Prep football players beat heat, pop pads on first day

The first day of high school football practice in full pads was met in Rutherford County on Monday with sunshine, humid temperatures and even a brief shower.

In between, football players donned full gear for the first time this season and full-contact was under way.

Here is a look at the first day of practice.

7:12 a.m.: Siegel first-year assistant coach Jacquez Williams, a former Gallatin standout, leads the Stars through their morning stretches before practice.

"Birds are chirping," Williams said. "God's talking to you. That's what I read in my devotional today."

Siegel is coming off a 3-9 season where it reached the second round of the TSSAA Class 6A playoffs.

7:15 a.m.: Warmups are over at Siegel.

"Let's go to work — on the hop, on the hop," Siegel coach Greg Wyant said.

7:17 a.m.: Siegel assistant Daniel Childs is working with quarterbacks. Brendan Crowell is a 6-foot-5, 216-pound junior and will replace two-year starter Jordan Middleton.

8:03 a.m.: Former Riverdale standout quarterback Dillon Woodruff watches his former team go through defensive drills. Next month he will report back to Furman, where he is a linebacker for the Paladins.

8:05 a.m.: Longtime Riverdale assistant Rickey Field is tossing deep balls to receivers. The Warriors will have a new offense under first-year coach Will Kriesky and new offensive coordinator Kelly Holcomb.

"You have to get to it," Field says to a receiver. "You stopped running."

8:35 a.m.: Stewarts Creek, coming off a 6-4 season which saw the Red Hawks just miss the Class 5A playoffs, is working on an interior line drill. Three linemen are trying to open a hole to allow a running back to score against the same amount of defenders.

"Dad-gum it," Stewarts Creek defensive coordinator Jason Scharsch says as he playfully grabs a running back as he breaks through to score. "I will tackle you myself."

9:16 a.m.: Creek players take a quick water break. Some take a minute and a knee to rest while others chat with teammates.

9:25 a.m.: Smyrna receiver Percy Whittaker heads down the sideline for a pass, just barely in front of a photographer. Whitaker, who didn't play last season, will be a key part of the Bulldogs' passing game this season for quarterback John Turner, an MTSU commitment.

9:28 a.m.: Former Eagleville coach Steve Carson is working with Smyrna's receivers. Carson recently joined the Bulldogs' staff. He goes through different scenarios before starting a drill..

9:46 a.m.: A passenger pokes his head out the window as he drives past La Vergne's practice field. "Wolverines!" he shouts as a couple players turn and nod. La Vergne will be picked to be one of the top teams in Region 5-5A this season.

9:57 a.m.: La Vergne's Joevante Norfolk picks off a pass from offensive coordinator Ryan Tallent and returns it for a touchdown.

10:37 a.m.: Eagleville is working on its running game with a backup quarterback running the offense. Last year's starter, Ethan Cobb, is at home sick.

10:41 a.m.: Eagleville is holding a water break when a player begins cooling off teammates by spraying them in the face. The Eagles were about 20 minutes from being done with practice.

11:12 a.m.: Blackman assistant Kit Hartsfield runs a machine that launches the football high in the air to mimic punts and kicks. Special teams was an area to emphasis as coach David Watson said the Blaze want to improve the return game in particular.

The Blaze are not in pads for this practice after going through a morning practice in full gear.

11:19 a.m.: Blackman players line up around Watson, who goes through stretches with them.

11:48 a.m.: Oakland practice has been over for about 45 minutes. Coach Kevin Creasy is in his office with a couple assistants going over details. Creasy is admittedly tired after a long practice combined with a long day in the sun on Saturday during a 7-on-7 tournament at Oakland High.

11:55 a.m.: Oakland defensive lineman Blake Spencer is in the weight room with a couple teammates. Spencer, whose nickname is "Mississippi," left the team late last year to move to Mississippi. He recently moved back, however. Spencer is bench-pressing weight with teammates.

12:11 p.m.: MTCS coach Fred Shambaugh walks out of the field house. The Cougars wrapped up practice a little while ago. Shambaugh said the first day went well with no injuries.

12:15 p.m.: Shambaugh talks for a moment with new defensive coordinator Kent Pippenger, who came to MTCS from Eagleville in the offseason. Shambaugh is encouraged this season with more size on the line than he's had in his three seasons.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.