Lions throw and catch well on Day 1
Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008
GRAVETTE - Those 29 summer 7-on-7 games Gravette played paid off handsomely Monday for the Lions, who are betting they can repeat this fall as 1-4 A Conference football champions.
"You would hope all that work pays off," head coach Bill Harrelson said after his 40 players went through their initial workout of the 2008 preseason campaign. "We looked sharp throwing and catching the ball, a very good day. We had few drops."
That's a good thing here, too, since Gravette (10-3 in 2007 ) has less time to prepare for its season opener than most high school teams.
Gravette opens its season in the Simmons First / Hootens. com Kickoff Classic, playing Clarksville in the second of two games to be played Sept. 2 at Bentonville's Tiger Stadium.
The Lions practiced early Monday, trying to avoid the blistering heat, the coach said. They took extra precautions for the heat, which hit the mid-90 s by noon.
"We took a couple of extra breaks for water and had a 25-minute break between sessions," Harrelson said. "But actually, the hotter it got the better we looked."
He said his players reported back to work in good shape. No one was injured Monday.
"We still need to get where we're practicing at the speed we want to play at," he said. "We're not there yet."
He said the 40 players were all expected and that "I'm looking for a couple more. " All three of Gravette's recently injured skill players were on the field practicing Monday. That includes senior All-State quarterback Ethan McKinzie who was injured in the state quarterfinals last fall and who's had a stellar summer throwing the football. All-Conference senior running back Teddy Selby is shaking off a back injury sustained last fall. Junior speedster Michael Croasdell was injured during 7-on-7 ball and will see very limited contact when Gravette suits up in pads Thursday, the coach said.
The Lions won 10 straight games in 2007, sailed through the 1-4 A unbeaten at 7-0 and lost in the Class 4 A semifinals to eventual champion Nashville.
NOTES: Gravette practices 8 a.m. to noon today. It's off the field and into the weight room by 11: 15 a.m. Practices move to 4-7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday for faculty in-service. Lion Pride Night is Aug. 15. Gravette is scheduled to scrimmage Lincoln on Thursday, Aug. 28.
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