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Practice restrictions not causing many setbacks
There have been fewer full-contact practices in the early going due to new rules imposed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association over the summer. But Fort Scott High School’s football didn’t look any less prepared during a scrimmage at Frary Field Saturday than it might have been in past seasons.
Perhaps because there have been fewer full-contact practices, the Tigers — especially on defense — seemed to play a little more intensely. The varsity defense made some hits that looked almost like mid-season form.
“It’s a unique situation this year,” Fort Scott head coach Bob Campbell, who has announced that this season will be his last in charge of the Tigers, said. “For the first time since I’ve been a head coach, we can’t have two-a-days. We’ve only had five really live practices before this scrimmage. I thought for only five practices, we did some good things.
“Everybody is always a little anxious, a little nervous. But, overall, I thought the kids played hard. I saw a lot of people running to the football. I saw a lot of good effort. I think we were able to get out without any injuries, so that’s always a positive thing.”
The new rules would allow a school to have two-a-days this week, but Campbell said that won’t be possible for his team because most of his assistant coaches have inservice sessions this week. The school year begins on Thursday, which also eliminates the opportuinty to have two-a-days before the season opener on Aug. 31.
“We will try to have a lengthier practice,” Campbell said. “This next week, we’ll try to get everything done that needs to be done before game week.
“It’s been different. I think in the past, we’ve had 18 or 19 practices before the first game. This year, we’ll have 13. So it is a bit different.”
All schools in Kansas have to abide by these new rules, so the Tigers’ first opponent, Coffeyville, shouldn’t have any advantage when they line up at Frary Field in both teams’ season opener on Aug. 31.
“We’ve tried to work on special teams during our walk-throughs,” Campbell said. “That’s an area we’ll have to continue to spend time on this week. Then you try to get everything offensively, defensively installed. But it makes for a lot to do. The kids have done a really nice job of picking up things and staying focused. We’ll keep going forward and try to get everything ready.”
The annual Red & White Scrimmage will be held Friday at Frary Field. The freshmen begin things at 6 p.m. with the varsity and junior varsity teams to follow.
The Tigers will then try to continue a seven-game winning streak in season-opening games when they take on Coffeyville in Southeast Kansas League play to open the season. Fort Scott and Coffeyville have never played each other to begin a season before.
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NOTES — Former Fort Scott Community College head coach Curtis Horton has joined the staff. He was the Greyhounds’ head coach from 2011-2016. Horton was head coach at Diamond, Mo. last season facing a long commute each day as his family, including son C.J., who is a receiver and defensive back for the Tigers, remained in Fort Scott....
The new practice rules (covered in the Aug. 15 edition of the Tribune) cover all sports, not just football, as a way to protect athletes from the effects of the heat....