The varsity football teams at Wellington High School and Royal Palm Beach High School had similar, perspiration-filled workouts during the first two weeks of fall practice, which started Monday, July 29.
According to Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rules, players were allowed to wear helmets on the first two days of practice. On the next three days of practice, the players were allowed to wear helmets and shoulder pads.
“During our first week of practice, we worked on conditioning drills, gassers, 100-yard sprints, our alignment and special teams,” said Ross Pryor, who is beginning his second year as the head football coach at WHS. “We begin practice with lots of stretching, light jogging, and calisthenics such as push-ups and jumping jacks. This is a good team-bonding time.”
In Royal Palm Beach, head football coach Chuck Kenyon was pleased with the first week on the field.
“We got a lot of things accomplished in week one. It was a very productive week,” said Kenyon, who is beginning his third year as head coach at RPBHS and his 25th year as a high school football coach. “We looked crisp, and we are steadily getting better. Our conditioning included lots of sprints and fitness drills.”
For both teams, there have been mandatory water breaks every 15 minutes during practice. Players are also allowed to take water breaks at any time during the summer heat.
For the second straight year, Wellington will be led by junior quarterback Jonathan Paul. Pryor has great confidence in his signal caller.
“Jonathan can throw and run. He’s a smart player,” Pryor said. “He’s like having a coach on the field. He leads our warmup sessions.”
Kenyon, meanwhile, will be looking for big production from sophomore offensive lineman Derrick Patterson, senior linebacker Jordan Hood, junior quarterback Max Griner, and sophomore running back Trey Rolle, who ran for 850 yards last season as a freshman.
Wellington, which had a 2-8 record last year, opens its season Friday, Aug. 16 when it hosts Suncoast High School in a pre-season kickoff classic game. The Wolverines’ regular-season opener will be Thursday, Aug. 22 when they host Centennial High School from Port St. Lucie. Both games will kick off at 6:30 p.m. The Wolverines will be competing in the FHSAA’s Class 7A, District 12. According to Pryor, the Wolverines will play this season with new home and away uniforms.
Royal Palm Beach, which had a 3-7 record last season, opens play on Friday, Aug. 16 when it hosts Olympic Heights High School in a pre-season kickoff classic game at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats will open their regular season on the road when they travel to Port St. Lucie High School on Friday, Aug. 23 for a 7 p.m. start. The Wildcats will be competing in the FHSAA’s Class 6A, District 12.
While the Wellington High School football team was practicing on its field, the school’s flag football team was practicing nearby as the team was getting ready for the Palm Beach Shootout Flag Football Tournament, presented by Rising Stars Athletics. This tournament will be held Aug. 10-11 at Lake Lytal Park in West Palm Beach. More than 30 teams are expected to compete. Every team will be guaranteed to play at least four games during the two-day tournament. Wellington will be led by junior wide receiver/safety Avery Schroeder and senior slot receiver/safety Jordan Fernandez.
