Humble offensive lineman Jaden Deloach going through drills.

Humble offensive lineman Jaden Deloach going through drills.

Photo: Marcus Gutierrez Staff Photo

Humble offensive lineman Jaden Deloach going through drills.

Humble offensive lineman Jaden Deloach going through drills.

Football: Young Humble team gets first chance to build chemistry with summer workouts

When Lierick Reed Jr. walked into the Humble field house on Monday to fill out paperwork and get his temperature checked before the first summer workout, he saw some familiar faces he hadnt seen in person for a while.

He said he couldnt hold back his emotions when he ran into his teammates and coaches.

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I had a smile on my face when I walked in, Reed said. They all were happy to see me, and I was happy to see them too.

Reed and the Wildcats went right back to work for the first time since spring break.

Strength and conditioning started on Monday and the Wildcats were ready to work in the Texas heat to prepare for the 2020-2021 season while following the new guidelines set forth by the UIL that preach safety and social distancing.

For instance, indoor workout facilities must stay below a maximum 25% capacity, no shared food or water is allowed and hand-sanitizing and washing stations are part of the requirements. There are also limits on the lengths of practices and the types of drills students can do.

Coach Charles West admits that the first day had some challenges, but he was happy to see his players back on the field.

This is all new to everybody, West said. Were all in the same boat because of COVID-19. Youre happy to see your kids coming in and getting a workout in. Were making sure that safety is first and reminding the kids of social distancing. Im not sure what the season will look like, but we will be ready.

Humble had a magical 2019-2020 season that ended in the regional quarterfinals, or the third round of the Class 6A Division playoffs. West secured his first two playoff wins at Humble.

Quarterback Jeremiah Knott hopes he can help the Wildcats continue their winning ways this season.

We have to remember what they did, Knott said. The legacy is riding on us now. We have to keep working and pushing, and we will get there just like they did. We just have to make sure everyone is coming to workouts because we have to build that chemistry. Thats the most important thing right now.

Humble doesnt participate in spring ball, but still lost time to workout and learn the Xs and Os of football. West said the team must recover the lost time and learn the system.

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We lost a lot of learning time in the classroom where we take a deep look at the game, West said. We work at a slow pace, and were a young team this year. We teach a lot of our philosophies and what we teach on the field. Its very important that we get that time with our kids. We didnt get that time during the school year.

Reed has been a starter on varsity since his freshman season and isnt looking for any setbacks this season.

The Wildcats are in District 21-6A, which is one of the best in the state.

Humble will face Humble ISD foes Summer Creek, Atascocita, Kingwood along with back-to-back state champions North Shore, C.E. King and Beaumont West Brook.

If we want to do what we did last year and go farther its going to take a lot more work, Reed said. We have to keep on putting the work in consistently every single day.

The weight racks are being used again in the Humble weight room, an important step to build chemistry.West believes thats where a football team can come together and build that foundation of brotherhood.

The main thing is football is a team sport, West said. The biggest thing is for them is seeing one another and building that camaraderie. Kids will individually get into shape but if a football team is training together every day, theyre going to be successful.

marcus.gutierrez@chron.com

Twitter:@MarcG14Line

Link:
Football: Young Humble team gets first chance to build chemistry with summer workouts - Chron.com