Indians beat the heat by practicing at 6 a.m.
PORT NECHES — There were no pads around the Reservation Monday morning yet the Port Neches-Groves Indians were serious about the year’s first practice.
PN-G, who finished third in district last year, started practice at 6 a.m. Monday. The moon was still out and the only light came from the beams at The Reservation.
“This is one of the biggest excitements,” senior defensive back Bryce Meche said. “I have been looking forward to it all summer. We have been working all offseason. This football season really started at the end of last season.
“It is a lot easier coming out here to practice after working all summer, especially with all the excitement. If you come out here like a bump on a log, you won’t get much done.”
Coach Brandon Faircloth said he was pleased with the first day of work.
“I liked the energy and the effort,” Faircloth said. “We made some mistakes but that is to be expected. We have a long way to go and the kids worked hard today. We want to improve each day from the day before.”
One interesting observation to come out of a personnel drill was receiver Jack Giblin being lined up as a fullback. Faircloth said Giblin can be moved all over the offensive side of the ball in 2015.
Giblin grabbed 17 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns in just over two games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
The drill put the starting defensive line up against the offensive line with quarterback Adam Morse handing the ball off to various running backs.
“It is an intense drill,” Faircloth said. “That is what we want. We are going to line the best up against the best.”
The Indians return to practice at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“The kids enjoy that time,” Faircloth said. “I know it’s an early wake up call but they are done around 9:30 so it is never too hot during practice. We had a nice breeze this morning so you can get a real good practice in when it is not so hot.”