For the second straight year under head coach Mike Short, the Colonial Grenadiers decided to open up the football season with a midnight practice on the first official date that schools were allowed to hit the field.
So, when the clock struck midnight Sunday, the Grenadiers took the field for their first official practice of the 2014 season. The Midnight Madness craze was started in the late 80s as a way for college basketball teams to drum up excitement with the start of practice each year, but that has carried over into other sports and local football teams have done it in recent years.
Seminole High School also held a midnight practice to open the season two years ago.
“The kids hear midnight practice and they’re like, ‘Man I get to stay up until midnight and run around the school all night?’ … It’s a lot of fun,” said Short. “It’s more about just a bonding than it is anything, as well as trying to get a jumpstart on the competition.”
The Colonial players weren’t the only ones involved as the Grenadiers cheer squad also took part in the event, and it’s not just a night of practice. The two squads also had a sleepover at the school … in separate quarters, of course.
“My coach is sleeping by the door so we cannot get out of the room,” cheer captain Jazzmaine Carson laughed. “It’s actually fun because we’re used to getting up early and coming to early practices, and this is kinda different.”
Colonial will open things up with its Kickoff Classic game at home against St. Cloud, Short’s former team, on Aug. 22.
Chris Hays is the Sentinel’s recruiting coverage coordinator and can be reached at chays@tribune.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Os_Recruiting and Facebook at Orlando Sentinel Recruiting, and on Instagram at os_recruiting.
