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 In fact, the sound of the Railers is the first thing you notice at
summer practice.
“The fans will see the biggest strides (on) defense,” Coach Seth
Bass said after Wednesday’s five-on-five practice against
Williamsville. “That’s not to say we won’t be better
offensively…defensively I think we’re going to miles ahead of where
we were last year.”
And that brings us back to the sound.
Even though the players are not yet allowed in full pads, on
Wednesday you could hear the explosion off the ball, the crack of
helmets and should pads, and the guttural roars of young men
challenging each other.
“We had to start early to get all of the new plays down,” senior
lineman Sage Conrady said. “There are a lot of new guys (too). We’re
all just pumped up.”
The summer practices (and summer contact) is just part of the
newness for the Railsplitters.
The team has also added a regular summer weightlifting schedule and
regular trips to other high schools for seven-on-seven drills.
Coach Bass says he can see progress. When he sees the right players.
“We were getting about 50 to 55 players during the week, then
practice started and we dropped down to about 30,” Bass said some
Lincoln linemen have been absent.
But the team is big enough, and polished enough, for Bass to plan
for an offensive team and a defensive team.
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“Some of the guys might have to play, not both ways, but give a
breath here and there,” but Bass said he wants to let his players
focus on their job this season.
Conrady said the team is focused in this off season as well.
“Most of the people I hang out with are on the football team, so
that’s our social time,” Conrady added about spending his summer on
the practice field and not at the pool.
The Railers have another week of summer practice before the IHSA
mandated dead week at the beginning of August.
The Coach Bass said it’s time to focus on Springfield Southeast High
School, and he notes to Raise L.
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