PREP FOOTBALL PRESEASON: Defending champs Catholic open camp

Aaron Taylor (left guard) and the Catholic offensive line go through drills on the first official day of fall practice on Monday. (Tim Gayle)

BY TIM GAYLE

High school teams took the field on Monday for the official first day of practice as they prepare for the start of the 2024 football season on Aug. 23.

Teams that had not engaged in spring practice were allowed to take the field on the previous Monday (July 29), but all of them spent the summer on the field, either in 7-on-7 workouts or organized team activities that allowed linemen to participate.

 “It’s like you’re playing for something now,” Catholic coach Kirk Johnson said. “The summers are voluntary, now it’s mandatory and you’re playing for something. You’re putting in a game plan, you’re getting ready for an opponent.”

For the players who toiled in the July heat at voluntary workouts, Monday’s practice was more organized but just as hot.

“It’s no different, it’s just longer, it’s hotter outside,” Catholic senior offensive lineman Aaron Taylor said. “You know, middle of the day in prime heat. I guess you could say it’s harder because it’s hotter but it’s no different.”

Despite spending much of the summer on the field, teams are required to go through an acclimation period that includes two days of shorts and helmets and two days of shoulder pads and helmets before donning full gear on the fifth day.

“You just want to get out there and get moving and have some fun,” Johnson said. “This isn’t the first day, this is the trial period for the first day. The first day is the first day in pads, when you can actually see somebody hit somebody.

“A lot of people look good in shorts and T-shirts, a lot of 7-on-7 champions, but it’s what you look like when you’ve got to move the ball.”

Catholic returns seven starters on offense and nine on defense from last year’s 15-0 team that won the Class 4A state championship. While the defense returns virtually intact after pitching nine shutouts in 2023, the Knights will be breaking in new skill players on offense at quarterback and running back and will be moving up to Class 5A to comply with the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Competitive Balance Factor.

Catholic is trying to become just the fifth private school to repeat as state champion, joining Briarwood Christian (1998-99), UMS-Wright (2001-02 and 2017-19), Madison Academy (2012-13) and St. Paul’s Episcopal (2014-15). They would be the first since Competitive Balance was imposed in 2018 to repeat as champions, but in two different classifications.

Johnson will “officially” start the Knights’ practice on Friday when they don full gear in preparation for the Aug. 23 opener with St. James.

“We call it getting active,” he said. “And that’s when you really know what you are and who you are. The pads will tell you the makeup of your team.”