Spring training for the Escambia County Blue Devils is in full swing with the team completing their first full week of practices in pads.

The Blue Devils put on their full gear Monday and worked in drill after drill each afternoon through Friday.

With the completion of the first week, Escambia County now has two more weeks of practice before they take on the Daphne Trojans in a spring scrimmage in Daphne.

One thing the coaching staff at Escambia County High School has seen from their players is excitment about getting back to work on the gridiron.

For Blue Devil Cedric Tolbert, a junior wide receiver and defensive back, the practices have gone well with a strong squad taking the field.

“Things have been going good so far,” Tolbert said. “It looks like we are going to have another good team this year.”

The work ethic by the Blue Devils is an aspect of practice that Blue Devils head coach Mark Heaton said was showing up in an interview last week.

That is something that has not been missed by the players who are giving their all in each practice.

Blue Devils linebacker and fullback Tywon Dixon, a sophomore, said his teammates have been coming out and putting each practice to good use.

“Every one has been out here working hard and going over the drills nice and good,” Dixon said. “Overall, it’s just all been going good.”

Offensively, the Blue Devils are learning a little more of what Heaton and the staff want them to do, but keying in on specific aspects of the game have been important.

Blocking is a task that both Dixon and Tolbert will face when it comes to facing their opponents next season.

Dixon will face a lot of different players when it comes to playing fullback next season.

“Being a fullback, I’ve been working a lot on blocking,” Dixon said. “The thing that has stuck in my head is to put my head in the right position, so I can make a good block.”

Tolber will also need to be strong with blocking, but he also needs to be quick, so he can get good positioning on his opponent.

“Stop blocking has been a focus for me,” Tolbert said. “When a receiver is in front of me, I have to reach a certain position to block him, so he is unable to get in the backfield. I have seen improvement with that because I have been getting there and blocking them, so the quarterback has time.”

On defense, Tolbert and Dixon have different ideas of what they need to work on to improve.

Tolbert is looking to improve his vision on the field, so he can make some big plays at the defensive back position.

“On defense, I want to judge the ball correctly,” Tolbert said. “Sometimes I’ll jump before the ball is even close and I’ll miss a chance to deflect it or intercept it.

At linebacker, Dixon is looking to make big stops and avoid being juked by a rusher.

“Stay low, stay level, keep my feet chopping and make good tackles,” Dixon said. “It’s important to know how to do those things, so if a runner tries to shake me, I can be on point to make a good tackle.”

The coaches have been making an impact on the players since last season.

Tolbert enjoys learning from his coaches and knows they are only trying to make him better.

“Coach (Robert) Smith is my favorite coach,” Tolbert said. “He’s crazy. All of our coaches are tough on us, but coach (Andy) Lambert is probably the toughest to me because when I mess up, he gets on me and makes me better.”

For Dixon, he has seen how Heaton and his other coaches have done a good job of motivating the players to improve as a team.

“Our coaches do a great job of getting us motivated and getting us out here to practice,” Dixon said. “Everybody likes working out in weightlifting. Helps us get in shape and get stronger. We are all pretty competitive about it.”

As practice progresses, the Blue Devils will begin learning more about the opponent that they will play on Saturday, May 21.

Dixon knows that Daphne is a bigger opponent, but he also knows what his team has to do to be competitive.

“They stronger and bigger than us,” Dixon said. “We need to man up, play hard and grind it out against them.”

For Tolbert, he is still learning about the 6A state champions, but he thinks his team will come ready to win the game.

“I’m ready. I’ve never seen them play or know much about them really,” Tolbert said. “I know our team will be ready to play. I’m going to go out there and and give it my best.”

The Blue Devils and Trojans play in Daphne at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 21.