Monday marked the first day of football practice for county schools, and Miles Brown and the McKenzie Tigers took to Williams-Vickery Field to start the season.

&uot;We’re just working to get a lot of fundamental stuff in,&uot; Brown said.

&uot;You can’t get down to the nitty-gritty without putting on pads.&uot;

The first day the players are allowed to wear pads is Thursday.

&uot;The biggest thing is conditioning so that when you put on the extra weight of the pads, you can still play with it on,&uot; Brown said.

&uot;The kids are ready to go, but the heat right now might get them down,&uot; Brown said.

&uot;We’re coming in later in the day to try to keep the heat from being too bad.&uot;

Keeping the players safe from the heat is a concern for Brown and his staff.

&uot;We stress to the kids to take care of themselves, not only when they’re here, but also when they’re not here,&uot; he said. &uot;They’ve got to eat right, drink right and prepare themselves like athletes.&uot;

One of the players that stood out on the first day of practice was Jarrell Mobley, who is handling punting duties.

&uot;One thing about Mobley is that he has stepped up as a leader,&uot; Brown said. &uot;Last year to this year, he’s really worked getting prepared for this season. He even went as far as to lose 40 pounds.&uot;

&uot;That’s his nature,&uot; Brown continued. &uot;He’s a go-getter.

He’s made a commitment to the team.&uot;

The Tigers also have no injuries to report so far.

&uot;Everyone is healthy,&uot; Brown said.

&uot;Right now, we’re just preparing to play and preparing to be winners.&uot;