By the time coaches and players get to the third or fourth day of two-a-day practices, everyone is chomping at the bit to “pad-up” to really get into football mode. The first four or five days are T-shirt, shorts, and helmet only. With the Horses inching closer to their annual scrimmage with Navarro on August 20, Devine is eager to test their talents with those from another outstanding program.
Head coach Paul Gomez commented the Warhorses “had a really good week of practice. We had our first full pad practice on Saturday morning and guys went out there and went to work.” Not having spring football at the end of last school year due to COVID, the time the coaches had during the first days of practice prior to padding up was vital.
“We had to takeoff a little rust but overall I think we did a pretty good job,” Gomez continued regarding Saturday morning’s practice. “We just need to keep on improving and climbing that ladder.”
Climbing that ladder involves a shift in practice times from the cooler mornings to the way warmer/hotter afternoons due to teacher in-service beginning.
“We will have to overcome the practice change now practicing at 4pm. It will definitely be hotter and we will have to be mentally tougher these next couple of weeks going to our first scrimmage versus Navarro.”
Navarro and their AstroTurf field will be a challenge within itself. It is hot out on the grass at Dean Bates Practice Field, but it is H-O-T on the fake turf at Navarro’s stadium. Gomez will look to his veterans going into not only the first scrimmage of the season, but throughout the course of the 2020 campaign.
“Our seniors are doing a good job of leading and our young kids are coming around,” said Gomez. “We have a really good mix of freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors on the team this year which I think will be good for us. We seem to have very good chemistry and everybody is helping everybody else out so I like where we’re at right now.”
Coach speak
Linebacker coach Evan Eads agrees with Gomez regarding the mental and physical improvement of his Warhorse players. He is also more-than-pleased with other aspects involving the two-a-day process.
“I am really proud to see how well all the players have approached this year,” Eads commented on the first couple of weeks of practice. “They are hungry to get better. They are flexible with all the new rules and procedures. Great first week.”
Kids are resilient; there is no doubting that. Adapting, being flexible, and hungry to improve are staple characteristics in this great community.
Look for Warhorse players to keep that “hunger to get better”, all the way through their last game of the season.
Navarro outlook
Panthers are coming off another outstanding season, finishing 13-1 overall losing only to Wimberley in the Regional Semi-Finals in the Alamodome. The District 13-D2 champions defeated Crystal City 45-0 in bi-district, Rio Hondo 42-13 in Area, and Sinton 31-22 in Regional Quarterfinals before losing to the Texans 42-12.
Much like Devine, Navarro has experienced high levels of success over an extended period of time. The Warhorse’s annual scrimmage against the Panthers provides a good measuring stick of where exactly each program currently is, and what type of success they can expect going into a new season.
Scrimmage time for the sub-varsity and varsity was not set at press time. Check The Devine News Twitter feed or @WarhorseNation for updated times.
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer