Evart coaches and players get ready to shoot footballs from out of a machine (at right) for receiving drills during a Thursday camp.
File photoEVART – Dead week for local sports has ended for the Evart football team, which was picking up things on a high scale Thursday night with a three-hour camp at the practice field.
“We started to do some offensive installations,” Craven, the Pioneer’s 2021 Dream team Coach of the Year, said. “We were working techniques and fundamentals on some of our basic offensive plays.”
There were 25 high school-aged players at the camp.
“This was our first full team workout,” Craven said. “It’s our third team activity. We’ve had two 7-on-7s so far. We rescheduled our first one to July 25 because the girls softball team was in the quarterfinals.”
There’s a strength conditioning combine on Aug. 2, Craven said.
“It’s kind of the end of the offseason measuring stick,” he said. “We keep records and give awards for that.”
The first day of practices is Aug. 8. A scrimmage will be scheduled for Aug. 19 with the first game at home on Aug. 26 against Beaverton.
The opener will lead into seven straight Highland Conference games with Roscommon at home on Sept. 1, Pine River at home on Sept. 9, at Manton on Sept. 16, at home with Beal City on Sept. 23, at McBain on Sept. 30, at home with Houghton Lake on Oct. 7 and at Lake City on Oct. 14. The regular season ends at Harrison on Oct. 21.
The five-week playoff season will start on Oct. 28.
Evart was 7-3 last season after a 6-0 start.
