WHITE HALL -- Early last week, the White Hall High School football team felt a high level of heat for the first time in preseason camp.
When Wednesday's practice wrapped up, the Bulldogs survived it just fine.
"Today was a good day," third-year Bulldogs Coach Bobby Bolding said then. "Two days before, it got hot on us. It hadn't been hot on us, really all summer, so we struggled with that. We were fine today, and they're acclimated to it now."
On the field, White Hall was the hottest team in Jefferson County, going 8-5 and reaching the third round of the 5A state playoffs. While the Bulldogs return a number of playmakers, Bolding is playing close attention to the progress of a young offensive line.
"There's a bunch of sophomores," Bolding said. "They're very strong for their age. They're the strongest bunch of sophomores I ever had, probably the strongest football team I ever coached, in terms of how they do in the weight room. They're physical kids. It's just a matter of learning what to do. You get different looks defensively and different fronts you have to block. We throw one front at them one day and then another front at them the next, and we're running the whole offense."
The o-line has endured its share of mental breakdowns, but the young guys are still "way ahead" in learning the playbook, Bolding said.
"It's just a matter of technique," he emphasized. "They're not going to get in trouble because of size or physicality. They're going to get in trouble because of a lack of experience or a technique error."
The line will be charged with protecting senior Matthew Martinez in the pocket. Martinez recovered from a shoulder injury that sidelined him most of last season.
"He played a few games, but he was not even close," Bolding said. "He's back, and you can tell he's got a handle on this offense. That's enabled us to do so many things. With what we do in June and July, everything is installed. It was installed when we started, so we're way ahead of where we've been."
Martinez will have a senior group of wide receivers including Carsen Terrell, Jordan Jackson, Steven Weston and Caleb Taylor to work with.
"We're very confident in Matthew," receivers coach Claude Johnson said. "With some of the guys in the perimeter at receiver, we think we can help him to be successful this year."
Then, there is the backfield.
White Hall will be senior-oriented at the tailback position, with Eric Pickens and Durran Cain looking to play big roles in a run-heavy offense, among others.
Pickens understands the challenge that lies ahead of the guys opening holes for him.
"We're looking good," he said. "We've got some young offensive linemen, so they're getting to know everything, but we're going to be good. Most of them are aggressive and strong."
Cain has acclimated to the offense after transferring from Watson Chapel.
"We really have to work and get after it," he said. "Really, you can't play out there. You've got to get after it."
Just as Bolding said the offensive line is doing, in a way a Bulldog would know how.
"They've got some dog in them. They'll mix it up with you," he said.
