VALDOSTA —
The pads came on Wednesday, and the Valdosta Wildcats got to work.
The Valdosta football team began camp early Wednesday morning at the school, hitting the practice field at 6 a.m. Then they returned to the field on Wednesday evening for another practice.
The team was glad to be back on the field.
“It was good (to be practicing again),” Valdosta head coach Rance Gillespie said.
Wednesday was the first day that the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) allowed high school football teams to practice in full pads and have contact drills. Across the state, teams began practicing and preparing for the fall season, which begins later this month.
In the offseason, the GHSA implemented new rules for practicing. Teams are only allowed to have three practices in a span of two days. Because the Wildcats practiced twice on Wednesday, they will only be allowed to practice once today.
On days when the Wildcats practice twice, their two practices can last no more than five hours. So both of Valdosta’s practices lasted 2.5 hours on Wednesday.
Gillespie has scheduled the practices for 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. so that the team can avoid practicing during the hottest parts of the day.
Valdosta is holding camp from Wednesday until Saturday. The team is spending each night in the school’s gymnasium, like they traditionally do for camp.
The ’Cats will practice today at 6:30 p.m, then they’ll practice twice on Friday (at 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.) and once on Saturday (at 6 a.m.), before camp ends.
“We’re actually getting six practices over four days,” Gillespie said. “With the limited amount of time that you have, you have to make it count. That’s one thing we’re trying to emphasize to our kids. ... There’s not a moment to lose.”
Because they won’t be practicing this morning, the Wildcats will sleep until about 8 a.m., then they will head out for a team building activity (which Gillespie said is not football related). There will be meetings and a walk-through practice this afternoon, then their evening practice.
Valdosta currently has 100 kids on its roster. The Wildcats have seven returning starters on offense and three on defense.
The Wildcats’ preseason scrimmage is on Aug. 17, when they travel to Ware County. Their first regular season game will be on Sept. 1, when they face North Augusta (S.C.) at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee.
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Valdosta’s Yardley Payne (14) catches a punt during practice on Wednesday evening. Christian Malone | The Valdosta Daily Times
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Wildcats put on pads, start football camp
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