Marble Falls Mustangs exhibit the traits coaches want to see on first day of training camp
The Marble Falls High School football team was on the artificial turf at Mustang Stadium at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, to officially kick off the 2022 campaign on the first day of training camp.
More than 70 players in grades 10-12 wore gold helmets and were in either a purple or yellow jersey. The morning session lasted a little more than two hours and head coach Brian Herman saved the best for last – a series of gassers that forces the players to run from one sideline to the other and back in a full sprint. Practices, scrimmages and sometimes ball games end with players running the gassers, which illustrate several traits about Herman’s teams: their commitment to conditioning, their mental toughness and sending a message to the opponent the Mustangs have more in their tanks if it’s needed.
Herman is entering his fourth season as the head coach, so this training camp isn’t about him or his players getting to know each other. Rather, it’s about coaches seeing three invaluable elements of culture: attention, attitude and effort.
Herman noted the coaches saw the players throughout the summer because of their participation in the voluntary strength-and-conditioning program. They also had a couple of hours each week to work with them on position-specific drills.
“The kids showed up with maximum effort,” he said of the first day of practices Aug. 1. “The lights were on before 6 a.m. We blew the first whistle at 6:15 a.m. Two hours and 15 minutes later, we’re going through our walk-through and weights.”
Coaches were bracing for 83 players. Herman noted he and his staff could account for those not in attendance, adding reasons included work schedules to not having the proper paperwork on file.
“I expect that number to be fluid,” he said.
Morning practices aren’t unusual for the Mustangs. They participate in them before the start of the school day because of the many benefits associated with them. First, the early practices typically don’t interfere with work schedules. Players step off the practice field and go to class, which keeps their attendance numbers up. And the Mustangs have fresher legs for night games because they have more than 35 hours of recovery from the Thursday practice as opposed to the 25 hours by having walk-throughs the day before kickoff.
“We’d rather start early,” Herman said. “When we transitioned to morning practices, it was a lifesaver for us. Their grades are better.”
Fans can get their first look at the Mustangs when they welcome Leander Glenn for a scrimmage Friday, Aug. 12, to Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive. The junior varsity and freshmen take the field at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity at 6:30 p.m.
Marble Falls travels to scrimmage Leander High Friday, Aug. 19, at Bible Stadium, 3301 S. Bagdad Road in Leander, with the subvarsities playing at 5 p.m. and the varsities at 6:30 p.m.
Meet the Mustangs is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at Mustang Stadium.
The Mustangs begin the regular season against Pflugerville Connally at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at The Pfield, 1440 W. Pecan St. in Pflugerville.
Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.
