Eagle footballers begin workouts

Killing it in the weight room, every Monday through Thursday, your eagle football team, have been completing preseason workouts, prepping for the upcoming 2018-2019 season

Starting this early in the weight room and outside running is very vital to the upcoming season. It is a time when coaches and scouts are able to come in and get a glimpse of what the football team is going to be looking like for their upcoming season. Students are able to learn the names of players and get familiar with new faces around the weight room and on the field. Airport's coaches are able to figure out their needs and the depth of players they have at each position during the preseason.

The most interesting thing about this season’s top lifters in the weight room are that they are some of our youngest players. Before transferring in, Bruce S. was a top lifter at White Knoll, but now as a sophomore he is one of our tops. The other top lifter, who is also a sophomore, is Jim G. Jim was one of our top guys last season but he was behind the names such as Wesley G. and Collyn R.. With this senior class graduating that leaves the two sophomores as number one and two on our lifting boards, and they aren't doing anything but getting stronger from here. The importance of strength and conditioning for a football team is simply in the name. You have to Improve your strength so you are able to be faster and stronger than the guys who line up across the line from you.

Coach Wright is trying something new for this years workouts. He named six players as team captains and they operate on a point system. Normally, athletes would just come in and workout, but to try and make the workouts more competitive, Coach Wright introduced this new idea. The goal is to have the most points at the end of the week. If a team captain is to miss, the team loses two points, and if a player misses a workout the team loses one point. When an athlete becomes a captain, Coach Wright gives him the authority to chose a team name. Some team names are JC Redmond’s Scorpions, Jim Germany's Mean Machine and Bruce Staley's Head Honchos.

“The worst day to come in and workout are Mondays,” claims Jim G., “[and] having a heavy squat day after a full day of school is rough.”

Junior, Zach R., rejoices saying, “Being cleared from my injury is the best feeling, knowing I am able to get in the weight room and on the field at 100% makes me ready to go!”

Both Bruce and Jim are happy to say, “Knowing we are the biggest lifters on the team, just makes you feel good, but it's no reason to stop working to make those numbers even higher.”

As the Eagle football team finished third in region last season, our coaches are looking to better the region record and overall record this coming season. Coach Wright does an outstanding job prepping the kids with strength and conditioning, but mainly it's all about how the player applies himself to determine if they will be good or not. No coach can determine if you are good or if you are great, these coaches are just here to teach you the game. If you want to succeed on the field and in the weight room it's a personal decision.

While the team lost a good amount of seniors this year, the majority of starters last year happened to be underclassmen. Some key spots they will have to adjust to leaving are the defensive front, and the center spot. He Eagles had solid senior lineman, but juniors JC Redmond and Colby Key will have to take the lineman captain role this season. Talking skill positions, junior Brandon Caughman and sophomore Butch Lawrence will have to step their game up and control the ball. Knowing they are capable of that makes the eagles hopeful for this coming season.

If you have any questions about the players or coaches, you can stop by the weight room or just catch up with one around the school. If you believe you want to be apart of the eagle football family, begin winter workouts with the team!