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 twoweek 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 got underway Monday.

“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 wetbulb (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.”

“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).”