bring them in five to nine, that way it's getting cooler as we go and it's closer to game-time conditions. I've just done it that way for years."
The former Macon County coach, taking over for Ron Crawford, said it's important to make sure the players are ready to put pads on.
"I thought we were," Pemberton said. "We just have to continue to work. We've got a scrimmage against Oakland on Friday, so we got four days to learn some techniques and be ready to go."
Brentwood senior quarterback Austin Winfree says it feels great to be in pads again.
"There are definitely some jitters the first day, but once we get into the flow of things you start to relax," Winfree said.
New Franklin Coach Donnie Webb called the first days of practice the "fun time of year."
"It's good to finally get pads on and continue the work we are doing," said Webb, who replaced Craig Clayton, who is now at Hillsboro. "But now it goes at a whole lot faster speed.
"They need to learn how to practice, how to practice hard, how to practice with some discipline. They know how to win from the staff before ... but we need to learn how to practice better."
4 p.m.: Glencliff
After making the playoffs for the first time since 1999, second-year Coach Brandon Easley believes the Colts are moving in the right direction.
"We feel confident," Easley said. "I've had the same number of kids out working hard all summer, so putting on a little something extra with the shoulder pads shouldn't be that hard."
Easley, who has been with the program since 1999, believes the approach of saying what he means and following through with promises has changed the attitude of his players. The Colts have seen an increase in summer workout participation, with 38 players regularly participating, including 15 freshmen.
"Coming off the season we had last year you can see the continuation of the maturation of players," Easley said. "In the past, they were OK just to play. Now, it's about winning and taking pride in what you do."
Monday featured two practices, one in the afternoon with full pads and one in the evening in helmets and shorts.
2:30 p.m.: Antioch
The first day of full-pad practice was intense for the defending District 12-AAA champions, as Coach Mike Woodward went straight from opening stretches into the physical "Oklahoma" hitting drill.
With the chance of warm weather and fatigue, Woodward said he has concerns with the early start to the season, which features three regular season games in August.
"Depth is a concern," Woodward said. "But we feel pretty good about our starters on both sides, because we have a lot of guys coming back."
The coaching staff is focused on developing depth during camp to eliminate the need to rely on two-way players such as all-district RB/DB Tyler Bumbalough, FB/LB Moses Cornelius, DE/OT Karim Antoine and DT/C Christian Molina.
The Bears will also look to break in a new quarterback in camp, with sophomore Raquan Hosey set to take over.
8:30 a.m.: BGA
Battle Ground Academy's morning practice showed plenty of enthusiasm and energy.
"I thought we flew around pretty good," said Batten, a former Vanderbilt defensive back. "The kids are excited."
Twelve seniors return, most of which are on defense, Batten said. A big key loss on offense if quarterback C.J. Beathard, who signed with Iowa.
"It was going good," said senior safety and wide receiver Jordan Tutler, who is one of three returning all-region players. "We're still trying to learn the plays and teach the younger guys the plays but I'm loving it out there."
In between practices, players planned to lift weights, eat in BGA's dining hall and have some downtime. They were required to bring their summer reading book to camp.
7 a.m.: FRA
Franklin Road Academy's lack of energy showed early.
"We started off slow, but I guess that's kind of normal," said senior Dalton Ponchillia, a safety and wide receiver. "As the practice started to go on we picked it up and I think we'll have a pretty physical team."
First-time head coach Bill Whittemore's staff only returns two assistants from former Coach David Pack's staff.
"We've added five new coaches; a complete new defensive staff," said Whittemore, who was a Mr. Football winner at Brentwood before playing at Kansas. "We are blessed to have them and we're excited that all of them are wanting and willing to be a part of this."
The Panthers return seven seniors, most of whom have seen significant playing time. Whittemore said one of their strengths is the leadership of the returning players.
Midnight: Cannon Co.
Cannon County was able to get in a two-and-a-half hour practice at midnight, and also at seven Monday morning.
"The midnight practice went pretty well, but the morning one was kind of rough," first-year Coach Brent Bush said. "We are just trying to install systems right now, so we are just focusing on the mental part of the game."
Clarksville planned to practice at midnight but had to cancel because of a thunderstorm.
"We had a pretty good crowd out there to watch us (Sunday) night," Coach Ken Busbee said. "So it was pretty disappointing when we had to tell them practice was canceled."
