This fall, the Avery football team hopes to bring excitement to field, along with a tough-nosed game. The Big Red, who is seeking its first winning season since going 11-3 in 2005, has been working diligently in several areas and seeing marked results.Fans following Avery football should notice some of these results shortly after the team takes the field.
“I think the casual fan has a lot to be excited about. We were very young last year, but we’re a year older now, a year stronger, and a year faster. I think overall team speed and strength are going to be much greater than they were at this time last year,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said at a summer workout session last week. “The team has been working three days a week at school. We’re working with both the junior varsity and varsity players on weight lifting and outdoor work”
For the workout sessions, few players have been absent, and the coach expressed satisfaction with the players who committed this summer to improving themselves and the team.
“Participation has been really good. The only kids not at the workouts are gone for reasons I am aware of, rather than just skipping out,” Coach Brewer stated. “We’ve had good participation and the players are working really hard this week, so it’s been good.”
Later this week the team travels to
The competition is a motivation to succeed for the Avery players, but the coaches also understand that winning 7-on-7s in the summer and hoisting a state championship in December are two entirely different goals.
“To be honest, we really focus at the 7 on 7s on ourselves. We play teams and have played teams in the past who were focused on winning games at those camps, so much that they do things that are totally against what they may normally do on offense and defense,” Coach Brewer said. “The things we do during the 7 on 7s are the same things that we will do during the season. Of course we want to win, but we’re going to run our offense and our defensive coverages that we will run in the fall. We pride ourselves on getting better on those things that we know we are going to do and know that we need to improve on.”Avery spent time during spring practice in early May on specific 7-on-7 strategy and execution, but the team has placed greater emphasis in recent weeks on areas of need to benefit the club for the games that lie beyond the sweltering June and July heat.
“We did a lot of 7-on-7 and line work in the spring. We’ve caught a few footballs this spring, but right now we’re concentrating on getting stronger and faster. We’ll let the 7-on-7 take care of itself when we get there, but right now we’re focusing on us and on conditioning, speed, strength, and stamina,” Coach Brewer added. “We had some really good jumps in progress out of the spring and we home to make good jumps again before going into fall practice.
Aside from the physical preparation, the Vikings continue to employ a positive mental attitude and see a number of team leaders emerging. In turn, the group is confident that they can compete with and defeat any team that walks on the field come Friday nights.
“There has been so much leadership on this team in the classroom, on the football field, and in the weight room. If you have a team that’s got some leadership, then you have a team that’s headed in the right direction. I think mentally we’re a year older and more mature and these guys are hungry. They’re ready to get after it,” Brewer stated.
A couple of new faces have been present during the summer in helping Avery prepare for 2010. Trevor Shields and Lucas Pittman, a pair of former standout Vikings, especially on the defensive side of the football, have been working with the current players with physically and psychologically prepare themselves for the weeks and work that lies ahead.
“Trevor and Lucas both are going to be helping us in the fall. It’s awesome to have kids come back who have bled here and sweat here and worked hard in this program, and want to come back to give back and work with these guys,” Coach Brewer stated. “Having some younger guys come back too is great because they are full of fire and full of energy. It’s awesome having these guys around.”
2010 has the makings of a special season in the annals of Vikings football history, and the coach has a simple message for the fans.
“You better get ready, ‘cause football season is just around the corner,” the coach said. “I think you’re going to see some exciting things from Avery football this season!”
