The Halifax County High School varsity and junior varsity football teams have completed the first step and will begin the second step in pre-season preparations today.

After having spent three days practicing in helmets, Comets players will add shoulder pads today, taking another step in the process of getting ready for the start of the new season.

Later this week, likely on Thursday, Comets players will don full pads and move into full-contact drills.

That will mean a little more added weight, a little more heat, and getting adjusted and acclimated to the weather, said Comets Head Coach Grayson Throckmorton.

We will be adding conditioning in small steps with that.

Throckmorton Friday night said his players finished the three days of practice clad in helmets on a good note.

The first three days Ive been pleased with the intensity the players have shown, and Im happy to be coaching these fellows, he remarked.

I see a lot of good things. I see some athletes that are going to win some ballgames.

In terms of the number of players on the practice field, Throckmorton said the number is holding right around 65 players.

Right now, its not bad for the first year, Throckmorton pointed out.

Its about what I had at the other established programs I have been at, with the exception of a couple of the bigger schools. Its not bad for the first year. If we can keep 60 or 65 this year, and next year add about 10 players, and the next year add 10 more, then we will have the numbers at the level we want for two teams. If we could get to 80 players, I think that would be optimum.

Throckmorton reiterated, as he had throughout last week, that his players are in the process of learning and executing very basic fundamental things on the practice field.

As far as how our listening and learning the Xs and Os, we are still progressing forward as planned, Throckmorton explained.

Were very happy with that. Were still very basic in taking care of the basic fundamentals. The core-group of kids that we have are really working hard together and are buying in, and Im pleased with that. Next week there will be more as far as branching out and adding on to that base tree trunk that we have.

Throckmorton noted that one area that he is pleased with is the defense.

Youve got to remember were only three days in, very fledgling, he pointed out.

Were taking care of the base things right now, our (pass) coverages, the areas that were supposed to cover. Weve got a solid background that we can now start building on.

The Comets coach said players are responding well to the new terminology being used on offense and defense. The process of teaching players the offensive system that will be used this season is also going well.

On offense, when I teach a certain type of block, I dont necessarily teach the play to the point where I break it down with each kid, Throckmorton explained.

I will teach the kid the types of blocks first, and when we put the play in, I merely look at the player and say okay, here you need to use this type of block. When I say that kind of block, say a reach block or a down block, it triggers exactly what theyre supposed to do. I tie it together that way, and a lot of other coaches do it that way.

That method is not a new method, but it is a different one.

Im not re-inventing the wheel, Throckmorton said, but it is kind of a different way of looking at things. The bottom line is this is an old-school way. Sometimes old school is outdated and things are done in another, different way. So, now, when you go back to the old school stuff, which I am, its new.

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Comets take next step today in football prep - YourGV.com