While the heat index might say otherwise, for all practical purposes summer is over. When high school football teams are allowed to begin practicing in full pads, it signals the season is just around the corner.
And for the 20th straight year, I tried to visit as many area schools as possible on this significant day. The final tally was 22 schools visited in a little more than 13 hours, covering 336 miles.
All times Eastern.
Marion County, 7:29: Only two early-bird assistant coaches are at the field house when I arrive. Even with six starters back on both sides of the ball the Warriors are young, with only one senior on the offensive line. But that's the group that has coaches most excited.
"It's one of the best groups of linemen we've had since the (19)90s," longtime assistant David Moore says.
Chattanooga Christian, 8:14: There's a lot of construction going on around campus, and the symbolism for the football program is obvious. The Chargers are looking to build the program toward eventually competing at the highest level of Division II, and the schedule reflects that as CCS opens the season by hosting McCallie and traveling to Baylor before taking on defending 1A state champion Whitwell.
Linemen Keano Roberts (6-foot-5, 305) and Colt Sinor (6-3, 290) will be counted on heavily to lead the wing-T offense.
McCallie, 8:39: Head coach Ralph Potter is working with the quarterbacks on understanding the correct reads in his offense's option-heavy attack. DeAngelo Hardy, who recently committed to Kennesaw State, has plenty of experience at the position and always has been a dangerous runner, and after offseason shoulder surgery he expects to be a better passer this fall, too.
Notre Dame, 8:54: Players are beginning to make their way toward the field to work on special teams, but coach Charles Fant is looking through a storage room to find girdles for two late arrivals. As he comes across a large arm pad, Fant slips it on, smacks it and with a smile says, "I'm going to crush some guys with this today."
After having to share the ball-carrying load for three years, senior Jeffrey Watkins, who was recently timed at 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash, will be the focus in the single-wing. Expect him to run quite a bit behind Jacob Brigman (6-2, 275), the team's most dominating blocker from last year's nine-win region-title team.
Signal Mountain, 9:30: The first full-on contact of the day is happening here. Coach Josh Roberts lines up two linemen in a best-on-best drill and says, "I want y'all to knock each other's butts off until the whistle." At the sound of the chirp, both burly linemen collide until the man with better leverage twists his opponent and plants him on his back, as teammates cheer loudly.
Hixson, 10:25: An early start means the Wildcats are finishing up. A pair of athletic-looking twins brings back memories of another set of twins (Daniel and Josh Bullocks) who led the program to its first playoff berth in the mid-1990s. Sophomores Richard and Reginald Hunter certainly look the part. Richard (6-1, 185) will play quarterback and Reginald (6-3, 205) will play receiver and outside linebacker.
They'll join senior defensive lineman Devotis McCurdy, an all-state wrestling candidate who can also do a backflip at 6-foot, 290 pounds, as keys to helping turn the program around.
Grace Academy, 11:20: In the six minutes while I watch, the Eagles get in five offensive snaps, but coach Bob Ateca is still yelling for the pace to pick up. Grace is coming off the program's best-ever finish, having reached the Division II-A quarterfinals.
East Ridge, 12:10: The first practice of the day is over, and the team is finishing lunch in the cafeteria. A stack of frozen pop-ice sticks are laid out on a table, and like vultures the players go in for the kill, cleaning out all the colorful treats.
There are scheme changes on both sides of the ball for the Pioneers, including a switch from the spread offense to the wing-T. Despite a defensive adjustment as well, one thing that isn't expected to change is the steady play of senior Jalen Boykin, who has led the team in tackles each of the past three seasons.
Central, 1:08: Five starters are back on both sides, including running backs Hunter Jones, Marquis Ray and Bailey Sublet. The Purple Pounders open the season with road games at Notre Dame, Tyner and region foe Sequoyah, followed by Baylor before ending with five straight league games. Avoiding the injuries that ruined last year's potential will be key.
Ooltewah, 1:43: A large group of players is making its way from the parking lot to the locker room for what promises to be a physical late-afternoon practice.
"We finally get to stop playing patty-cake and see if we can push some people around today," Owls coach Scott Chandler says.
The Owls will be young, especially on defense where as many as four sophomores could start. But among the experienced guys around those will be linemen Christian Benoit (6-4, 280) and Tre Johnson (6-2, 255), who both are receiving college interest.
Tyner, 2:18: As I walk onto the practice field, Wayne Turner, the dean of area coaches, steps into the huddle and lets one of his offensive linemen know he is not happy.
"If you don't get your man off the line of scrimmage, we've got a guard pulling down the line," Turner says matter-of-factly. "He ain't going to bubble around you - he'll run your (butt) over."
The Rams bring back plenty of talent from last year's 10-win region championship team, including quarterback Martavious Ryals and receiver Jeremiah Batiste, a Mr. Football semifinalist.
