Page 102 - chs-1976

"Lights, Kick-off, Action" -

For the football players, the season team lived a primitive existence of
began not with the kickoff in the first eating, sleeping, and practicing for a
game, but months before with spring week in shorts and a week in pads.
practice. Spring practice was four " Better days are coming" said the
weeks in pads under a beaming sun coaches. They came. The week
that watched the Tigers make the first before the Jamboree, the luxury of
awkward steps toward becoming a practicing only once-a-day in pads
team . A controlled scrimmage, four was enjoyed . The trail grew longer
quarters of the offense vs. the sti II.
defense, marked the last practice
before fall. Summer intervened. In the Gator Bowl, the Gateway
Conference Fall Jamboree was held .
Time flowed fast during the summer, Conference teams played a quarter
it came and went like a breeze in a each . The Tigers played Raines and
forest : a rustling of leaves and it was lost 7-6. After a 64 yard touchdown
gone. Three weeks and three days ran by a Raine's halfback, the Tigers
before school resumed , the first fall clawed back with a touchdown. A try
practice was held. It was just a for a two-point conversion failed as
one-a-day, a prelude to the grind of the clock ticked off the dying
two-a-ways . The team ran the seconds. The opener was a week
traditional first day's practice mile, in away.
times faster than thought possible a
few days earlier. More footprints on During the regular season , practice
the trail. consisted of three days in pads
followed by a day of light practice in
Two-a-days, hell on earth, when the shorts. Games were on Friday nights .

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