logo
Google Play App Store
Login Subscribe
  • News
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Just Folks
  • Columns & Opinions
    • Letters To The Editor
    • Editorials
    • Columnists
  • Obituaries
  • Business
  • Classifieds
  • Calendar
  • Videos
  • Forms
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • advertisers pay now
  • Photos
  • Archives
  • E-Edition
    • News
    • Sports
    • Lifestyle
      • Just Folks
    • Columns & Opinions
      • Letters To The Editor
      • Editorials
      • Columnists
    • Obituaries
    • Business
    • Classifieds
    • Calendar
    • Videos
    • Forms
    • Contact
      • Contact Us
      • advertisers pay now
    • Photos
    • Archives
    • E-Edition
B: Sports
August 3, 2023
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Players, coaches all aware of the heat as football practice begins Monday
By DAVID SEELEY SPORTS EDITOR

One, if not the top thing, that high school football players and coaches have to deal with more than anything is the heat — especially after this two-week record heat wave that everyone has been experiencing.

So, the local high school football coaches have to do everything within reason — and even beyond — to make sure their players do not suffer heat-related injuries during preseason practices, which will begin Monday.

“We’ve got good trainers,” new Sallisaw coach Brandon Tyler said. “We have some good young high school girls out there who understand what we’ve got to have. We’ll have wet, cold towels and water. We’ll give them water breaks, especially so they can get a lot of fluids in their bodies to combat the heat and get acclimated to it.”

Tyler said that all the new summer pride workouts, and more, have helped the players better get acclimated to the heat every year when preseason practices begin in August.

“We can do so much in the summer now,” Tyler said. “Our kids have been running quite a bit. It’s not like the old days when I was playing. You had the two-a-days just to get back into shape. We can do so much with them in the spring and summer now, and that helps out on the conditioning part. We’re so far ahead now than we were when I played. It just makes it a lot easier on us going into the fall camp.”

“Heat is always an issue,” Muldrow coach Logan Coatney said. “It’s definitely here in the location we’re at. The biggest part of the heat is hydration. We’ve been stressing that to these kids since spring. We need to make sure these kids are as hydrated as possible. That’s why we’ve pushed out conditioning and practice to later in the evening, to try to let the heat come down a little bit. We’ll check our wet-bulb (thermometer) to make sure the heat index is below where we need it to be at. The OSSAA (Oklahoma Secondary School Activity Association) put the guidelines on us to not go in full pads until Friday (Aug. 11). Getting them acclimated to the heat and be able to do some conditioning in helmets only those first four days will be vital in getting the kids ready to deal with the heat.”

“We have a wet-bulb (thermometer) on site,” Roland coach Austin Cantrell said. “We’re keeping up with that. We do big carwash-type sponges and just drain that thing on them. When it’s really hot and get close to that 100-degree mark, we like to hit it like for 20 minutes (of practice), then hit a water break and get right back after it. When it gets to a 110 heat index, we’re not even allowed to practice. We keep a close eye on it. We keep stuff to cool the kids off, and have constant water breaks. It’s looking like the weather isn’t going to be that bad on Monday, so we may not have to get as acclimated to the heat. At least we’ll be getting out there and sweating real good.”

“We’re going in the evenings,” Central coach Jeremy Thompson said. “It will be hot at 6 p.m., but we’ve planned our schedule to be in the weight room before we take the field. We’ll go early and late to try to stay out of that mid afternoon as much as we can. We’ll protect the guys as best we can. We’ll have water at every station. We’ll keep an eye out for them. Anytime that heat gets above 100 (degrees), it’s brutal — but we’re going to make sure we’re able to get things done at the same time.”

“We give them frequent breaks and all the water they want,” Vian coach Gary Willis said. “We’ll watch that wet-bulb (thermometer) temperature and the heat index. Obviously, if it gets ridiculous (hot), we’re not going to take a chance on it. We’ll back off and come back at another time. We keep a kiddie pool in the horse troff out there if anybody gets real hot. We encourage the kids to get outside in it other than when they’re with us — and not just lay under the air conditioner. Hopefully, they’ve been doing some of that.”

“It’s unusually hot,” Gore coach Brandon Ellis said. “It’s going to continue to get that way. We just have to adapt. We have to be careful. We have to be a lot smarter on the things we do. We can’t do stuff we were doing 10 years ago. It’s just the nature of the beast. We’ve had a really good summer as far as being out in the heat. We’re getting our guys adapted to it. The philosophy has changed where you get quality work in a shorter period of time. That’s what we’re trying to do. As far as constantly being hydrated, being in physical shape and getting the kids adapted to that, it’s going to be very important.”

“We’re not looking forward to the heat,” Gans coach Brian Morton said. “We’ll be bringing them right out in the heat of the day, but I’ll have to definitely limit what we are doing. We keep out water breaks scheduled. It doesn’t matter what we got going on — we’ve got our water breaks scheduled throughout. We make the boys take in some fluids. We have a shade tree. That’s where we take our breaks. I’m going to have one of those great big utility or shop fans set up, so as they’re getting drinks and sitting in the shade we’ll have that fan going just to cool them off. We can’t take chances in this kind of heat.”

