Summer workouts already have reaped huge dividends for areafootball teams. Most of the players breezed through the first weekof preseason practice, overcoming the high heat and humidity.

After three days in shorts and T-shirts and two days in shoulderpads, some teams scrimmaged Saturday morning. Others won’t don fullequipment until Monday.

Brookhaven: The Panthers scrimmaged Saturday morning and ranaround 100 plays.

“It was our first day in full pads and we had a lot of new guysin new positions,” said BHS head coach Tucker Peavey. “We saw a lotof good things and a lot of things we need to work on.”

The team also worked on field goals and extra points. ChrisLowman did the kicking as the team concentrated on blockingassignments.

Working at quarterback were senior Bud Britt, sophomore DuwoneHarris and freshman Ross Hill.

“Semmie Smith had some good runs and Bud made some good throws,”said Peavey. “We had some guys run around on defense prettywell.”

Referees officiated the scrimmage. “We had some offsidespenalties and lined up in the neutral zone a few times,” saidPeavey. We need to work on those things.”

The Panthers will practice after school this week. They play ina jamboree at Wayne County Aug. 21. Their first game is Aug. 29,hosting the North Pike Jaguars.

Bogue Chitto: “We have been doing some conditioning and goingover basic plays,” said Coach Garreth Sartin. “We have worked ontiming and getting things down.”

Sartin said his Bobcats were holding up well under thesweat-soaked conditions. “You have to condition your body to workin the heat.

“We have a pretty dedicated bunch. It’s a joy to coachthem.”

Bogue Chitto participates in the Loyd Star Jamboree Aug. 22.West Lincoln also is entered.

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Loyd Star: “We have had an upbeat week,” said Coach Ryan Ross.”The heat hasn’t bothered us much this week.

“We are trying to find positions for all of our players,” addedRoss. “It’s hard to evaluate players when they are in shorts andT-shirts. We try to practice hard and keep moving.”

Ross said 45 players are participating in practice.

Loyd Star will host a jamboree Aug. 22, starting at 6 p.m. Aconcession stand will be open.

West Lincoln and Bogue Chitto will join Loyd Star in thejamboree. Ross said varsity and junior varsity teams would seeaction. “We want everybody to get a shot at playing.”

West Lincoln: The Bears participated in Picture Day Friday andthen went through a brisk, late afternoon workout under new headcoach Chris Calcote. After grass drills and a series of stretchingexercises, Calcote directed the team in a field goal kicking drill.Sophomore kicker Tyler Trout split the uprights on 6 consecutiveattempts.

“Our kids are responding real well,” said Calcote. “They aredoing everything I’ve asked of them.”

The Bears will participate in the Loyd Star jamboree Aug. 22.Their first game is Aug. 28, at Enterprise.

Brookhaven Academy: The Cougars scrimmaged at Jackson AcademyFriday to conclude their second week of preseason drills. BA coachHerbert Davis Jr. said, “I was pleased with our intensity and theirphysicalness. Still, we are not where we need to be.”

Davis installed a new defense and offense during a limitedspring practice.

At JA, the teams took turns running 10 offensive plays and 10defensive plays. The Cougars ran 40 plays and then followed with 10plays from the 10-yard line on offense and defense.

“We held our own on the goal line and matched them tit for tat.I was really pleased with the effort of our kids,” said Davis. “Asthe day went along, we got more comfortable with what we weredoing.”

Friday’s 6 p.m. jamboree at McComb Parklane will feature twogames of two 15-minute quarters each. It will be a football reunionfor Parklane head coach Bo Milton who coached the Cougars toback-to-back district championships before returning to his almamater.

Kenneth Williams is the new defensive coordinator at BA. Hecoached with Davis at Greenwood Pillow Academy.

Wesson: Coach Tommy Clapton’s Cobras participated in Picture DayFriday. Their first game is Aug. 29, versus Prentiss.

“The weather has been pretty mild, with the fronts movingthrough,” said Clopton. “With the kids in shorts and T-shirts, wedid a lot of fundamental work and teaching. We worked on offensefirst and then defense.”

The Cobras held a 90-minute scrimmage Saturday morning.

“For the first day in full gear, it went very well,” saidClopton. “We have a large group of underclassmen. The more snaps weget, the better it is for them. We did some good things on bothsides of the ball.”

He said senior quarterback John Craft did a lot of positivethings in the scrimmage. “John is real solid for us. The playersrally around him.”

Clopton has 10 seniors on the 49-member varsity.

Wesson hosts a jamboree Aug. 22. Bassfield and Crystal Springsjoin the Cobras in the jamboree. It starts at 7 p.m.

Lawrence County: “We had a good five days,” said LCHS Coach MikeDavis, reviewing his team’s first week of practice. “The kidsworked hard and were very enthusiastic. They are a fun group to bearound.”

Davis said the Cougars worked on base offense and base defense,plus specialty teams. They wore shoulder pads Thursday and Fridayand got in some light contact work

The Cougars don full equipment Monday.

Lawrence County’s jamboree on Aug. 22 will include Tylertown,Mendenhall and West Jones. Action kicks off at 7 p.m.

Franklin County: “Practice went really well,” said first-yearFranklin County coach Trent Hammond. “Once you get an offseasonprogram established and have good attendance, they are in prettygood shape.

“Our guys responded really well, despite the heat,” saidHammond. “It shows how really hard they worked during thesummer.”

Hammond said Franklin County’s weight training room “rivalsanybody around. I know it’s better than any 3A school.”

The Bulldogs worked on the fundaments of blocking and tackling.Hammond compared it to classroom work “If it was a math problem, itwould probably be like solving addition and subtraction before wemove onto algebra and geometry.”

He said 48 players have been practicing this week. The Bulldogshad two days in shoulder pads.

Leading the Bulldogs is quarterback Jamie Collins, The DAILYLEADER’s 2007 All-Area Most Valuable Player. Collins has made anverbal commitment to sign with Auburn next February.

Franklin County will host a jamboree Aug. 22, featuring NorthPike, Port Gibson and Vicksburg. It will start at 6 p.m. TheBulldogs will play Vicksburg and Port Gibson

Enterprise: The Fighting Yellow Jackets completed their firstweek of preseason practice under new head coach Wayne Rogers. Hewas principal at Loyd Star for the previous 4 years.

“We had a good week,” said Rogers. “We averaged around 45 kids.They are working hard and we are doing a lot of teaching.”

Rogers said the Jackets are working on the base package for theoffense and defense. “We are trying to get two deep at everyposition.”

Enterprise will host Meet The Jackets on Friday night, Aug. 22.Athletes in all sports will be recognized.