LA CROSSE — Players and coaches for the Logan High School football team split into four groups and scattered to different sections of Swanson Field for specialized instruction.
On the other side of town, Aquinas did the same thing.
While many programs in the Coulee Region opted to open the season with afternoon or evening practices on Tuesday, the Rangers and Blugolds rolled out morning workouts.
“It’s a different feel, but we have a lot of the same faces out here with us,” Logan coach Casey Knoble said. “We have a lot of kids coming back and understand what we are doing.
“But we also have a lot of freshmen coming in wide-eyed and always wondering what’s coming next. Watching new guys step up as leaders has been good so far.”
Neither Knoble nor Aquinas coach Tom Lee changed much with their offseason after the WIAA allowed for more contact with players, but Coulee Region coaches as a whole seemed to do the same.
So aside from 7-on-7 passing league or a handful of contact days, teams embarked on the first of regular sessions that will lead to a game in 16 or 17 days.
The Rangers open the season by hosting Ellsworth on Aug. 21, and the Blugolds begin with a game at Prairie du Chien on Aug. 22.
“I made the joke to one of my coaching buddies,” Lee said. “I get paid to organize equipment, inventory, order helmets.
“And I coach for free. I got all of the other things out of the way, and now we’re out her on the field with the guys, which is awesome.”
Both teams are following up on conference championships and deep playoff runs.
Logan was part of a five-way tie for the MVC title and won three postseason games before a loss to Green Bay Notre Dame in the Division 3 state semifinals gave it a 10-3 record.
Aquinas won the Coulee Conference by running the table and advanced to the Division 4 semifinals, where a loss to Racine St. Catherine’s gave it an 11-2 season.
Watch for regular posts on all of this site’s featured schools from now through kickoff at couleesports.com.
