Hays senior slot receiver Michael Romero goes through a summer workout drill with assistant coach Mitch Phillips last season. The Rebels and Lobos will be among the many high school football teams across the state beginning two-a-days on August 1. Both Hays and Lehman will have their first full-pad practice on Friday, August 5. (Photo by Judy Cooper)
by JASON GORDON
It won’t be a mirage when local football fans drive by Hays and Lehman high schools next Monday morning.
Indeed, the rites of passage that are summer two-a-day workouts will officially begin.
To circumvent the heat that has plagued Central Texas and much of the nation all summer, both Hays and Lehman will have schedules that will have their daily practices wrapped up entirely shortly after noon.
“Everybody’s been waiting for two-a-days all summer,” said Hays senior slot receiver Michael Romero. “We’re all really happy football is finally here.”
Lehman head coach Steve Davis agreed although August in Texas is always associated with extreme temperatures, it’s also a special time for everyone involved with high school football.
“It will be great to get everyone back,” Davis said. “Our players and coaches will be ready to get to work.”
Davis is looking forward to starting to change the perception around the Lehman varsity football program.
In five years since the school has been playing varsity football, the Lobos have only one district victory.
“I don’t think there’s any question we have the most talent we’ve ever had on varsity at Lehman since the school opened up,” Davis said. “I’m really looking forward to starting out Monday and seeing how this season unfolds.”
Davis said it would be pretty easy to see who stayed in shape this summer and who didn’t.
“Monday will be a good time to see who’s been working out and who hasn’t,” Davis said. “The ones that haven’t will have to work their way back into shape in a very short amount of time.”
Hays quarterback Caleb Kimbro helped lead a group of Rebel skill players to the State 7-on-7 Tournament this summer. He said it would be good to see all his teammates when two-a-days begin.
“We put in a lot of work this summer,” Kimbro said. “It will be great to see everyone finally all together at once. We’re ready to get things started for real. We have very high expectations. We want to see what we’re made of. We put a lot of work in and now we have to go out there and see what we can do. We have no doubt we’ll be successful.”
Hays will open two-a-days with a football coach other than Bob Shelton for the first time since the school opened in 1968.
New Rebels head coach Blake Feldt led Pilot Point to the Class 2A Division I State Championship in 2009.
“It’s a time of year you’re always looking forward to,” Feldt said. “I was very proud of how motivated our kids were in the offseason during the spring and now it’s time to put what they learned to use on the football field during summer practices.”
Both Hays and Lehman will begin two-a-day workouts around 7 a.m. and be finished shortly after noon with an hour break in between practices.
“I’ve always believed it’s best to get our kids on and off the field before you get into the heat of the day,” Feldt said.
Both the Lobos and Rebels will practice in helmets, shorts and t-shirts until Friday, when both squads will have their first full-contact practice with pads.
The Lobo kickoff scrimmage will take place at Lehman August 6, beginning at 7 p.m. for freshman and junior varsity teams. The varsity scrimmage will begin at 8:30 p.m.
Hays’ first scrimmage will take place at Shelton Stadium against Del Valle on August 13.
