Lions endure heat as football practice opens
August 3, 2010

By DAVID CLAYBOURN
Herald-Banner Staff

GREENVILLE -- High heat didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Greenville Lions during Monday’s opening day of football workouts.

“The coaches are excited and the kids are excited,” said Chawn Cooper, the Lions’ new head coach. “That’s all we can ask for right now.”

Well, the Lions could ask for cooler temperatures but probably won’t get them. The mercury climbed to 102 degrees before their back-to-back workouts concluded at 2 p.m. The Lions took lots of water breaks as new trainer, Cody Walls, and the Lion coaches kept close watches on the players for any signs of heat exhaustion.

“They responded well,” said Cooper. “We didn’t have heat problems today.”

But the heat did not go unnoticed by the players.

“I understand how chickens feel being in the oven,” said junior linebacker-running back Justin Casselberry.

The Lions met with their coaches inside the Roy Q. Traylor facility before hitting the practice field at about 9 a.m. They stretched and conditioned for about 20 minutes before working on team defense.

New defensive coordinator Darren Hylander worked the Lion defenders through a pursuit drill called, “Feeding frenzy.”

The idea is for the Lions to learn to pursue to the football and after forcing a turnover work together as an armada of blockers.

The Lions then worked with various coaches in position drills before working on special teams and team offense.

Quarterbacks Jeffro Davis and Shay Sellers took turns operating the Lion offense. Sellers is a transfer from Rains, where his father George Sellers previously coached as an assistant in football. Neither Davis nor Sellers threw the ball much as the Lions focused on their running game, directed by new offensive coordinator Danny Black.

The Lion staff will be doing a lot of teaching this week because Greenville opted not to have spring training.

“We’ve got to make up 18 workouts this week,” said Cooper. “It’s important we take a step forward in two-a-days.”

The Lion numbers weren’t quite what Cooper was hoping for. Greenville had 37 varsity candidates working out on Monday and 33 with the junior varsity group.

“Not really where we want to be,” said Cooper. “We’re short on linemen right now.”

Cooper said he’s expecting two or three more players to turn out.

The Lions are preparing for their season opener at home on Aug. 27 against Little Elm. Their first preseason scrimmage is planned for Aug. 14 in Greenville against Dallas Bishop Lynch. They’ll also scrimmage at Frisco Heritage on Aug. 20.