WORTHINGTON -- Mother Nature must be a fan of southern Minnesota high school football, ordering up the perfect weather for opening day of the season.
The Worthington Trojans took full advantage of the regional climate Monday morning -- hitting the practice field at 8 a.m.
"It's a day of learning for the freshmen, really, because they haven't been through it before," Worthington head coach Dennis Hale said following the session. "The rest of the days go better, but right now they're kind of lost.
"For everybody else, the first day we kind of ease into it. We don't want anybody pulling anything or getting sick."
For many of the veteran players, the first day of training is something they've looked forward to since the final play was whistled down last season -- a season that ended with the Trojans first trip to the state tournament in 21 years.
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"It's fun, really great to be back on the field," senior running back Nate Stoll said. "I've been waiting for this all summer. Everybody's been working hard in the offseason and now they're ready for the payoff."
All that hard work paid off last season when the Trojans made it to the quarterfinals before being edged by Plainville-Elgin-Millville 30-27.
The success of last year's team helped create a lot of excitement in the weight room over the summer, and the players are eager to get back on the gridiron and again vie for a spot in the state tournament.
"We had a very good turnout in the weight room this summer," Hale said. "I think the seniors are looking forward to their shot at it. They were part of an exciting season a year ago and I don't think they want to have a big drop off. They want to do the best they can."
Regardless of the turnout, the coaches and players know they have a lot of shoes to fill as the Trojans lost many quality players to graduation in June. The number of freshmen out for the team this season speaks highly of the program and the team's desire to carry on its winning tradition. This year's seniors will be called upon to mentor the younger players and help prepare them for an arduous season.
"We know we're going to have to work harder than last year to get to where we were a year ago," Stoll said. "Everybody is putting in the effort and you can expect us to compete with everyone this season.
"It's great to see a good size freshman class joining the team. Just like we did when we were freshmen, they'll have to learn from the seniors. Our job will be to set a strong example for them and keep them focused."
The 20-plus freshmen out for the squad will quickly have to get into a rhythm as the pads will slide under their uniforms Thursday morning. That's when the fun really begins.
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"Again, we'll kind of ease into it when we put on the pads," Hale said. "We'll bring out the sleds and dummies and get used to the physical contact."