“I wish it wasn’t so hot,” Webbers Falls coach Trent Holt said. “Looking at the forecast, I think it’s going to be all right. We’re kind of old school — we just give them a lot of water, that’s the main thing. We’ll give them a lot of breaks. We’ll try to set up a tent or two so we can get out of the sun. We’ll keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t get overheated. You’re going to have to deal with it. We can not not be in (the heat). When it gets to that first game (7 p.m. Aug. 25 against Tulsa Regent Prep), it’s going to be hot, so we’re going to have to be used to it (hot temperatures/heat).”

Sallisaw Black Diamonds get first District 4A-4 win since 2021, rout Stilwell on homecoming
Sports
Sallisaw Black Diamonds get first District 4A-4 win since 2021, rout Stilwell on homecoming
September 29, 2023
For the third time this season, the Sallisaw Black Diamonds ended a “bad” streak. After ending a 17-game losing streak and a two-game losing streak on the same night with the road win over Muldrow on ...
this is a test
Nugget is McDonald’s resident chicken
A: Main, Main...
Nugget is McDonald’s resident chicken
By JACOB BOWLING STAFF WRITER 
September 28, 2023
“Wait, is that a chicken?” Yes, and McDonald’s would like you to know she has been named “Nugget.” The female game hen has turned the Sallisaw McDonald’s into her own personal coop for the past two mo...
this is a test
Sallisaw woman embezzles over $8,000 from PTO
A: Main, Main...
Sallisaw woman embezzles over $8,000 from PTO
By Amie Cato-Remer Editor 
September 28, 2023
STORY UPDATED 10:45 a.m. FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 A Sallisaw woman is charged with felony embezzlement and a criminal misdemeanor charge of possession of forged instrument after it was discovered she had repo...
this is a test
Restoration underway for old SHS Auditorium
A: Main, Main...
Restoration underway for old SHS Auditorium
By Lynn McCulley Staff Writer 
September 28, 2023
Larry Crowe, whose company has invested in and reconstructed many buildings in Sallisaw, has announced plans to restore the old Sallisaw High School auditorium into a fine arts center. “We believe the...
this is a test
Camden Followell
A: Main, Just Folks...
JUST FOLKS
Camden Followell
By LYNN MCCULLEY EDITOR 
September 28, 2023
Camden Followell of Muldrow hopes to be the next big country star. Followell, 15, is excited about being able to sing for his hometown for the first time at this year’s Old Settler’s Day on Oct. 7 in ...
this is a test
Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library to give out free eclipse glasses
News
Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library to give out free eclipse glasses
September 28, 2023
The Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library will host a solar eclipse party from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14. Free eclipse glasses will be provided while supplies last. On Oct. 14, an annular sol...
this is a test


ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
Google Play App Store

Editor Picks
ORU 2023 recruiting class named one of nation’s best
Sports
ORU BASEBALL
ORU 2023 recruiting class named one of nation’s best
By ORU MEDIA RELATIONS 
September 28, 2023
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Oral Roberts University baseball program’s 2023 recruiting class has been tabbed as one of the Top 50 in the nation and No. 1 in the Summit League by Collegiate Baseball, as announ...
this is a test
Cowboys release complete 2023-24 basketball schedules
Sports
OSU BASKETBALL
Cowboys release complete 2023-24 basketball schedules
By BRYAN HOLMGREN AND RYAN CAMERON OKSTATE.COM 
September 28, 2023
STILLWATER — Both the Oklahoma State men’s and women’s 2023-24 complete basketball schedule was released Tuesday morning The Cowboys will appear 19 times at Gallagher-Iba Arena, beginning with a Nov. ...
this is a test
Razorbacks defeat Ole Miss in SEC match play
Sports
UA GOLF
Razorbacks defeat Ole Miss in SEC match play
By MIKE CAWOOD ARKANSASRAZORBACKS.COM 
September 28, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The match between No. 27 Arkansas and No. 24 Mississippi at the third annual Southeastern Conference Match Play, hosted by Jerry Pate, was tied at 2-2 through four matches, and the ...
this is a test
Women golfers finish 4th in Johnie Imes Invitational
Sports
ORU GOLF
Women golfers finish 4th in Johnie Imes Invitational
By ORU MEDIA RELATIONS 
September 28, 2023
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Oral Roberts University women’s golf team finished fourth in the Johnie Imes Invitational on Wednesday afternoon at The Club at Old Hawthorne. After all three rounds, ORU finished ...
this is a test
Thomas paces women golfers with runner-up finish at Schooner Fall Classic
Sports
TULSA GOLF
Thomas paces women golfers with runner-up finish at Schooner Fall Classic
By DON TOMKALSKI TULSA MEDIA RELATIONS 
September 28, 2023
NORMAN — Tulsa’s Lilly Thomas carded a 4-under par 66 in final round action at the Schooner Fall Classic on Monday to finish one-stroke behind individual medalist Morgan Ketchum of Virginia Tech. Thom...
this is a test
Facebook

SEQUOYAH COUNTY TIMES
111 N. Oak
Sallisaw OK
74955

918.775.4433

This site complies with ADA requirements

© 2022 Sequoyah County Times

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Policy