With eyes on fall, spring ball starts for football

Kicking+off+its+2020+season+Friday+night%2C+the+Redhawks+hosted+Reedy+in+the+first+of+the+teams+three+non-district+games+to+start+the+season.+Falling+behind+28-7+at+the+half%2C+the+Redhawks+rallied+in+the+2nd+half%2C+but+lost+35-27.

Mady Daddario

Kicking off its 2020 season Friday night, the Redhawks hosted Reedy in the first of the team’s three non-district games to start the season. Falling behind 28-7 at the half, the Redhawks rallied in the 2nd half, but lost 35-27.

Although the 2018 football season begins in August, practice is already underway as juniors, sophomores, and freshmen began spring practice on Wednesday.

“It just give you an opportunity to evaluate your personnel before fall rolls around,” head football coach Chris Burtch said. “It gives you an opportunity to install and look at your offense, your defense, and try to figure out what’s gonna fit your new team and their personality and what they’re capable of.”

Even though the team will take a two month break at the start of summer, players will keep in shape for the upcoming with strength and conditioning camps.

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“It allows everyone to rest a little bit and have some time off which I think is really important,” Burtch said. “With summer strength and conditioning programs that we have in place that’s a big part of summer for successful football teams you’ve gotta come in on a pretty regular basis and lift and run and get ready.”

However, by having spring practices, the team can’t have it’s first August practice until the second Monday of August according to UIL rules. With school starting this year on Aug. 16, that means the team can’t have it’s first fall practice until Aug. 13, placing a premium on spring ball.

“It’s really important because it’s practice for fall ball and if we don’t practice, then we are not going to be prepared for fall ball,” sophomore Brandon Runge said. “We have a chance for the playoffs this year and we really want to focus on making it to playoffs this year and not just winning one game. It’s more important to us now.”

After completing their last season in their high school career in November, current seniors do not participate in spring practice, making room for next year’s leaders to step up.

“It helps us get set up for next year,” junior Ryan Coyne said. “They call us the seniors because that’s what we are going to be next year. We have to lead everyone and lead warmups and stuff like that.”