ATHOL — The red helmets were glistening in the sun on the moist green grass at Athol High School on Tuesday morning.
On a steamy morning, the Red Raiders’ football team took to the practice field early during another day of preseason camp in preparation for the impending fall season.
“I think that the kids that are here are working hard,” Athol coach Bill LaRose said. “It’s always tough this time of year with the heat the way it is. But the kids seem to be responding to the requests that we are giving them.”
Athol has 27 players signed up for the 2019 season.
“Our numbers are a little down,” LaRose said. “Hopefully when school starts we will get a few more kids to show up. Pretty much everyone that signed up in the spring was here so there were no surprises. We are good there.”
Part of the morning session saw several different quarterbacks — including Caleb Cox, Riley Paine, Keegan Lutz and Jacob Knowles — taking snaps out of the shotgun in a spread formation with multiple wide receivers.
“We are going to try to play the spread and throw the ball a little more,” LaRose said. “We will see how that goes as camp goes on. Things right now seem OK.”
During LaRose’s tenure, the Red Raiders usually have run a wing-T offense predicated on running the ball effectively.
With a shifting of personnel from last season, that could change.
Cox was the starting quarterback last season as a freshman and said he likes the idea of throwing the ball a little more.
“Not gonna do much different,” Cox said. “Just going to up all my stats. We are looking good. Changing up the offense.”
With the preliminary plan to throw the football, the team took a hit when last year’s leading receiver, Joey Gray, enrolled at Oakmont Regional High School. When the Red Raiders did throw, Gray was Cox’s top target.
“He was one of my main receivers,” Cox said. “But at the same time I got new ones coming in that I have been working with all summer.”
The Red Raiders played in Excel Sports Academy’s 7-on-7 passing league this summer for the first time under LaRose. Athol was the only local team to participate in the passing league. Jacob Smith and Vincent Gordon showed flashes in the league at Holyoke High School catching the ball over the summer.
Lutz figures to return to the backfield in his junior season for the Red Raiders with an increased role as a ball-carrier.
“We have a lot of upcoming freshmen with a lot of potential,” Lutz said.
With a wealth of varsity experience, Lutz should be in the secondary as well and play multiple roles on offense.
“I think my designated spot is probably running back,” Lutz said. “Which I am perfectly fine with. Where I need to be put is what’s best for the team in coach’s eyes so if running back is the place, then that’s the place.”
Tuesday’s practice was vibrant and positive throughout. In one drill, the entire team chased after a punted ball. The Raiders then swarmed the first player to the ball and screamed until LaRose blew the whistle.
“It’s my job to keep the ship going in the right direction,” LaRose said.
The practice ended with some wind sprints, and the Red Raiders cheered loudly when the final runner crossed the line.
