Winona Christian football coach Junior Graham said his Stars put together a good opening week of football practice to kick off the 2021 season.
“Every day was a productive day,” Graham said. “We didn’t take any steps back. I think it’s because so many of the players are green and it’s new to them. We are starting from ground zero and they are getting better every day. They fought through the heat and it was miserable hot last week. We got pictures behind us and started off this week with a good day and there’s not much more you can ask for.”
With a young and thin squad, Graham said he’s looking for steady improvement from his team.
“We are looking for them to grasp their positions a little better every day,” Graham said. “If they do that, we will grow progressively as a team. You don’t want frustration to set in and take steps backwards. That’s the key for inexperienced players. The have to respect the game. It’s not an easy game and you will have some setbacks. You just can’t let it affect the next rep or the rest of practice. We stay on it and start looking for body language. If we see a kid get frustrated, we will pull them aside. It’s hard to hide if a kid gets frustrated.”
The Stars will travel to Bay Springs on Thursday and take on Sylva Bay in a scrimmage, starting at 5 p.m.
“We will get in about 60 reps and every play will be scripted,” Graham said. “There will be no rhyme or reason why we do anything. We are just trying to evaluate kids and see them compete. We need this because everything we have done has been half line so we need to go 11 on 11.”
The Stars open the season on Aug. 27 as they take on rival Carroll Academy.
