Ready or not, it's time for the start of high school football practice

SMYRNA — Mike Judy loves being a high school football coach.

It’s just all the headaches of starting preseason camp that the veteran Smyrna High mentor could live without.

Judy won’t even have his players practice on Monday just so he can get them all squared away before they get on the field Tuesday.

“On August 6th, I don’t want a single physical coming across my desk,” Judy said with a laugh. “I don’t want anybody saying I need a helmet.

“If you want to see the angry side of me, ask me a non-football related question on Tuesday.”

If it feels like football practice starts a lot earlier than it used to, that’s because it does.

Teams that play their season opener on the weekend of Aug. 29-31 can begin preseason practice on Monday. There used to be only a few teams playing that first weekend — the so-called ‘Week Zero.’

But now at least 13 of the 16 Downstate programs will be starting their seasons in August.

Smyrna plays on Aug. 30 when it goes to Wilmington’s Abessinio Stadium to take on Downingtown West, Pa. as part of the Pigskin Classic. That’s 11 days earlier than the Eagles opened their season 15 years ago.

Judy said most high school players have been working out, playing in 7-on-7 leagues and going to camps all summer. They’re anxious to get going.

“I think most kids, they’re ready to go,” said Judy. “They’ve been waiting around a long time. And the coaches, if we weren’t going that week, we’re just sitting around getting ready.”

In games involving Downstate squads on Aug. 29, Caesar Rodney hosts William Penn, Cape Henlopen goes to Red Lion Christian, Laurel hosts Sussex Central, Lake Forest is at Odessa, Woodbridge hosts Seaford, Early College goes to Delaware Military and First State Military hosts AI DuPont.

On Aug. 30, Milford goes to Mt. Pleasant and Delmar travels to Dickinson; on Saturday, Sussex Tech plays at Glasgow.

There’s still a chance Dover might add a 10th game, possibly on that first weekend.

After opening practice on Tuesday, Smyrna will already play its first scrimmage on Aug. 12. The Eagles will square off with Howard.

“We don’t have time to waste,” said Judy. “I prefer it like that. I like starting early but I don’t like long amounts of time in between competition.

“It’s a balance between teaching and repetition. You have to work on a skill and then you’ve got to let it marinate and then you’ve got to come back to it. Eventually that skill or that concept, they’ll get it.”

This will be the second straight season that Smyrna has played on the first available weekend. Teams that play early also have an open date later in the season.

Judy said the open date usually ends up being a good thing for his team. The Eagles’ open date will be in the fourth weekend of the season.

Smyrna hosts defending Class 3A state champion Salesianum and then Delaware Military in its second and third weeks.

“I think it provides an opportunity, depending when that bye week is, for a lot of growth and being able to get healthy,” he said. “There’s a lot of benefits to it, if done properly.”

Of course, the season that begins in the August heat will end in the cold of late November. This season’s DIAA state championship games are slated for the weekend of Nov. 29-30.

By then, only six teams will still be playing. Right now, though, every squad can dream that they’ll be one of those teams..

That’s why it’s always excited just to get going, said Judy.

“The first week of camp, there’s a lot of excitement,” he said. “It’s great to see all the kids back in one place together. It’s fun. I coach with some of my best friends so it’s good for us to get back on the horse a little bit.

“For the kids, seeing them excited about the possibilities of what the season can bring, it kind of makes all the hard work worth it. ... They’re ready. It’s gratifying just to get it started.”