Local gridders hit the ground running Monday

Van Wade

Let the action begin for Little Cypress-Mauriceville, West Orange-Stark, Bridge City, Orangefield, Vidor and Deweyville.

The dog days of summer have arrived and on Monday, local athletes in football, volleyball and cross country will be officially preparing for their respective University Interscholastic League sports.

Though most athletes are staying in top-notch condition throughout the heat of the summer, it’s going to be scorcher.

On Monday, Aug. 3 both volleyball and football players will get to grab their equipment and participate in workouts.

On Aug. 3, high school football programs that did not have spring training, will get their equipment and will begin conditioning with just helmets without the full contact equipment.

Volleyball season always gets the jump on football season.

Volleyball squads can actually have their first scrimmages Aug. 7 and will start competing in real matches Aug. 10.

On Aug. 7, football teams, which did not have spring practice, will be allowed to have their first contact drills.

On Aug. 10, teams that participated in spring practice can pick up equipment and have non-contact drills. Those teams will go into full contact Aug. 14.

On Saturday Aug. 15 scrimmages can begin for teams that did not have spring training followed by the ones that had spring training on Aug. 22.

Little Cypress-Mauriceville will look to turn the corner this season under the direction of first-year head coach Randy Crouch.

The Battlin’ Bears will pick up equipment at 8 a.m. Monday and will start practice at 4 p.m. The Bears will continue to start their practices at 4 .m. the rest of the week.

The Bears will scrimmage Texas City Aug. 15 at Crosby High School with the freshmen starting at 5 p.m. followed by the JV (6 p.m.) and varsity (7 p.m.) LC-M will host Silsbee in a scrimmage Aug. 21 with the freshmen starting at 5 p.m. followed by the JV (6 p.m.) and the varsity (7 p.m.).

The Bears open their 2009 campaign at home Sept. 4 against West Orange-Stark.

WO-S will be on a quest to capture its sixth straight District 21-3A title. The Mustangs have yet to drop a game since dropping to the Class 3A classification five years ago.

Coach Dan Hooks’ Mustangs will pick up equipment at 8 a .m. Monday and will start testing at 9 a.m. before hitting the field until noon on the first day.

The Mustangs will scrimmage Dayton at home Aug. 15 starting with the freshmen at 5 p.m. followed by the JV (6 p.m.) and the varsity (7 p.m.). They will also go to Vidor for a scrimmage Aug. 21 to face the Pirates with the times also being 5 p.m. for the freshmen followed by the JV (6 p.m.) and varsity (7 p.m.).

The Mustangs open the 2009 campaign at home Aug. 28 against the Nederland Bulldogs.

Over at Bridge City, the Cardinals and coach Cris Stump look to improve on last year’s 4-4 mark.

The Cardinals will get equipment Monday at 8 a.m. and work to 9:20 a.m. and will hit the field again at 11 a.m.

The Cardinals will scrimmage at Lumberton Aug. 15 starting at 6 p.m. and will also scrimmage at Shepherd Aug. 20 with a time yet to be determined.

Bridge City opens the season at home Aug. 28 against Liberty.

First-year Orangefield head coach Brian Huckabay will lead the Bobcats on the field Monday at 7 a.m. and will work to about 9:30 a.m. The Bobcats will go back later and work from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Orangefield will scrimmage Vidor at home Aug. 15 with the freshmen and JV starting at 9 a.m. followed by the varsity at 10 a.m. The Bobcats open the season on the road Aug. 28 in Winnie when they face East Chambers.

The Vidor Pirates return more starters, 18, than any other squad in District 20-4A this season as they look to make the postseason for the first time since 2000.

Coach Jeff Mathews’ Pirates will pick up equipment at 7 a.m. and will immediately go to work.

Vidor will scrimmage at Orangefield Aug. 15 with the freshmen and JV starting at 9 a.m. followed by the varsity at 10 a.m. The Pirates will host WO-S in a scrimmage Aug. 21 with the freshmen starting at 5 p.m. followed by the JV (6 p.m.) and the varsity (7 p.m.).

The Pirates open their season on the road at Beaumont Kelly Aug. 28.

The Deweyville Pirates look to improve on their 4-5 season under second-year coach Russell McDaniel.

The Pirates will hit the field Monday at 8:30 a.m. and will practice to 2 p.m. with a break in the middle.

The Pirates will visit Kirbyville Aug. 15 for their first scrimmage and will travel to Hull-Daisetta in their second one Aug. 20.

Deweyville will open its season at home against Sabine Pass.

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