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Bison football coach pleased with opening week effort
High school fall sports athletes across the Cornhusker State have been toiling in tough conditions through twice-daily workouts this week to mark the start of the 2010-11 school year.
Perhaps no sport is more grueling than football. The participants don full pads and sweat through early morning and evening workouts in sweltering heat and humidity through the first week of fall drills.
The McCook Bison completed their ninth workout of fall camp with a Friday, Aug. 13, morning workout at the high school practice field. The Bison have a short workout Friday evening at Weiland Field in preparation for the Saturday, Aug. 14, Photo Day and team scrimmage.
The 2010 Bison edition will pose for photos Saturday at Weiland starting at 8 a.m., and the public is invited to bring their cameras and snap photos of their favorite McCook players.
Head coach Jeff Gross will put his squad through a controlled scrimmage Saturday following the photo session. The scrimmage is set to open at approximately 9:30 a.m.
In an interview following Thursday night's workout, Coach Gross was pleased with the performance of his team through the first four blistering hot days of twice-daily drills.
"I really think we're pretty physical," Gross said. "I think the strength of our offense is going to be our offensive line. Our skill kids are young and inexperienced, but they're coming. There's a lot of athleticism there -- we've just got to keep getting better at the little things. We're really good offensively with our offensive line.
"Defensively, I feel pretty good everywhere. We look pretty strong right now, but that's (competing) against ourselves, so comparative to other people, you just don't know. But I really like the way we hit, I like the way we tackle. I liked our enthusiasm when we got after it the last two days in live stuff (pads). Defensively, you're always ahead at this point in the game, and we are ahead defensively, and that's where we need to be."
Popping pads Wednesday
The Bison had two days of drills Monday and Tuesday without full pads. McCook put on the pads Wednesday morning, and the Bison staff put the team through a rugged workout, featuring the hard-hitting "Oklahoma" 3-on-3 drill.
In Saturday's scrimmage, Gross said he plans to give all his veterans and younger players equal reps.
"You're getting to the point you know who's starting to separate themselves from the rest," he said. "My biggest thing getting out of scrimmages is not to get anybody hurt.
"There's some position battles, and we need to see some kids separate at the end (of the scrimmage), and that's what we're really looking for."
Gross said the game-like atmosphere of the scrimmage can perhaps give his coaching staff a better evaluation of some players than what practice situations offer.
"Full speed," he said. "At practice you can say you're going full speed. Until you put the camera on the thing, you never know."
The Bison will have a morning and evening practice session next Monday, then school opens Tuesday, so Gross will cut the schedule down to one daily workout after school.
Burgers, scrimmage Aug. 19
McCook will hold its annual sports drink scrimmage Thursday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. at Weiland Field. The Bison Boosters Hamburger Feed will also be held Aug. 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Weiland Field.
The Bison open the 2010 season at home against Scottsbluff Friday, Aug. 27. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Weiland Field.