GREAT FALLS -- The TV weathermen said the high Monday was 99 degrees. Before Great Falls went out to football practice at 6 p.m., athletics director John Smith said it was 102 in the middle of the day.
Regardless, it was sweltering.
Red Devils coach Kenny Schofield, battling the heat, is practicing early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
"I guess you can say this really is Red Devils country,'' Schofield said. "This is about as hot as I've seen it in quite some years. We're watching our kids closely.
"We make sure they get enough water and that we have iced ammonia towels for them when they take breaks. When it's time to run, we keep it within reason and don't overdo it. We give them a lot of fluids outside, we encourage them to take in a lot of fluids when they go home.''
The situation is the same around the state, with coaches and athletic trainers keeping close tabs on players to ensure they don't suffer heat-related illness. At Great Falls, it's left up to the coaches because the school doesn't have a trainer.
Schofield is well aware of the heat, but he has other concerns.
"One of the biggest issues is this year's late school start,'' he said. "A lot of kids and their parents think it means they have three more weeks of summer vacation. What they have to understand is football hasn't moved. We still start practice at the same time we always have.
"It's a bitter pill for some people to swallow, being out here in the heat when their buddies are sitting at home under the air conditioner watching TV and playing video games. We've got everybody here now that we were expecting, so it's time to move forward.''
The good thing for Schofield is he doesn't have to spend time teaching the players every aspect of his wing-T offense. Most of them have been running it for years.
His biggest concern is the offensive line. As of Monday, one of his top players, 6-3, 330-pound senior Jarvis Hoover, had not yet decided on playing.
Schofield and his staff have moved some younger players and decided to play Josh Lynn (6-4, 225) on both sides of the ball.
Schofield, whose team was 8-4 last year, "loves'' his backs, wide receivers, tight ends and a defense that returns eight talented players. In time, Schofield will love his offensive line.
"We can be a solid football team, but only if our line comes together,'' Schofield said. "If we can jell up there, that is the key. It's hard to have a good football team if you don't have good blocking.''
Lynn is in favor of playing both ways, wanting to be on the field as much as possible. Lynn knows the plays, but is learning the steps and his assignments.
"It's different, but it's fun,'' Lynn said. "It's pretty much the same as on defense -- man against man -- except you have to protect the backs instead of trying to tackle them.
"I'm going to like this. We have good backs with good speed. I'm going into every game knowing if I make the good blocks, we have running backs who can go all the way.''
Junior quarterback Gaither Bumgardner, sprouted to 6-6, is back, along with speed demon Cedric Spence. They will be joined in the backfield by A.J. Squirewell and Tron Johnson.
The Red Devils base out of the wing-T, but Schofield said a receiving crew headed by holdovers Jeremy Simpson and tight end Brandon Crawford might allow more passing because of Bumgardner's arm strength.
Monday, Schofield pulled a couple of DVDs off the shelf titled "The Spread Out of the Wing-T.''
Spence ran for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He will get the bulk of the carries after being the second option to Simpson last season.
"We have some seniors who decided not to come back, but we have good players who are filling their shoes,'' Spence said. "One of the big things is our offensive linemen are having to learn who to block when we go to the spread. But they are learning.
"I have confidence in the guys up front. When I get through a gap in practice, I tell them 'good block' for helping me get free. You have to stay on their good side and let you know they are appreciated. If they don't block, we don't have an offense and we lose.''
GREAT FALLS SCHEDULE
Aug. 24 Great Falls at McCormick 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 Nation Ford at Great Falls 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 Lewisville at Great Falls 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 Calhoun Falls at Great Falls 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 Great Falls at Andrew Jackson 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 North Central at Great Falls 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 Great Falls at Indian Land 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 Great Falls at McBee 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 Chesterfield at Great Falls 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 Great Falls at Lewisville 7:30 p.m.
