Preps 24/7: Pads always a hit

Football teams statewide have been practicing for about a week now, but coaches have found the last four days to be especially beneficial.

Speed, agility and conditioning help determine position battles, sure, but football is a contact sport. Workouts on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week only incorporated helmets, which was akin to walking in quicksand.

"We're so liberal in the summer now with what we're able to do with kids," Batavia coach Mike Gaspari said. "We go helmets and shoulder pads in the summer, and then you step back those first three days of two-a-days and you're going just helmets, and it's very restrictive as far as what you can do. I think it's very appropriate in terms of safety, but we just refined everything and got all our stuff reestablished so we're ready to go come pads on Saturday."

The Bulldogs open the season at Marmion on Aug. 27, which is kickoff night for the other Chronicle area teams, as well.