By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

The combination of early-morning practices and a well-conditioned bunch of Chaps helped Westlake’s football team avoid any heat-related health concerns in the first few days of practice.

“These guys came in here in tremendous shape,” Coach Darren Allman said. “And that’s one of the things you’re looking for at this point in the summer. We didn’t have to worry too much about getting the guys in condition.”

That still didn’t stop the Chaps from running the cursory wind sprints before and after practice, which began Monday at 7 a.m. on Westlake’s practice field. But Westlake looked mean and lean for the most part. And, really, at this point in the season, what more could you ask for?

A few other observations from this week’s start to the season:

• That leanness didn’t extend to the interior of the offensive line, which featured more beef than Chap fans have seen since Matt Nader and Tory Dawson anchored the ’06 front. Sure, starting center Brandon Behrens and guards such as Alex Coyne and Jason Coleman may not stand 6 feet, 4 inches like some of their predecessors, but they must have topped a guesstimated 220 pounds each. It’s good to see that sportswriters aren’t the only ones that eat the extra breakfast taco. Those linemen also kept up good footwork, thanks to the needling of hawkeyed line coach and assistant head coach Ted Willman. 

• Based on the number of players that have moved from offense to defense, Allman must feel pretty optimistic about his skill positions. Sean Potter, a running back last year, moved into a starting secondary spot in the spring. This summer, Bryce Hager (running back to linebacker) and Conor Byrne (h-back to linebacker) have also switched to the defensive side of the ball. Keep an eye on sophomore Lewis Guilbeau, a cat-quick scatback who received plenty of snaps in the backfield alongside Van Gramman.

• No position appears deeper – and no competition more fierce – than at wide receiver. Allman said, “we can really go two-deep” at every spot. Miles Berger in particular impressed with his crisp route running.

• That competition extends to almost every unit. Quarterback Tanner Price is the unquestioned team leader, Gramman appears a lock to start at running back, and the secondary looks solid with Potter, Louie Swope, Markham Sayers and James Robison. Every other unit should provide fierce position battles as the season opener with Cedar Park approaches. “A lot of teams will say they have a lot of starting spots to settle, but we mean it,” Allman said. “We have a lot of depth up and down the roster.”

• Although the Chaps won’t utilize a true hurry-up offense, don’t be surprised if they pick up the pace to keep some foes off-balance. During Tuesday’s practice, the team ran plays at a rapid pace in a drill that tested both focus and endurance. “We’re more of a check-off offense at the line of scrimmage, but we want to be able to put pressure on a defense,” Allman said. “We’ll be able to go fast-tempo when we want to.”

• Westlake will lift weights four times a week during the season in order to maintain strength and weight. In the past, the Chaps lifted two or three times a week during the season and often dropped weight by November. 

• Two-a-days are fading into the past. For the first time in school history, Westlake did not engage in the once-mandatory summer schedule of two separate workouts. And the Chaps aren’t alone; an increasing number of teams no longer practice twice a day, preferring a longer workout either in the relative cool of the morning or after the sun sets. With most student-athletes staying in shape year-round and participating in spring football, such scheduling makes sense.