Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

ENMU football team getting started

Hounds opened practices Monday

PORTALES — To become a champion, it takes more than just simply winning games.

In fact, it even goes beyond practices, as the offseason training is every bit as crucial for any team. On Monday morning, Eastern New Mexico Greyhound football officially kicked off its fall camp, and it went off without a hitch.

"The first day of practice went smoother than (anytime) since I've been here," junior running back Paul Terry said. "Guys were flying around, loving to have been on the field. It seemed like they were ready to just win.

"We're trying to win, we're trying to get the culture to be where we want to win that conference championship. We're just trying to set the culture right now, and the young guys are rocking away with it."

The Greyhounds are the preseason No. 3 team in the Lone Star Conference, but they certainly prepared like the favorites this offseason. It's been said that more players stuck around for summer training than ever before, as well as newcomers arriving earlier to train with the veterans.

According to Terry, that offseason work was a big contributor in a successful first practice. "It helps tremendously. These young guys don't know how much we actually prepare in the summer — how hard we actually work," Terry said. "For the people that came early and worked out with us, they know what it's like, and they're ready for the battle this upcoming season."

As for the schedule itself, Terry says that players will show up to the training room at 6:30 a.m. if they need work done. From there, practice typically lasts from 8-11, followed by lunch from 1-2 p.m., with team and position meetings — along with weight lifting, lasting all the way until 7:30 at night. Curfew is 10 p.m.

Leaders emerged over the summer, as the senior class in particular really stepped up and helped the youngsters out. As for those newcomers, it can take some time to get into the swing of things, as Hounds coach Kelley Lee explained.

"Sometimes our pace (can be challenging)," Lee said. "We're pretty up-tempo and we get a lot of reps. Sometimes it's a shock to some of their systems, and you can tell some of the ones that maybe never practiced at that speed before.

"But, they'll adjust. It usually takes a couple of days to realize that you can push your body a little more than your mind thinks it can."

 
 
Rendered 03/12/2024 15:45