The beginning of the school year is not only the beginning of classes, but the dawn of Friday night under the lights and the high school football season. Our Chiefs are in gear and grinding towards turning a new leaf in the name of the Santaluces football program.
“We’re going to play football,” is a communal notion among the team when asked how they think the team will perform in Palm Bay for this year’s Preseason game. It doesn’t matter how the team expects the game to go, as long as our Chiefs put up a fight and play harder than they have in the past. This is only the Preseason game after all, so it is an opportunity to figure out what the team is doing well and what they aren’t- as long as they learn and grow from it to be the contending team we know they are capable of being.
Wednesday afternoon was dedicated to a “half-shell” practice, where the players are equipped with shoulder pads and helmets and are spared the pads that sit below the belt. Practice consisted mostly of fine tuning and going through the motions: line work, special teams, and fundamentals. When it comes to whether the team can perform their tasks, they did not come up short of a first down, with solid ball control, making blocks, pursuing an open lane, having confidence in the team, and keeping their heads high and their hopes higher.
Despite the hardship of the offseason and summer conditioning, the team is ready and optimistic of this upcoming season. The captains are able to live up to their responsibilities and keep order among the team and will continue do so well into the season. The players look a bit short of being in sync with one another, but give them a few more weeks and they could blend into a family with a common goal of defeating whoever steps in front of them on the field.
The team looks ready and eager for another chance to play football, let’s wait with enthusiasm to see how our Chiefs answer to their first taste of the season.
