Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Football Season Arrives TIGERS GET CONDITIONING AND LEADERSHIP DRILLED INTO THEM
PRAIRIE GROVE — Old men are notorious for telling tales and spinning yarns about how things were in the “old days,” and oftentimes those tales are slightly exaggerated.
One popular story that is fairly accurate and is recounted enthusiastically during these doldrums of the dog days of summer, is how brutal the beginning of football season can be. When the Prairie Grove Tigers hit the practice field to officially start the 2013 football season, they were also laying the foundation for the stories they will recount to their kids in the future. One aspect to all old-timer horror stories is how brutal the August heat can be during those first few weeks of practice. With overcast skies and a little rain blessing the senior high squad most of the week, the Tigers were able to garner a bit of reprieve from the thermometer nearing triple-digits.
“In an attempt to get used to the heat, we’ve not really had much heat to get used to,” said Tigers’ Coach Danny Abshier.
Cooler temperatures notwithstanding, the Tiger coaching staff still use the first few practices to begin to install the offense and the defense, develop depth charts, but most importantly, whip their charges into playing shape. For the players who utilized their summer break to prepare for the upcoming season, the transition to the practice field will be made that much easier. However for the player who spent less time in the weight room and more time in their room playing Xbox, getting their legs under them will be made that much more difficult.
“Our conditioning worries me,” said Abshier; “I think some of the alumni that has gone through our program will agree with me that we always run their hides off, but come time for the Black and Gold game we still never seem to be in shape and my response is always; ‘ Well, why not?’”
Aside from the conditioning, one of the biggest challenges for coach Abshier will be to mine his squad for leaders. The Tigers graduated a huge class of seniors, who along with quality athleticism, possessed stellar leadership qualities.
“I told the players what a group to follow. You witnessed that group of leaders now it’s your turn to step into that role. They have to change their mind-set from being a follower into one of a leader and sometimes I have to remind them of that. Once they start picking it up, I’m sure I won’t have to remind them as much,” Abshier said.
Abshier did laud a handful of players who have shown leadership qualities in the first week of practice.
“Connor West has been a vocal leader and I think Nick Sugg is more of a quiet leader. He [Sugg] may not be a rah rah guy, but he says the things in the huddle that need to be said and that the guys need to hear.” Abshier also praised the efforts of Jacob Storlie, Jackson Diebold and Logan Bartholomew for stepping to the forefront to assume the leadership mantel.
The senior Tigers will officially open the season on Sept. 6 when they host the Lavaca Golden Arrows in a non-conference match-up.