Port Jervis quarterback Dylan Fox enjoyed participating in offseason activities such as team weight training, film meetings, and 7-on-7 scrimmages.
However, for Fox, this is what it’s all about: Section 9 football teams open practice on Monday, setting the stage for big plays during the fall under Friday Night Lights.
“Seven-on-seven football is great, but that isn’t real football,” said Fox, who led Port Jervis to the Class B state championship last season. “Real football is throwing on the pads and hitting someone. It’s getting in the I-formation and running it up the gut. There is nothing like getting out there for camp with your friends.”
Preseason camps run for the next three weeks, with scrimmages set for Aug. 29-30 and opening night in Section 9 set for Sept. 5. The anticipation has officially begun for every team.
“I’m pumped for training camp,” said Warwick senior running back Giacomo Abbate. “Everyone comes together, and you start building your team chemistry, and you hold each other accountable each day. We lost a lot of seniors, but I still think we have a lot of potential. I think we can make a run this year.”
Warwick running back Giacomo Abbate. Photo Credit: Tom Bushey, Warwick Schools.
Coaches begin forming their starting lineups during the offseason, but the evaluation continues during preseason camp. It provides an opportunity to see if the kid coming up from jayvee is the real deal and where players start to figure out if that offseason lifting regimen paid off. Preseason practices for all other fall sports begin on Aug. 25.
“This is the first page of the first chapter of the season,” Chester football coach Ryan Stover said. “Coaches spend a lot of time in the offseason drafting a rough draft, and this is the first page. I know the kids are chomping at the bit to get out there. They have been working hard since December and have this day marked on their calendar.”