By By Matthew Nascone
The Escambia Academy Cougars kicked off the 2006 season Monday with the first official practice and head coach Heath Gibson said it was a good day.
"It was a slow day, but that is to be expected on the first day of practice," Gibson said. "We have to teach the fundamentals of the game and the way we run practice to the new guys. But overall I was pleased with the kids' effort on the day and most of the kids were in good shape."
Gibson said there will be an adjustment period, like there is every year and he is pleased with how prepared the team is after only one day.
"Offensively I was very pleased with the effort," he said. "This is the fourth year we will be running the Wing T formation and for the first day they looked really crisp and ready to practice."
With the exit of some starters from last year's squad, the Cougars had to shift some players to new positions and Gibson said he was happy with how those athletes answered the call.
"We had some guys switching to new positions and they all did a good job in adjusting," he said.
The Cougars have practiced since Monday in shorts and helmet, but they will suit up in complete uniform when they arrive at practice Aug. 7.