Silverdale Baptist Academy, 2:41: Despite having only four seniors, the Seahawks have the biggest roster in program history with 44 players. That includes senior tight end/defensive end Jordan Sanders (6-4, 215), who is drawing interest from several FCS schools.
Just one day from his 25th wedding anniversary, coach Al Rogers laughs when asked what he has planned.
"I'll take her to dinner sometime between our two practices."
East Hamilton, 3:14: The Hurricanes haven't arrived yet, but when they do new head coach Grant Reynolds, the former Boyd Buchanan coach who's back in Chattanooga after four successful seasons at Huntsville's Madison Academy, will bring in a different style of offense. After years of grinding it out, East Hamilton will switch to a no-huddle spread, one of the few area teams that will use that offense.
Boyd Buchanan, 4:04: The Buccaneers just got back from a weeklong team camp at Tusculum University. The team is spread across the field in position groups, and there isn't a second when players are not involved in one drill or another. Four starters are back on both sides for new coach Jeremy Bosken, who will try to turn the program back around. Among the returners who will be counted on at a variety of positions is Eli Evans (6-3, 185).
Brainerd, 4:19: Both the weightroom and locker room have been remodeled - expansion for a bigger roster that coach Tyrus Ward is planning for. Junior quarterback Xiyeer Lattimore, who is back for his third season as the starting quarterback, is setting a quiet leadership tone as he sits in the coach's office, more than an hour before the start of practice, watching film.
Red Bank, 4:58: Topping the hill that leads to the practice field, you can hear the Lions before you even see them. Every drill is quick-paced and intense, a direct reflection of second-year head coach Chris Brown, who helped guide the team to 11 wins and a region title last year.
Madox Wilkey is back for his third season as the team's quarterback, having thrown for more than 4,500 yards and 42 touchdowns, and all-state linebacker Clark Lockerby is back after leading the team with 109 tackles. With the graduation of two-time Mr. Football semifinalist athlete Calvin Jackson, receivers Lucas Brown and Sincere Thomas are poised for breakout seasons.
Baylor, 5:20: The team is finishing its pre-practice meal after what has been a very long day. It actually began around 10:30 the night before when coaches loaded all players onto a bus - blindfolded - and did not tell them where they were headed. After a 30-minute ride to Trenton, Georgia, players were hit with what is known as "Awakening," a seven-plus-hour training/bonding session with a group of Navy SEALs.
"I was proud of them," Red Raiders coach Phil Massey says. "Nobody tapped out. I think they found out they can push themselves harder and further, physically and mentally, than they thought."
Soddy-Daisy, 6:11: Coach Justin Barnes is all smiles as he watches his team begin making its way from the locker room up a steep hill to the practice field.
"No more 7-on-7. Now it's about to get real," says Barnes, who brings back eight offensive starters from last year's region championship team but will have a young defensive unit. "There's finally something to look forward to at the end of every week of practice.
"We've got 20 freshmen (out of 61 players), so we'll have more kids going both ways than any other year I remember."
Howard, 6:49: As the offense reps counter plays, six stragglers are running along the sideline. Asked what they're being penalized for, former Hustlin' Tigers great and current assistant coach Terdell Sands laughs and says, "They're just stretching and warming up. They've still got some real running to do."
Head coach John Starr leaves Sands in charge of disciplining players who are late for workouts or practice.
"He's had them rolling tires and carrying weights, and now they're running," Starr says. "They'll do that for the whole time we're out here practicing. I don't think they'll be late again."
Lookout Valley, 7:16: The Yellow Jackets have finished for the day, and not surprisingly, much of the time was spent focusing on defense. First-year head coach Josh Payne was the defensive coordinator at Signal Mountain, where his unit held five opponents to seven points or less, and that is the foundation he plans to build his program on.
"We didn't get crazy with contact, because it's the first day and we're a little limited on numbers," Payne says. "But the guys are picking up what we're asking them to learn pretty quick, and that should make a big difference in having them in position to make some plays."
Whitwell, 7:43: Last year's 1A champs are done for the day, and first-year head coach Travis Olinger is headed home to rest his recently surgically repaired knee. Helping ease any discomfort, Olinger points out just how important it is to have back all-state linemen J.J. Hedrick, Brayden Condra and Jace Kilgore, as well as center Evan Lawson and newcomer Dylan Cranmore (6-2, 340), who recently squatted 600 pounds.
"We've got some skill guys who picked up good game experience last year, but I know it all starts up front, so having those guys back is really huge for us," Olinger says.
South Pittsburg, 8:32: Of the roughly 125 male students in grades 9-12, nearly half (61) are playing football. After coming up short in the semifinals twice and last year's quarterfinals - narrowly losing the last two years to the eventual state champion - there is a bigger than usual chip on coach Vic Grider's shoulder, as well as his team, which returns seven starters on both sides, including all-state running back and defensive back Ronto Tipton.
"I really like the way this bunch has worked all through the offseason," Grider says. "There's a lot of talent, but the thing that gets me excited is this is just a really focused group."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.