What we learned from visiting 14 high school football practices on opening day

The dawn of fall sports was so 2023 - beginning with fog, darkening skies and a tornado warning.

A sign along Route 27 in Natick said it all: “Enough rain already.”

But just down West Street, the Redhawk football team had a completely different experience from the two schools – Ashland and Medway – that started football practice Friday at 8 a.m., the earliest of the two dozen teams in the MetroWest/Milford area.

While Natick’s 1 p.m. workout began in sunbaked, 80-degree conditions, Ashland had barely finished its spell-it-out, jumping jacks routine (A-S-H- …) when sheets of rain drenched Walker Field. After a drive down Summer Street to catch Medway, the Mustangs were found in a gym. Same with Tri-County and Hopkinton, other early risers caught in the deluge.

The first day of official football practice forced some teams indoors, but enthusiasm was hardly dampened.

“We had high intensity. Unfortunately we had to stop early because of the thunder,” said Tri-County's Shawn Garrity as the Cougars gathered in a cacophonous weight room above the gym. “Other than that, it was a great practice.”

“Our senior class is much more hyped this year than it’s usually been,” said teammate Dylan Sullivan as talk began to circulate of a return to outdoor practice. “You can hear it; it’s loud and it’s intense.”

Opening day marred by tornado warning

At 8:49 a.m., the first of three tornado warnings for the region was issued, the initial one including southwest Norfolk County, where Medway sits. That forced new head coach Robb McCoy to run practice indoors while four tornados touched down in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The storm sent Hopkinton inside as well, allowing head coach Mark Sanborn – who played baseball at UMass-Lowell and was a Daily News All-Star for the Hillers on the diamond – to show off his arm while “throwing” kickoffs in the gym.

No pads or contact was allowed on opening day – Sanborn repeatedly yelled “Don’t touch him!” during the faux kickoff returns – but helmets were permitted.

“Everyone’s very excited today,” said Hopkinton senior Charlie Petruney. “We’ve been working since the spring, lifting. It’s a good feeling.”

Framingham's first practice includes 90 players

When the rain stopped after 11 a.m., that sentiment found its way to Phil Read Field behind Framingham High, where head coach David Wright met this writer with a handshake and a smile. Not only were the Flyers outdoors on the turf, but 90 players attended the workout.

An impressive turnout for a team that won just one game last fall.

“I think everyone’s champing at the bit to get back out there,” said offensive coordinator Sam Rosen. “We’ve all been waiting for football season since the end of November. We’ve got some high energy; we’ve got some guys who are ready to go and ready to turn things around and make a big impact here in Framingham.”

“Coming out here with all 90 guys we have signed up; just feeling the experience, feeling the coaches yelling, all the pressure’s on,” senior Henry Goldberg said under cloudy skies. “We're finally back out getting ready for the season. It’s a great feeling, man.”

Westborough was the first team in the region to enjoy the clearing skies, their helmets reflecting the emerging sun.

Natick hits the field under blazing sun

Natick’s 1 p.m. workout began during the building heat of the afternoon.

“We’ve been waiting all summer for this moment,” senior Teddy Ferrucci said. “Especially under the sun. It’s going to make us work harder. It’s going to get us in better shape.

“August practices can be tough sometimes. They get you prepared for the season. Maybe you get a little dehydrated at times, but it’s all part of the game.”

Holliston’s 2 p.m. session began in classrooms before the Panthers decamped for Kamitian Field while more dark clouds emerged to the west. After a brief - and less potent - shower, the Upton schools practiced simultaneously.

Blackstone Valley Tech worked out on a side field while the football field was roped off for re-sodding. Across Pleasant Street at Nimpuc, new coach James Royster’s first football practice was held on a slightly soggy baseball field. Groups of players rotated through stations, the toughest including a short, steep hill that the Warriors grunted up on all fours before jogging back down.

The afternoon continued with Franklin lifting large, vinyl tackle wheels and Hudson running through drills with tall, blue barrels. Marlborough’s players created long shadows at Whitcomb Middle School as evening approached.

“It’s great to be back playing football and having the guys out here,” said senior defensive back Fernando Rodrigues. “I’m just proud to be out here and play football one last time senior year. I’m just glad to be back.”

Framingham's Ben Lincoln: 'It's my family, man'

Algonquin, like Marlborough, began practice at 5:30 p.m., long after the stormy morning had passed. The Titans worked out on a baseball field while the school’s “Gonkplex” remained a construction site.

The surface or the venue or whether teams practiced outdoors or in, hardly seemed to matter. Framingham senior Ben Lincoln summed up that feeling earlier in the day.

“I’ve been waiting to put my helmet back on since last Thanksgiving," he said. "There’s nothing like it. It’s a team sport. It’s my family, man. It feels good to be back with the family.”

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.  

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: High school football practices: What we learned from the first day