The 2010 Bruins practice early Monday morning for the first time in pads.

By CAROL STUART
For Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood, Ravenwood and Brentwood Academy football players put the pads back on today as high school preseason practice officially gets under way in Tennessee.

RHS coach Tom Shuman talks with a player at the team's May 6 Red and White Scrimmage.

Scrimmages

BHS: July 30, vs. Lebanon, TBA; Aug. 3, vs. Hendersonville, TBA;  Aug. 6, vs. Overton, TBA; Aug. 13, Seigel Jamboree, 5 p.m. RHS:  Aug. 3, home vs. Whites Creek, 6 p.m.; Fri., Aug., 6, @ Brentwood Academy, 6 p.m.;  Fri., Aug. 13 @BGA, 6 p.m.

BHS, a 6A semifinalist last year and predicted to contend again for a state title, plans to get an early start at 7 a.m. The Bruins, 11-3 last season, also have two-a-days scheduled with the second practice at 4 p.m.

Brentwood Academy, coming off the Division II-AA semifinals and an 8-4 season, hits the field at 9 a.m.

Ravenwood, looking to improve on last year's 5-5 season plagued by injuries and close games, plans its first practice in pads at 3 p.m.

"I'm ready to get the pads on and get out there and see what this team can do this year," said RHS quarterback Keegan Leyrer, getting his first chance to start as a senior.

Teams only have just short of four weeks this year before the three schools' opening games on Aug. 20 -- in what is called Week 0 but has become the season-opening Friday night for many teams.

"It seems like it gets earlier for us every year," said Coach Ron Crawford, starting his ninth season as Brentwood head coach.

Crawford is holding the early-morning practice in part because one coach is a guidance counselor and has to work two weeks before regular teachers.

Schools also have to worry about newer heat-index rules in place to protect athletes. The recent heat wave could wreak havoc with opening practices -- especially later in the day.

"We know we can always get that one in," Crawford said. "... It's tougher nowadays. When I was at Riverdale (as an assistant) I was there for a lot of successful teams, and we went at 9 and 3 back before this heat index rule, and we never batted a eye.

"We've got to be smart, and we've got to do what the state and county require . Certainly it's tough to find a time to do it."

Brentwood, which came within one play of making the championship game in 2009,opens the season with a home game Aug. 20 against Lavergne at 7:30 p.m.

Ravenwood travels to Centennial at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 for a road district game in its season-opener and has its first home game Aug. 27 against Goodpasture at 7:30 p.m.

Brentwood Academy, also a semifinalist in Division II-AA, plays host to Kingsbury at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20.

Coaches share outlooks
Coach Ralph Potter says his team is probably the most veteran team of juniors and seniors he's had in his four years at Brentwood Academy.

"We're looking for a good year this year, and I think we've got our guys really working hard to achieve that."

At Ravenwood, the team was physical in spring practice and "lifted weights like crazy" in the offseason, second-year head coach Tom Shuman said. RHS been working on 7-ond-7 drills and continued with weightlifting during voluntary workouts the last couple of weeks.

Leyrer, slated to be the backup last year, broke his collarbone on defense at a preseason camp and didn't really see action last year. Among other injuries, the team also had two-year starter Alex Williams go down to injury last season, and Leyrer wasn't available until the eighth game and then only 80-85 percent.

Shuman is also happy to get players concentrated on football since several team members, especially seniors, are also pretty good at other sports like lacrosse, basketball and baseball.

"Because our kids are all out doing so many different things (in summer), it's hard to tell if you're going to have that chemistry, and a lot of time playing hard together comes by sweating side by side with each other and kind of coming together that way," Shuman said. 

Brentwood High, with only three starters back on offense, also had several players miss spring practice due to multi-sport participation.

Crawford, however, said the team worked in 7-on-7 camps at Vanderbilt and at Marshall County and found surprises with new faces in the mix. But the Bruins, who return Clay Webber at quarterback and Duke recruit Luke Patrick on the offensive line, are trying to fill the steady leg of Brian Davis in the kicking game.

"Because we did the 7-on-7s, we like to give our guys a day or two before pads just to kinda regroup and get themselves ready to go," Crawford said Friday. "I think that' s why we feel we're behind. We crank it up on Monday and we don't have any of our kicking game installed. We do have most of our coverages in and our whole passing game, so may be ahead there, but we're behind (in kicking)."

The Bruins barely missed the state championship game last year after almost making a great defensive play, which fell White Station's way instead.

"We'll grind on them pretty hard the first 7 or 8 days, and then once school gets started, we'll back off and try to fine-tune things," Crawford said.