By Kadin Pounders for the FCT

The Russellville Golden Tigers football team started summer workouts on Monday, June 1, in anticipation of the upcoming football season.

In general, getting players in shape is a major focus for the coaching staff, but the summer is also used to get the players back into a football mindset.

“The entire summer we’re working on strength and condition, still kind of in offseason mode,” said head coach Mark Heaton. “At the same time, in June during our practices we’re doing installs for all of our passing game – our vertical passing game and quick passing game.”

Heaton says it takes a little while to get back into the swing of things before coaches and players begin to get more technical in practices and workouts.

“We take usually the first two or three weeks of June to get (the installed passing game) down, and then after that we start really focusing on the fundamentals of what we’re doing,” he said. “We have to learn what to do and then we have to learn how to refine the details of what we do.”

Now that Heaton is entering his second year with the Golden Tigers, the players are more familiar with him and his coaching staff. That familiarity has improved player progression from where it was at the same time last summer.

“There’s always a transition period when you have a new staff that comes in and all three phases of the game are different as far as what you’re trying to accomplish,” said Heaton. “It makes it a lot easier when you know each other, and you’ve spent time together, and you know how each other react. It’s just like any relationship. It’s night and day different, and we’re a lot further along from where we were last year.”

The coaching staff is also happy with the strides that some of the key returning starters have made since entering the offseason.

“(Running back) Deyon Hill has turned into a completely different guy, different player, and there is a noticeable difference with him on the field and the way that he plays and practices,” said Heaton. “We’ve been very impressed with (quarterback Peyton Nichols) the last few weeks in just his demeanor and the way he approaches practice and even the weight room.”

As workouts and practices continue on through June and into July, Russellville will also be participating in 7-on-7 camps held throughout the state. The Golden Tigers will be playing in the third annual Jubilee City 7-on-7 tournament in Daphne June 26-27.

On July 17 Russellville will be in a 7-on-7 camp hosted by Brooks, and then Russellville will be hosting its own 7-on-7 camp July 10.