Smyrna quarterback John Turner throws a pass as coach Matt Williams watches.
Smyrna freshman Nick Watkins makes a move on an opponent during the 7-on-7 tournament at MTSU.
Smyrna coach Matt Williams talks to his team during Saturday’s 7-on-7 tournament at MTSU.
Smyrna’s Austin Brown makes a move on Oakland’s Lazarius Patterson during Saturday’s 7-on-7 tournament at MTSU.
MURFREESBORO – High school football teams have been relegated to playing one-hand touch the past two weeks while practicing and playing 7-on-7 in shorts and helmets.
On Monday things begin to get a little more physical as teams spend the next five days practicing in helmets and shoulder pads to get acclimated to the heat.
“You can do a little more, that’s for sure,” Smyrna coach Matt Williams said. “We’ll do a little more one-on-one stuff and some inside drills.
“Obviously, it’s going to have to be thud. It can’t be going to the ground. We’ll make sure we preach to the kids about staying off the ground.”
The TSSAA mandates that every high school football player have a minimum of three days of practice in shoulder pads before the beginning of full practice in pads on July 27.
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While the measure is for safety, this allows for more work to be done than what teams have been doing the past two weeks. Skill players and linemen, who have stayed separate the past two weeks, will begin to work together more as more offense and defense is installed.
But doing things safely will be the key.
“We can have a few more collisions,” Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said. “It’s a little bit safer. Most of the pros, that’s how they practice full time.
“So we’re going to try to learn how to practice like a pro. There are going to be times this season when we are going to practice in helmets and shells.”
Oakland has had its share of injuries the past two weeks, including an ankle sprain to standout two-way player JaCoby Stevens.
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Creasy said this week will be a learning experience for his team.
“We aren’t going to have a lot of contact, but we are going to have to learn how to practice in shells,” he said. “We are going to have to take care of each other. We have to be smart.
“I think more than anything it’s about getting more mentally tough when you are practicing and it’s 99 degrees outside.”
Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.
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Rutherford Co. Football Jamboree
Stewarts Creek will host the fourth annual Rutherford County Football Jamboree on Aug. 14.
Here is the schedule:
6 p.m.: Stewarts Creek vs. Blackman
7 p.m.: Riverdale vs. Smyrna
8 p.m.: Summit vs. Siegel
9 p.m.: La Vergne vs. Oakland