Excited Sanders pleased to see large group report to practice

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 2, 2013 1:49 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- A late afternoon rainstorm didn't deter Spring Creek's players as they buckled their chinstraps and headed to the practice field.

No, these Gators didn't mind a wet and muggy swamp they call home.

"Who's ready to work hard today?" SC head coach and alum Aaron Sanders said to his team after its conditioning period.

"I am," each Gator shouted as he hoisted his helmet in the air.

The team huddled, broke ranks and headed to different drill stations.

Sanders wiped his face with his T-shirt, grabbed his whistle and began work with more than 30 players who reported for the first official day of high school football practice.

He expects a few more players to appear in the coming days.

"It was a good first day," Sanders said. "The kids were excited to be out there and they were excited to get to work. For here, the numbers are one thing I'm really happy about with the amount of kids we had to come out.

"I was really excited about seeing the older faces because experience (returning) is not something that we have all the time at Spring Creek. It's a little different feeling having the upperclassmen out there."

Sanders tutored the offensive and defensive linemen for a majority of the practice while assistant coaches handled other stations. The group started on the sled and after the first water break, they headed to the tackling dummies where their head coach waited for them.

Using a football taped to a golf club, Sanders said "hut" and snapped the ball as the linemen moved upfield to block. Some players jumped early, which resulted in a couple of up-downs as Sanders called the next group to the line.

The returning players took time to teach the rookies the proper technique for lining up on the ball. Sanders also refreshed the players' memories on defensive alignment by using a fire department water hose.

"That's part of being in a football program where the older guys show the younger guys how to do things, show them the way, so to speak," Sanders said. "This group has got some opportunities to do some things that teams in the past haven't done at Spring Creek. The leadership coming from the senior class (is important).

"If they will come out every day, work hard and be coachable, this group can do some good things."