By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
It was “March Madness” football-style for Williamston.
Head coach Asim McGill, a former standout at Washington High School, and his Tigers got a jump-start on the prep football season with a midnight practice Thursday.
While most area teams will begin their first official day of training camp this evening, the Tigers were hungry to get started early, and had planned to practice until 2 a.m.
Coach Wayne Rodgers and his Creswell Tigers were going to get an early start as well. Rodgers, about to embark on his 21st year as head coach of the Tigers, planned to practice from 8 to 10 a.m. today.
The three Beaufort County football teams are all practicing this evening. The Washington Pam Pack will be the last to take the field, as coach Sport Sawyer and his troops will hit the grass at J.G. “Choppy” Wagner Stadium at 9:30 p.m.
Keith Boyd, the third-year head coach at Northside High School, will guide his Panthers during today’s practice, which will run from 6 to 8:15 p.m.
The Southside Seahawks, under the direction of second-year head coach David Hines, will practice from 6 to 8 p.m.
Robert Cody, the reigning WDN Football Coach of the Year, guided his Plymouth Vikings to a N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A state championship last year. His Vikings will take the field today at 5 p.m. and wrap up their first practice around 7 p.m.
Plymouth held a mini-camp earlier the week, which brought out 63 players.
The Vikings are coming off a perfect 16-0, state championship season. Cody will have to replace a host of seniors off that state title team.
The Roanoke Redskins will practice from 6 to 8 p.m. today. Head coach Brian Paschal, who guided the Redskins to the fourth round of the state playoffs last year, said his team will begin practice at 10 a.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Monday.
Second-year head coach Richard Perry and his Mattamuskeet Lakers will meet today at 5:30 p.m. and then hold their first practice.
The Jamesville Bullets, under the guidance of 16-year head coach Richie Ange, will go from 6 to 8 p.m. today. Jamesville has won four consecutive conference championships and have won 23 straight conference games.
RaShawn Spencer will begin his second year as head coach of the Columbia Wildcats. The team will look to improve on last year’s 0-10 performance.
During the first three days of training camp, players will be in helmets. Players will be allowed to put on pads on the fourth day, while contact is permitted during the sixth practice.